Cubs to sign Hunter Harvey

[Dfan25]

 

 

[Dfan25]

As of now there seems to be 1 open spot in the pen :

 

Palencia

Harvey

Maton

Webb

Thielbar

Milner

Rea 

Edited December 27, 2025 by Dfan25

[Hortonhearsawho]

That spot would likely go to Brown or Assad someone who can give them innings.

[Bertz]

Oh hell yeah!  Harvey's high-risk health-wise but on a per inning basis basically as good as anyone who was available this winter besides Diaz and Williams.

Paired with the floor raisers we already added this is exciting.

[Bertz]

ZiPS projects him to a 3.04 ERA next year.

This is basically the new Brandon Morrow.  And unlike Joe I trust Counsell to not shred his arm in a meaningless June game against the Mets.

[Hot Sauce]

6 minutes ago, Bertz said:

ZiPS projects him to a 3.04 ERA next year.

This is basically the new Brandon Morrow.  And unlike Joe I trust Counsell to not shred his arm in a meaningless June game against the Mets.

For some reason, when I read Morrow my mind immediately jumped to Nate Pearson. Wrong Jays reliever! I almost threw up at the comparison. 

Edited December 27, 2025 by Hot Sauce

[thawv]

22 minutes ago, Dfan25 said:

As of now there seems to be 1 open spot in the pen :

 

Palencia

Harvey

Maton

Webb

Thielbar

Milner

Rea 

Rea is in the rotation as of today. 

[Jason Ross]

Love this. Health barring, the bullpen has really shaped up well. 

Interesting to see the team enter with a far more settled BP situation. Ben Brown and JVier Assad  feel much more moveable today than yesterday, not that it means anything (nor am I shoving them out the door, only that they are more viable to be traded with the way the BP is settled)

[thawv]

When healthy, he's quite good!  But his injury history is too much to ignore. 

 

EDIT:  The injury in I posted was inaccurate do I deleted it.   

 

 

Edited December 27, 2025 by thawv

[Jason Ross]

1 minute ago, thawv said:

Rea is in the rotation as of today. 

Right but everyone here knows the Cubs are going to bring in another SP in some fashion, so might as well put him where he's likely to begin the season when discussing it. 

[TarzanJoeWallis]

3 minutes ago, thawv said:

When healthy, he's quite good!  But his injury history is to much to ignore.  

 

• 2024: Acquired by the Kansas City Royals from the Washington Nationals, but only appeared in six games before suffering a season-ending back injury on August 4, 2024. He was placed on the injured list on August 10, 2024. 
   
• 2023: Strained right lat on July 1st, 2021, which led to a 60-day injured list. He also had a right elbow strain that required a 15-day injured list. 
   
• 2022: Strained right lat on July 17, 2022, which led to a 60-day injured list. He also had a right shoulder discomfort that was day-to-day. 
   
• 2021: Strained right lat on July 1st, 2021, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2020: Strained right lat on July 17, 2020, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2019: Strained right lat on July 17, 2019, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2018: Strained right lat on July 17, 2018, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2017: Strained right lat on July 17, 2017, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2016: Underwent TJ surgery on July 17, 2016, which led to a 60-day injured list. 

Why are almost all of his injuries on July 17?

[thawv]

2 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Right but everyone here knows the Cubs are going to bring in another SP in some fashion, so might as well put him where he's likely to begin the season when discussing it. 

Very true. 

[thawv]

1 minute ago, TarzanJoeWallis said:

Why are almost all of his injuries on July 17?

wow

[squally1313]

7 minutes ago, TarzanJoeWallis said:

Why are almost all of his injuries on July 17?

My guess (could be wrong) is that this is yet another example of why no one should ever use ChatGPT 

[PackLandVA]

13 minutes ago, TarzanJoeWallis said:

Why are almost all of his injuries on July 17?

His very own "Ides of March"?

[Hot Sauce]

18 minutes ago, thawv said:

When healthy, he's quite good!  But his injury history is to much to ignore.  

 

• 2024: Acquired by the Kansas City Royals from the Washington Nationals, but only appeared in six games before suffering a season-ending back injury on August 4, 2024. He was placed on the injured list on August 10, 2024. 
   
• 2023: Strained right lat on July 1st, 2021, which led to a 60-day injured list. He also had a right elbow strain that required a 15-day injured list. 
   
• 2022: Strained right lat on July 17, 2022, which led to a 60-day injured list. He also had a right shoulder discomfort that was day-to-day. 
   
• 2021: Strained right lat on July 1st, 2021, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2020: Strained right lat on July 17, 2020, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2019: Strained right lat on July 17, 2019, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2018: Strained right lat on July 17, 2018, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2017: Strained right lat on July 17, 2017, which led to a 60-day injured list. 
   

   
• 2016: Underwent TJ surgery on July 17, 2016, which led to a 60-day injured list. 

Bro, just stop pitching on July 17! 

[Bull]

7 minutes ago, squally1313 said:

My guess (could be wrong) is that this is yet another example of why no one should ever use ChatGPT 

Funny how we’ve moved from “never use Wikipedia, people are inaccurate,” to  never use AI, machines are inaccurate 

[Bertz]

46 minutes ago, Dfan25 said:

As of now there seems to be 1 open spot in the pen :

 

Palencia

Harvey

Maton

Webb

Thielbar

Milner

Rea 

I would suspect they leave one spot open for the non-roster guys to vie for, so the pen is likely done at least as far as guys getting guaranteed contracts.  Although they did add Brasier last year and just let the inevitable ST injuries open up Keller's eventual spot, so maybe I'm wrong.

[Post Count Padder]

Heck yeah. This is a fun low-risk signing. If he's healthy he's gonna be a solid late-inning option. Pen is basically set now. Last spot or two will be a spring training battle.

[Rcal10]

19 minutes ago, Post Count Padder said:

Heck yeah. This is a fun low-risk signing. If he's healthy he's gonna be a solid late-inning option. Pen is basically set now. Last spot or two will be a spring training battle.

As it stands now, Assad, Brown and Wicks have all become more expendable. Which does signal a possible trade. Especially if Bregman is a real consideration. If they all are in spring training, my guess is the last spot in the pen would be one of them. 

Edited December 27, 2025 by Rcal10

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

This is a guy that could fill Keller's role. Hopefully he's healthy.

[Tryptamine]

The bullpen looks kind of great right now. They still badly need a guy to slot into the top half of the rotation and honestly a bat would be great too, but things are coming along.

[Backtobanks]

3 hours ago, Rcal10 said:

As it stands now, Assad, Brown and Wicks have all become more expendable. Which does signal a possible trade. Especially if Bregman is a real consideration. If they all are in spring training, my guess is the last spot in the pen would be one of them. 

Where are you getting the money for Bregman?

[Rcal10]

22 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

The bullpen looks kind of great right now. They still badly need a guy to slot into the top half of the rotation and honestly a bat would be great too, but things are coming along.

Slowly but surely. And everything that has been done has allowed them to make at least one higher end salary pick up. Plus, maybe trade some prospects for another lower priced proven player. 🤷 If this gets accomplished, maybe Jed isn’t an idiot??? 
Still has to actually get done before we can make that statement. 

[Rcal10]

1 minute ago, Backtobanks said:

Where are you getting the money for Bregman?

I have repeatedly said I don’t expect Bregman. But others do. Even in the post your responded to I said, “if”Bregman is a real consideration. And, as usual you are picking something that isn’t even the point of my post. My post was about Wicks, Brown and Assad and their availability. 
But to answer your question on Bregman, some have suggested the Cubs may go over the LT by a little. That this would be a good year to do it. While I agree it would make sense, I don’t think they will.’which is why I don’t see Bregman. However, if they did go over a little it would probably mean they would have to make a trade for another starter who is cheaper. Which is where a prospect plus someone like Brown,  Assad or Wicks comes in to play.