Cubs chairman says team's performance convinced him extending Hoyer's contract was right thing to do
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts came into the season thinking about extending president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer's contract. The team's performance convinced him it was the right thing to do.
'We went into the season thinking about an extension,' Ricketts said Friday. "I think the team was playing well enough that Jed had really proven he put a good ballclub on the field. I've always been comfortable with Jed. He makes good baseball decisions, and he's really built a good organization.'
The Cubs agreed to a multiyear extension with the 51-year-old Hoyer on Monday. His contract was set to expire at the end of this season, his 14th with the Cubs. Hoyer was hired as general manager in 2011 and replaced Theo Epstein as president of baseball operations following the 2020 season.
Led by breakout All-Star Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago was second in the NL Central and a game behind Milwaukee at 63-45 entering Friday's matchup against the Baltimore Orioles. It lost two of three at Milwaukee this week.
The Cubs added depth to their lineup and pitching staff before the trade deadline. They acquired utility player Willi Castro from the rebuilding Minnesota Twins and veteran left-hander Taylor Rogers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. They also got right-handers Michael Soroka from the Washington Nationals and Andrew Kittredge from Baltimore.
'I think the way he's methodically gone about developing the right players and bringing them up, looking for the right guys to add, being thoughtful about who he signs," Ricketts said. 'I think all those things have added up. He's had a good first four years. And then of course going into this season, when we got off to a great start, that just spoke to his decision-making and his judgment, and so we were confident a few weeks ago that an extension was the right thing to do.'
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Associated Press
20 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Brewers' successful promotion could result in more alumni home-run derby events
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Maybe the Home Run Derby doesn't have to be limited to All-Star weekend. The Milwaukee Brewers had Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun and several other former players competing in an alumni home run derby that followed a game with the Miami Marlins last month. The promotion helped draw a sellout crowd of 41,944 fans, with nearly all of them sticking around to watch the postgame event. Other clubs noticed, too. 'I thought it was a great idea and applaud them,' Arizona Diamondbacks president and CEO Derrick Hall said. 'I believe all of us will be considering something similar.' Brewers manager Pat Murphy is among those already has been conjuring up ways to expand on this idea. 'I think it just opens the door,' Murphy said. 'Can you imagine the Brewers versus the Cubs home run derby — their three legends versus legends of ours. You know what I mean? Can you imagine that happening around the league?' The Brewers' home run derby occurred 11 days after Seattle's Cal Raleigh won Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby and 10 days after the All-Star Game was decided on a swing-off. With the game tied 6-6 after nine innings, three batters from each league took three swings and Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber homered three times to give the NL a 4-3 victory. Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said a half-dozen MLB teams reached out after their alumni home run derby to get information on how well it had worked. Milwaukee's promotion was part of a 25th-anniversary celebration of American Family Field. Keon Broxton, who played for the Brewers from 2016-18, won the event and recreated Fielder's most famous home-run celebration by standing tall at home while the teammates surrounding him fell back like a collection of bowling pins. 'It was awesome,' Broxton said afterward. Milwaukee wasn't the first team to do this kind of promotion. The Houston Astros staged their own alumni home run derby events in 2018 and 2019. The Atlanta Braves had an alumni softball home run derby last year. The format represents a different way to welcome back former players rather than having the traditional Old Timers' Day games from yesteryear. The New York Yankees are holding their first Old Timers' Day game since 2019 on Aug. 9, and the New York Mets are having an alumni game Sept. 13. But the Brewers' event last weekend generated plenty of national attention, particularly when highlights aired showing how the stands stayed packed throughout the event. 'The guys that were all here, we all said we'd be back for anything like that, whether it's something like what Murph suggested or even keeping it in house and playing a couple-inning game ... maybe guys from 2005-10 against guys from 2010-15,' said Casey McGehee, who played for the Brewers from 2009-11 and participated in the home run derby. 'I think there's a lot of opportunity for some really cool stuff to come from it.' Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said he didn't get a chance to watch the alumni derby that followed his team's game in Milwaukee, but he liked Murphy's idea about branching it out. 'A big part of the beauty of our sport is how you remember those who played before, the history of our game and had success for your organization or those who made impacts throughout the league,' McCullough said. 'So anytime we get a chance to celebrate those who did meaningful things, I'm all for it.' The trick in putting together an alumni home-run derby is finding the right participants. They must be old enough to have finished playing but remain young enough to still manage to hit batting-practice pitches out of a major league stadium. The Brewers didn't put up makeshift fences in the outfield for this event to make home runs easier, and the former players' swings weren't leaving the ballpark as often as when they were in the big leagues. McGehee believes future home run derby promotions could feature more power than what the ex-Brewers showcased last weekend. McGehee said he tried working on his swing before last week's event, but family obligations got in the way. If he gets another invitation, McGehee expects to be more prepared. 'I think knowing what we know now, the product would probably even get better because we saw how cool that was,' McGehee said. 'I think people would be carving out pretty significant parts of their days to get themselves ready to roll.' ___ AP Baseball Writer David Brandt and AP freelance writer Andrew Wagner contributed to this report. ___ AP MLB:
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
MLB Power Rankings: Brewers mash their way to the top, Red Sox surging in AL playoff race
Featured in this week's MLB Power Rankings, we look at the fallout from the recent trade deadline, Kyle Schwarber's power explosion, the Red Sox and Yankees headed in different directions, Kyle Stowers' emergence, hope for the White Sox, and much more. (Please note these power rankings are a combination of current performance and long-term projected outlook) Let's get started! Matthew Pouliot, Note: Rankings are from the morning of Tuesday, August 5. Last week: 4 The Brewers have earned the No. 1 spot after winning two out of three from the Cubs, absolutely destroying the Nationals over the weekend, and winning the series opener with the Braves on Monday. The @Brewers racked up 56 hits over their three games against the Nationals this weekend. It's the most hits by an NL team in a three-game series since the Brooklyn Dodgers collected 57 hits against the Pirates from June 23-25, 1950. People keep asking what the Brewers' secret sauce is when it's quite obviously cheese curds. Last week: 2 It feels like the Cubs are a team where a couple of months from now we'll be asking why they didn't do more at the deadline. The team's big rotation acquisition, Mike Soroka, is headed to the injured list after leaving his Cubs debut with shoulder discomfort. Last week: 5 Max Muncy made his much-needed return to the Dodgers' lineup on Monday after missing a month with a knee injury. Believe it or not, the club ranked last in the majors in runs during that time. Last week: 1 A two-homer game from Bichette at Coors Field. I've seen this episode before. 2 HR, 6 RBI ... and counting! Have a night, Bo Bichette 😤 After an injury-plagued 2024 season, Bo Bichette has returned to form this season. He's leading the majors in hits and setting himself for a nice payday this winter. Last week: 6 The Tigers have righted the ship somewhat with six wins in their last eight games. Like many contenders, the Tigers prioritized their bullpen at the deadline, including new closer Kyle Finnegan from the Nationals. Last week: 7 Kyle Schwarber cannot be stopped. With a pair of blasts on Monday, the 32-year-old slugger has now 40 homers for the season and 10 in 16 games since the All-Star break. The pleas to re-sign him are only getting louder in Philadelphia. Last week: 11 The Red Sox are another team where you could argue they should have done more at the trade deadline, but that's not stopping them from being the hottest team in baseball. Winners of six straight, they now hold the top spot in the Wild Card standings. Last week: 3 You can build a great back-end of the bullpen — which the Mets have done — but it's still a problem if your starters can't complete six innings on a regular basis. Last week: 8 The Astros have lost eight out of their last 11 games, but the good vibes are still (mostly) flowing from Carlos Correa's return. Carlos Correa's first homer with the Astros since 2021 traveled 411 feet with a 109.5 mph exit velocity Looking forward to seeing the reception when Correa plays his first home game back in Houston next Monday. Last week: 9 A.J. Preller, you beautiful maniac. Of course the Padres had to go crazy at the trade deadline, not just adding to a dominant bullpen with Mason Miller while trading their top prospect, but also upgrading their top-heavy lineup with Ryan O'Hearn and Ramón Laureano. Last week: 12 The Mariners did exactly what they needed to do at the deadline, grabbing Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez to strengthen their lineup and left-hander Caleb Ferguson to lengthen their bullpen. The club took three out of four from the Rangers over the weekend and should be considered a serious threat to take down the Astros. Last week: 10 The Yankees did the right thing by prioritizing their bullpen at the deadline, but so far it has been nothing short of a disaster. Friday's blowup was an all-timer, the bullpen came up short again on Monday against the Rangers as Devin Williams served up a game-tying homer in the ninth before recent acquisition Jake Bird gave up a walk-off homer to Josh Jung in the 10th. At least Aaron Judge is coming back? Last week: 13 The Rangers are clearly betting on improvements from their offense, as they focused on their rotation (Merrill Kelly) and bullpen (Phil Maton, Danny Coulombe) at the trade deadline last week. Josh Jung, who hit a walk-off homer on Monday, is part of that bet. He's hitting .382 (13-for-34) with three homers and eight RBI since returning from the minors. Last week: 14 The Reds took on Ke'Bryan Hayes entire contract ($36 million from 2026-2019, with a $6 million buyout on $12 million club option for 2030) in their trade with the Pirates last week. There's no doubt that Hayes can pick it at third base, but only Christian Vazquez has a lower OPS than Hayes (.574) among players with at least 500 plate appearances dating back to the start of last season. Last week: 18 Nic Enright secured his first save on Monday, a significant milestone for someone who is battling lymphoma. Nic Enright, you are an inspiration.#GuardsBall | #GuardiWins Last week: 19 The Royals were characterized as a buyer coming out of the trade deadline. And to a certain extent, they were. But the pitchers they acquired — Bailey Falter, Ryan Berger, Stephen Kolek — all come with multiple years of control. Adding in the extension to Seth Lugo and they are clearly thinking about both 2025 and beyond. Last week: 23 The Marlins swept the Yankees over the weekend and NL Player of the Month Kyle Stowers was right in the middle of it with a pair of homers. UNCONSCIOUS Kyle Stowers is your National League Player of the Month for July 😤 Last week: 15 I could talk about the Giants' trade deadline approach here, but the real headliner is the reality that the San Francisco Giants and the New York Giants really do get together for dinner. Picnic or relay race next year? @SFGiants Last week: 16 Masyn Winn is tops in the majors in Outs Above Average, and if you watch this play from last week, you'll know why. SS Masyn Winn looked like the franchise player the #STLCards desperately need him to become on this play. He went behind 3B Nolan Gorman, fielded a slow roller and made a perfect, off-balanced throw to retire #Padres star Luis Arraez. Last week: 21 Why are you the way that you are? The Angels actually bought at the trade deadline for some reason, acquiring relievers Luis Garcia and Andrew Chafin. Last week: 17 The Rays have been one of the worst teams in MLB over the past month, but they cooked up a cosmic gumbo of buying and selling at the trade deadline. Similar to what the Royals did with some of their moves, the Rays' acquisition of reliever Griffin Jax is about now and future seasons. Last week: 20 While this season hasn't worked out as hoped for the Diamondbacks, they did a nice job loading up on prospects while trading Merrill Kelly, Eugenio Suárez, Josh Naylor, Shelby Miller, Jordan Montgomery, and Randal Grichuk. No team landed more new talent on its Top 30 Prospects list than the @Dbacks. Biggest Trade Deadline hauls: Last week: 24 A lost year for Grayson Rodriguez is officially in the books. The young right-hander is scheduled for elbow dibridement surgery next week and could be sidelined through the early part of next season as well. Figuring out the pitching side is of utmost importance for Baltimore going forward. Last week: 26 Behold, the only trophy the Braves will be lifting this season. What a day for Eli White!#SpeedwayClassic Because the Braves' season continues to be cursed, Austin Riley is headed back to the injured list with an abdominal strain. Last week: 25 Having a great closer is quite simply a luxury for a non-contender, so you can't fault the A's for trading Mason Miller and J.P Sears, especially when you get one of the game's top prospects in return. It will be fun to see De Vries in Sacramento/Las Vegas/a destination to be named later in a couple of years. Last week: 27 The Pirates made some notable moves last week (Ke'Bryan Hayes, David Bednar), but it's the ones they didn't make (impending free agents Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham, and Andrew Heaney) which were especially confusing. Last week: 22 If you were a Twin, you probably got traded last week. And that goes for Tyler and Trevor Rogers, as well. You have to feel for Twins fans. Hopefully there's a soft landing with their sale situation in the days ahead. Last week: 28 The Nationals have given up at least seven runs in each of their last five games. The Dog Days of Summer, indeed. Last week: 29 This is what it's all about for the White Sox right now. Four home runs today for the White Sox: Kyle Teel Colson Montgomery Miguel Vargas Edgar Quero Montgomery, in particular, has been the most exciting of late. He's now homered seven times in his last 11 games. Last week: 30 Not only did this three-run homer from Jordan Beck end Paul Skenes' 18-inning scoreless streak, but it was also the first time Skenes had given up a home run of more than two runs in the majors. So the Rockies have that going for them, which is nice. 💥HONCHO HOMER
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
MLB contenders watch for fatigue as some starters experience an increased workload
CHICAGO (AP) — At age 34, Matthew Boyd is going back to what was once familiar territory for the left-hander. He has logged 130 2/3 innings so far in his first season with the Chicago Cubs, more than he totaled in the previous two years combined. It's a workload jump that goes against what had become conventional wisdom in the majors, where teams have frequently capped pitchers' innings in hopes of keeping them healthy. 'Things have been going great,' Boyd said. 'And I think it's like none of us know what's ahead. And that goes for everybody." Boyd's workload is worth watching as the Cubs try to rally in the NL Central race and go on a deep October run. He is among a group of pitchers going through a spike in innings in the heart of the playoff picture. After spending most of his career as a reliever, Clay Holmes has 117 1/3 innings going into his 23rd start for the Mets on Tuesday night. Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo is up to 127 innings after he finished with 66 2/3 last year. All-Stars Garrett Crochet of the Red Sox and Bryan Woo of the Mariners also are progressing toward major increases. 'That's something we always monitor and watch,' Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. 'I know we're in constant communication in-between starts.' The days of predetermined innings limits, especially when it comes to young prospects and pitchers on losing teams, aren't going away anytime soon. But more organizations appear to be going with a case-by-case approach. 'I think the reason why it's changed a little bit and we don't look at that either percentage increase or fixed innings increase is because it wasn't working," said David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the Mets. 'I think more and more we're trying to treat each pitcher as an individual. And if a pitcher feels good both subjectively and objectively, we try not to artificially shut them down.' Crochet, 26, helped show what might be possible last year. The 6-foot-6 left-hander, who had Tommy John surgery in April 2022, began last season with 73 innings in 72 appearances spanning four seasons with the White Sox. He made his first big league start on opening day. With the White Sox closely monitoring his workload in the last part of the season, he finished with 32 starts and 146 innings. He is tied for the major league lead with 141 1/3 innings going into Tuesday night's start against Kansas City. 'I think that I really set myself up for this season to go out there and for there really to be no leash necessary,' said Crochet, who was traded to the Red Sox in December and then agreed to a $170 million, six-year contract. 'I've been feeling really good throughout the season and the five days in between my starts I really feel like I'm prepared and doing a lot to get my body in the right position to have success and to continue to give length throughout the year.' Boyd was recovering from Tommy John surgery when he signed with Cleveland last year. He returned to the majors last August and went 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts and 39 2/3 innings for the Guardians. He also pitched 11 2/3 innings for the AL Central champions in the playoffs. That was enough for Chicago to give Boyd a $29 million, two-year contract in free agency. And he has delivered so far, making the NL All-Star team while going 11-4 with a 2.34 ERA in 22 starts. Boyd pitched a career-high 185 1/3 innings for Detroit in 2019, but he hasn't approached that territory since. The Cubs gave him nine days off between starts over the All-Star break, and Boyd has frequent conversations with manager Craig Counsell and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy about his workload and how he is feeling. The Cubs also have rookie right-hander Cade Horton, who is up to 102 2/3 innings this season — including his time with Triple-A Iowa — after he totaled 34 1/3 innings in the minors last year. 'This is an area where the industry has not maybe figured out the answer, so you're just trying to keep getting better answers,' Counsell said. 'I think in the past, we were just relying on history. I think now we're relying on the data we collect from the actual player.' 'There's tangible things that you just keep an eye on,' Boyd said. "You have your spin data, you have your velocity. We have biomechanics tracking. It's like, 'Hey, the mechanics are getting out of whack. ... Is there something we need to address? How do you address that?' 'There's so many different avenues you can go down and levers you can pull if you will. And it's not as cut and dry as like 20% increase, 50% increase (in innings).' ___
