Jesse Rogers
The Chicago Cubs picked up some crucial items on the commerce deadline on Thursday, however president of operations Jed Hoyer stated they did not affect their beginning workers the way in which that they hoped, citing excessive asking costs as a roadblock to a deal.
“From a beginning pitching standpoint, it was a very tight market,” Hoyer stated Thursday night. “Only a few rental starters. Of the marquee controllable starters none of them modified fingers. We did not purchase them however nobody else did both. We felt the asking value was one thing we could not do to the long run.”
The Cubs did purchase tremendous utility man Willi Castro from the Minnesota Twins for 2 prospects on Thursday. They later landed lefty reliever Taylor Rogers in a cope with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In separate offers Wednesday, the Cubs added depth items in Mike Soroka and Andrew Kittredge.
Whereas many high-end relievers switched fingers, Chicago stayed out of that market.
“I feel our largest focus in the end was not buying and selling that type of prospect capital within the bullpen,” Hoyer stated. “In the end, our largest focus — if we had been going to try this — was going to be within the rotation.”
Hoyer was additionally requested in regards to the rental market. He would not discuss particularly a few single pitcher however indicated there wasn’t a match with one other staff — just like the Arizona Diamondbacks for Merrill Kelly, who was traded to the Texas Rangers.
“We talked about each pitcher that was accessible,” Hoyer stated. “I feel typically you line up with sure groups and typically you do not.”
So whereas the Cubs didn’t go huge for a starter or a reliever, at the least Castro, 28, fills a necessity. He performed six positions for Minnesota this season — seven when you rely an inning on the mound — largely splitting time equally at second, left and proper subject. Castro is prone to see time at third base for Chicago, particularly when there’s a robust righty on the mound, as he’ll cut up time there with rookie Matt Shaw.
“I feel having a man like that type of protects us in a variety of spots,” Hoyer stated of Castro. “He was a really apparent slot in that regard.”
To make room on the energetic roster, Ryan Pressly, who opened the season because the Cubs’ nearer, was designated for task.
Castro is becoming a member of his third staff after beginning his profession in Detroit then enjoying the final three seasons for the Twins. He is a profession .245 hitter with 55 residence runs over his seven huge league seasons. He’ll be a free agent on the finish of this 12 months.
In return, the Twins are getting Double-A pitchers Ryan Gallagher and Sam Armstrong. Gallagher, 22, has a .386 ERA cut up between Single and Double-A this season whereas Armstrong has a 2.87 mark throughout a number of minor league ranges. Neither is taken into account a high prospect within the Cubs system.
In the meantime, Rogers, 34, appeared in 40 video games for the Cincinnati Reds, compiling a 2.45 ERA, and giving up three residence runs in 33 innings earlier than he was traded to the Pirates on Wednesday after which the Cubs on Thursday. He is a 10-year veteran who ought to get late inning alternatives for Chicago.
Pressly, 36, was 2-3 with a 4.35 ERA and 28 strikeouts in his first season with the Cubs. He spent the earlier seven seasons with the Astros, taking up the nearer position from 2021 to 2023, and has 117 profession saves.
“I feel we got here in wanting so as to add three pitchers,” Hoyer stated. “Clearly, there have been strikes that we labored on that did not come collectively.”
