Smyly joins chorus of players who don't want to leave
It's become standard practice for players to get a little weepy about Wrigley Field near the trade deadline, and pitcher Drew Smyly is no exception.
After beating the Phillies on Sunday, Smyly reminded reporters that wins and losses aren't the only measurement of success.
"I love it here, I love being a Cub," he said. "This is a really fun organization to be a part of. The home games are amazing, this clubhouse is awesome. We didn't get off to the best start, our record's not where we want it to be, but showing up every day, everyone has smiles on their faces."
Smyly does know success, having won a World Series with Atlanta last year and pitching in another with Detroit in 2012.
"Being in a lot of different clubhouses, you really soak that in as a player, you look forward to going to the field every day," he said. "There's winning teams where it's not that vibe. The Cubs do have that going for them."
Cubs manager David Ross agreed that positive vibes mean a lot in a 162-game baseball season.
"There's good people here. I think we take pride in bringing in good people," Ross said. "When I was a player, there were some places I wasn't excited to go to the ballpark. I think the best compliment you can get from a player is they like to come to work every day."
Surgery for Marquez:
There was mixed news on a couple of Cubs top prospects. Left-handed pitcher Brailyn Marquez, a former No. 1, is officially done for the year after having a surgical debridement on his left shoulder on June 17, vice president of player development Jared Banner confirmed Monday.
Marquez hasn't pitched in a game since making his major-league debut against the White Sox on Sept. 27, 2020, due to a variety of ailments. Banner said the team expects him to make a full recovery.
There was better news regarding current top prospect Brennen Davis. He's been out since May 3 after having back surgery, but Banner said the outfielder has been building up in Arizona and could return to game action in two or three weeks. The plan is to ease into some games at the Arizona rookie league before returning to Triple A Iowa.
One other rehab update, left-handed starter Wade Miley threw a 28-pitch bullpen session Monday as he works his way back from a left shoulder strain.
Pitcher Matt Swarmer has rejoined the Iowa Cubs after being designated for assignment last week, while the team released reliever Daniel Norris on Saturday.
Not feeling draft:
The Major League Player's Association and MLB could not come to an agreement on a proposal for an international draft, so the process will remain the same for at least another year, with teams having a pool of funds to spend on those players.
"I think if we could have got it done, it was going to be a win-win," Cubs player rep Ian Happ said.
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