Steele needs season-ending surgery

[UMFan83]

 

[squally1313]

Like we’ve all been saying since the beginning, 60 day IL 

[Bull]

I feel like I should feel worse about this than I do. I really like this team's depth and ability to spend at the deadline. I feel like they were ready for this (not saying they were expecting it, but could be).

Shota can deal, Boyd looks legit, Taillon still has plenty in the tank. If two of Brown, Assad, Wicks, Horton and Rea can do something this offense has the upside to really be something.

Or go trade for a Mariner.

[Jason Ross]

Don't worry, Craig. I'll pitch for the Cubs. 

(I assume they're going to ask me. We all agree they want me to join to rotation, right?)

[Derwood]

Hoyer should be throwing everything at the Marlins as we speak

[BigbadB]

Plenty of resources to upgrade the rotation. Bummed for Justin. 

[ToolDRT]

Wow. Damn. 

[17 Seconds]

for some reason I'm not that worried about this

[CUBDOM4life]

Who’s next to be added to the 40-man? Horton time yet?

[Cubs206]

I bet this just didn’t come out of nowhere.  Aside from his last start he didn’t look too good. I was at some spring games too he started. 

[Banedon]

As soon as Counsell said they were getting a second opinion on the elbow I felt like we were in for something like this.

[Bertz]

SP at the deadline just went from a 'probably' to a 'definitely'.  I think there's extra incentive to get someone long term and not just a rental.

i.e. like Squally said a few days ago, go get Sandy Alcantara.

I will say with Horton and Wicks looking great at Iowa my concern is more about replacing Steele's TOR-ness and less about replacing him with broadly competent innings.

[Rcal10]

8 minutes ago, Bertz said:

SP at the deadline just went from a 'probably' to a 'definitely'.  I think there's extra incentive to get someone long term and not just a rental.

i.e. like Squally said a few days ago, go get Sandy Alcantara.

I will say with Horton and Wicks looking great at Iowa my concern is more about replacing Steele's TOR-ness and less about replacing him with broadly competent innings.

Which is easier to do if they extended Tucker. They can trade Cassie if they knew for the next several years they would have Tucker and PCA in the outfield. But if they can’t keep Tucker it is harder to trade Cassie since he would be the obvious replacement for him. I would think any trade for a controlled pitcher who can be a solid rotation piece would have to start with Cassie. Using Alcantara as an example, it would have to be Cassie+. 

[Rcal10]

14 minutes ago, Bertz said:

SP at the deadline just went from a 'probably' to a 'definitely'.  I think there's extra incentive to get someone long term and not just a rental.

i.e. like Squally said a few days ago, go get Sandy Alcantara.

I will say with Horton and Wicks looking great at Iowa my concern is more about replacing Steele's TOR-ness and less about replacing him with broadly competent innings.

Because Boyd and even Tallion have looked really good, I feel a little better about the chance of the rotation being able to hold the fort until the Cubs do add a starter at the deadline. I actually like Wicks too. And so far Horton has looked good. They do need someone, but I think this team with the depth they have, can still perform well. Brown also looked very good his last time out. We just need consistency out of him. He has had one really good start, one decent start and one poor start. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

Bummed as horsefeathers about this. We can still win the division but I doubt this spurs Jed to do something now. He's a wait and see type. I just hope we don't see all of our internal options fall flat. 

[WhyCantWeWin]

Rea is our new ace

[Irrelevant Dude]

What does this mean for Steele next season with the Cubs?  Will they still offer him his final year of arbitration, or is that too much to pay a guy coming who will be limited back coming back from surgery?

[Stratos]

[Transmogrified Tiger]

4 hours ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

What does this mean for Steele next season with the Cubs?  Will they still offer him his final year of arbitration, or is that too much to pay a guy coming who will be limited back coming back from surgery?

Steele has 2 more years of arbitration, and considering he'll be coming off surgery probably not at much of an increase on the 6.5 million he's making this year, pretty much a no-brainer that he is kept.

[harmony]

7 hours ago, Bull said:

I feel like I should feel worse about this than I do. I really like this team's depth and ability to spend at the deadline. I feel like they were ready for this (not saying they were expecting it, but could be).

Shota can deal, Boyd looks legit, Taillon still has plenty in the tank. If two of Brown, Assad, Wicks, Horton and Rea can do something this offense has the upside to really be something.

Or go trade for a Mariner.

Seattle seems short one starter currently and is unlikely to trade from the rotation coming off a 5-1 homestand.

Through Saturday's games the Mariners had posted an OPS+ of 105 and an ERA+ of 99.

[Irrelevant Dude]

11 hours ago, Transmogrified Tiger said:

Steele has 2 more years of arbitration, and considering he'll be coming off surgery probably not at much of an increase on the 6.5 million he's making this year, pretty much a no-brainer that he is kept.

Makes sense.  Brain fart on my part, I'm not sure why I thought he only had 1 year left.

[Brian707]

16 hours ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Bummed as horsefeathers about this. We can still win the division but I doubt this spurs Jed to do something now. He's a wait and see type. I just hope we don't see all of our internal options fall flat. 

The Cubs will get a top of the line starter by the trade deadline at the latest. It's just not going to happen anytime soon. No team, not even as ****** as the White Sox is trading away starters in April. If Jed tries to trade now, it will be a kings ransom in return. Wait it out, they are over halfway thru the hard part of the schedule now and are 11-7.  then around the ASB make a deal.

Edited April 14, 2025 by Brian707

[CubinNY]

It's time to move up the timeline on some of the AAA pitchers. What they should not do is panic. 

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, CubinNY said:

It's time to move up the timeline on some of the AAA pitchers. What they should not do is panic. 

I agree. Maybe Wicks comes up. Maybe Horton early to mid May. Maybe Assad will be back soon. I wouldn’t do anything right now. 

[Jason Ross]

I would not move up the timeline on the Triple-A arms in the rotation. That sounds like a short-term fix that ends poorly. Jordan Wicks and Cade Horton are probably the two best arms in Iowa, but both are coming off heavily injury shortened seasons and neither have had a perfect start to the year:

- Cade Horton has struggled to get over the 50 pitch hump. He's struggled for consistency. The stuff is there, but he's almost assuredly not ready for a bit

- Jordan Wicks is probably further ahead, but I'm not entirely sure I'd move his timeline up yet unless it's in a piggyback role. His first start was not great, and Colin Rea looked pretty good. I think letting him marinate, get into a rhythm and being on high alert for an injury is how I'd handle it.