Demoted Cubs prospects starting to pile up in Iowa
The Cubs have had some success stories in the minor leagues. Outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was named a top-10 prospect by MLB Pipeline and 2021 first-round pick Jordan Wicks moved up to Triple A this week.
But the Iowa Cubs are also filled with players who came up to the majors and were sent back down, guys like Matt Mervis, Keegan Thompson, Caleb Kilian, Nelson Velazquez, David Bote, Rowan Wick, etc.
General manager Carter Hawkins was asked how the Cubs go about trying to keep these guys on the right path.
"I'll steal a line from (former Cubs executive) Theo (Epstein), and one of my dad's favorite lines as well, is just 'success isn't linear,'" Hawkins said. "I think it's just normal for guys to come up and not have consistent success in the major leagues right out of the gates.
"When we were sending Mervis down, I had a conversation with him and said, 'Look, I've only been in professional baseball for 14 years. Within that career, I've only seen one player come and just succeed from the get-go and stick, and that was Francisco Lindor with the Guardians."
Thompson looked like an all-star candidate in April with the Cubs, but cooled off and now has a 13.09 ERA in Iowa. Kilian was electric in his major league debut last season. He's holding steady, with a 5-1 record and 4.45 ERA with the I-Cubs.
"How do we put a plan together? We make sure we understand where the guy is currently, the things he's doing well or not well," Hawkins said. "Think about what our vision fro him as a player is, then look to bridge that gap."
Stroman on track:
Marcus Stroman is planning to throw a bullpen session Thursday, the first test of the blister on his right index finger that knocked him out of Sunday's game in London. If all goes well, Stroman's next start would be Saturday against Cleveland.
"Sounds like with the history he has with this, he's pretty confident in the way he's going about it," manager David Ross said. "No concern as of yet, but that could change with the bullpen, obviously."
Around the horn:
Seiya Suzuki was not in Wednesday's starting lineup because he woke up with a stiff neck, according to manager David Ross. ... Patrick Wisdom (right wrist sprain) is on his way to Omaha to begin a rehab assignment with the Iowa Cubs. ...
Left-handed pitcher Brandon Hughes underwent a surgical debridement of his left knee, which likely means doctors removed some loose cartilage. The Cubs are hoping Hughes will be ready for the start of spring training next year.
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