Cubs Working on Ways to Keep Both Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson and Other Bullets

edwin jackson featureI filled out a bracket this year, but I put almost no thought into it. From the look of things, I’m glad I didn’t spend too much time worrying about it.

  • Joe Maddon says that he’d discussed ways the Cubs could keep both Travis Wood and Edwin Jackson on the roster, presumably as starters, with the front office (Tribune, ESPN). Maddon said that Theo Epstein had an idea of how to do it, and that Maddon found it interesting. Mark Gonzales speculates that it could be Wood starting against lefty-heavy lineups, and Jackson starting against right-heavy lineups. Jesse Rogers wonders if it would be a piggyback situation. My crazy idea would be to have the two start in tandem every fifth day, with each guy going three or four innings (essentially a piggyback), but also they’re available out of the bullpen on their normal throwing days in between starts (if you think that’s too crazy, keep in mind that Maddon did that once in Tampa Bay with Matt Garza). I suspect that probably jacks the guys up too much, though, and while it wouldn’t necessarily inhibit the depth of the bullpen, it would constrain when Maddon could use various pitchers.
  • Ultimately, I think any solution, even a creative one, is simply going to be about buying more time, rather than implementing any kind of permanent, crazy, new-age idea. If you can just figure out a way to keep them both for even a couple weeks, you never know what might happen – the Cubs might have an injury or two, or another team might have an injury or two. So, as intriguing as some creative ideas might be. So that’s why my bet would be something more like having one of them “mostly” in the bullpen. Or maybe temporarily optioning Kyle Hendricks to AAA Iowa to start the season, with Wood in the rotation, and using the early off-days plus one start from Jackson to buy a couple weeks before the Cubs have to make a decision (and Hendricks joins the rotation at the end of the second time through). Or maybe the Cubs just go with six starters for a couple weeks to optimize matchups (the Cardinals and Reds are lefty-strong, for example, whereas the Padres and Rockies are more righty-inclined), though I’m not sure how that would mess with various guys’ rhythms.
  • Also, let’s be honest: much of this is probably posturing. Communicating to other teams – just as it is with Welington Castillo – that the Cubs aren’t just going to release Edwin Jackson for nothing. It wouldn’t take a ton to get him, I suspect, but the Cubs will at least want a little bit in cost savings.
  • A great read from Patrick Mooney on Addison Russell, and the subtle push he’ll be providing for Starlin Castro, as he waits in the wings at AAA Iowa (CSN).
  • Joe Maddon’s expectation is that Lester will take his next turn in the Spring rotation, and Opening Day will not be impacted by his dead arm (CSN). For now. That’s the expectation. More than likely. Unless something changes.
  • Another voice in Javier Baez’s ear – Starlin Castro has told Baez that he’s starting everything at the plate too late (Cubs.com). Obviously I hope that there’s some simple trigger that will fix things, and maybe it just takes the right person to communicate with Baez, but I think it’s going to be a longer, trickier process with many changes necessary. It tentatively sounds like the Cubs won’t carry Baez on the big league roster as a reserve (ESPN). Either he’s starting with the Cubs, or he’s starting with the I-Cubs.
  • The Scott Boras saber-rattling earlier this week about whether the Cubs will bring Kris Bryant with them on Opening Day was mostly harmless and expected from an agent doing his job. But today’s article from Joel Sherman on the subject includes this paragraph, which starts to get into the territory of things Boras probably shouldn’t be saying publicly: “Hoyer said Bryant, at 6-foot-5, faces defensive challenges because of his size. But Boras said Bryant informed him Cubs coaches ‘have not done anything different this spring working with him than the defensive fundamentals he has always done.'” That reads like Boras calling the Cubs’ front office liars or at least inept*, and doing so by specifically invoking something Bryant told him. Something about that feels different from what Boras said in his initial screed, and looks like it puts Bryant and the Cubs in a much more antagonistic position about this whole process. It’s hard to see how that’s good for anyone. I can’t wait until May, when this is all in the past.
  • *(And ignoring the possibility that working on those same old defensive fundamentals is what Bryant needs. Isn’t that conceivable? Or would the Cubs’ comments about Bryant’s defense only make sense if they paired it with some revolutionary new defensive drills for Bryant to work on?)
  • Well done, Anthony Rizzo:
  • That’s for the #RespectBald charity event at Sloan Park on Sunday, and, don’t forget, there’s a Cubs Wives charity event going on today, too.
  • META: I love my job. Make no mistake, I feel wonderfully privileged to get to write about the Cubs and interact with you fine people on a daily basis.

    But, like any job, there are latent aspects that aren’t particularly enjoyable. For me, mostly it’s all things server and web maintenance-related. Over the years, I’ve taught myself enough to know how to run this place, but I don’t much care for it. Usually, things run smoothly enough that you’d never even notice or think about the fact that there’s that whole side to this website. Last evening, however, the site ground to a halt for complicated reasons that took me five hours to unwind and fix on my Friday night. It was stressful, tedious, difficult. It sucked.

    It left me feeling once again that I’d really like to be able to find a truly 100% managed, dedicated hosting solution – preferably one that handles WordPress site maintenance/design/etc., as well as the obvious back-end server stuff. But getting the right one is easier said than done, because the Internet is a morass of “OH WE CAN TOTALLY DO THAT!” services out there, and you never quite know what to trust. I am throwing this out there now in case any of you know of any services I should be looking at. (The site currently operates on a dedicated server at DreamHost, which has been fine over the years, but I’m looking to step up to truly managed hosting, together with truly managed web services (i.e., I say, “Hey, I’d like this done to the site in the most efficiently-coded way” and they say, “OK, we’ll take care of it.).)

    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

    Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

    I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

    Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    Why Craig Counsell Wanted Miles Mastrobuoni on the Cubs’ Bench

    I don't know why Miles Mastrobuoni bugs some folks, but it's probably heavily-weighted toward his small-sample, bad-batted-ball-luck start last year, and that time he didn't dive while playing in right field. It can be hard to shake initial impressions, I...

    Kinda Sounds Like Craig Counsell May Have a Set Top Three in the Batting Order

    New Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell has said, generally, his batting order philosophy is the very simplistic (and very correct): just get your best hitters the most at bats. Sure, there's some play in that to set up good match-ups,...

    Los Angeles Dodgers Signing Will Smith to a TEN-YEAR Extension

    The Los Angeles Dodgers have done it again. And by it, I mean they have signed a funkily-structured contract that is going to leave some folks annoyed. The Dodgers are extending catcher Will Smith on a DECADE-long deal with a...

    The Stretch: 2024 MLB Season Preview

    On Monday, during a team-building conversation with some of the Bleacher Nation and Betsperts Media Group folks, we discussed sports—shocking, I know—and Brian Twining asked the group what their favorite sport was. For me, it's baseball. There's no debate. I...

    We Have to Talk About Some of the “Deals” the Cubs Sat Out in Free Agency

    This week, in a conversation with Jon Greenberg at The Athletic, Cubs President Jed Hoyer made an honest and sober (but also moderately disappointing) admission about the 2024 Chicago Cubs: "We need to perform probably at or a little bit...

    The Chicago Cubs Are Reportedly Now Worth Over $5 Billion

    Given all the tumult in the baseball broadcasting world, and the uncertain future for that portion of revenues, you'd be forgiven for expecting that MLB franchise valuations would slow their recent surge. But, according to Sportico at least, you'd be...

    Latest News

    Los Angeles Chargers Offseason Preview: 2024 Free Agents and Team Needs

    The Los Angeles Chargers enter the offseason with a new era dawning. After a disappointing season, they landed a marquee hire in Jim Harbaugh, fresh off his national championship win with Michigan. Hailed as the top coaching prospect, Harbaugh brings a...

    Rangers vs. Cubs Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Texas Rangers (0-0) and the Chicago Cubs (0-0) square off on Thursday at Globe Life Field for Opening Day. First pitch is at 7:35 PM ET.The Rangers will call on Nathan Eovaldi against the Cubs and Justin Steele.Rangers vs....

    Best NBA Prop Bets Today – March 28, 2024

    The Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks take the court for one of two exciting matchups on the NBA slate today.Looking for NBA player prop bets for today's games? This article includes NBA player props for every matchup, so take...

    UNC vs Alabama Predictions and Odds: March Madness Best Bets

    We have a great matchup in the Sweet 16 between (1) North Carolina and (4) Alabama. Let's break down the odds, ATS records, and more for UNC vs Alabama as March Madness continues. Read More: Today's schedule and upset picks...

    Seattle Seahawks Offseason Preview: 2024 Free Agents and Team Needs

    The Seattle Seahawks turn the page on a historic era as they enter the 2024 season without Pete Carroll at the helm for the first time since 2010. Carroll's impact on the franchise is undeniable, crafting a period of sustained...

    Who Is In The Sweet 16? Updated Bracket, Odds to Win, and More

    It has been a great March Madness so far and we have more great matchups in the Sweet 16. Check out what teams are in the Sweet 16, odds, and more as the college basketball season rolls on. Latest March...

    Today’s March Madness Schedule: Updated Bracket, TV Channels for Every Game

    The Sweet 16 is here as March Madness brings us some great matchups tonight! Check out today's March Madness schedule along with game times, TV channels, and more as the college basketball season's biggest games continue. The Sweet 16 Begins...

    2024 MLB Mock Draft: Opening Day Mock Draft Projections

    Happy Opening Day! As the new baseball season begins, and hope is present among most fanbases, why not take a look at a new 2024 MLB Mock Draft? Various mock drafts meticulously analyze potential picks, emphasizing the abundance of talent...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Pac-12 Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 28

    There is one game featuring a Pac-12 teams on the Thursday postseason college basketball schedule, the Clemson Tigers versus the Arizona Wildcats. Make sure you check out below for today's best bets!How to Bet on Pac-12 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Best Pac-12...

    more cubs news