👋 Good morning!
Hand up, I didn’t think the Pacers were going to win another game this series.
I actually nudged Will Gottlieb while we were watching ABC’s pregame show and remarked, “Thunder in five.” Oops.
I still like the Thunder to win the series, but kudos to the Pacers for putting up a fight, which shouldn’t come as a shock, considering it’s been their m.o. all playoffs.
As for Tyrese Haliburton, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley drafting Patrick Williams with the No. 4 pick in 2020 instead of the Pacers’ star, who fell to the Sacramento Kings at No. 12, is going to haunt Bulls fans for a very long time.
Thunder in five six.
⚾️ Summertime Sweepstakes ⚾️
Rate & CHGO are giving away a pair of tickets to the Rate Club for Cubs-Sox at Rate Field on July 26th.
All you have to do to enter? Download the Rate app and enter at:
No purchase necessary—just good vibes & great seats.
Help Wanted
After another rough outing for Ben Brown, the Cubs’ need for top-of-the-line starting pitching down the road has reared its ugly head.
Could a big move to bolster the rotation be on the horizon, or will the Cubs wait and see before making any necessary splashes?
Cubs GM Jed Hoyer on the starting rotation before Wednesday’s loss: “We’ve definitely taken a lot of hits there, but these guys have held up well. It’s a long season, we’re not even halfway through yet, so we have to continue to address that in all sorts of ways, whether it’s trade deadline, small transactions, and hopefully get some of these guys healthy.”
INJURY UPDATE: Shota Imanaga struck out four in a rehab outing with the Arizona Complex League Cubs on Monday night, in which the crafty southpaw tossed a scoreless two innings on 25 pitches.
Imanaga, who’s been on the injured list since straining his hamstring on May 4, will have at least one more rehab outing before making his way back to the big leagues.
Hoyer’s right — the rotation, despite losing Justin Steele to Tommy John surgery in April and Imanaga to a hamstring strain in May, has “held up well.”
But the Cubs shouldn’t bank on Ben Brown, Colin Rea, and Cade Horton being reliable options as the heat turns up down the stretch, either. Imanaga’s imminent return should help a great deal, but the Cubs could really benefit from adding another strong arm.
Realistically, the Cubs likely would’ve been in the market for another rotation piece for a playoff push even with a healthy Steele.
Who could the Cubs target to place at the top of their rotation? A few names come to mind:
Marlins RHP Sandy Alcantara could be a great fit for the Cubs, and a rocky start to his 2025 campaign after missing all of 2024 (Tommy John surgery) could lower his trade price, despite winning the NL Cy Young award in 2022.
Alcantara’s 7.14 ERA could scare off some suitors, but his game might be turning a corner. In his last two starts, Alcantara has allowed just two runs in 12 innings, striking out 10 and walking only two.
Another name to keep in mind? Braves LHP Chris Sale. Sale, 36, is off to another strong start in his second season in Atlanta. Is he mounting another Cy Young candidacy? Probably not. But the Braves aren’t headed to the playoffs this year, either, sitting in fourth place in the NL East at 28-38.
Sale’s 2.79 ERA, 2.74 FIP, and seven home runs allowed would lead all Cubs starters in each category, including Imanaga. His contract expires at the end of 2025, but it contains a team option for 2026.
Other names to keep an eye on? Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Marlins LHP Ryan Weathers could’ve made sense, but he was added to the 60-day IL with a left lat strain earlier in the week.
GO DEEPER: The CHGO Cubs Podcast explored some trade targets after yesterday’s 7-2 loss to the Phillies.
Paul Skenes @ Wrigley 👀
Join Cody Delmendo, Luke Stuckmeyer, Greg Braggs and CHGO Cubs Diehards at Murphy’s Bleacher at 10 a.m. this Friday before heading into Wrigley Field to watch Cade Horton and the Cubs take on Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates!
REJECTED: The New York Knicks asked the Bulls for permission to interview head coach Billy Donovan for their head coaching vacancy but were denied, according to CHSN.
Donovan played 44 games with the Knicks in the 1987-88 season — his lone season as a player in the NBA.
Since firing Tom Thibodeau last week, the Knicks have reportedly reached out to several teams for permission to interview their head coaches, including Minnesota’s Chris Finch, Atlanta’s Quin Snyder, and Dallas’ Jason Kidd, but have been denied each request.
CAN’T WIN ‘EM ALL: Sean Burke just didn’t have it for the White Sox last night, allowing six doubles and seven earned runs in just 3.2 IP. The good news? Owen White, making his White Sox debut, mopped up the rest of the game well, allowing three runs in 4.1 IP of relief.
The 10-2 loss drops the Sox to 20 games under .500 (7-27) on the road this season. It’s an entirely different story at Rate Field, where the White Sox are 16-18 in 2025. Last year, the Sox won just 23 games at home all season.
From Leo 14:05:
“𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓱𝓪𝓵𝓽 𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓸𝔁… 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻, 𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓷.”
— #CHGO White Sox (#@CHGO_WhiteSox)
5:35 PM • Jun 11, 2025
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