Weekend Catch-Up: Lester’s Arm, Bryant’s Bombs, Baez’s Future, So Much More

bn baseball featureIt was just about as busy here this weekend as it was any day last week …

Friday, March 20

  • It’s still possible that Javier Baez will start the year at AAA Iowa, and, setting aside the developmental stuff, I wanted to talk a little bit about the roster-related implications *if* Baez were sent down.
  • The Cubs announced that Jon Lester was dealing with dead arm, and wouldn’t make his scheduled start on Saturday. Neither he nor Joe Maddon seem concerned.
  • Wrigley Field is still very much under construction.
  • Luke wrote about the Cubs’ ready-made reinforcements who are likely to be waiting at AAA in case a need arises.
  • And here’s another healthy collection of Cubs prospect notes.
  • Take that, White Sox. The Cubs beat ’em 10-7, and it was cool.
  • Joe Maddon reminds us of his thoughtfulness when making, and later reconsidering, his decisions.
  • Saturday, March 21

  • The Cubs won a high-scoring affair against the Mariners, which is swell in its own right, but it also featured another Kris Bryant homer. Two of them.
  • Luis wrote about the latest round of extensions for young positional players – Christian Yelich and Adam Eaton – which is important to follow if you care about the Cubs’ own young talent.
  • Luis also wrote about the number two spot in the Cubs’ batting order, and what the ideal candidate looks like.
  • The Cubs may be considering creative ways to retain both Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson.
  • Arismendy Alcantara is probably not getting enough attention this Spring, in both good and bad ways.
  • Sunday, March 22

  • Peter Gammons says it wouldn’t be surprising if Scott Boras files a grievance against the Cubs if they don’t bring up Kris Bryant for Opening Day. Grumble.
  • The Cubs have a number of injured players, but thankfully nothing too serious or long-term just yet.
  • MLB has announced that Games 162 for all teams this season will start at the same time on the final day of the season. Luis wrote about why this is an exciting development.
  • Luis also wrote about Kris Bryant’s development path as compared to other notable top offensive players – he’s ahead of the curve.
  • The Cubs lost 6-1 to the Padres, but Jason Hammel was dominant. And, before the game, a bunch of Cubs shaved their heads for a good cause, so it was a net great day.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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