Scott Boras Says the Cubs Are Rich and Other Bullets

The Rule 5 Draft is coming up at 9am CT, and I’ll be covering it live. I’ll also have an update on some of the overnight rumors, particularly in light of the Cubs signing outfielder Nate Schierholtz (the most controversial $2.25 million signing you’ll ever see, apparently). Until then, Bullets …

  • New Cubs’ color man Jim Deshaies was introduced yesterday, complete with Cubs jersey. JD also already received advice from fans who recognized him – “be critical” was the one that stuck out to him. Of course, that means “be critical when the team deserves it” – we’re not looking for a Steven A. Smith-style rant just to fill air space.
  • Love this quote from JD: “There are great baseball fans everywhere. Houston has great baseball fans. [But] there is a bigger core of die-hard, passionate Cubs fans here. You have to be aware of that but you have to do your own thing and assume that’s going to work.” That is so, so very correct.
  • John Sickels briefly previews the Rule 5, and lists Cubs’ relief pitching prospect Marcus Hatley as one of five players he could see potentially picked today. Hatley, 24, was sent to the AFL last year, an indication that the organization was evaluating him for these very decisions. The numbers haven’t matched the stuff so far, so it would be a mixed bag to lose him.
  • Scott Boras is so very Scott Boras. Here’s a Winter Meetings quote, courtesy of Carrie Muskat: “We’ve seen franchise values go from $700 to $800 million for premium markets to where they’re now worth $2.5 to maybe $4 billion. Owners have made in franchise valuation, $2 to $2.5 billion. We’ve also seen a record revenue stream come to baseball from two media sources, in the fact that we’ve got a new TV contract where each club is going to get $25 million more per team per year. And almost any club in baseball, before they sell a ticket, off the general fund, revenue sharing and others, even the bottom teams, they’re going to have well over $110 to $120 million to spend, add on their ticket, concessions and other values. It’s really kind of a baseline where everybody’s at $180 million and above to begin. You also have the value of regional media rights, which we’ve seen in L.A. and we’re going to see in other markets like Chicago. If you look at certain owners, you have to say the Ricketts family for example, they’re the Ameritrade family. Well, I see why. They bought something for $800 million that’s now worth probably $2.5 billion and they have a new TV contract to negotiate in 2014 off the basis of what’s going on in Los Angeles with a $6 billion TV rights deal. And Philadelphia which may be equivalent to that, and then following, Chicago. Many of these teams can be great economic goliaths, and their owners have made very wise decisions buying those teams in the early 2000s.” It’s unclear from the quote, but I believe he had a sticky note stuck to his forehead that read “Ricketts Family: Spend more money on free agents, like mine, kthxbye.”
  • A scout that watched the Cubs throughout the season last year came away impressed with Dale Sveum. “[Starlin] Castro and [Darwin] Barney got better as the season went on,” the scout told Bruce Levine. “Sveum did a tremendous job of holding the team together after they traded the veterans at the deadline. He had no starting pitching after [Jeff] Samardzjia and they lost almost every game but they continued to play hard and the young guys got better.”
  • Dale Sveum on top Cubs prospect Javier Baez: “Incredible bat speed. Didn’t get to see any results, but the bat speed was pretty good. I didn’t go to his best games. But he had a heck of a minor league season – the combination of the home runs and everything. He was a bigger kid than I thought when I saw him in person. I saw him without a shirt on one day, and I was like, wow, he’s a pretty big kid. But a lot of tremendous, tremendous tools at that age. That kind of bat speed just doesn’t come around at 19 years old.”
  • If you can stomach it, Jesse Rogers speaks to Alex Gonzalez about his error in Game Six of the 2003 NLCS.
  • Former Cub Andrew Cashner cut his finger in a hunting accident (there are seriously a ridiculous number of baseball-connected hunting injuries each year), and will now miss three months of action.
  • Long-time Cubs minor league pitching coach Tom Pratt has lost his battle with cancer. Thoughts and well-wishes go out to his friends, family, and those lives he’s impacted.
  • 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.

    more cubs news

    Bellinger Optimistic Post-Injury, Busch’s Defense, Almonte Stock Rising, Tauchman Slugging, and Other Cubs Bullets

    I recently stumbled onto this live cover of Linger by The Cranberries and I can't stop listening to it. Give it a go. I bet you like it. In case you missed it last night, Cody Bellinger exited last night's...

    Chicago Cubs Org Homer Party: 13 Homers for the Organization

    The big league Cubs last night beat the Astros largely on the strength of the long ball, scoring six of their seven runs that way. Cody Bellinger kicked things off with a monster two-run shot, and Mike Tauchman followed with...

    Oh, Come On: Cody Bellinger Lifted Mid-Game with an Apparent Injury (UPDATE: X-Rays Negative)

    The Cubs cannot catch a break this year, man. They've already dealt with injuries to Jameson Taillon, Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly, Julian Merryweather, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ (did I forget anyone?). And tonight, it seems maybe something...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 7, Astros 2 – April 23, 2024

    Well there was one big thing not to like about tonight's game - Cody Bellinger was lifted with a right rib contusion after colliding with the outfield wall - and about a million things that were great. And since we...

    Mike Tauchman Did it AGAIN – Second Oppo Homer of the Game!

    Nothing like a little insurance late. Mike Tauchman, who already hit his first home run of the season earlier in this game, just hit his second home run in the 8th! Another opposite field blast for Tauchman, who's been hitting...

    James Triantos Homers TWICE for the Smokies

    It really is a Cubs homer party up and down the system. In Chicago, Cody Bellinger and Mike Tauchman have gone deep. At Myrtle Beach, Christian Hernandez and Jefferson Encarnacion each homered. At South Bend, Yohendrick Pinango homered. And at...

    Kevin Alcantara Led Off Tonight’s Game with a Bomb (UPDATE: And Then Did It Again!)

    Kevin Alcantara wasted no time giving the Tennessee Smokies the lead on Tuesday night (or maybe he just wanted to be a spiritual part of the homer party going on at Wrigley Field). Facing off against the Rocket City Trash...

    Mike Tauchman’s First Homer of the Year Caps Off a 5-Run Cubs Ambush!

    I don't like to use "ambush" lightly. But what would you call it when the Cubs put five balls in play over 100 MPH, including a single, a double, and two home runs en route to putting five runs on...

    Ian Happ Hit Missed a Homer by a Foot, So Cody Bellinger Launched One into Space to Pick Him UP

    Ian Happ was back in the Cubs lineup tonight after missing a few games with a sore hamstring. And in his first at-bat back, he sent one 412 feet to dead-center field for a VERY long double (Statcast says it...

    Pre-Gamin’: Astros at Cubs (6:40 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — The Chicago Cubs are back in action tonight for the first of three games against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field. Here's a look at the Cubs lineup for Game 1. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Nico Hoerner, 2B...

    Latest News

    Indianapolis Colts 3-Round Mock Draft: More Elite Athletes for GM Chris Ballard’s Roster

    Indianapolis Colts 3-Round Mock Draft - With the 15th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, General Manager Chris Ballard has a chance to address this critical need and propel the Colts back into the AFC playoff picture. Last year's draft class appears promising, and...

    Brewers vs. Pirates Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Milwaukee Brewers (14-8) hope to avoid an upset as -116 favorites when they take on Andrew McCutchen (with homers in two straight contests) and the Pittsburgh Pirates (13-11). First pitch is at 6:40 PM ET Wednesday, live from PNC...

    Rays vs. Tigers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Tampa Bay Rays (12-13) and Detroit Tigers (14-10) meet Wednesday at Tropicana Field, starting at 6:50 PM ET on BSSUN. The Rays are -121 moneyline favorites for the contest, however, the Tigers are favored against the spread of 1.5...

    Dodgers vs. Nationals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    Led by Shohei Ohtani (two-game homer streak), the Los Angeles Dodgers (14-11) are favorites versus the Washington Nationals (10-12) Wednesday at 6:45 PM ET. Bookmakers have named the Dodgers as -186 favorites for the game, which airs on SportsNet LA.Los...

    Braves vs. Marlins Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Miami Marlins (6-19 look to avoid the sweep when they visit the Atlanta Braves (16-6) in the final game of a three-game set. Bookmakers have listed the Braves as -240 favorites, while the Marlins are +198 underdogs to pick...

    Reds vs. Phillies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Cincinnati Reds (13-10) and Philadelphia Phillies (15-9) meet Wednesday at Great American Ball Park, starting at 6:40 PM ET on BSOH. The Reds are -114 moneyline favorites for the contest, however, the Phillies are favored against the spread of...

    Yankees vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The New York Yankees (16-8) are set to take on the Oakland Athletics (9-15) Wednesday at 7:05 PM ET, airing on Amazon Prime Video. The Yankees are listed as -228 favorites by oddsmakers, while the underdog Athletics have +187 odds...

    Cubs vs. Astros Probable Starting Pitchers – April 24

    The Houston Astros (7-17) square off against the Chicago Cubs (14-9) on Wednesday at Wrigley Field after a three-game losing streak. The contest starts at 7:40 PM ET.The probable pitchers are Jameson Taillon (1-0) for the Cubs and Spencer Arrighetti...

    Blue Jays vs. Royals Probable Starting Pitchers – April 24

    The Toronto Blue Jays (13-11) visit Kansas City to face the Kansas City Royals (14-10) at 7:40 PM ET on Wednesday.The Blue Jays will give the nod to Yariel Rodriguez and the Royals will counter with Alec Marsh (3-0, 3.22...

    Twins vs. White Sox Probable Starting Pitchers – April 24

    The Chicago White Sox (3-20) bring a five-game losing streak into a road contest against the Minnesota Twins (9-13) at 7:40 PM ET on Wednesday.The probable pitchers are Joe Ryan (0-1) for the Twins and Garrett Crochet (1-3) for the...

    more cubs news