I’m just keeping people updated and honest on Cam Smith’s journey to Cooperstown.
That’s now 4 spring training homers and 26 total bases in 28 at-bats for a .930 slugging percentage.
Obviously at this point he’s playing in the big leagues this – just a matter of breaking camp or coming up in May. But he’s definitely playing MLB in 2025 and that’s incredible.
A good thing worth repeating is that the Cubs hit this draft pick and that’s two-in-a-row.
A bad thing is that Tom Ricketts created an environment where we’d be forced to trade away our 1st round draft pick before he even gets a chance in spring training. And that’s really bad.
Another bad thing is that we gave up 8 years of control between Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith for 1 year of Kyle Tucker, and I’m inclined to say the Cubs don’t extend him because I have no faith in Tom to spend the money necessary. That’s giving up a potential 4,000 plate appearances for Kyle Tucker’s 600 and I hope that helps explain why this season is so important.
Some other thoughts on the trades and roster:
- Jed Hoyer’s been forced to surrender 3 of the Cubs top 6 prospects to get Kyle Tucker and Michael Busch.
- I don’t like Michael Busch that much. I think he’s solid but no way is he an MLB clean up hitter. Solid at 1st and a solid bat, but he should be hitting 7th on a good team.
- Meanwhile Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope look like future all stars for the Los Angeles Dodgers
- All of this could easily be solved if Tom Ricketts didn’t have such major financial constraints on the front office to where they can’t sign big free agents. So you’re forced to move your prospects around much more aggressively, which creates so much unnecessary and unwanted urgency for everyone
- I wish we had Pete Alonso playing first base and hitting behind Kyle Tucker
- I wish Kyle Tucker already got a fat extension and we could take a deep breath because I think the pressure could get really ugly from a needy media.
- I wish I didn’t care so much where a spring training home run triggers some long-term tidal wave of emotions about money that isn’t mine being spent on people who don’t know me in a sport that long passed me by.
- But I do care, so here we are.
- Good luck to Cam Smith