Cubs Set to Elevate Cade Horton: What This Means for the Team and Fans

The Chicago Cubs are bringing up pitching prospect Cade Horton, according to reports from Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register confirmed that Horton is heading to New York before this weekend’s series against the Mets. However, he is not on the 40-man roster yet, so the Cubs will need to make space for him.

Chicago’s rotation has faced several setbacks lately. They started the season strong with Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga leading the way. Unfortunately, Steele had to undergo UCL surgery last month and will miss the rest of the season. Imanaga also recently strained his hamstring and has been placed on the 15-day injured list. Although he may return sooner than Steele, the Cubs will miss him for a few games.

Adding to the challenges, Javier Assad has been sidelined all season due to an oblique strain. After attempting a rehab assignment, he aggravated the injury, suffering a Grade 2 strain.

Horton now has a chance to make his major league debut. For the upcoming game at Citi Field, the Cubs have not named a starter yet, but it looks like Horton will take the mound. The decision to promote him came down to Horton or veteran Chris Flexen, making Horton an exciting choice.

Drafted seventh overall in 2022 from Oklahoma, Horton has been the Cubs’ top pitching prospect. He boasts a mid-90s fastball and an impressive slider. This season in Triple-A Iowa, his fastball average is back up to 95.8 MPH, demonstrating his strong performance.

At just 23, Horton has excelled in Triple-A, sporting a 1.24 ERA while striking out nearly 31% of hitters he faces. Although he walks around 12% of batters, his high strikeout rate is promising, giving him a solid opportunity to step in for Imanaga. If Imanaga returns quickly, Horton’s stay could be short-lived, but he could also push others, like Ben Brown or Colin Rea, to the bullpen if he performs well.

Interestingly, Horton meets the criteria for the Prospect Promotion Incentive. If he finishes in the top two for the NL Rookie of the Year, he could earn a full year of service time, despite not being called up earlier. However, the Cubs won’t get a bonus draft pick for this promotion.

Overall, Horton’s promotion signifies both a challenge and an opportunity for the Cubs. Fans are eager to see how the talented righty will perform in the big leagues.



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