Hottovy works with Cubs pitchers to reduce BBs

MILWAUKEE -- When asked about the bullpen over the offseason and again throughout Spring Training, Cubs manager Joe Maddon would often cite the fact that the group led the National League in ERA last season. That is true, but there were still red flags to be found in the peripherals.

One of the issues in 2018 was the staff's 11 percent walk rate, which ranked 29th in the Majors. Six games into this season, the free-pass problem has inflicted both the rotation and bullpen. Heading into this weekend series against the Brewers, the Cubs' pitching staff as a whole had issued an MLB-high 41 walks in 49 1/3 innings with a 30th-ranked walk rate of 16.9 percent.

Leaning on the visitors' dugout railing at Miller Park on Friday afternoon, Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy said there has been a common denominator to the walk issues.

"Each guy's individual situation may be different," Hottovy said. "But, one thing that is a common theme, I think we've all felt, is just the amount of added pressure or the amount of added awareness of like what we need to do to get off to a good start: 'I've got to be The Guy.' And I've heard multiple people say, 'Hey, I need to be the guy. I want to be the one to be the stopper.' And that's great. It's a nice approach to have, but you've got to stay within yourself.

"And I think, as this has kind of snowballed, we all have and the guys have put more added pressure on themselves, instead of going out and just having fun, and just being themselves. I think the thing we're trying to reiterate is, look, we do all of our work. We're out here early with guys doing mechanical work. We're doing bullpens. We're going over game plans. We're doing all those things.

"But, all that is done so that when you cross the white line, you're yourself, you're having fun. You're attacking and you're aggressive, and you're free. You're out of your head."

During the previous series in Atlanta, where the Braves swept the Cubs in a three-game set, Maddon noted that many of the relievers might be better served pitching to their strengths rather than relying heavily on scouting reports. Hottovy noted the main message to the pitchers in that regard is to follow the plan being presented by catchers Willson Contreras and Victor Caratini.

Through the first six games, Cubs relievers had combined for a 17.6 percent walk rate (30th in MLB).

"It's about getting back to that primal instinct of being a pitcher," Hottovy said. "Attacking the zone, focusing on one thing, which is the catcher's glove and what the catcher puts down, and that's it. That's the way we take it. We take pride in how we do our scouting reports and we take pride in tailoring things to every single guy. And we don't feel like we ask them to do too much.

"But, I think it's more getting back to the fact that you don't have to come into a game and already plan in your head a four-pitch sequence. Let the catcher guide you. Let the catcher take you through that at-bat and your sole purpose is to execute pitches."

Cubs, O's complete trade

Chicago and Baltimore swung a minor deal on Friday, enabling the Orioles to keep right-hander Pedro Araujo. The Cubs acquired $750,000 in international pool money and the O's maintain control of Araujo, who was taken in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, but he's still subject to the draft's stipulations. Baltimore recently designated Araujo for assignment, but can now keep him in its system.