This Chicago Cubs news and notes column is from the newest member of The Sports Bank family Jeremy Harris
Sometimes a manager has to think like a general manager, particularly when players on his team are on the trade market. Many trades are consummated during the All-Star break, and Cubs closer Kevin Gregg has been rumored to be on the trading block for weeks.
While prior to last night’s game he had shown some minor kinks, he has generally pitched very well this season.
With the Chicago Cubs tied at six entering the top of the ninth against the Cardinals, manager Dale Sveum had only two options left in his bullpen: RH rookie Hector Rondon and Kevin Gregg.
While the Cubs have been playing much better of late, they cannot lose sight of the fact that they are in a rebuilding phase. Burnishing or retaining trade assets’ value is far more important than wins and losses at the big league level.
Sveum should have avoided using Kevin Gregg at all costs to lock in his trade value heading into the All-Star break, employing him only in a save situation or out of necessity in an extra innings affair. Instead he used him in a non-save situation, and he was hit like a batting practice pitcher to the tune of four runs. He yielded a home run and deep double and fanned no one. Even the outs he recorded were hit like rockets. The Cubs lost 10-6, and Kevin Gregg suffered the loss. Gregg’s brutal performance is now the impression likely left in the minds of possible trade suitors heading into the All-Star break. I think this was myopic and short-sighted managing on Sveum’s part and could have diminished one of the Cubs’ best trade assets’ value at the worst possible time.