The Rundown: Winter of Discontent Thaws with Start of Spring Training, Cubs Get Strong Projection from USA Today, Go Red for Women Today
The storylines have been repetitive, boring, and not worth the effort to write about, but that all changes today. Camp is officially open and baseball finally returns for Cubs fans. Though Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery remain in free-agent limbo, 30 teams are moving forward while the Boras Four sit on the sidelines.
I feel no need to sugarcoat things: As a blogger, this offseason has sucked. Everyone loved Chicago’s lone splashy move, signing Shōta Imanaga, but free agent signings have been few and far between across the league and speculation concerning the trade market never materialized. I’d love to point the finger at Scott Boras, and he shoulders partial blame, but MLB front offices have also refused to budge. The open market has been stunted by the law of supply and demand, which has put the brakes on trade talks to some extent as well.
Yet, the usual suspects remain in place. The Cubs have been linked to Bellinger and Chapman, the Yankees to Snell, and nobody is sure where Montgomery, who is the only one of the four not attached to a qualifying offer, will land. The Yanks’ throw to Snell was believed to be around $150 million for five years, and word is he and Boras, who are seeking a reported $270 million, didn’t even bother to counter. The other three have yet to receive any formal offers according to several reports.
That said, hope springs eternal and smiling faces are making their way to the Cubs’ Arizona facilities. Jed Hoyer, Carter Hawkins, and new manager Craig Counsell will kick off the preseason workouts with a roster that is transitioning to a more youthful foundation. Chicago’s core consists of Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Hendricks, Jameson Taillon, and Justin Steele. The more interesting names are Pete Crow-Armstrong, Matt Shaw, Michael Busch, Christopher Morel, Jordan Wicks, Ben Brown, and Cade Horton. Other players to keep an eye on include Alexander Canario, Daniel Palencia, Miguel Amaya, and Matt Mervis.
The Cubs are reportedly interested in free agents Brandon Woodruff and Liam Hendriks in addition to Bellinger and Chapman. I’d bet that three of the four will end up with the Cubs, and landing all four is still possible. That would add some spice to what has been the dullest market in over a decade. Additionally, I expect an active trade market through March, and the Cubs still may land Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase, if they sign one of Bellinger or Chapman.
Cubs News & Notes
- Most of the Cubs players believe roster additions are still coming.
- Those expected additions should make camp a little more lively this spring.
- The Cubs are entering camp with a “healthy sense of urgency.”
- USA Today projects that the Cubs will win the NL Central with 85 wins. The outlet projects four of the five teams to win at least 81 games, calling the Central the “Throw-a-Dart Division.”
- Now we know why Hoyer is content to build an 85-win roster.
- Let’s see if you can guess which MLB first-round draft pick from 2017-19 has produced the most WAR so far.
- MLB Network has produced a new special about Game 7 of the 2016 World Series between the Cubs and Cleveland that will debut on February 22 at 7 PM CT.
- I’ve known this since early November, but Pearl Jam has been booked to play two shows at Wrigley Field this August.
- The organization did a very nice thing for three patients at Advocate Children’s Hospital.
Odds & Sods
What are the chances that this is a reaction to a question about Bellinger? Counsell looks like he pulled an all-nighter.
Carter, Jed and Craig time #Cubs pic.twitter.com/3HTXePa2Jv
— Josh Frydman (@Josh_Frydman) February 14, 2024
Central Intelligence
- Milwaukee: The losses of Woodruff and Corbin Burnes have pushed Freddy Peralta to the top of the Brewers’ rotation.
- Cincinnati: The Reds claimed outfielder Bubba Thompson off of waivers from the Twins. It will be Thompson’s second stint with Cincinnati.
- Pittsburgh: The Pirates and Marlins have engaged in trade talks that would send a starting pitcher from Miami to Pittsburgh. Edward Cabrera is probably part of those discussions.
- St. Louis: The Cardinals may have the only fanbase that’s more optimistic than the Cubs. With that in mind, some believe the Redbirds could entertain the idea of signing Snell if his asking price drops.
Climbing the Ladder
I’ll take a way-too-early stab at the Cubs’ Opening Day Lineup, based on players currently rostered.
- Crow-Armstrong CF
- Hoerner 2B
- Happ LF
- Suzuki RF
- Swanson SS
- Morel DH
- Busch 1B
- Gomes C
- Nick Madrigal 3B
- Steele SP
- Alzolay CL
If the Cubs sign Bellinger, I’d move him to fourth in the order with Suzuki dropping to No. 6, which I believe is his ideal spot. Should the Cubs sign Chapman, he’d hit after Morel, putting Madrigal on the bench. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard Counsell likes Madrigal a great deal.
Spring Training News & Notes
The Giants have agreed to a three-year, $42 million deal with free agent designated hitter/outfielder Jorge Soler.
Many MLB players don’t particularly like the 2024 edition of Nike’s uniforms, with one player saying “They look cheap.”
The Pirates and veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal are in agreement on a one-year contract.
Astros veteran Justin Verlander is dealing with a shoulder issue that will delay his start to spring training.
Go Red for Women Day
I hope you’re wearing red today in support of women and the fight to end cardiovascular disease. Nearly 45% of women aged 20+ are living with some form of CVD.
Jenny Cavnar is the new play-by-play announcer for the Oakland A’s. She is the first female primary play-by-play voice in Major League Baseball history.
Cavnar is replacing longtime announcer Glen Kuiper, who was fired after he used a racist slur on live TV last year.
Jen Pawol will work Grapefruit League games this spring and is very close to becoming MLB’s first full-time female umpire.
Extra Innings
Who will be Chicago’s next Jake Arrieta? Will we ever see that kind of dominance again from Cubs’ starters?
#Cubs Jake Arrieta once had a 31-start stretch during which he tossed more no-hitters (2) than games lost (1)…
…and the only way to beat him was to beat him at his own game, as Chicago was no-hit by Cole Hamels in that lone loss. pic.twitter.com/7MDuVGXv4f
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) February 13, 2024
Can of Corn
I’m going back to a daily now that we are steaming toward Cactus League play. I realize that’s welcome news for some of you and a cringeworthy note for others. It will be nice to write about something other than the Boras clients.
They Said It
- “I’m definitely giving [Cody] his space. I just hope that his process is what he wants and he gets what he deserves. He’s been everything you could ask for from a teammate. When you talk about showing up early, from New Year’s on [last year], he was just so consistent with his work. It was just really satisfying to see a good person earn such a great spot for themselves. Obviously, we would love to have him here. That would be amazing.” – Nico Hoerner
- “To be honest, last week, I was spending like three days just watching [Imanaga’s] highlights from his games in Japan and I really love how fired up he gets after a big out or coming out after throwing six or seven innings.” – Alzolay
Wednesday Walk-Up Song
Let’s celebrate the Pearl Jam announcement and the start of Spring Training with the band’s energetic new single. Their new album drops on April 19.
