Pete Crow-Armstrong – Picture by Larry Kave/Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The time is nigh, it seems.

Everybody and their mother is calling for Pete Crow-Armstrong to get promoted.

Will today be the day?

We are going to find out very soon.

On Sunday, in The Weekly, I posited about seven guys who I thought should be promoted to the next level. I had PCA, Sheldon Reed, Jeremiah Estrada, Any Weber, and Kevin Made. I also discussed Jordan Wicks and DJ Herz getting a bump up.

This post picked ten.

Things got started early yesterday with a series of moves, most of them were expected, but not all.

IOWA

Ben Leeper has been placed on the 7 Day IL. I don’t think anyone from Tennessee is truly ready, but we could see a player come up for a small stint.

TENNESSEE

It was a busy afternoon for the Smokies.

Burl Carraway was placed on the development list after a very rough month with an ERA of 11+ mainly brought on by 13 BBs in 5.1 IP.

Heading Tennessee is Bailey Horn who was our Reliever of the Week after a dominating turn in 5 innings. Since coming off the IL on May 1, Horn has not allowed a run in 10 IP and has struck out 16 with a 0.70 WHIP!

SOUTH BEND

To take Horn’s place, Sheldon Reed received a well-earned promotion. Reed, too, has not allowed a run this year and I had already planned on doing a prospect update on him tomorrow morning. So, it will be a timely piece.

MYRTLE BEACH

No move has been as of yet to replace Reed’s spot on the roster.

The Cubs do have some issues in making so many moves and promotions.

1. The Cubs have had a large collection of injured players

As a result, the cost of those injuries has dwindled down the so-called “Taxi Squad” of guys kept in Mesa in Extended Spring Training down to 6. Matt Warkentin, Miguel Pabon, Josue Huma, Flemin Bautista, Reivaj Garcia, and Bryan Serra are all that is left to call in case of emergencies. There are still 8 weeks until the draft and nondrafted free agency replenishes the system with about 30 new players. 

2. That’s right – no pitchers in Mesa – to fill in at Myrtle Beach 

Most of the pitchers currently in Mesa for Extended Spring Training should stay there as most are not even close enough to being ready for Low-A baseball. As for the injured/rehabbing pitchers, Jack Patterson is almost ready to return as he has been throwing in EXST games while Michael McAvene and Ben Hecht have been doing live BPs. To fill up some holes in Myrtle Beach, the Cubs would have to scour the independent leagues for South Bend or Myrtle Beach or they could sign a minor league free agent that would probably fit in at Iowa or Tennessee.

3. Spots are Few

For some of these guys to move, the Cubs will have to make some cuts. While those are expected, you only have so many spots. The most common example is in Tennessee. Outside of Eury Ramos, the pitchers there are nowhere near Triple-A ready. Add in the fact that you have a five-man rotation of Espinoza, Assad, Bain, Clarke, and Remy who are healthy right now and then you have two more starting pitchers in Ryan Jensen and Riley Thompson on the development list. That’s seven starters and only Thompson needs a piggyback. Somebody is going to go to the pen if Herz and Wicks come up (They should come up together, to be quite frank) and that day is sooner than later. Or the Cubs could just cut someone free. You can only place guys on the Development List for so long. Moves would have to be made. No one would be going back to South Bend either.

A Hypothetical or Two

Let’s say PCA is promoted. 

No position player in South Bend is currently ready to move to Double-A right now. So, would someone move down? Would someone be placed on the Development List? Would someone be cut? Would you move out a pitcher for a position guy? If so, then who do you call up from Mesa to take his spot? What happens if PCA is just one of many guys coming up from Myrtle Beach? Then things really get muddy. 

As you can see, there are lots of things to consider in just a simple promotion. 

Today could be a quiet day, or it could be busy. Based on yesterday, it looks like it will be quiet.

We will find out soon enough.

I will check in around 10 AM to begin the day.

10 AM

No new news to report. I did get my Iowa game notes already and there were no transactions listed.

11 AM

Still quiet. I wil check back in at 1 pm, after some lunch and a walk..

11:35 AM

Chicago Cubs sent LHP Sean Newcomb on a rehab assignment to Iowa Cubs.

1:30 PM

I am still waiting on emails from Myrtle Beach and South Bend for any new info.

3:00 PM

RHP Angel Gonzalez was added to Myrtle Beach. He was signed in 2020 as a nondrafted free agent out of Puerto RIco, the year there was a 5 round draft. He is still just 19.