*** Official 2025 Chicago Cubs Thread***
- Thread starter Cyforce
- Start date
The Cubs need to start playing small ball. We continue to get 2 people on and refuse to bunt. Lazy pop-ups and strikeouts. Seiya and PCA have been bad lately.
Was he a pallbearer or something? Only 3 games up on the Padres now with 6 to play for home field. This team is acting like they’ve already accomplished their goal, though, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised.
This is not the time of the season for the offense to go cold. Ideally you want the offense to be firing on all cylinders going into the playoffs as every AB is valuable when you are playing a short series in a WC matchup.
Will be interesting to see if they try to integrate Amaya back in before the playoffs or not. Iowa's season is done so either needs to go to AZ to continue to rehab or call back up to Chicago and see if he's good to go. Kelly and McGuire have done well so only way he'd make the post season roster is if they think he'd be an upgrade over McGuire. Based on the news on Tucker these days I'm not optimistic he'll be ready for the WC series.
In order to keep this from becoming a cave topic I am leaving the name out. Shaw attended a large memorial service that made a lot of news yesterday. He apparently was a personal friend of the deceased and was scratched the same day of his death for personal reasons as well but did pinch hit in that game. There is a photo of Shaw and Busch with said friend at Wrigley the other month. Will leave it at that, none of us know exactly how close they were but if the team excused him to attend there probably was good reason for it.
I'm not expecting Tucker to be healthy enough to play in the WC series if he is not back to running yet:
Kyle Tucker and Daniel Palencia - Latest on the Injured Cubs
I do think Palencia is back this week based on his latest rehab outing. I doubt we see Amaya back even though he was rehabbing in Iowa the past week. Just seems like he's missed too much time to think he'll be a better option than McGuire at this point. It's a shame he's had the bad luck with injuries this year because the 2nd half of last year and the start of this year it looked like he had turned a corner in his development. Read something over the weekend that Amaya could be a surprise on the trading block with Kelly locked up for next year and needing to create an opportunity for Mo Baller too.
Agree with most of this for the Cubs rotation and bullpen setup for the playoffs:
Here's How I'm Setting Up the Cubs Playoff Rotation and Bullpen As of Today - Bleacher Nation
Only thing I don't agree with is Rogers as he hasn't looked that good and Civale has only had 4 appearances so far. Granted he's struck out 11 in 10 innings but also given up 2 HR so kinda a mixed bag. Would like to see him get a couple more appearances this week to make sure it's not a fluke thing. I'd rather carry an extra starter to piggyback if someone struggles out of the gate in a start you don't have to use up as many late inning bullpen guys right away. I get the reasoning in a short 3 game series why maybe you leave off whoever you don't start between Boyd or Taillon but they still may be better options as 2 inning guys if needed.
Kyle Tucker and Daniel Palencia - Latest on the Injured Cubs
I do think Palencia is back this week based on his latest rehab outing. I doubt we see Amaya back even though he was rehabbing in Iowa the past week. Just seems like he's missed too much time to think he'll be a better option than McGuire at this point. It's a shame he's had the bad luck with injuries this year because the 2nd half of last year and the start of this year it looked like he had turned a corner in his development. Read something over the weekend that Amaya could be a surprise on the trading block with Kelly locked up for next year and needing to create an opportunity for Mo Baller too.
Agree with most of this for the Cubs rotation and bullpen setup for the playoffs:
Here's How I'm Setting Up the Cubs Playoff Rotation and Bullpen As of Today - Bleacher Nation
Only thing I don't agree with is Rogers as he hasn't looked that good and Civale has only had 4 appearances so far. Granted he's struck out 11 in 10 innings but also given up 2 HR so kinda a mixed bag. Would like to see him get a couple more appearances this week to make sure it's not a fluke thing. I'd rather carry an extra starter to piggyback if someone struggles out of the gate in a start you don't have to use up as many late inning bullpen guys right away. I get the reasoning in a short 3 game series why maybe you leave off whoever you don't start between Boyd or Taillon but they still may be better options as 2 inning guys if needed.
IMO either Civale or Soroka should be left off the playoff roster as Rea and Assad can also pitch 3+ innings should a starter get lit-up early.
Rogers performance has been inconsistent, but at least his arm is used to pitching on consecutive days. And with Soroka's recent IL stint, doubt Cubs would want him going back-to-back games unless a game 7 or no other options.
