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Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show

Cubs need to get right this Memorial Day weekend

22 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What challenges do the Cubs face heading into the Memorial Day weekend?

0.031 - 8.001 Leila Rahimi

It was a much-needed day off for the Cubs themselves. We talked about the lineup construction. We talked about all the concerns going into the Brewers game.

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Chapter 2: How does lineup construction impact the Cubs' performance?

8.361 - 23.22 Leila Rahimi

Since it was the Radiothon, we didn't get to react to the news about Edward Cabrera and the blister. And once again, Ray Diaz, our producer, what did I say after Shota Imanaga had his last start that we saw him have against the Brewers to start this series?

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Chapter 3: What concerns are there about the Cubs' recent games against the Brewers?

23.2 - 26.884 Leila Rahimi

Did I or did I not say yesterday's price is not today's price?

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26.984 - 27.485 Marshall Harris

That's right.

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27.645 - 33.892 Leila Rahimi

Guess what happened after Edward Cabrera had the blister? Yesterday's price remained not today's price.

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34.033 - 39.98 Marshall Harris

Yesterday's price is not today's price. Shout out Fat Joe.

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40.34 - 46.407 Leila Rahimi

Man, that man is a philosopher. I know you want me to listen to his podcast more, but there's only so many hours in a day.

47.281 - 51.597 Marshall Harris

Absolutely. There's a lot of content on there, a lot of sports, a lot of Chicago sports going on.

51.778 - 58.202 Leila Rahimi

A lot of life lessons being had. Also, Layla, supply and demand.

59.093 - 75.734 Marshall Harris

There's just not the supply right now of available starting pitching that would lead you to believe it's going to be easy for anybody, Cubs or any other team notwithstanding, to just go out and get a starting pitcher. That's why I'm curious as to why they didn't exhaust, and I do mean exhaust, the free agent market.

76.034 - 89.694 Marshall Harris

You know, Lucas Giolito is the first name, of course, that comes to mind if you're sitting here watching baseball in Chicago. But when you talk about yesterday's price is not today's price, first of all, you've got to have pitching in stock, right? I feel like right now pitching is on back order.

Chapter 4: How does the Cubs' pitching situation affect their trade strategy?

244.63 - 251.597 Marshall Harris

And if you just happen to need something right now or think you might need something in the future, this would be the time to make that purchase.

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251.717 - 275.625 Leila Rahimi

Well, it's just unfortunately... the element of patience hasn't always served them. And we know they have financial constraints that are not that of the Dodgers or the Mets, right? We know that. But at the same time, you did spend a lot of capital with the Houston Astros who are in town on a rental. Then you spent a lot of capital with the Miami Marlins on Edward Cabrera.

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276.366 - 287.072 Leila Rahimi

And now you're in a position again where you might have to spend a lot of draft capital since you didn't want to spend a lot of financial capital. Lucas Giolito is a good example. on people who were available.

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287.713 - 297.806 Leila Rahimi

Jed Hoyer was on with Danny Parkins as part of our Cubs to Recure Radiothon, and he shared a message about Cubs fans who, I don't know, maybe want to see the team hit better or, you know, get a guy to pitch me.

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298.807 - 315.713 Jed Hoyer

We're kind of exactly where we were last year. We had a really good season last year. We're kind of exactly where we were at the same point. It just feels different. You know, last year, we were sort of a metronome, you know, we, we never, I think we had a five game winning streak in early April last year and never won five in a row again, the rest of the year.

316.374 - 335.88 Jed Hoyer

And it was like, it was frustrating. Like, why can't we go, go on a win streak? But we didn't get swept until mid August. And then I don't think we lost four in a row until late September. So that's sort of one side of the coin, which is incredible consistency with no ups or downs. And then this year it's been, you know, we went 20 out of 23 and,

336.181 - 360.983 Jed Hoyer

which was incredible and a lot of fun for a lot of people. And then now, obviously, we've lost 9 of 11. And so it's like we're in the same place. It just feels very different because the downs are always really painful. So we're in a good place. We have a lot of good players, and it's a really long season. So the shape of the season has been interesting. Not one I've experienced.

361.003 - 362.425 Jed Hoyer

I mean, frankly, I've never –

363.232 - 388.227 Jed Hoyer

experienced you know two 10 game winning streaks um like that i mean yeah no one has you know i mean i was gonna say i think i looked last year i think i maybe had five 10 game winning streaks in a 24 year career and so this has been that was wild and something i hadn't experienced and you know i also don't think i've ever you know had the down right after that kind of um winning streak as well so i

Chapter 5: What is the significance of the Cubs' trade deadline strategy?

409.31 - 424.487 Jed Hoyer

I think they are frustrated because I think there's a lot of belief in that room about how good we are. So this doesn't feel good for them either, and we're going to play a lot better here shortly. Wait a second. That's where it is, and it's nice to have a Friday day game.

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424.527 - 431.916 Jed Hoyer

There's nothing better than Friday baseball at Wrigley, and it was good to have the day off yesterday to sort of reset, and we'll get back after it.

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432.841 - 447.009 Leila Rahimi

Wait a second. Wait a second. Sorry to jump the gun here. I think Jed Hoyer is doing an old duck move where he's calm on the top and he's paddling underwater where you can't see him. I don't know how patient they are because we got ourselves a little breaking news.

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447.289 - 448.251 Marshall Harris

Oh, we got breaking news?

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448.231 - 471.378 Leila Rahimi

I think so. Breaking news on the score is sponsored by IDOT. Speeding in a work zone is a no-win. Mind the signs. Avoid the fines. They're up in the timeline on some of these people because according to multiple reporters, Andy Martinez, Jesse Rogers, the Cubs' number two prospect, Pedro Ramirez, has a locker at Wrigley and he's in the house. He's a switch hitter.

471.398 - 486.772 Leila Rahimi

He slashed 312, 395, 547 with nine home runs and 40 RBI and AAA at Iowa this season. He's an infielder. And Marshall, you and I were talking about, does somebody get a day off in this lineup? Do they do something different? I think different has come to us.

488.474 - 504.751 Marshall Harris

If Pedro Ramirez is in the lineup today, I mean, that's going to be a tell. But something had to be done. I think we had gotten to the point where you get that Milwaukee Brewers series. And look... Yes, this is the first time all season they've lost five in a row. But it's not just that they've lost five in a row.

504.991 - 518.813 Marshall Harris

It's who they lost to and how they lost those games in terms of the last series against the team that's now a game and a half ahead of them in the standings. And I know some people say it's too early to even look at the standings, but you have to pay attention to what's going on around you.

518.953 - 548.994 Leila Rahimi

You don't need the standings to tell you you just got swept by the Brewers at home. You don't need the standings to tell you that. As of three days ago, Ramirez was leading the Cubs in OPS, RBI, runs and hits. 942 OPS, 40 RBIs, 34 runs and 53 hits. So he's known as a, stop me when you've heard this before, a high contact hitter with modest power. But this is a big deal. So now we have to see.

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