It’s a big day. Not only is it the final day before the 2014 BN Trade Deadline Blogathon begins (tomorrow at 5am CT, lasting until 6pm CT on Thursday), but it’s also the day we drop the midseason Top 40 Chicago Cubs Prospects update. Luke’s been hard at work, and I think you’re really going to enjoy the fruits of his labor (while he, himself, is enjoying a well-deserved vacation). Stay tuned …
As a follow-up to yesterday’s Darwin Barney trade, Carrie Muskat reports that the Dodgers will be paying about $500,000 of Darwin Barney’s salary this year (those are savings to the Cubs), meaning that the Cubs are kicking in about $300,000. The question is: does Barney plus $300,000 equal a decent prospect? Or was the $300,000 required to get the $500,000 savings and a non-entity PTBNL? As I’ve said, Barney’s value is among the hardest to gauge in baseball (elite glove, maybe worst bat in the league), so I could see this going any way. For now, I’m not expecting a notable prospect to come out of the PTBNL equation. You’re just hoping for a player worth commenting upon. At least the Cubs saved that $500,000. Every dollar counts, right?
C.J. Edwards threw 3.1 innings last night for the AZL Cubs, striking out six and walking three (but whatever). The important thing is that Edwards says he felt good. Hopefully an August return to Tennessee is in the offing, and then some innings in the Fall. TCR’s Arizona Phil was at Edwards’ outing last night, and it sounds like all was normal, with Edwards working in the low-to-mid-90s, and using all of his pitches. He threw 62 pitches.
James Russell wishes he would get a chance to start again (Sun-Times). That’s interesting.
Of all the incredible plays against the Cubs last night, this one might be the best by the Rockies:
Why is that one the best? It was so quick and Arenado’s throw was so strong that he didn’t just throw out speedy Arismendy Alcantara – you’ll not that Alcantara never even enters your screen as the first baseman receives the ball. It wasn’t even a close play at first. Unbelievable.
Kyuji Fujikawa’s rehab is progressing well after back-to-back outings at AAA Iowa, though everyone is still mum on when he might return to the big leagues (Cubs.com). Not-so-conspiratorial guess? With moves likely to happen in the pen this week, the Cubs are probably just going to wait until after July 31 to figure out how to get Fujikawa back in the mix.
Is it totally self-interested for MLBAM to oppose the impending “fast lane” changes to Net Neutrality? Maybe. But that doesn’t mean their letter to the FCC is any less compelling. The letter is short, to the point, and pretty much sums up every compelling argument against allowing ISPs to charge content providers for faster connections to the end user. The response to the FCC’s planned rule change has been overwhelmingly and universally negative (except, literally, for the ISPs who would profit and the FCC (an entity made up of individuals with highly questionable relationships with ISPs)). Just look at the comments in response to the rule – there are more than 200,000 in the last 30 days alone, and every time I try to find one in support of the rule, I can’t do it! And, yet, it still seems like the rule is going to take effect later this year. Not to go to far on this, but it feels like a real kick in the nuts to democracy.
EXTREMELY META: I apologize if it comes off some way other than intended, but when I write something that references a previous article – typically, I say something like, “As I said last week,” with a link to that previous article – that’s not a pat on the back. It’s a way to reference the previous work and point to it for folks who missed it and want to read. I do it when there’s information there that is salient to the current article, but that I’m not going to copy and paste the whole thing because that’s what links are for.
Sincerely, that’s the entire point of the links. It’s building a series of breadcrumbs for folks who want to go back and read things they’ve missed. To the extent you read them as me patting my own back, I think you’re reading something that isn’t there. It’s my job to communicate clearly, however, so I understand that it’s on me. I just don’t know a better way to accomplish what I view to be an important part of web architecture. You might read every article (thanks!), but not everyone does. And some folks want background that they haven’t seen before. If it turns out to be something about which I was right, well, I can’t be faulted for that, eh? That’s just a (pleasant) coincidence.
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.
Although more established Chicago Cubs prospects are going to get the bulk of the after-season attention for the big years they had, I still think about how incredible Cam Smith's pro debut was. The 21-year-old Florida State third baseman, who...
I do not care about details or nuance. I am choosing to believe this means Vlad Guerrero Jr. is on the trade block and DESPERATELY wants to get out of Toronto. TAKE OFFENSE: https://twitter.com/CBSSportsMLB/status/1841529053834105164 https://twitter.com/bnicholsonsmith/status/1841497396989120963 HOW DARE YOU?! Vladito, you...
Although the MLB offseason doesn't officially begin until five days after the World Series comes to an end, we did hit a couple of key offseason landmarks this week. Yesterday, Jed Hoyer delivered the annual end-of-season press conference. And today,...
One of the more consequential moments in the coming offseason for the Chicago Cubs is more or less going to be entirely out of their control. Shortly after the end of the World Series, Cody Bellinger can walk back into...
The nice thing about the playoffs is just having meaningful baseball games perpetually on in the background in the family room. We can kinda look in, look out, watch when free, focus on other things when not. I don't have...
The 2024 MLB playoffs opened up yesterday with four Wild Card series games, the outcomes of which were generally pleasing to me ... Tigers 3, Astros 1 - Detroit Leads Series 1-0 American League Triple Crown-winning pitcher (that's a thing,...
Some post-season plaudits for a couple top Chicago Cubs prospects, as third baseman Matt Shaw and catcher/DH Moises Ballesteros made the All-MiLB Prospects Second Team. https://twitter.com/smokiesbaseball/status/1841195310804070504 From the MLB Pipeline write-up on each: "3B: Matt Shaw, Cubs (No. 1/MLB No....
The 2024 season opened with hopes that then-top Chicago Cubs prospect Cade Horton could force his way onto big league roster by midseason. The 2024 season has ended with hopes that Horton can have a normal offseason, be healthy for...
Did Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick not realize that lefty Jordan Montgomery is very likely under contract for next season, too? That's about the only explanation I can come up with for this tweet from Bob Nightengale: "The finger pointing...
With the 2024 Chicago Cubs season officially in the rearview, it's time to wrap things up in the form of the annual season-ending press conference from the man in charge. Cubs President Jed Hoyer will meet with the media today...
In a Thursday MLB Playoff slate that features nine compelling contests, the New York Mets versus the Milwaukee Brewers is a game to see.There are usually lots of MLB player prop bets offered for each and every matchup. Scroll down...
Jacoby Brissett and the New England Patriots will face the Miami Dolphins and their fifth-ranked pass defense (162.5 yards allowed per game) in Week 5, on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.When setting your fantasy football lineup this week, is Brissett...
Tight end Mark Andrews has a matchup against the 11th-ranked pass defense in the league (181.3 yards conceded per game) in Week 5, when his Baltimore Ravens play the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.With his upcoming game versus...
Quarterback Lamar Jackson faces a matchup versus the 11th-ranked passing defense in the NFL (181.3 yards allowed per game) in Week 5, when his Baltimore Ravens take on the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.Should Jackson be someone that...
Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon will match up with the 30th-ranked rushing defense of the Buffalo Bills (156.5 yards allowed per game) in Week 5, at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday.With his upcoming tilt against the Bills this week,...
Cincinnati Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki will take on the 29th-ranked passing defense of the Baltimore Ravens (257.5 yards allowed per game) in Week 5, at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday.When setting your fantasy football lineup this week, is Gesicki...
Running back Dare Ogunbowale has a matchup versus the 30th-ranked run defense in the NFL (156.5 yards allowed per game) in Week 5, when his Houston Texans play the Buffalo Bills, Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.Is Ogunbowale worth starting in...
Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton will take on the eighth-ranked pass defense of the Chicago Bears (174.5 yards conceded per game) in Week 5, at 1:00 PM ET on Sunday.With his upcoming game against the Bears this week, should Dalton...
Nelson Agholor and the Baltimore Ravens will meet the Cincinnati Bengals and their 11th-ranked pass defense (181.3 yards allowed per game) in Week 5, on Sunday at 1:00 PM ET.With his upcoming matchup versus the Bengals this week, should Agholor...
In Week 5 (Thursday at 8:15 PM ET), WR Mike Evans and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will meet the Atlanta Falcons, who have the 13th-ranked pass defense in the league (191 yards allowed per game).Should Evans be someone that you...
NEWSLETTER
It’s a big day. Not only is it the final day before the 2014 BN Trade Deadline Blogathon begins (tomorrow at 5am CT, lasting until 6pm CT on Thursday), but it’s also the day we drop the midseason Top 40 Chicago Cubs Prospects update. Luke’s been hard at work, and I think you’re really going to enjoy the fruits of his labor (while he, himself, is enjoying a well-deserved vacation). Stay tuned …
