SITES ON CABRERA? | Top Prospects NOT Protected??? | Cubs Baseball Podcast

SITES ON CABRERA? | Top Prospects NOT Protected??? | Cubs Baseball Podcast

The Cubs are rumored to be interested in a top of the rotation arm. If they were able to pull off a trade for this guy, how would that help the Cubs in free agency? We’ll get into that. How about Kyle Tucker? What are the latest rumors on the Cubs silver slugging outfielder? And the rule five draft is just around the corner. The Cubs have plenty of room on the 40man roster, but there’s a list of names of players in the minor league system that they’re not going to want to get rid of. We’re going to get into some of those guys as well. All that on the Cubs baseball channel. Like, subscribe, thumbs up, hit the bell, and uh I know the Cardinals, you guys are probably looking at some of those guys thinking, “Hey, we could use them on our team.” Yeah, a lot of good players. [Music] [Applause] [Music] What do you say everybody? Mick Gillespie Cubs baseball channel and it is a pleasure to talk baseball with you today even on the road but we try to do this uh and uh you know keep you updated on everything going on with the Cubs on a daily basis. Right. So, we’re back in the groove after uh some uh on assignment work this weekend and pretty excited about what we’re starting to hear as far as the Cubs are doing or maybe could do out there to make this team better. Now, one guy that we heard a lot about last year was Marlins pitcher Edwin Cabrera. remember uh the Cubs and other teams seem to be in talks to maybe pull off a trade for Cabrera. It never happened. Uh as a matter of fact, no starters who had um basically years left on their contract were traded. So the Cubs would wanted to get a starter that they could put in the rotation. And Cabrera was a guy that a lot of us felt like would fit that mold, right? 27 years old, 8-7 record last year with the Marlins, a 353 RA, had more strikeouts than innings pitched, made 26 starts, which kind of made you feel like he was durable. I remember that there were some questions about his arm kind of late in the season, but he throws a 96 mph slider. He throws um you know, basically can take a little bit of velocity off that same pitch and and go into the low 90s with it. Has a change up as well. You know, he’s a guy who the Cubs obviously would love to have. You could put him right there near the top of the rotation. I don’t know where exactly he would fit, but I’m thinking between one and three, Cabrera is certainly someone that the Cubs would love to have. And then it was really interesting too, which kind of, you know, perked my ears up a little bit when Pete Crow Armstrong was asked by Major League Baseball that part of that Gold Glove uh thing. You know, they were asking him uh the Gold Glovers what their toughest pitcher they faced was, right? And he’s like, “Well, Chris Sale, I mean, everybody thinks that.” And then he he’s like, “Then there was a couple of guys with the Marlins that threw sliders that hit me in the back of the foot, right?” And one of those guys was Edwin Cabrera or Edward Cabrera. So, you know, he he kind of like, you know, even just by coincidence mentioned this guy’s name and and and a devastating slider. He is a guy that when you get Justin Steelback and you got Kate Horton and Matthew Boyd and you know you throw a guy like Cabrera in there, maybe if the Cubs are able to make a trade for a pitcher and Jed Hoyer made it clear that the Cubs were going to be very aggressive this off season to try to make their pitching staff better. Maybe that gives them more money for maybe somebody else that they can use in high leverage situations to go along with a Daniel Palencia to help this team win. You know, uh Fairbanks of the Tampa Bay is a guy that you’re hearing could be available that the Cubs may want to go after or maybe it gives him some more money to go after Kyle Schwarber. I know that the kind of the talk right now is, you know, how much do you pay a DH and, you know, who’s interested in Schwarber? The Cubs would absolutely be fools if they didn’t think about seriously bringing him back. And and I know it’s like, well, they got Owen Casey and they got Moyes by Asteros and he only DHS and then, you know, what do you do with that DH spot? Look, the guy’s going to hit 500 home runs. He’s a legend already with the Cubs. This is a business. And just like with Show Otani, Kyle Schwarber comes back to the Cubs. He’s going to sell a ton of merch. He’s going to be the face of the franchise. He’s one of our guys. We thought that all of those core four guys were going to have a career like Schwarber. figured that by now Bryant was going to be on his way to a Hall of Fame career and that Bayz was going to be in that position and that Rizzo was going to be in that position and I I thought and I think you guys did too that they would still be Cubs, you know, and circumstances happened. I would love to see him come back and and maybe if you can trade for some pieces that you need, then you can go out there and make that splash signing. uh because I don’t think the Cubs are gonna end up with Kyle Tucker. And that kind of leads me to my next transition. Now, I do want to tell you guys that we got Cubs baseball channel gear. We’ve got weekly cash prizes that we give away. Our home for the Cubs baseball channel is Mick Nation and Avenue D. That is our web three home and we’re building that for you guys. That’s a spot where you’re eventually going to be able to go and buy swag. you’re going to be able to get news on the Cubs, obviously with our shows and all that stuff. It is a it is a work in progress, but it’s still a lot of fun now to go there and pick games and win and win prizes and and stuff like that. And it’s all free, so take advantage of it. QR code right there. And um let’s let’s see what you can do. See if you can you The Bears are hot right now. Are you taking the Bears? Some of you guys are aren’t even Bears fans. You’re Cubs fans, but you like other teams like me. I’m I’m not a Bears fan. I I don’t dislike them, but we put a bunch of games on there, college games as well. So, um, while baseball’s not in session, maybe we’ll throw up there who what do you think Kyle Tucker’s going to do? Because that’s the next thing we’re going to talk about. Where is Kyle Tucker going to go? Now, there’s some talk that Kyle Tucker could be going to Baltimore. And this really surprised me. Now, from the Orioles standpoint, they have this young team. Ken Rosenthalss was the guy that kind of talked about this and mentioned that Mike Elias, who is the Orioles president of baseball operations, came from the Astros, drafted Tucker, and when you look at the Orioles, they’re missing that bridge guy, that piece that’s going to help them get over the hump. and they took an enormous step back after being one of the best teams in baseball last year. And they’re trying to figure out who they could put with their young stars to be able to uh to to basically change that and become a winning franchise. Now, the Orioles had pitching issues, but their talk that you know what, adding someone as talented as Tucker to the Orioles could be a huge huge uh asset. Obviously, Tucker helped the Astros win the World Series. I’m sure Elias is too feeling pressure right now because, you know, the Orioles went out there, they they lost a ton of games, they tanked, they did a great job in the draft, they brought in all these young players, and now all of a sudden, you know, that window of being able to keep those guys is starting to close. And and we’re going to talk about the rule five draft here in a second just for the Cubs. when the Cubs were like number two in um basically organizations, minor league organizations, Baltimore was always number one and they just had a ton of guys. Well, a lot of those guys are getting into the big leagues now. Then that clock starts once they get drafted and then they get up there and so maybe Tucker’s a piece that the Orioles would love to have. Now, the problem that the Orioles have is that they’ve become one of the smallest market teams in baseball. And this obviously led to the lawsuit between the Orioles and the Nationals over their TV contract. Uh the Orioles could have blocked the Nationals coming to DC by allowing Washington to have a team. The Orioles became a small market. You know, they went from like a mid-market to a small market. So, I don’t know that they’re going to be able to afford Tucker, but maybe they give him a huge deal, but they can trade him and then that’s they’ll do a Wanoto deal with him. You know, Baltimore is kind of like the Cubs. I mean, they haven’t had a lot of these huge deals, but if they want to win the World Series, adding Tucker may be the the right thing for them to do. Now, the final thing I wanted to talk about, and this is something that I’m definitely versed in, is the rule five draft. and you know kind of where the Cubs are right now as far as some of the guys that are a basically available to c to clubs if they’re not protected by the Cubs. Now the Cubs on the 40man roster right now um have spots, right? So they have spots to keep some of these guys. Um, so they’ve they’ve got on my list eight or nine guys that they’re going to have to make a decision on, and I wanted to talk about some of those guys. First off, uh, Riley Martin, left-handed reliever, really, really, really good. um hasn’t quite mastered the AAA level, but it it looks like at some point this guy is going to be a a big leager. I mean, he’s got the stuff to do it. He’s had a ton of success in double A. He’s right on the verge. And the the fact that he’s not a starter maybe makes that uh a little bit more where you you know you the way that the the the reliever game works is they’re just all free agents and you just go out there and pick one because there’s not spots on the 40man form. I I like Riley Martin a lot though it’d be tough to give him up. Another guy is James Triantos. He was one of the Cubs top prospects last year. Didn’t have a great season in TripleA. He’s a contact hitter. Uh I thought the Cubs moved him out of double A little bit too quick because, you know, he’s got to get the walks up, you know, and that’s what I talked about Matt Shaw. Me knowing that Matt Shaw would figure out a way to get on base because Shaw is so good at taking pitches, knows the strike zone. But the thing you love about Trianttos is he’s a hit machine. He’s kind of like a Michael Young type of player, the old Ranger that just was a was a guy that could put the ball in play at any time. He doesn’t strike out a lot. Uh defensively, you know, he’s decent, but his bat-to- ball uh ability really separates him, and I figure that some some team is going to want him. Now, another guy, Pedro RmIrez, played in DoubleA last year, was the star of the Knoxville Smokies. He’s projected to be a utility guy. He uh is a switch hitter, puts the ball in play. He’s, you know, even though you, the analytics don’t flash with this guy, he’s a baseball player. I love watching him play. Um, he’s good at second, he’s good at third. He makes all the plays. He’s a guy that hustles constantly. If he’s a utility guy on your team, he could be a Willie Castro type just because he he can hit. He’s got a little bit of power. There’s something special about this guy. Great teammate. And I think that this is probably a guy the Cubs put on the 40man roster. I think they probably put Triantos on there as well. Another guy that I thought of was Brandon Birdell. Uh Birdell was injured. It felt like he was going to be the guy to break through and pitch in the major leagues for the Cubs. Kind of out of nowhere. Birdell’s this guy. He’s got this four seam fast that kind of sits high in the zone. when he’s getting over that pitch, it’s it’s an optical illusion. He gets a lot of swings and misses because it looks like it’s here, but it’s really here. When he struggles, it’s because it is down here. Um, but he is a competitor. Throws a ton of strikes. You love that. He was really turning the corner before he was injured. He’d be another guy that the Cubs would have a difficult time uh allowing to walk. Grant Kip, a really smart guy. Ivy League educated. He’s a pitcher. He’s not going to be I don’t think he’s on any of the prospect lists. It feels like though he’s one of these guys who is going to be a starter in the big leagues. Maybe a four or five guy in a rotation eventually. You could see the flashes of really good to excellent ability. I don’t know that there’s a big margin of error for him. Uh, I think that it’s probably going to be one of those decisions where I would not be surprised if the Cubs didn’t add him to the 40man roster, but I think whoever did end up with him or does end up with him is going to be really really happy with the the player and the pitcher that and another guy, maybe the last guy I’m going to talk about today that’s on that list is Connor Nolan. Uh, Bulldog guy’s a pitcher. I think that the Cubs will probably put him on the 40man roster. Super athlete, 26 years old, was a quarterback and baseball player at the University of Arkansas. And um look, man, he ended up in AAA in 2024, had uh a nine and six season in 27 appearances. He was a starter. Um, you know, batting average against was pretty high, but you know, the these are the kind of dudes that you want to have in your organization because, you know, pitching is such a big deal, right? So, the Cubs have until 6:00 to decide um, you know, which prospects are going to be eligible for the rule five draft. And and these are some tough decisions. really really tough because they have a lot of depth in their organization. Um some other guys to keep an eye on are Christian Hernandez and um Aaron Rodriguez, JP Wheat, you know that and I I’m probably even missing some other guys, but the these are tough because you got a lot of good players and you can’t keep them all and I understand that. And I I feel like of this list, we’ll see who they end up keeping and not keeping, but um nothing frustrates you more than when you have good talent and you can’t keep them all. Now, the good thing about the rule five draft is that a team actually has to take these guys. It’s not like they become free agents. It’s just that if they’re not on the 40man roster, they’re eligible for another team to take them. And teams are looking for pitching probably uh right off the bat. But if a guy like Tantos was available, you know, or uh, you know, or a guy like Pedro Ramirez, you know, a team may say, “Hey, this is this is a really good potential position player.” And I would think some scouts probably look at a Ramirez and and maybe they don’t see him as a utility guy. Maybe he’s an everyday uh third baseman or second base. I mean, he’s 21 years old and he was one of the best players in DoubleA last year, one of the younger guys and one of the better guys. So anyway, that’s that’s where we are right now. Appreciate all of you guys for being a part of what we do here on a daily basis. Love talking the Cubs with you. Make sure that you hit that QR code and you join Avenue DB, part of MC Nation. And uh make sure you like and subscribe if you’re not a subscriber already. Uh I’m a lifelong Cubs fan and I know a lot of you guys are as well. So it’s fun to come here and um you know and talk Cubs with you on a daily basis. So, the other thing I want to say is that with the holidays coming, you’re looking for something to do. Hey, you want to take the family on that unforgettable vacation, you want to go and check out the mountains, go to Severeville. It’s part of the Smoky Mountains. Severeville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg. They have all the Christmas lights set up right now, the holiday lights. If if if you’re um you know, you don’t celebrate Christmas, but still beautiful in those mountains. It’s affordable. It’s not that much money and the views are amazing. We appreciate them for being a part of our channel. When you head to the Smoky Mountains, it’s only natural to visit Sevirville. Even we had to check it out. And we’ve been here our whole lives. Experience the adventure of a lifetime. I’m king of the world. Even you can get a bird’s eye view of the Smokies. You’re going down, Billy. [Applause] Wa! Your smokers start here. [Music]

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This Episode:
– Edward Cabrera Trade to the Cubs?
– 2025 Cabrera (27) 8-7 record / 3.53 ERA / 150 strikeouts in 137.2 innings pitched (26 starts).
– Kyle Tucker to Baltimore?
– Cubs Rule 5 Decisions…

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Mick Gillispie has covered the Chicago Cubs since 2007 and has been a fan of the team since the 1984 season. He has broadcasted spring training games or been heard on Cubs.com, MLB.com, 670 The Score, WGN, CSN-Chicago and Marquee Sports Network. He is an award winning play-by-play voice for the Tennessee Smokies Cubs Double-A Affiliate. He has also hosted many forums over the years at Cubs Convention including Down on The Farm.