Article: Hottovy / Shota

[Rcal10]

2 hours ago, thawv said:

Very much agree.  But he's entering his 10th season in a big league system, and 9th of actual baseball due to the covid season.  Developing an effective 3rd pitch is very likely not going to happen. 

He just turned 26 years old.  Taillon learned a new pitch this year. I know he was drafted out of high school so your numbers are correct, but that said, he is hardly too old to learn something new. It is far from “very unlikely” he won’t. That said, he might not be successful throwing a new pitch. Maybe he will never get the hang of it and add another pitch to his mix, confidently. But he is certainly young enough to be able to. I don’t want to see him as one of those guys everyone complains about while he is with the Cubs, then when he goes elsewhere and success those same people suggest the Cubs were dumb because they let him go. Estrada, Adam’s, etc…..
 

[thawv]

On 11/26/2025 at 8:35 AM, Rcal10 said:

He just turned 26 years old.  Taillon learned a new pitch this year. I know he was drafted out of high school so your numbers are correct, but that said, he is hardly too old to learn something new. It is far from “very unlikely” he won’t. That said, he might not be successful throwing a new pitch. Maybe he will never get the hang of it and add another pitch to his mix, confidently. But he is certainly young enough to be able to. I don’t want to see him as one of those guys everyone complains about while he is with the Cubs, then when he goes elsewhere and success those same people suggest the Cubs were dumb because they let him go. Estrada, Adam’s, etc…..
 

I don't think he's too old at all.  I just feel like he should have learned a 3rd effective pitch by now.  I'd bet anything that Phil and the Cubs have been trying for 9+ years with no success.  Maybe that changes.  Maybe Phil felt that it was never going to happen so they moved on from him?  I'm a huge fan of him and think he should just be move to an 8th/9th inning role.

[Jason Ross]

2 hours ago, thawv said:

I don't think he's too old at all.  I just feel like he should have learned a 3rd effective pitch by now.  I'd bet anything that Phil and the Cubs have been trying for 9+ years with no success.  Maybe that changes.  Maybe Phil felt that it was never going to happen so they moved on from him?  I'm a huge fan of him and think he should just be move to an 8th/9th inning role.

Ben Brown was acquired by the Cubs in 2022, so they haven't been trying for 9 years. 

[Outshined_One]

10 hours ago, Jason Ross said:

Ben Brown was acquired by the Cubs in 2022, so they haven't been trying for 9 years. 

I misread it at first too, but he said Phil, i.e. Philadelphia.

[Jason Ross]

40 minutes ago, Outshined_One said:

I misread it at first too, but he said Phil, i.e. Philadelphia.

Ahhhh Phil as in a team not a human being named Phil! I've been racking my brain as to which Phil in the Cubs org he was referring to.

[Bull]

8 hours ago, Jason Ross said:

Ahhhh Phil as in a team not a human being named Phil! I've been racking my brain as to which Phil in the Cubs org he was referring to.

Good ol' Phil. The Cubs' Assistant roving minor league bullpen catcher. 

[thawv]

23 hours ago, Jason Ross said:

Ben Brown was acquired by the Cubs in 2022, so they haven't been trying for 9 years. 

I said Phillies and the Cubs. 

 

EDIT:  I just saw that you realized it was the Phillies. 

Edited November 29, 2025 by thawv