Recent comments

crunch 1 week 4 days ago (view)

morel (who's playing with a finger injury) rang the hell out of his hand earlier in the game on a broken-bat foul and showed visible discomfort.

i wouldn't be shocked to see morel get a day off tomorrow.

crunch 1 week 4 days ago (view)

hicks 1st HBP of his career happens with the bases loaded.

pure cubbery.  you're a real cubs major leaguer now dude.

crunch 1 week 4 days ago (view)

i hate hope left, but i like the cubs got m.busch and have him under club control through 2029.

Arizona Phil 1 week 4 days ago (view)

If somehow the Cubs could have kept Zyhir Hope (traded to the Dodgers in the Michael Busch deal), the Myrtle Beach Pelicans outfield by mid-season would have been Preciado-Hope-Rosario LF-CF-RF, which would have been as good as any in the Carolina League.   

Arizona Phil 1 week 4 days ago (view)

Alfonsin Rosario probably should be included among the Cubs Top 30 prospects, I would say. It's not just the HR power, but he also has a plus-arm that's good enough for RF, the range to play CF, and the speed to steal bases and score from 1st on a double and from 2nd on a single. (Alfonsin's older brother Eguy is an infielder with the San Diego Padres, so he's got MLB bloodlines, too).  

As I have mentioned here before, contrary to what you might read at Baseball Reference or at milb.com, Alfonsin Rosario is - NOT - 6'6 210. He is actually 6'0 220 (six inches shorter and ten pounds heavier than he is listed!), so he is more like Kirby Puckett than Dave Winfield. 

TarzanJoeWallis 1 week 4 days ago (view)

Well, yes. On the other hand, one does have to consider markets and that they are competing with other teams. A one year deal might not have gotten it done. There was no viable alternative plan for center field, and while the board might have noticed I’m not a fan of high priced free agents, this was a case where it was justified. Given public pressure and the agent he was dealing with, I thought Jed did a good job negotiating this contract, regardless of outcome. My hope was that Bellinger would go gangbusters this year and opt out. Frankly, I think that was probably Jed’s hope too. With him not performing there is a major hole in the offense. All we can do is hope he turns it around.

Given current markets I’m not so sure the Happ extension was such a horrible thing. Kind of meh.

The Hendricks extension was ill advised, and many contributors to this board recognized that at the time. I suspect some off the field considerations went into the decision, such as PR, 2016 sentimentality, and veteran presence/mentoring that in retrospect shouldn’t have been factors . All that said, this is by no means a make or break for the season.

The Valezquez/Cuas deal is looking increasingly toxic. Hindsight is 20/20 in this case.

Bill 1 week 4 days ago (view)

Having it to spend does not mean having it to piss away.  Signing him for one year could be justified, but giving him three years with opt outs merely means that you might win a little in the short run, but are very likely to suffer greatly in the long run.  Even with decent performance, there is very likely to be no place on the team for Bellinger next year.  Partly because of the other foolish move by the Cubs, the extension of Happ through 2026 by a no-trade contract, with the strength of their minor league system being in outfielders.  In my opinion, both moves were the result of extreme pressure by the media and fans, neither of which have any reason to consider anything beyond the current year.

crunch 1 week 4 days ago (view)

k.thompson gets the callup

TarzanJoeWallis 1 week 4 days ago (view)

Maybe we’re watching a different Bellinger. To me it looks like he’s alternately flailing at the ball or severely undercutting it.

I understand that Hendricks isn’t pitching effectively and very likely won’t regain form. Fine, let’s write him off. It’s not a good situation but not season threatening. Throw him on the DL, bury him in the bullpen, spot start him, whatever. There are plenty of young arms to be a fifth starter.

If Bellinger fails to regain 2023 form and reverts to 21/22 what is the answer? I can tell you that PCA and Canario look nowhere near ready offensively.

George Altman 1 week 4 days ago (view)

Bellinger is the last hitter on this team I'm worried about. Same with Hoerner. Hitting is 100% different than someone asked to perform 25-30 games per year. Hendricks can't locate and his pitches don't have the same late movement thru most of his last 15 starts. Unless you're watching a different Kyle. Think about what that $15m would have offered the bullpen. 

crunch 1 week 4 days ago (view)

bellinger looks good swinging a bat. 

he will never be worth his current paycheck, but if his market was 20-25m rather than 25-30m he would have been courted by teams other than the cubs, even with the loss of a draft pick for other teams on the table.  part of the big money is the short risk of having the loot tied up.  the cubs had it to spend in the window of the contract he signed, even if he sticks around all 3 years.

hendricks can't throw his curve worth a damn anymore.  he couldn't last year, either.

if the ball is hit hard enough to go past nico/swanson and whoever's playing 1st/3rd, there's going to be a lot more of this.  great defense bailed him out last year and it will have to bail him out this year.  if the hits are hit "where they aint"...or 10000mph through the infield....we're going to see more pain.  hendricks entire value is based on his health, luck of where the ball is hit, and the quality of defense behind him while he throws his fastball and change.

TarzanJoeWallis 1 week 4 days ago (view)

Lets’s not forget that Bellinger is one year removed from two plus years of performance that looked a lot like what he looks like right now. As I mentioned, there are several answers for Hendricks. I think as the finest armchair GM’s in the sport we need to turn our hand wringing more in the direction of Bellinger and what we do if we get the 2021/2022 of him as was  always a possibility when we signed him.

Charlie 1 week 4 days ago (view)

I think the difference is how much credence people give to each player's success in 2023 compared to their preceding struggles and current small samples. 

TarzanJoeWallis 1 week 4 days ago (view)

Kind of wondering why we have so much focus on Hendricks and nothing is being said about our $25 mm man who currently sports a line of .191/2/10 with an OPS of .631? Hendricks impacts every fifth game while Bellinger, who is supposed to be the cornerstone of the offense, impacts every game. The Hendricks situation is really much less serious - he can always become the purveyor lost causes, brought in in hopeless situations or blowout wins in order to preserve the pen, or even as an opener since he seems to be ok the first time through the lineup. Bellinger, on the other hand, is a much more serious concern. He has been every bit as ineffective as Hendricks and the team is far more reliant on him to perform. Yes, it’s early in the season and Bellinger could break out of it. Then again, as ineffective as he’s looked, so could Hendricks - he’s done it before.

George Altman 1 week 4 days ago (view)

That would have been perfect. Jed really misplayed this......badly.

Arizona Phil 1 week 4 days ago (view)

GEORGE A: As you probably recall, back in November after Stroman opted out I was hoping the Cubs would sign Yamamoto and re-sign Bellinger and Candelario, non-tender Wisdom and Madrigal, and not sign any high-priced FA relievers. I actually thought the Cubs picked up the Hendricks option in order to trade him if they were able to sign one of the noteworthy free agent pitchers (and then they signed Imanaga). So I kept waiting for the Cubs to trade Hendricks, but it looks like it's too late now...

George Altman 1 week 4 days ago (view)

Would you agree/disagree, Phil, that picking up his $14.5m option with Stroman opting out was a bad Jed decision?

Would any team be willing to pick up any portion of his salary?

Arizona Phil 1 week 4 days ago (view)

The Cubs would not have picked up Kyle Hendricks 2024 option or signed Hector Neris if Marcus Stroman had not opted out.

Arizona Phil 1 week 4 days ago (view)

After a poor first outing, in his last three appearances at AAA Keegan Thompson has put up a 5.0 IP, 1 H, no runs, two BB, and six K line, and he has been throwing two or three innings at a time.

So I believe Keegan Thompson gets the call up, especially if the Cubs don't want to transfer Julian Merryweather to the 60-day IL until his timetable to return is more clear.   

Also, I suspect the Cubs would like to keep Hayden Wesneski stretched out as a SP.

Arizona Phil 1 week 4 days ago (view)

Keep in mind that pitchers who are optioned to the minors during Spring Training or on Opening Day must remain on Optional Assignment for the first 15 days of the MLB regular season (thru Thursday 4/11 in 2024) unless the pitcher is recalled to replace a pitcher who is placed on the IL (as happened when Ben Brown was recalled to replace Justin Steele and Daniel Palencia was recalled to replace Julian Merryweather). 

And the reason Jose Cuas was optioned on Thursday (an off day) without a corresponding roster move until the next day is because MLB clubs are permitted to have either 25 or 26 players active up until September 1st (clubs MUST have 28 players active at all times beginning on 9/1) and there is a (very slight) cost savings to go with 25 players instead of 26 players on an off day (the difference between an MLB salary versus minor league split salary).

Also, if he is on the MLB 26-man roster for at least 167 days in 2024 Jose Cuas is likely to accrue enough MLB Service Time  to qualify as a "Super Two" for salary arbitration post-2024, but not so likely if he is on Optional Assignment for twenty days or more.