MESA, Ariz. — For the first time in more than nine months, Chicago Cubs pitching prospect Cade Horton faced batters.
During live batting practice on the backfields of the Cubs’ complex Sunday morning, Horton had just two goals against the four hitters he faced: attack them and “get my groove back on.”
“I feel like I accomplished that,” Horton said, “and so I’m happy with what went on today.”
Horton, 23, made only nine starts between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa last year because of a subscapularis strain. He didn’t pitch after May 29 and was ultimately shut down in August after experiencing a setback during rehab.
“He needs to just pitch and take the ball on his start day and pretty confident that the results will follow after that,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “Injuries, it’s a part of the pitching journey, unfortunately. And he dealt with a bunch of stuff last year, but we feel really confident if he just gets out there on regular turn that the great version of Cade is going to show up.”
Even before the injury, Horton felt his mechanics were off and he wasn’t being athletic on the mound, causing him to feel like he was forcing things when he pitched. Horton is confident he cleaned up those issues over the offseason and believed Sunday’s live BP was a step in the right direction.
“Sometimes as pitchers we can get so robotic and just pick up your leg, break your hands, go, and so just flowing,” Horton said. “I feel like what makes me good is I’m a position player that transformed into a pitcher, and one of those things was just being so athletic and filling up the zone and attacking hitters.”
If Horton stays healthy and gets important experience at Triple A, he could help the Cubs at some point this season. He isn’t shying away from his big-league dream.
“I want to go out there and impress, I don’t care if it’s a live BP, I don’t care if it’s the World Series, I want to be Cade Horton and do those things,” Horton said. ” … I’m here to prove who I am and make my debut this year.”
Colin Rea could fill a versatile role on the pitching staff
After spending the 2022 season in Japan, right-hander Colin Rea returned to Milwaukee ready to step up and do whatever was needed to help the Brewers’ quest to win a championship.
He had already given Counsell a glimpse of his willingness to help the team by starting the final game of the 2021 season for Milwaukee to save the pitching staff before the postseason by tossing six innings in his only major-league appearance of the year. Counsell recalled that performance Sunday before Rea’s first spring start, describing that outing four years ago as a “small heroic performance.”
“What he did that day, to me, showed you a lot about the player and the person,” Counsell said.
Rea remained on Counsell and the Brewers’ radar while he pitched in Japan, ultimately returning to Milwaukee in 2023. Rea, 34, averaged 146 innings in the last two seasons with the Brewers while making 49 starts and nine relief appearances. He is in the mix for the Cubs’ No. 5 starter job and got his first Cactus League start Sunday against the Rangers, allowing one run, two hits, two walks and striking out three in 1 2/3 innings.
“His mentality of just doing my job and keep going, head down, keep going, that’s his mentality, and that really pays dividends, I think, in the course of a 162-game marathon,” Counsell said. “That’s kind of going to be Colin’s job and he knows that, and he’s aware of that and he’s always been good at that.”
Having played for Counsell for three seasons in Milwaukee (2021, 2023-24), Rea understands how his manager might use him, though that isn’t altering his approach to camp this year.
“In my situation, I feel like every year has kind of been the same, doesn’t matter the other circumstances, it’s coming in the spring as prepared as possible, going out there, first game, making sure I’m feeling good and kind of upping the intensity each game and getting the arm in shape,” Rea said.
Decisions to play out for relievers
As the spring plays out, how the Cubs build their bullpen will depend in part on which relievers are out of minor-league options.
Most notably, right-handers Keegan Thompson, Julian Merryweather and Tyson Miller are among those relievers who must make the opening day roster or otherwise would be designated for assignment. Miller was dominant last year after the Cubs claimed him off waivers from Seattle, posting a 2.15 ERA over 49 appearances. Merryweather struggled with injuries throughout 2024, including season-ending knee surgery, that limited him to 15 appearances (6.60 ERA). He showed how valuable he can be, especially as a high-leverage option, in 2023 when he owned a 3.38 ERA in 69 games.
Thompson bounced back from a rough 2023 with a 2.67 ERA in 30 1/3 innings and a career-high 10.7 strikeouts per 9 innings last year. The Cubs need consistency and will have a lot of factors to weigh when evaluating at the end of camp whether Thompson fits within the other pieces of the bullpen, which already has a few relievers locked in, and will need to include some optional relievers to maintain roster flexibility and usage.
“The thing you notice about Keegan is that when Keegan’s been out there, he’s gotten major-league hitters out, and that’s important,” Counsell said. “He’s had trouble putting together a full season, but a lot of guys have. But he’s gotten hitters out, and so you certainly take note of that and he’s been pretty consistent at that.”
