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Top Cubs prospect is becoming the anchor their rotation needs
It took a little over a month before the Chicago Cubs were confronted with a pitching staff crisis. Injuries to Shota Imanaga, Javier Assad and Justin Steele, who is out for the season, have effectively hamstrung the Cubs starting rotation.
As a whole, the Wrigleyville pitching staff has been mediocre, combining to own a 3.83 ERA, 13th in the MLB. Not including their trio of injured front-line arms, three current Cubs starters (with more than three starts this season) own ERAs of 3.76 or higher. However, one such starter has been on the rise.
Before getting the call, Cubs No. 2 prospect (No. 35 on MLB pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects list) Cade Horton was throwing to a 1.24 ERA in 29 innings with Triple-A Iowa. Having made his MLB debut on May 11, Horton is quickly rising to the challenge of stabilizing the team’s fractured rotation.
After a rocky first outing against the Mets, Horton is showing signs of settling in, lowering his ERA from 6.75 to a more tolerable 4.21 while garnering a total of 19 strikeouts over 25.2 innings. In his past three starts, Horton performed well, giving up six runs in 16.2 innings. While still far from perfect, Horton has been able to keep his team in the game as any reliable anchor should, accumulating a 3-0 record.
The promising rookie alone may not be able to solve Chicago's pitching woes, but if he can continue to hone his craft, his presence behind Imanaga and Matthew Boyd can’t be understated. Boasting an electric five-pitch arsenal, scouts project the young righty could, at one point, become the Cubs’ ace. But for now, he will need to settle for the role of anchor.
Should Horton keep posting quality numbers, this would go a long way in sweetening the sour taste that Steele’s injury left behind.
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Orioles claim pair of players
The Orioles have claimed infielder Vidal Brujan off waivers from the Cubs and right-hander Carson Ragsdale off waivers from the Giants, according to a team announcement. Brujan is out of options and must be added to the big league roster but has not yet reported. Ragsdale, meanwhile, was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles’ 40-man roster now stands at 37, so no corresponding 40-man moves are necessary. Brujan, 27, was a top-100 prospect in the Rays’ system for many years. He failed to establish himself at the big league level in Tampa, however, and hit just .157/.218/.221 across 99 games (272 plate appearances) between 2021 and 2023 for the club. Prior to the 2024 season, Brujan was shipped alongside reliever Calvin Faucher to the Marlins in a trade and he was able to take on a larger role with a rebuilding Miami club. With regular playing time available to him, his performance modestly improved. He remained a below-average contributor overall, however, with a 73 wRC+ despite a 19.4% strikeout rate and a 9.0% walk rate. Those solid discipline numbers were outweighed by a complete lack of power, less impressive speed on the basepaths than his days a prospect would’ve otherwise indicated, and a lackluster BABIP. While Brujan was versatile enough to hold onto a bench role for the Marlins, he was shipped to the Cubs last offseason in the Matt Mervis trade. He held onto a bench role with Chicago throughout the first half and had value on paper as a player who could help hold down third base while Matt Shaw developed in the minor leagues while also spelling Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field. Unfortunately, the fit didn’t work out as well in practice as Brujan posted an atrocious 43 wRC+ in 36 games and was designated for assignment just before the trade deadline. Ragsdale, meanwhile, is a 27-year-old right-handed starter. He was added to the Giants’ 40-man roster last November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after he posted a strong 3.49 ERA in 14 starts at the Double-A level that year, but a career ERA north of 5.00 at Triple-A in conjunction with a 19.9% strikeout rate against a 13.0% walk rate at the level this year left Ragsdale as little more than a depth starter for a club with a number of viable young arms. San Francisco designated him for assignment to make room for top pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt on the roster prior to the trade deadline. Now, both players are ticketed to join the Orioles organization. Brujan figures to join the club’s active roster within the next couple of days and could serve as a versatility utility option for the infield after Ramon Urias was traded to Houston prior to the deadline this past week. Ragsdale, meanwhile, could make his big league debut at some point down the stretch to help the Orioles eat innings amid injuries to key arms like Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez, particularly after Charlie Morton was shipped off to Detroit.
Steelers In Town Scouting Elite Top Quarterback Prospect For 2026 NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of excitement heading into the 2025 season with Aaron Rodgers in town, along with many other new faces. The team has Super Bowl expectations, but the fan base is still craving a true franchise quarterback to lead them for years to come. While rookie Will Howard has looked promising in training camp, he is not expected to be the long-term answer at quarterback. After the 2025 season concludes, the Steelers will be hosting the 2026 NFL Draft. Many pundits believe this event will be where the Steelers finally find their franchise quarterback, a player who can bring stability and success to the position. The anticipation is high, and the organization is clearly preparing to make a big move. On Monday, it was reported by Brad Denny, who provides excellent coverage of Arizona State football, that the Steelers have sent scouts to evaluate their prospects. Among those they are watching closely is the top quarterback prospect Sam Leavitt, indicating the team’s serious interest in securing a future star through the draft. In November of 2022, the Sun Devils hired Head Coach Kenny Dillingham, who has quickly transformed the team. What was once considered a struggling program has now become an exciting and competitive squad, with serious potential to contend for a national title heading into the 2025 season. Naturally, Steelers fans immediately think of Leavitt when they hear about scouts visiting, but the Sun Devils’ roster is loaded with NFL talent beyond just their star quarterback. It’s very possible the Steelers’ interest extends to other promising players as well. Chris Karpman gave more details about the amount of NFL scouts at the ASU practice on Monday. "There are 11 NFL scouts representing 10 teams at today’s ASU practice, the most at any practice since Dillingham became head coach," Karpman said on social media. It’s certainly interesting, but not surprising, to hear that the Steelers had scouts in attendance at the ASU practice. Sheldon White, the Steelers’ Director of Pro Scouting, is clearly involved in deciding who the organization will scout, when, and why. It’s no secret that the Steelers are in desperate need of a true franchise quarterback. Many believe the 2026 NFL Draft will be Pittsburgh’s biggest opportunity to find that quarterback since their attempt with Kenny Pickett in 2022. That experiment didn’t go as planned, and now, with 12 expected draft picks in a quarterback class that could be loaded with talent, the Steelers are getting an early look. They’ve begun scouting at ASU, keeping a close eye on potential prospects. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that former Steelers legend Hines Ward is still the wide receivers coach at ASU. His presence adds another layer of connection to the reports of Steelers scouts attending ASU practices, suggesting strong ties and serious interest in the program and its players. Steelers' Will Howard Has Looked Good In Training Camp Early reports out of camp are that sixth-round pick Howard has done a solid job with the opportunities he’s been given. The issue for Howard is that the Steelers are expected to draft a top quarterback prospect. Making such a big investment in a promising player will make it even harder for Howard to steal the starting job. Naturally, when more resources are tied up in a higher-end prospect, the team will do more to get the most out of that player. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible for Howard, but he will need to continue to thrive if he wants any chance to compete for the starting job after Rodgers.
Rumor: Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II Expected To Sign With Warriors Once Jonathan Kuminga Signs Deal
Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II are expected to sign with the Golden State Warriors once Jonathan Kuminga signs his deal, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Kuminga is a restricted free agent. Most people believe the swingman will sign his qualifying offer worth $7.9 million and then enter unrestricted free agency next offseason. “Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II have all long been expected to sign with the Warriors this summer but remain on hold when it comes to making those deals official while the Jonathan Kuminga situation plays out,” Stein wrote. Payton II and Melton played for the Warriors last season, while Horford played for the Boston Celtics. Golden State lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2025 playoffs in five games. The Warriors want to re-sign Kuminga. The franchise recently offered the forward a two-year, $45 million contract. Kuminga, though, declined the offer because the contract had a team option in Year 2 and there was no built-in no-trade clause. Kuminga wants to leave the Warriors. He doesn’t have a good relationship with head coach Steve Kerr. Kuminga averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Warriors last season in 47 games. He shot 45.4% from the floor, 30.5% from beyond the arc and 66.8% from the free-throw line. The 22-year-old Kuminga was the seventh overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He enters next season with career averages of 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists with Golden State. The Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings are interested in acquiring Kuminga in a sign-and-trade deal, but the Warriors don’t like the offers. The Kings offered a three-year, $63 million deal to Kuminga, according to NBA insider Sam Amick of The Athletic. In the sign-and-trade proposal, the Warriors would get Malik Monk and a 2030 first-round pick. More NBA News Rumors
Matt LaFleur sheds light on concerning Tucker Kraft situation
The Green Bay Packers continued work on the field on Saturday, with tens of thousands of fans in attendance watching amid the annual Family Night. However, one notable player who was not able to make it to the field and practice was tight end Tucker Kraft. The former South Dakota State Jackrabbits star is nursing a lower-body injury, forcing the Packers to take it easy on the tight end and keep him on the shelf rather than risk aggravation of the issue. Speaking to the media, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur opened up about Kraft’s status, via Green Bay reporter Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “MLF said Tucker Kraft has been dealing with a groin injury and powering through it for the last two days but they decided to give him a couple days off.” Kraft is expected to be among the major targets in the Packers’ passing attack in his third year in the pros. Selected in the third round (78th overall) by the Packers in the 2023 NFL draft, the 24-year-old Kraft is looking to surpass his production in 2024, when he posted 707 receiving yards and seven touchdowns on 50 receptions.
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