As the Cubs search for more pitching, how long will Ben Brown remain in their plans?

New York Times

5 days ago

CHICAGO — With the July 31 trade deadline fast approaching, Ben Brown is trying to take it one pitch at a time. For now, the Chicago Cubs are keeping him stretched out as a starter, even if manager Craig Counsell decides to use an opener in front of him. Brown's swing-and-miss stuff and limited pitch mix also suggest the possibility of unleashing him as a late-inning reliever. And since everyone needs pitching, the idea of Brown as a potential trade chip cannot be ignored.
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Against that backdrop, Brown simply did not make a good impression during Monday night's 12-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Just recalled from Triple-A Iowa, Brown started warming up in the Wrigley Field bullpen in the first inning and wasted some early run support as the Cubs fell out of first place for the first time since early April.
Though the Cubs are 18 games over .500, their pitching staff needs reinforcements. The Milwaukee Brewers have surged ahead in the National League Central with their 11-game winning streak, setting up what should be a competitive trade deadline and an entertaining division race.
Under pressure to make the playoffs for the first time in five years, the Cubs are planning to add at least one dependable starting pitcher and a trusted reliever. At this point, it's unclear where exactly Brown fits into that picture.
'I got to start helping the team win,' he said. 'I've kind of been a non-contributor when things like (this) happen. It's unfortunate, so whatever opportunity is ahead of me, I've got to be better to earn that.'
Scattered boos rang out from the crowd of 38,117 during the fifth inning at the Friendly Confines, where Bobby Witt Jr.'s soft infield single, catcher Carson Kelly's throwing error and Brown's wild pitch factored into Kansas City's four-run rally. In covering four innings, Brown gave up seven runs (six earned), a sequence that included two-out homers from Jac Caglianone and Salvador Perez that landed in the left-field basket and bleachers.
A fan dove into the basket at Wrigley Field to get Jac Caglianone's home run ball 👀
🎥 @MLB pic.twitter.com/0euwmhsJvA
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 22, 2025
'You have to control your attitude and effort,' Brown said. 'The only thing I can do is show up tomorrow and be better and work harder. I'll continue to do that.'
In flashes, Brown has shown the top-of-the-rotation material the Cubs saw when they traded veteran reliever David Robertson to the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2022 deadline. Brown had been overlooked in the 2017 MLB Draft — the Phillies selected him in a 33rd round that no longer exists — but he popped up as a prospect that summer.
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The Cubs put Brown, 25, on their Opening Day roster this year and made him part of their season-opening rotation because they strongly believed in his upside as a starter. They did not want to foreclose that possibility too early in the year and later regret the decision. Once he moved to the bullpen, it would be difficult to stretch him out again when the inevitable injuries happened.
But the Cubs are 100 games into their season, with a manager who uses 'out-getters' as the general label for his pitching staff. Rather than asking Brown (4-7, 6.48 ERA) to get through a lineup twice, perhaps the Cubs could use the 6-foot-6 right-hander out of the bullpen and see if the angles from his 96 mph fastball and curveball keep hitters off-balance in quick bursts.
'I understand the calendar is shorter,' Counsell said. 'Our available-starter situation isn't completely full right now, so I would say no to that question as we sit here right now. Obviously, things could change. But right now, he's going to pitch in bulk or length.'
At some point in August, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad are expected to be activated off the injured list. Cade Horton is having a good rookie season, but durability is a concern after he threw only 34 1/3 innings last year in the minors. Colin Rea remains a valuable, versatile pitcher, though the Cubs probably won't line him up behind Shota Imanaga and Matthew Boyd in a potential playoff rotation.
In explaining the decision to option Brown to Triple A last month, Counsell said part of the rationale was giving him a chance to rest and manage his workload to that point (almost 80 innings). Counsell downplayed the idea of the Cubs wanting Brown to work on something specific in Iowa: 'There's not a new pitch. There's nothing new happening there.'
'Ben's got to execute better,' Counsell said. 'It's as simple as that. It's largely a two-pitch mix, and there's obviously the changeup in there. But I think when you're talking about pitch mixes like that, then your execution has to be at a pretty good level at this level.'
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For now, Counsell indicated that Brown will stick around as the Cubs map out a pitching plan for this weekend's crosstown series against the Chicago White Sox on the South Side. From there, the Cubs will tackle a three-game series in Milwaukee that leads into the trade deadline. By Aug. 1, this team will look different.
'I've been in a trade before,' Brown said. 'It's a fun time of year for guys that are in High A and Double A and anticipating movement. For a guy like me, I've never gone through a trade deadline in the big leagues before. It's cool to be on a team that's in a winning position. I'm kind of just having my hands open to anything that's coming down my way. Whatever it is, it's just a fun time to be a Cub, a fun time for Cubs fans. We're playing really good baseball. It's encouraging to be a part of it. Just got to start helping out a little bit better.'