Padres (TBD) vs Cubs (Imanaga): 6/29/26, 7:05pm

[CubUgly]

3 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

To be fair, I don't think he was being serious about Wicks closing in September. 

 

Maybe not but I've seen a couple of other posts about Wicks being a leverage reliever here - I know recency bias is a thing but let's pump the breaks on this please.   He would have to show more than once.

I always liked his make-up but outside yesterday has not had very many even serviceable outings in the bigs. 

[Jason Ross]

6 minutes ago, CubUgly said:

Maybe not but I've seen a couple of other posts about Wicks being a leverage reliever here - I know recency bias is a thing but let's pump the breaks on this please.   He would have to show more than once.

I always liked his make-up but outside yesterday has not had very many even serviceable outings in the bigs. 

Who has suggested the Cubs use him as a leverage reliever in any serious manner recently? This sounds like a manufactured complaint more than anything. We can't believe Outshined was suggesting it any other way than tongue-in-cheek he added Liam Hendricks who is a late 30s pitcher making his debut in the Complex league right now. 

I've seen people suggest before that he could become a trusted reliever at some point, and most of those opinions have come well before 2026. i don't see anyone clamoring for Jordan Wicks as a legitimate 8th inning option today. The entire thread yesterday was groaning and whining that he was even on the roster.

As of now Jordan Wicks is 26. He's a former 1st round pick who has had some flashes of MLB use while also dealing with a handful of injuries that may have sapped his upside or maybe has just set him back. There's still MLB capability there. And maybe one day he can work back into a rotation. Wouldnt be a crazy outcome.

[mk49]

7 minutes ago, CubUgly said:

Maybe not but I've seen a couple of other posts about Wicks being a leverage reliever here - I know recency bias is a thing but let's pump the breaks on this please.   He would have to show more than once.

I always liked his make-up but outside yesterday has not had very many even serviceable outings in the bigs. 

Aside from few jokes, I think nobody seriously thought he'd be a high leverage guy.

[CubUgly]

18 minutes ago, mk49 said:

Aside from few jokes, I think nobody seriously thought he'd be a high leverage guy.

Let's hope not.  Not that I don't wish he could be. 

[ILMindState]

Based on a 1 pitch sample size, Wicks is not only our closer, but also our ace and healthiest pitcher. 

[mk49]

Just now, ILMindState said:

Based on a 1 pitch sample size, Wicks is not only our closer, but also our ace and healthiest pitcher. 

I disagree.  Wicks might be our new closer, but Assad is our ace (according to my brother).😁

[Bertz]

1 hour ago, macarthur31 said:

I think I read somewhere that during his recent stint in Des Moines, he's gotten the K Rate to 25%, while maintaining the slug.  (Or maybe I dreamed it?). If true, let's get him some run against some lefties.

I am almost certainly Alcantara's biggest cheerleader at this point so I'm biased but yeah he's been crushing it.  Last two months at Iowa:

144 PAs, .315/.410/.573, 148 wRC+, 13.9% BB rate, 26.4% K rate, 8 homers

[Derwood]

14 minutes ago, Bertz said:

I am almost certainly Alcantara's biggest cheerleader at this point so I'm biased but yeah he's been crushing it.  Last two months at Iowa:

144 PAs, .315/.410/.573, 148 wRC+, 13.9% BB rate, 26.4% K rate, 8 homers

And now he'll get to watch ballgames from the bench, as CC basically refuses to play him

[Jason Ross]

Hollowell and Alcantara recalled. Shaw to IL as is Roberts. I feel like the Roberts one is not a real one; but they needed to have a pitcher "hurt" to get Gavin back.

[mul21]

13 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Hollowell and Alcantara recalled. Shaw to IL as is Roberts. I feel like the Roberts one is not a real one; but they needed to have a pitcher "hurt" to get Gavin back.

I was wondering how they'd make that work but I suppose when you're a fringe guy you take your orders and keep your mouth shut for your own good, especially when you continue getting an MLB paycheck.

[muntjack]

1 hour ago, Jason Ross said:

To be fair, I don't think he was being serious about Wicks closing in September. 

That said, Wicks passed any eye test you could have asked for yesterday. It's the first eye test here past in a while, but he did well. Even the walk wasn't really a walk. Let's not forget, last summer this board was ready to take Ben Brown and shoot him to the moon. Justin Steele had his first good year at age-26. I'm not entirely ready to take Jordan Wicks and punt him into space. 

I don't see the equivalence.   Ben Brown had swing and miss stuff from the get- go, and Steele had better peripherals through the minors.  Wicks needs an overhaul of his approach or of his repertoire, because he gets hit all over the field, and it's been that way for some time. 

[Andy]

42 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I was wondering how they'd make that work but I suppose when you're a fringe guy you take your orders and keep your mouth shut for your own good, especially when you continue getting an MLB paycheck.

Not sure what you're talking about, when I watched Counsell getting mad at Roberts sucking yesterday it was very clear from lip reading that he was saying "Damn it I can't believe Ethan has forearm inflammation and I have no choice but to leave him in" 

Edited 5 hours ago by Andy

[Papa Cub]

3 hours ago, macarthur31 said:

 

Jaguar reports for duty!  Does that mean Matt Shaw to the IL?

 

Yeah - his wrist I saw

[Jason Ross]

1 hour ago, muntjack said:

I don't see the equivalence.   Ben Brown had swing and miss stuff from the get- go, and Steele had better peripherals through the minors.  Wicks needs an overhaul of his approach or of his repertoire, because he gets hit all over the field, and it's been that way for some time. 

Ben Brown got hit all over the field last year. He also needed a rework of his repertoire. Remember how bad against lefties he was? Now he throws a sinker and a changeup with more confidence. 

And it's not a 1:1. Nothing I said suggests that Jordan Wicks will become Ben Brown. But that if we left this board, or really, Cubs fans in general decide who was worthy, they'd have thrown away both Ben Brown and Justin Steele years before they'd have broken out. People need more patience. Pitchers break out in their mid-20s. Especially pitchers who have dealt with injury delays...which all three of my examples have. 

I'm not sure what the future holds for Jordan Wicks. He really may never manifest as an MLB mainstay. But he's not so old or untalented that he can't breakout in some way, either. But many (too many) treat him as an extreme after thought. 

[Papa Cub]

1 hour ago, Jason Ross said:

Hollowell and Alcantara recalled. Shaw to IL as is Roberts. I feel like the Roberts one is not a real one; but they needed to have a pitcher "hurt" to get Gavin back.

💯 

[PeanutPunch33]

The Red Sox would be pretty good trade partners.  They have a player at all 3 areas that I'd want on the Cubs.  Sonny Gray, Garrett Whitlock, Willson Contreras (he's a hothead now so he'd have to scale back his antics and be cool with being DH, which I doubt he would be).

I wonder what the price tag would be on Gray + Whitlock.  

[chibears55]

175 mil for a guy with 10 soft tissue injuries running to first 🙄🙄🙄

 

[Derwood]

Do JD and Boog work anymore?

[chibears55]

3 minutes ago, Derwood said:

Do JD and Boog work anymore?

Long travel from Milwaukee,  need an off day 🙄

[Jason Ross]

Good first. 

[chibears55]

If Shota gonna be throwing them high balls to Manny, he better make sure it up there, got lucky there

[Tangled Up in Plaid]

16 minutes ago, PeanutPunch33 said:

The Red Sox would be pretty good trade partners.  They have a player at all 3 areas that I'd want on the Cubs.  Sonny Gray, Garrett Whitlock, Willson Contreras (he's a hothead now so he'd have to scale back his antics and be cool with being DH, which I doubt he would be).

I wonder what the price tag would be on Gray + Whitlock.  

If the trade deadline was today, I don't think they're selling 

[Derwood]

Let this goober walk the bases loaded

 

[Jason Ross]

Bring back the Milwaukee catchers for challenges only. 

[Derwood]

4 minutes ago, Jason Ross said:

Bring back the Milwaukee catchers for challenges only. 

That was clearly a strike. Busch should've protected.

Seiya choked on the chicken bone