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New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Series preview: What to watch as Cardinals, Cubs face off for first time this season
It took 89 days, but at long last, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals will finally play each other in a pivotal division matchup. The Cubs (46-31) have cruised atop the National League Central for the majority of the season. The Cardinals (42-36) have been a pleasant — if not remarkable — surprise. In a year designed to be about player development and preparing for future seasons, St. Louis has surpassed expectations and is proving to be a competitive club. It's made for a compelling division race so far: 4 1/2 games separate these two historic rivals (and don't forget the Milwaukee Brewers, who sit between the two at 43-35). The Cardinals will host the Cubs for four games at Busch Stadium starting Monday. To preview the series, Cardinals beat writer Katie Woo and Cubs beat writer Sahadev Sharma break down three areas to watch as these archrivals finally meet in 2025. tuck = activated#VoteCubs // — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 22, 2025 Katie Woo: The Cardinals rotation was projected by most to be its Achilles' heel. Instead, it's helped them gain their footing. St. Louis starters have thrown the sixth-most innings in MLB (427 2/3) while posting a 3.96 ERA, a mark that ranks right at league average. And like we all predicted, it's Erick Fedde who leads the rotation with his 3.54 ERA. The Cardinals (once again) are not a swing-and-miss staff. Sonny Gray leads the rotation with 90 strikeouts, but the next pitcher on that list is Matthew Liberatore with 66. It's a groundball-reliant staff, but they've done an exceptional job pitching to their strengths — no team in baseball has recorded more ground-ball outs than the Cardinals' 455. Advertisement What has really been the difference-maker for St. Louis is its health. During an era when pitching injuries are at an all-time high, the Cardinals have not had a significant injury to their pitching staff. The organization has been extremely intentional about maximizing rest and keeping its starting pitchers on a six-day schedule. That's why they've implemented a six-man rotation at times, turning to Michael McGreevy as a spot starter when needed. That pattern will continue this series. Though not yet official, McGreevy should start one of the next four games, likely Tuesday. Sahadev Sharma: No one would have been surprised had the Cubs collapsed with Justin Steele out for the season and Shota Imanaga getting hurt May 4. But somehow, they've grown their division lead in that time. There are probably three main reasons why. First, Matthew Boyd has pitched like an All-Star. He's been stellar and stayed healthy. Jameson Taillon has been an inning-eating, quality-start machine. He has had issues with the long ball, but he doesn't walk batters and is a leader in the clubhouse. Those two have been tremendously valuable. Finally, rookie Cade Horton isn't going to blow anyone away with his numbers just yet, but he's displayed the type of poise on the mound rarely seen by youngsters. Imanaga will return soon, likely in St. Louis, but it'd be a surprise if Horton, who replaced Imanaga in the rotation, is going anywhere. He appears to be just scratching the surface. Sharma: Pete Crow-Armstrong is a freak on defense. You have to watch him in person to fully appreciate the speed and breaks he gets on the ball. He's a menace on the basepaths, as well. He will chase pitches out of the zone, so he can sometimes look rough. But he can also hit balls out of the park that are at his ankles or his eyes. His power display has been remarkable this season, and he deserves a lot of credit for making mechanical tweaks that have led to him emerging as a superstar. Oh, to be young and good at baseball. — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) June 19, 2025 Woo: The Cardinals don't have a clear budding star like Crow-Armstrong, but what Brendan Donovan has done can't be ignored. He can play around the diamond, but he's solidified himself as the starting second baseman. Manager Oli Marmol has hit Donovan third most of the season, but with Lars Nootbaar working his way back up from a slump, Donovan has become the default leadoff hitter. His .308 average (third highest in the National League behind only Will Smith and Freddie Freeman) made that decision fairly easy. Donovan is the type of gritty, old-school player the Cardinals seemed to churn out regularly a decade ago. He's become a fan favorite because of his play style. Advertisement Woo: After a two-year hiatus, the Cardinals are again a strong defensive club. They lead baseball with 24 outs above average. Masyn Winn is a legit shortstop, and Victor Scott II can match Crow-Armstrong in center field in terms of standout plays. Nolan Arenado is still Nolan Arenado, and old friend Willson Contreras has become a top first baseman in the National League (seriously, check the stats). The offense took a significant hit with Iván Herrera (hamstring strain) out for several weeks, but Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman have swung hot bats lately, regardless of opposing handedness. NOLAN ARENADO GOES ALL OUT! — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 25, 2025 The biggest strength for this team is its resilience, as evidenced by 19 comeback wins. The Cardinals play a lot of close ballgames and hardly ever get blown out. That's what makes this squad dangerous — regardless of scenario, you can rarely count it out. Sharma: Everyone should know the Cubs offense is great. They faced some amazing starting pitching in June — MacKenzie Gore, Tarik Skubal, Zack Wheeler and Paul Skenes are just a handful — so it's been a so-so month. But make no mistake, this offense is fearsome. Beyond that, they have a lot of speed and they're aggressive on the basepaths. They've made a habit of not giving the opposition easy outs and forcing mistakes. When you do that against this lineup, it likely will cost you. The defense at every position is stellar, and that rarely slumps. Finally, after a dreadful start to the season, the bullpen has turned into a strength. Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, Daniel Palencia and Caleb Thielbar are just a handful of names you likely aren't aware are doing brilliant work in relief for the Cubs. (Photo of Matthew Boyd: Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images)
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Top Prospect Facing Potential IL Stint With Cubs
The Chicago Cubs play their domestic Opening Day on Thursday against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, but they may be without one of their top bench players. According to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic on X, middle infielder/outfielder Vidal Brujan may start the year on the injured list after he banged his right elbow into the outfield wall trying to make a catch over the weekend. Brujan, 27, was ranked on MLB Pipeline as the No. 3 overall second base prospect while a member of the Tampa Bay Rays organization in 2021. Notable players ranked ahead of him were Nick Gonzales of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Nick Madrigal of the New York Mets. Advertisement The Dominican Republic native has struggled at the plate early in his MLB career, batting just .189 with five home runs in 202 games. After playing parts of three seasons with the Rays from 2021 to 2023, Tampa Bay traded Brujan to the Miami Marlins in November 2023. Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Brujan lasted just over one calendar year with the Marlins, who traded him to the Cubs in December for first baseman Matt Mervis and cash considerations. If Brujan needs a trip to the 10-day IL to begin the season, the Cubs' bench players who could see more playing time include third baseman/second baseman Jon Berti and third baseman Gage Workman. Advertisement Brujan has no minor league options remaining, so if the Cubs demote him at any point during the 2025 MLB season, they risk another club claiming him off waivers. The one aspect of Brujan's game that has improved during his career in MLB is his defensive versatility. He's made at least one appearance at every position besides catcher, including two trips to the mound in blowouts. Related: Dodgers Send All-Star Starter to Cubs in This Trade Pitch
New York Times
18-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What we're hearing about the Cubs: Justin Turner, plus the shape of the roster
MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs continue to look for a veteran hitter to add to their offensive group, league sources told The Athletic, with Justin Turner remaining a name under serious consideration after their unsuccessful bid for Alex Bregman. Turner, 40, would come at a fraction of the three-year, $120 million deal that Bregman secured from the Boston Red Sox. He would still be an upgrade as a right-handed hitter with 16 years of major-league experience, a career .821 OPS and an excellent reputation from his long, successful run with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Advertisement As part of their standard due diligence, the Cubs also evaluated Nolan Arenado as an unlikely trade target, league sources said, but the St. Louis Cardinals predictably have no intention of moving the All-Star third baseman within the division to a historic rival. 'Your roster-building never ends,' Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. 'You're always looking to make the team better. That's what you're trying to do every year, put yourself in a better position and a good position to win a lot of games. I think we're solidly in that position. Always going to try to get better through player development and through player acquisition.' • Chris Flexen reached an agreement with the Cubs on a minor-league contract, league sources told The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma and Ken Rosenthal on Monday. The deal, which is pending a physical, would create additional pitching depth. Flexen logged 160 innings last year with the historic Chicago White Sox team that lost 121 games, posting a 4.95 ERA. Sources tell @Ken_Rosenthal and me that the Cubs have added pitcher Chris Flexen on a minor-league deal pending a physical. Flexen tossed 160 innings last season with the White Sox. Another depth piece for the Cubs rotation. — Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) February 18, 2025 • Dansby Swanson is always searching for ways to improve and evolve in his 30s, but the $177 million shortstop won't be asking for games off or scrapping the all-162 mentality he developed with the Atlanta Braves: 'Baseball is meant to be played every day,' he said. 'I was kind of raised in the game that way, and that's not going to change.' • Nico Hoerner ideally won't play a single inning at shortstop this year, though he represents a strong insurance policy in case Swanson doesn't live up to his ironman expectations. Regaining that ability — both as a backup option and as a selling point when he reaches free agency — factored into Hoerner's decision to undergo flexor tendon surgery last October. 'My role on this team is to play second base as well as I can every single day,' Hoerner said. 'We're fortunate to have a shortstop who is not only really good at it, but plays almost every day at a level that most people don't. When I say 'able to play shortstop,' I mean being able to play the game uncompromised — the full version of myself.' Advertisement • Matthew Boyd was good enough to start three playoff games for the Cleveland Guardians last October. He also has not topped 80 innings in any of the last five seasons. The Cubs invested in quality over quantity when they signed him to a two-year, $29 million contract, viewing that as the sweet spot of the pitching market while also recognizing his upside after Tommy John surgery in 2023. 'There's no restrictions on Matthew Boyd,' Counsell said. 'We're preparing for 32 starts. It's read and react in terms of that, understanding the injury history, absolutely. But at this point, it's not going to change how he will prepare. We'll get him ready to pitch on a normal schedule, like everybody else.' • Cade Horton is not drawing the same prospect buzz at the moment, though his name still appears on several top 100 lists. The Cubs acquired so much pitching this offseason that his name is almost buried on the depth chart. A right shoulder injury limited him to only nine starts last year (and zero after May). Things can happen fast, however, for a pitcher who flew up the draft board during Oklahoma's run to the 2022 College World Series, becoming the No. 7 pick of that year's draft. 'The thought of Cade Horton being in the big leagues this year?' Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said. 'I just want Cade Horton to have a great year. Sometimes, guys try to have these timelines. But if Cade Horton has a great year, he's going to be contributing for the Cubs. He's got the talent. 'But I want him to do it the right way. We fell into a trap early last year. He had a great '23. We saw some mechanical issues in spring training in '24. But we tried to rush it because he wanted to get ready for that season. And then we kind of got behind the 8 ball. 'Now he better understands what his goals are. In camp, for us, it's similar. Get the experience. Be around the guys. Be around the major-league staff in more of a daily capacity and continue to learn and ask questions. He's an uber-talented kid. He's going to contribute at a high level. What level is that? And how is that all going to work out? We'll see.' Advertisement • Kevin Alcántara, the 6-foot-6 prospect nicknamed 'The Jaguar,' appears to be the next man up should the Cubs need another center fielder if Pete Crow-Armstrong gets injured (or regresses in his second major-league season). Alcántara, 22, was acquired from the New York Yankees in the Anthony Rizzo trade at the franchise-altering 2021 deadline. • Alexander Canario, another prospect from that trade deadline, is out of minor-league options, which should give him the most leverage he's had since being dealt from the San Francisco Giants in the Kris Bryant deal. Canario has some experience at all three outfield positions, and the Cubs have kicked around the idea of having him play first base to increase his versatility. 'I would not make a big story about Alex playing first base this spring — that would be a mistake,' Counsell said. 'He needs to hit. He needs to be able to handle a bench job and hit without at-bats all the time. Frankly, he just needs to have a good offensive spring.' • Luke Little, the 6-foot-8 lefty reliever who was shut down with a shoulder/lat injury last summer, is on a slower ramp-up in spring training. Little has shown flashes of potential with his 96 mph fastball and extension that puts him in the 97th percentile of major-league pitchers, according to Statcast. Counsell, however, made it sound like Little probably won't start the season on time: 'There are scenarios that could happen that Luke might be involved in the Opening Day roster, but ideally we get a good foundation for Luke Little coming off that injury.'
