Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show
Transition: Is Grote sure the Cubs' demons have been exorcised?
18 Jun 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What are the early thoughts on the White Sox's trade strategies?
It ain't worth it, Stoney, to go get Tarek Skubal and give your team extra wind too early in the process, too early in the rebuild to be giving up real resources at this point?
Well, if you think that the White Sox are going after Tarek Skubal, I think perhaps they should check the water over there in your building.
I love the pause after. I let you ride that one out. I got stoned, man.
That's what happened.
See, when you ask me questions, I give you nice answers. Stone just gets right to the heart of it. It happens to all of us.
I know. I know. I just thought that I had some immunity to it, but I don't. And the ironic part about it is I don't necessarily want the White Sox to trade their whole roster to get Scooble. Kind of just wanted to hear what Stone had to say, but we'll have somebody check the water at some point in time. No.
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Chapter 2: How does Steve Stone's perspective influence the discussion?
yes welcome back into the rahimi harrison grody show on the score and just remember if you've noticed it that means steve has also noticed that's true see you have that that's pretty cool matt spiegel we'll get to you in just a second sir thank you to our producers ray diaz tyler buterbaugh Brandon Fryer. I see you, Brandon Fryer.
Our video producers are Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, and Max Curtis. And thank you to our wonderful guests, including the great Steve Stone. He joined us today to talk about the White Sox. Mark Potash was on talking about the Bears and the Cubs and the White Sox. We talked to Jamal Collier as well of The Athletic about the new Bulls boss.
And Transition is brought to you by Torque Coatings, high-performance coatings for your home or business. TorqueCoatings.com. There they are at Spiegel and Holmes.
Just know that Steve will stone you when you're walking on the street. He will stone you when you're trying to keep your seat.
Everybody must get stoned.
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Chapter 3: What challenges are the Cubs facing this season?
It's never happened to me. Marshall, there's still time.
Yeah, he doesn't care about theāand this is the right attitude. Steve Stone, the two games against the Yankees, all good. Don't worry about it. They're just losses. They look bad because they're slaughterings, actually, is what they feel like.
They looked worse in game one. Last night didn't look as bad in terms of stupid play and bad play.
Yeah, they didn't play as poorly as they did in the first game, but they did pitch as poorly as they did in the first game. That has become a problem. Poor Anthony Kaye back in New York City and just looked shaky. Got a couple of guys that you've been counting on the last couple times through the rotation. look like pumpkins a little bit.
Yeah, and I said that about the Cubs too.
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Chapter 4: How does the pitching rotation impact team performance?
We've gotten to this point where, and you can say it about Davis Martin as well. That'd probably be a good comp on the other side. With Ben Brown and the success that he's had, it's gotten to the point where we have to have that success out of him. When he goes out there, I need him to do that. And that may not be fair. And it's the same thing with Davis Martin.
I need Davis Martin to go out there and be the ace of the staff, even if that's not fair. Fair to put those expectations on those guys.
Grody, you hit on something that we were talking about as a show yesterday. And it's this idea of looking at the Cubs and kind of where they're at. And you're right. Ben Brown is a happy, like, wow, we did a really good job with development and we didn't give up on a guy who's got a whole bunch of talent. but he's not supposed to be at the top of your rotation now.
Nobody's supposed to be here. He's your best pitcher and your most important pitcher.
Chapter 5: What expectations are placed on emerging players like Ben Brown?
And he has to keep on being, and that's the part where I'm uncomfortable. And he might. We might be in the midst of an absolute revelation that Ben Brown is a top-of-the-rotation starter, but are we?
That Cubs game last night was 8-1 at one point. It was. And when it's 8-1, I'm like, this is not over. Well, because you know what's in the bullpen. Because most teams have like four or five or six dudes who can throw at 97, 98, and the Cubs have one, and that's Palencia. So now they have, checks notes, none.
And Jacob Webb ends up being out there to close after Caleb Theobar and Ethan Roberts trying to lock it down in low leverage, which he helped become high leverage. It went from low to medium to high quickly. He helmed that transition.
Kyle Carroll's to the bleachers.
With all the problems there have been with the starting injuries and with the offense, the bullpen is such that I'm like, man, there's a lot of problems.
We did this exercise yesterday.
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Chapter 6: How do injuries affect the Cubs' bullpen strategy?
I'm curious as to who you think should be the closer with Palencia out. I think Webb is as good a choice as anybody.
Okay. I do, too. I'm good for him doing it again. Yes, he gave up the homer last night, but I think he's got it in him.
Yeah, he's shown some fire and desire, which you need in that role.
He's got the look, too. Shout out to Rick James. Bitch.
So, yeah, I mean, sure.
Him, I mean, I don't know. I guess Ethan Roberts is a bad name to bring up now since he gave up the home run to Hunter Goodman last night. Who doesn't give up home runs to Hunter Goodman? But I tend to think he could get a shot.
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Chapter 7: What insights are shared about the upcoming draft and trade decisions?
I mean, there's only so many guys. Ryan Rawlson?
I don't know. Seeing the Cubs in this space of you're really trying to mash unit everything together where it's like, whoa. All right, well, hopefully Ethan Roberts, to get back to your bigger point, Groats, now you're sitting there looking at guys that are just supposed to be a part of the puzzle and not supposed to be the whole damn puzzle. Javier Saad.
The one thing is, in the bullpen, the bullpen is like where you piece it all together, and they have done so successfully for a couple years, and they're good at that. And maybe they still will. Maybe they're figuring it out. Maybe Trent Thornton will be useful and Jacob Webb will be useful. But you need Palencia. Rolison's been a nice find. Yeah.
I call it peach cobbler, but the peach cobbler doesn't taste quite as good as it used to be. You know, when you have to cobble things together in the manner that the Cubs have done now, as you said, for multiple seasons.
Chapter 8: How do the hosts reflect on the cultural significance of Juneteenth?
I don't like peach cobbler. I don't like peach. Really? The cobbler part's good. Apple cobbler? Sure. What do you want? Blueberry cobbler? Blackberry cobbler?
We can go down the list. You know what I brought back from Maine is lobster.
Lobster cobbler? No.
A jar of wild blueberry jam. That sounds good. Maine blueberries. Outstanding. That sounds good, actually. So you moving to Maine or no? No. But I brought shirts for everybody. You did? For the wife and the child. Oh, so not everybody. Not you guys, everybody. But I brought them shirts. I brought me a shirt. Cup for Nico. Shirts for everyone.
That's true. Sometimes you need to understand where you are on the totem pole. I'm very aware. That's not true.
Scorned on the daily. Because you're working tomorrow. That wouldn't have been me, Mark.
I would have brought you something. I know you would have. You do. No one told me. You do. That's how it works. No one told you about tomorrow? Yeah. What's going on tomorrow? No one told me that I had to work. You didn't have to. to. You're choosing to. See, no one told me. That's the whole point.
Don't you guys have to work after the Cubs game?
Yes, you guys.
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