MLBits: Ugly Free Agent Class, Ugly Fight, Castro Success, Haren’s Decline, More

mlb logo feature

Mondays are tough enough without a Cubs game and without knowing what’s going on around baseball. So let’s start the week off with an MLBits …

  • This past offseason was jam-packed with free agent stars, both young and old, and a ton of variety. There were great pitchers, strong hitters, gold glove defensive players and everything in between. Of course, that’s what led to a $2.5 billion spending spree across all of baseball. But the upcoming class, on the other hand, is looking exceedingly weak. As of a week ago, it was at least headlined by a young, legitimate ace in Stephen Strasburg, but after the Nationals locked him up through 2023, the class is now headlined by Yoenis Cespedes and trails off very quickly after that. Jeff Passan previews what could be the worst baseball free agent class in decades here at Yahoo Sports, and I’m once again relieved that the Cubs were so aggressive over the past two winters.
  • [adinserter block=”1″]

  • Did you catch the big fight this weekend? No, you didn’t miss any pay per view MMA or Boxing matches, I’m talking about the, perhaps inevitable, matchup between the Rangers (Rougned Odor) and the Blue Jays (Jose Bautista). Brett got into it a bit here and here, but you can read about the many angles to the fight all over today (here, here, here, here and here, for some of the most interesting examples). The boiled down version is that Odor took offense at Bautista’s pretty late slide into second base (which came after Bautista was plunked), prompting the typical “let’s size each other up” event that’s relatively common in sports. Except this time, Odor cocked his arm back and unleashed a devastating blow to Bautista’s chin. The benches cleared and a pretty long fight ensued.
  • Later, the Blue Jays responded in the bottom half of the inning by plunking Prince Fielder in what was probably one of the most obvious retaliation pitches in recent memory (Read mine and John Baker’s thoughts on retaliation from last summer). It’s hard to discern just how much of this brawl and ensuing retaliation was due to Bautista’s now-infamous bat flip in the 2015 ALDS, but if it that were the case that would be pretty lame. There’s plenty of interesting takes on this, so read up and let me know what you think. (My favorite part was Adrian Beltre’s ability to calmly and successfully restrain Bautista throughout the entire scrum. Dude commands a good bit of respect, eh?)
  • [adinserter block=”2″]

  • Like me, you’ll probably be extremely happy to learn that Starlin Castro is thriving with his new team in New York. Before Sunday’s game, Castro rode an eight-game hitting streak (the longest for the Yankees this season) and was called the team’s most consistent hitter by manager Joe Girardi. The fans have reportedly taken to him quite well, too, and he’s felt right at home. Although he says he misses Anthony Rizzo, I can’t tell you how happy I was to read this article at the Chicago Tribune. Castro had long been my favorite Cub before being traded, and I’m glad to see him happy and doing well. Good for him.
  • In a nice long form piece, Andy McCullough recounts the inner turmoil that led to pitcher Dan Haren’s retirement from baseball (after finishing last season with the Chicago Cubs). Haren had long been one of the better pitchers in baseball, but his career (and velocity) trended downwards, like they tend to, especially in his latter years, though he was much younger than most when it started to happen. But still, it’s interesting to see how hard he was on himself and how much better he wanted to be. The line that stuck with me the most was “I was always on the verge of wanting to retire, because I never wanted to get released, just for the embarrassment of it.” Haren is a pretty fun/funny follow on twitter (@ithrow88) and I hope he gets to continue being a part of this game in whatever capacity that may be, if he wants it.
  • [adinserter block=”3″]

  • With the Theo Epstein contract extension negotiations going on in the background, the Washington Nationals just extended GM Mike Rizzo through 2018. The terms of the contract have not yet been disclosed, but they might not impact Epstein’s deal all that much. Epstein is already set to become the highest paid executive in all of baseball, and that mark was set a couple years ago by the Dodgers’ Andrew Friedman. Rizzo won’t raise that bar, so this is mostly just interesting, NL relevant news.
  • Human nature suggests that players might perform better and be more focused at the most pivotal moments/late in ballgames, but is that actually the case? Speaking with a number of players, managers, and coaches, David Laurila tries to see what those involved in the game think of that here at FanGraphs. For the most part, players answered the same “Every at bat matters … but the high leverage ones make it a bit easier to really bring it.” Former Cubs outfielder Chris Coghlan agrees, but adds that “being able to stay focused is an ability. It’s a gift that the great players have.” We don’t always consider all of the intangibles that the “great players” bring to the game, but if we did, focus would be chief among them.
  • Mallex Smith is an exciting young player for the Braves, but now he’s mostly on my radar for dancing.
  • Lastly, Joey Votto played a little prank on the fans in Philadelphia and it made me relive something terrible from my childhood:
  • written by

    Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

    more cubs news

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 3, Astros 1 – April 25, 2024

    Cubs win! Cubs sweep! There was drama late - there always is - but the Cubs got it done! What an impressive series sweep over the Astros, especially considering all the injuries. So awesome. But it didn't start that way...

    Pete Crow-Armstrong’s First Big League Hit is a GO-AHEAD HOME RUN!

    Boy did he need that! The Chicago Cubs top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, was called up this season not because he was quite ready offensively, but out of necessity after multiple injuries to the Cubs starting outfielders. And, predictably, he looked...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Old Friend Dan Straily

    I knew Dan Straily was pitching in Korea, and I knew there was a time in relatively recent memory that he was trying to come back to MLB. But sometime between then and now, he fell off my radar as...

    Pre-Gamin’: Astros at Cubs (1:20 CT) – Lineups, Pitching Matchup, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs won again last night, which means they've already won the season-series against the still-struggling Astros. Justin Verlander will be on the bump for today's finale, but he'll have to go up against the mighty Javier...

    Cubs Farm Report | April 25, 2024: Brennen Davis Homers in His Return to Triple-A

    Brennen Davis made his return to Triple-A last night, and of course, he managed to smack a three-run home run in an 8-2 win for the Iowa Cubs. That and more in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm Report |...

    The Leadoff Role, Cubs Front Office is Not Particularly Well-Liked? And Other Cubs Bullets

    It's a pretty big day for the Chicago Bears, eh? For the second year in a row, they own the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Only this time, they actually plan to use it (and on a quarterback,...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Brazilian-Japanese Pitcher Daniel Missaki Out of Mexican League

    That's a geographic mouthful right there, and it underscores what an interesting signing this is. Stray signings throughout the year are not uncommon, particularly as injuries accumulate down on the farm and the Chicago Cubs have the ability to take...

    Do the Cubs Have a Scoring-Late Problem?

    Once a month since August of 2016, my friends and I get together for "Supper Club." It's like book club, but instead of reading books, we go to a different restaurant in the city. Last night, we hit our 77th...

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 4, Astros 3 – April 24, 2024

    The Cubs did all their scoring in the first, and made it stand up for the win with generally good pitching and generally good defense. Jameson Taillon looked solid again in his second start, locating well, giving up no barrels,...

    Dansby Swanson with a First Inning Three-Run Homer

    For the second straight night, the Cubs are jumping all over the Astros in the first inning. After a couple hits from Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ to get things going, Michael Busch hit a sac fly, Christopher Morel walked,...

    Latest News

    Final 2024 Mock Draft: If I’m Going to be Wrong, I’m Going to be Wrong My Way

    It's the final NFL Mock Draft of the season, and I'm looking forward to the real thing. All my bets are in the newsletters from the past couple of days. Quite a few changes from yesterday's mock draft. Mock Draft...

    REPORT: The Chicago Bears Are Open to Trading the No. 9 Pick

    If you're a team looking to move up and pick in the top-10 or a squad looking to slide down, then now is a good time to contact Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles. The Chicago Bears are open for...

    Pete Crow-Armstrong’s First Big League Hit is a GO-AHEAD HOME RUN!

    Boy did he need that! The Chicago Cubs top prospect, Pete Crow-Armstrong, was called up this season not because he was quite ready offensively, but out of necessity after multiple injuries to the Cubs starting outfielders. And, predictably, he looked...

    LeBron James Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Los Angeles Lakers meet the Denver Nuggets at 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer over/unders available for this clash requires two trifectas from LeBron...

    D’Angelo Russell Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    D'Angelo Russell must make four 3-pointers to beat his prop when the Los Angeles Lakers play the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET, in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs.D'Angelo Russell's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...

    Michael Porter Jr. Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, Michael Porter Jr. must make three from downtown on Thursday, when his Denver Nuggets face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, tipping off at 10:00 PM...

    Jamal Murray Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    On Thursday at 10:00 PM ET, the Denver Nuggets face the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and Jamal Murray's 3-pointer prop for this clash requires three treys.Jamal Murray's Three-Pointer Prop Odds...

    Nikola Jokic Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Lakers – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets meet the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at 10:00 PM ET in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and to beat his 3-point over/under, he needs to make two from downtown.Nikola Jokic's...

    Anthony Davis Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Nuggets – NBA Playoffs Game 3, Thursday, April 25, 2024

    The Los Angeles Lakers play the Denver Nuggets at 10:00 PM ET on Thursday, in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and one of the 3-pointer props available for this clash requires just one trey from...

    Chicago Cubs Sign Old Friend Dan Straily

    I knew Dan Straily was pitching in Korea, and I knew there was a time in relatively recent memory that he was trying to come back to MLB. But sometime between then and now, he fell off my radar as...

    more cubs news