CHICAGO \u2014 Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell dislikes \u201ccomps,\u201d the baseball lingo for measuring one player against another, a shorthand form of communicating within larger evaluations.<\/p>\n
Scouts pull snapshots of players they\u2019ve previously evaluated from their mental databases when filing reports. Front offices and agencies use projection models and historical references to assess free agents and arbitration cases. Name-dropping helps reporters hype their stories.<\/p>\n
Counsell almost always avoids playing that game. Instead, he emphasizes how each player embodies his own experiences, skills and motivations. For a major-league manager who has to sit through hundreds of media briefings a year, making those comparisons comes with little upside.<\/p>\n
That context made Counsell\u2019s welcome-back conversation with Edward Cabrera far more interesting than the usual talk when a struggling pitcher is activated off the injured list and forced to pitch out of the bullpen. It\u2019s also a sign that the Cubs might be desperate and running out of ideas.<\/p>\n
A 3-time MLB all-star’s trick to reset under pressure<\/p>\n
Elise Devlin<\/p>\n
Counsell expressed to Cabrera that he could still be trusted to pitch in the World Series.<\/p>\n
\u201cA great example from last year is what Roki Sasaki did the last month, into the playoffs,\u201d Counsell said Saturday at Wrigley Field. \u201cThat could happen. That\u2019s a roadmap to how this could be really successful. Is that the best result? That was a pretty darn good result. But that\u2019s what you keep yourself open to.\u201d<\/p>\n
After winning a fierce recruiting battle for Sasaki, the Los Angeles Dodgers still viewed the young Japanese pitcher as a bit of an enigma during his rookie season. Sidelined for months with a right shoulder injury, Sasaki posted a 6.10 ERA during his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City and then made two relief appearances for the Dodgers in late September.<\/p>\n
During the playoffs, Sasaki finally found his rhythm, pitching in nine postseason victories while notching three saves and two holds. After a forgettable regular season, he became an essential member of a team that captured another World Series trophy.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the narrative that Counsell wanted Cabrera to hear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to take some time to get there, but that certainly resonates,\u201d Counsell said. \u201cAnd we don\u2019t know if we\u2019re going to get there, but it\u2019s a good blueprint that you can hope to repeat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Right now, a strong bullpen is the missing element to a Cubs team that features: likely National League MVP winner Pete Crow-Armstrong; baseball\u2019s best defense (when Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson is healthy); the sport\u2019s highest-scoring offense; and a solid 1-through-5 rotation, even amid Cabrera\u2019s disappointing season.<\/p>\n
Cabrera, a starting pitcher the Cubs targeted through multiple trading cycles, has not consistently delivered the powerful swing-and-miss stuff that the club tracked during his time with the Miami Marlins.<\/p>\n
Cabrera\u2019s 5.68 ERA and negative WAR rating (-1.2, according to Baseball Reference) have also come with persistent injury concerns. The Cubs hope that working in shorter stints out of the bullpen will help manage the blister on his right middle finger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see this as another opportunity,\u201d Cabrera said via an interpreter. \u201cMy mentality is 100 percent positive.\u201d<\/p>\n
To make room for Cabrera on the active roster, the Cubs placed reliever Trent Thornton on the injured list with left ankle soreness and continued to contemplate their next moves.<\/p>\n
Shelby Miller, who\u2019s trying to come back a year after his second Tommy John surgery, is expected to make at least one more appearance with Triple-A Iowa.<\/p>\n
Justin Steele, the one-time All-Star who last pitched for the Cubs in April 2025, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Sunday at Wrigley Field and meet with the club\u2019s pitching coaches before returning to his rehab assignment with the Triple-A affiliate.<\/p>\n
Counsell said he plans to \u201cdouble down\u201d on using Daniel Palencia in the hopes that something clicks for the hard-throwing reliever.<\/p>\n
While Cabrera\u2019s major-league experience consists of 102 starts and only two relief appearances, he possesses elite velocity and a unique changeup, a combination that could play well in shorter bursts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is all new to me, but I\u2019ll be out there ready for any situation,\u201d Cabrera said. \u201cWhenever they call my name, I\u2019m going to be ready for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the meantime, two very different stories are unfolding about the organization\u2019s pitching infrastructure.<\/p>\n