If today is the day that Javier Baez returns to the majors, and signs point in that direction, then he leaves on a relatively high note. In his very short Iowa rehab assignment he doubled, homered, stole a base, played three positions, and struck out just four times in fifteen trips to the plate. He did just about everything we could have asked for except walk.
It will be interesting to watch Maddon find playing time for Baez on an already crowded roster, but I do think this is the right move. Baez has nothing left to prove in Iowa. Last season in 313 plate appearances he struck out just 24.3% of the time, posted an OBP of .385, an SLG of .527, launched 13 homers, and stole 17 bases in 20 tries. He could hang out in Iowa and continue to put up nice looking offensive numbers, but I’m not sure it would accomplish very much. Regular playing time would certainly be nice, but I think being challenged would be nicer. That challenge waits in Chicago, not Iowa.
Triple A: Iowa Cubs Iowa 4, New Orleans 2
It took a while to get the first win, but Iowa has now won three of their last four.
Tyler Ihrig got the start for Iowa yesterday. When we last saw Ihrig, he was a left handed reliever going on the disabled list for Myrtle Beach. I suspect he got the start because the I-Cubs needed an arm in a hurry after Jokisch was claimed by Mimai. He may stay in Iowa, and he may head back down the system if the Cubs promote a pitcher from Tennessee. We’ll see.
Donnie Dewees, through his first seven games in the Midwest League, is hitting .464/.500/.821 with two doubles, four triples, three walks, two strikeouts, and two stolen bases. When a guy has twice as many triples as strikeouts, you know something is going right.
I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...
ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....
You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...
Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...
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...
There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...
Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...
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...
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...
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 Arizona Diamondbacks open their season as -231 favorites in a home matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen and Colorado's Kyle Freeland have been named the starters for this contest.Diamondbacks...
The Seattle Mariners begin their season as -162 favorites in a home tilt against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Luis Castillo starts for Seattle while Brayan Bello is Boston's starter for the contest.Mariners...
The Cleveland Guardians start their season as road favorites (-156) in a matchup with the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET, live on NBCS-CA from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Shane Bieber gets the starting nod for Cleveland while Alex Wood...
To beat his 3-point prop, Damian Lillard must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers...
To beat his 3-point prop, Brook Lopez needs to make two from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, starting at 8:00 PM ET.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for three-pointers...
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo make just a single 3-pointer when the Milwaukee Bucks play the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his over/under for the game.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's...
To beat his 3-point over/under, CJ McCollum must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, beginning at 8:00 PM ET.CJ McCollum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksCJ McCollum's over/under for three-pointers in...
The bookmakers are expecting a close game between the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres when they clash on Friday at 7:00 PM ET, with the Devils at -115 on the moneyline, and the Sabres at -105.Devils vs. Sabres Favorite,...
The Cleveland Guardians (0-0) and the Oakland Athletics (0-0) match up on Thursday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for Opening Day. First pitch is at 10:07 PM ET.The Guardians will give the nod to Shane Bieber versus the Athletics and Alex...
The Boston Red Sox (0-0) visit the Seattle Mariners (0-0) in an Opening Day game at 10:10 PM ET on Thursday.The Mariners will give the nod to Luis Castillo against the Red Sox and Brayan Bello.Mariners vs. Red Sox Pitcher...