NEWSLETTER
Made the mistake of taking an awkward-necked nap on an already cricked neck, which then yielded a terrible night’s sleep last night and an even worse neck this morning. Need someone to WORK on this thing today … you reading this, The Wife?
• Pirates to the rest of the league [in an Australian accent], “You call that a tank? THIS is a tank”:
Per source, the Yankees are in talks with the Pirates on Jameson Taillon. Nothing is done, but they appear to be emerging as the frontrunner to deal for him.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 24, 2021
Confirming what @Feinsand tweeted earlier, Yankees appear to be the frontrunner for Jameson Taillon, though nothing is final at this point, per source. Should know by tomorrow, but I do expect a trade to happen.
— Jason Mackey (@JMackeyPG) January 24, 2021
• When he’s been able to pitch, which has been precious little for the now 29-year-old Taillon, the dude has been really good. And the Pirates simply cannot risk that.
• After dealing Taillon, the Pirates’ payroll will dip *UNDER 40 MILLION*, nearly a third of which will be taken up by Gregory Polanco. They won’t be able to deal him right now after his terrible trend the last couple years and his broken wrist, but you better believe they’re working to find a home for Adam Frazier ($4.3 million), Colin Moran ($2.8 million), Chad Kuhl ($2.1 million), and Steven Brault ($2 million). If the Cubs had any money, buying low on Adam Frazier would actually make a ton of sense, given his high-contact/line-drive skill set at the plate, and his ability to play second base and the corner outfield spots (with two years of control). He’s not a stud or anything, but a steady, solid player at a reasonable price, who offers versatility and lineup diversity. Alas … no money …
• Random factoid via David Laurila: “Jon Lester had a .636 winning percentage and a 3.64 ERA in nine seasons with the Red Sox. He had a .636 winning percentage and a 3.64 ERA in six seasons with the Cubs.”
• EXTEND this man:
https://twitter.com/CubsCentral08/status/1353012862541828098
• I’m not even kidding when I say that if you happen to have one of the most popular athletes in the sport, you absolutely have to consider the extra benefits that accords your organization. In this instance, having Javy Báez “as a Cub” makes the Cubs a more compelling organization to young prospects from all over the world, be they international or even draft signings. It gives you a slight edge. How much is that worth if it nets you an extra prospect or two each year?
• Speaking of important guys to extend:
Anthony Rizzo, Good Boy Online. pic.twitter.com/CINVxuJxAb
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) January 24, 2021
• There were two other pictures that immediately came to mind for me (Miggy’s grand slam lean back, and Javy’s bubble gum blowing homer – both from an NLCS game, as a matter of fact!), but decided to go with this one:
https://t.co/zTfNJDSI6M pic.twitter.com/hKAbxTmZFl
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) January 23, 2021
• Marquee showed a previous Cubs game with Boog Sciambi and David Ross in the booth:
https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1353156816801312768
Love this interaction between @BoogSciambi and @D_Ross3.
Tune into @WatchMarquee to catch this game. pic.twitter.com/6NtEW93DFG
— Andy Martínez (@amartinez_11) January 24, 2021
https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1353145492084056065
• The Orioles reportedly asked arbitration-level players to defer some salary for a year or two, despite their razor thin payroll for 2021. Although deferrals have become increasingly common in free agent deals, it is apparently unheard of when guys are signing to avoid arbitration (the Orioles players refused to do it).
• Jason Heyward and Hank Aaron:
View this post on Instagram
• Big NFC North news:
BREAKING: Lions and QB Matthew Stafford Mutually Agree to Part Ways https://t.co/P1cuND3MqE
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 23, 2021
• If you’re wanting a little side action for the NFL conference championship games today, our partners at DraftKings and FanDuel have huge promo offers there at those links. Thanks for checking ’em out and supporting BN in the process.
