Holy fuck. This is a story I did not see coming and I don’t know if I want to spend that much time on it because it’s obviously not happening. But it’s still notable and shocking because it’s Yadi. It’s the biggest Cardinal of my life and right up there on Mt. Rushmore with Ozzie Smith and Bob Gibson, firmly behind Stan the Man. But he’s in the conversation for most beloved Cardinals of all time and that’s for very good reasons.
I don’t need to sit here and list all of them off.
Just a few though:
- Calls the absolute best game of any catcher of my lifetime
- The best catch-and-throw guy of my lifetime
- The smartest catcher of my lifetime
- Maybe even the smartest baseball player of my lifetime
- Absolutely the #1 MLB gamesman of my lifetime
- Arguably the most important and underrated baseball player of my lifetime
And I hate his guts so much.
I think he’s a scumbag cheater who doctors baseballs and plays games with umpires and hitters. I think he’s greasy and dirty and the last guy I want around the Cubs because I hate his guts.
So much that I actually love him though. It’s a very complicated situation and my most important takeaway is that he’s my Pete Rose.
What do I mean?
My grandmother hated Pete Rose’s guts so fuckin much. A decade+ after retirement and she’d be bitching about Pete Rose like he just broke up a Greg Maddux no hitter.
My dad would routinely ask her – what if Pete Rose played for the Cubs?
He’d be my favorite player of all time and there wouldn’t be a #2
That’s Yadier Molina to me. I hate him as much as I would love him if things were different.
But they’re not. So fuck him.
ANYWAYS
This is a Cubs News & Notes blog where I round up stuff going on in the Cubs universe. Unfortunately that’s very hard today because the embed functionality on Twitter appears to be temporarily disabled. Or something to that effect. So I can’t reshare Twitter video content which drastically impacts the nature of this blog.
As such, I’d ask you to use your imagination for the following talking points:
1. I wrote a long Gage Workman blog today that you should go check out if you’re a Cubs fan and are interested in high-upside corner infield prospects with major contact issues. That’s a mouthful but if you identify with that, by all means. Learn more about Gage Workman right here.
2. Nico Hoerner Taking Live BP Again
What are we doing at 2nd base in Tokyo next week? If Nico doesn’t travel (he shouldn’t), then I would rather see Matt Shaw play there. But I don’t think Shaw has gotten many reps at 2nd, and that could be pretty awkward. And I don’t even know if he’s headed to Tokyo or if they’re slow-rolling him back to playing time. My hunch would say he goes.
In that case I want Shaw playing 2nd base and then Gage Workman getting the Opening Day start over Justin Turner. I want that because Turner can always come off the bench or start the next day. But as it stands, I want momentum in the lineup at that would be Workman at 3rd and Shaw at 2nd. Unless that is completely impossible based on defensive strategy. In that case then we’re pretty fucked to be completely honest.
The most important thing for this season is that Nico Hoerner can play another 150 something games. If he plays, the Cubs will be significantly deeper and better than if he doesn’t. That’s pretty basic but also extremely true and important. The Cubs will go as far as Nico Hoerner allows the rest of the lineup to go.
I really can’t stress that enough. So good thing to see him back on the field getting reps.
3. PCA Looks Incredible
Let the record show that I predicted 5-6 WAR before the season started, and I did that assuming he’d hit below .250 and that’s just fine. He’s elite in the field and on the bases. He’s going to cause CHAOS for the opposing pitching staff and in the process, he’ll help hitters get an advantage by distracting and disrupting timing. There’s a whole slate of things he does that make life way more miserable for an opposing defense, and that’s the stuff that’s going to pop for Cubs fans. I sincerely haven’t been this excited for a full rookie season since KB broke camp in 2015. They’re completely different players but could have equally measured impacts.
On the front, don’t expect the power numbers to blow up just because he’s had a powerful spring. If anything, I like maybe 15 homers with 40 doubles and another 8-10 triples. He gets to that point then we’re talking about a .490 slug and maybe a .830 OPS for a guy who will comfortably swipe 50 bags and score 90+ runs.
That’s your prediction and it’s the most confident thing I’ve said about anyone on this team in years.
4. Dave Roberts Got A Contract Extension And Now Makes More Than Craig Counsell
Good for Dave Roberts. He’s one of my favorite managers for a bunch of less obvious reasons, like how he keeps the Dodgers loose and fun every night despite the biggest paychecks and personalities. He’s the calmest guy in any dugout and never gets ejected. Players love him. Front office loves him. Staff and opposing managers respect the shit out of him. He’s just a great vibe and solid presence and I think significantly more deserving of MLB’s biggest contract compared to Craig Counsell.
Counsell’s the compete opposite. He’s kind of a boner and I don’t really like the vibe he puts onto the field. It’s a lot of this anxious cry baby energy and he looks like a 15 year old boy in his uniform. I don’t hate him by any stretch but he definitely pisses me off way more than he should for $8,000,000 a season.
5. The 5th Starter Spot Is Going To Kill Me
I’d probably give it to Colin Rea just because we’re paying him the most out of those 3. I also don’t love Ben Brown as a starter and I have concerns about Wicks in a rotation already with Shota and Steele. That’s a lot of 92 mph fastballs from the left side for an entire starting staff.
Then add speculation that either Kyle Gibson or Lance Lynn could be added before Opening Day, but only if there’s a guarantee they’d be starters in the rotation. They’re not going to the bullpen or taking anything less than a guaranteed rotation spot.
Barf
I know.
I don’t want either of those guys near the Cubs but I also don’t want to be too proud around the roster.
Reality is we just need to win the division and have steam into the playoffs. Whatever it takes to get there has my full endorsement.
I just wish we’re able to do it without having to tap into two slimy veterans that would look terrible in a Cubs uniform. So in that spirit, I really hope it’s one of those three guys above, which I have ranked:
- Colin Rea
- Jordan Wicks
- Ben Brown
Brown would be better in the bullpen but you can’t move him there yet because he might be a decent starter. I don’t think he will, but you have to let him try. And it’s much easier to transition off a 100 pitch count than it is to come out of the bullpen and build strength for 5-6 innings middle of the season.
So it all makes sense in the long-run. For right now though I just don’t trust Ben Brown to be good enough more than 50% of the time. He’s absolutely going to dominate in some starts, but the opposite of that is basically a guaranteed L and the Cubs can’t be hanging that out of the gate.
Overall just a weird situation for Ben – but it should resolve this season. He should have an idea of his long-term place on the Cubs by July – either in the bullpen or making starts in the rotation. And unfortunately we’re just gonna have to be patient until we get to that decision.
Remember – the upside with him is 10 K’s per 9 and a .200 batting average against and being one of the most difficult RHP’s to slug against. That’s the upside and it’s not unrealistic.
The downside is ugly but nowhere near the upside if he hits. So again, for now, we wait on Ben Brown and hope he pans out to his potential. And if not, then we suck it up and move on without emotional baggage. That’s the best path for #5 and I trust Jed to know all of this already.
That’s it for News & Notes. Sorry if I missed anything huge. You can email me questions, topics or suggestions to Carl@CarlsBlogs.com and I’ll be happy to accommodate.
Go Cubs.