*** Official 2025 Chicago Cubs Thread***

Pressly will be on the IL tomorrow. Will certainly make the “Hodge is the closer” conversation easier.
I think it’s Palencia.

Always count on an overreaction from the masses here. I think you’re 100% on the IL he was on a roll prior to getting his knee drained. My guess he comes back as a 7th type and does a decent job when healthy
 
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I think it’s Palencia.

Always count on an overreaction from the masses here. I think you’re 100% on the IL he was on a roll prior to getting his knee drained. My guess he comes back as a 7th type and does a decent job when healthy

Overreaction?? to giving up eight earned runs (nine total) without an out? My ass. That's about as horrible of an outing as you can imagine. Calling it like it is. He has pitched with guys on base (his own doing) all season so far...playing with fire and tonight was an inferno.
 
Overreaction?? to giving up eight earned runs (nine total) without an out? My ass. That's about as horrible of an outing as you can imagine. Calling it like it is. He has pitched with guys on base (his own doing) all season so far...playing with fire and tonight was an inferno.
He had seven straight scoreless appearances prior to this outing and he’s coming back from getting his knee drained. So yes definitely an overreaction to call for a DFA. But this board has done it with Swanson. Suzuki, Happ, Amaya. Merryweather. Palencia, need I go on?
 
He had seven straight scoreless appearances prior to this outing and he’s coming back from getting his knee drained. So yes definitely an overreaction to call for a DFA. But this board has done it with Swanson. Suzuki, Happ, Amaya. Merryweather. Palencia, need I go on?

So call out someone asking for a DFA....but the "masses" responding to THAT inning is not an overreaction.
 
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I think that’s exactly what I did if you care to go back and read what I said.

Look...at the end of the day, it's one loss. But I must have got hung up on the "Always count on an overreaction from the masses here" comment. My point....knee draining or not, tonight's results are not closer material. There is a reason Houston let him go on the cheap.
 
A brutal AB for him. Not even remotely close.
A vet has to pull him aside and let him know what that pitcher was going to do. It was obvious after the mound visit that the message was “young guy at the plate. See if he chases. If you walk him, no harm.” PCA never saw a strike. Even a squeeze was dangerous knowing he wasn’t going to get a strike. Patience is not in his vocabulary, as good as he is.
 
Overreaction?? to giving up eight earned runs (nine total) without an out? My ass. That's about as horrible of an outing as you can imagine. Calling it like it is. He has pitched with guys on base (his own doing) all season so far...playing with fire and tonight was an inferno.
Yeah, Pressly has been bad all year. He already had more walks than strikeouts coming into the game.

Still really irritated this morning that Counsell didn't scheme up something to get that run home in PCAs at bat. It looked like they were drawing something up because he talked to his coaches and then they send him up there flailing away with zero chance of making contact.
 
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Even a squeeze was dangerous knowing he wasn’t going to get a strike. Patience is not in his vocabulary, as good as he is.
They could have done something like a safety squeeze. We used to practice baserunning in both squeeze scenarios all the time. Him trying to lay down some kind of bunt puts tremendous pressure on the opponent with his speed, especially the way the Giants infield has been botching plays on the series.

Just really poor execution by the coaching staff and PCA. The guy had basically thrown 5 straight balls to the last lefty when Busch was up, so let's send the next lefty up there hacking for Sheffield Ave.
 
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Pressly felt like Neris 2.0 and I said it here earlier: it's not a good sign when your closer is not missing bats with his pitches and can't pitch clean innings. All the signs were there if you looked "under the hood" of his previous outings regardless if he got the save. It finally bit us in the butt last night and top that with the news that he got his knee drained the other week. He's the highest paid guy in the bullpen so there are no excuses, he was brought here to be the closer and so far he has not looked that good. The next highest paid reliever on payroll is Brasier and he hasn't been healthy either. There is a reason those 2 guys were available on the cheap either trade or waivers from 2 teams that made the playoffs last year.

Hodge or Palencia should get a crack at closing games and see if either can lock it down otherwise add a closer to the shopping list at the deadline. Hodge saved 9 games last year (also blew 3) but he's shown he has the stuff to miss bats and be an effective late inning reliever. If Palencia has finally got over his control issues of the past his fastball definitely plays well too.
 
They could have done something like a safety squeeze. We used to practice baserunning in both squeeze scenarios all the time. Him trying to lay down some kind of bunt puts tremendous pressure on the opponent with his speed, especially the way the Giants infield has been botching plays on the series.

Just really poor execution by the coaching staff and PCA. The guy had basically thrown 5 straight balls to the last lefty when Busch was up, so let's send the next lefty up there hacking for Sheffield Ave.
You could tell they had no interest in throwing him a strike….going to happen more moving forward until he adapts
 
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Seems like the Cubs need to move Pressly to a set-up roll and see if he can find something. He doesn't have enough swing/miss to be a closer. It becomes a huge issue in extra inning games with a guy on 2nd.

But my fear he is running on empty. He not only lacks swing/miss, he can't get guys out throwing strikes. He's hoping guys will chase to get outs.