The big news, in case you missed it or didn’t hear me running up and down the streets screaming, is that Shohei Otani *IS* being posted. It’s happening. He’s coming. And even if the Cubs don’t ultimately land him – impossible to predict right now, but you figure no individual team has a better than 10% shot – it’s going to be a lot of fun for baseball next year.
The Silver Slugger awards went out last night and there were no Cubs winners. That’s probably not a huge surprise to you, given the offensive underperformance at times last year (and the HUGE seasons that so many hitters had), but there are at least a couple worth discussing.
First, Willson Contreras lost out at the catcher spot to Buster Posey, which certainly made some waves. Should it, though? The two were actually EXTREMELY close in offensive performance (via FanGraphs):
Contreras arguably has the edge in some of the counting stats and in the power department, but as an overall offensive performer, it’s Posey by a nose. Where you MIGHT have a beef is that Posey spent 25% of his innings in 2017 at first base, rather than behind the plate. Still, to me, that’s enough time as a catcher to still be considered a catcher for the purposes of this award. Next year, Willy. It’s all you.
The one that bugs me, and will always bug me, because it keeps happening, and will keep happening, is this one:
(No, but seriously – when you adjust for park, Bryant blows Arenado out of the water (146 wRC+ to 129). Give Bryant a season at Coors and see what happens.) https://t.co/f76nthhEg5
I get it. Arenado has the 130 RBI and the 37 homers, and that stands out to everyone. But here’s what the high end of third base looked like in the NL this year (again, via FanGraphs):
You wanna tell me the best offensive third baseman in the NL last year wasn’t Bryant? OK, fine. I’m open to that debate, and I could make a case for either Justin Turnor or Anthony Rendon. But when you consider park adjustments, I simply can’t make the case for Arenado, who hit .336/.392/.644 at Coors Field, and .283/.355/.531 everywhere else. The dude is a stud, and I won’t say otherwise. But he was not the best offensive third baseman in the NL this year.
(Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
Jeff Sullivan writes about the worst called ball of the season, which ALSO happened to be a pitch that bounced in the dirt. How is that possible? A pitch right down the middle, called a ball, AND it bounced in the dirt. (Think big, breaking curveball and a crossed-up catcher.)
He also wrote about the worst called strike of the season, which was nearly 10(!) inches off the plate. How does that happen? Well, the fact that it was a position player pitching in a game that was 13-0 probably tells you something.
So, this seems like a really good thing to have around, and it’s on sale for just $25 today at Amazon: it’s an emergency radio, flashlight, phone charger WITH a hand crank to supply the power if necessary.
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.
Even with tonight's rainout, the Chicago Cubs are still making some roster moves. When Patrick Wisdom was removed (perfectly healthy) from the I-Cubs game in the 4th inning on Wednesday, we had an idea of what was coming next. When...
The weather wasn't going to cooperate for Jameson Taillon's season debut, and tonight's Cubs-Marlins tilt has been postponed. The game will instead be part of a split-doubleheader this Saturday, with the first game at 1:20pm CT and the second at...
If you're into tracking young pitchers with star potential like I am—as I watch Jack Leiter's debut while typing this column—then you're probably itching to see Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes make his way to Pittsburgh sooner than later. While...
Cubs vs Marlins — Whew! The Cubs got through their first West Coast road trip of the year, and did so with a winning record (5-4) against the Padres, Mariners, and Diamondbacks. They definitely let a couple games slip out...
As the father of a toddler who was sick for an entire week — the same week Brett was out from his back surgery and the Cubs were playing almost exclusively late-night ballgames on the West Coast — I was...
Kevin Alcántara hit his first home run of the season for the Tennessee Smokies last night, and Owen Caissie hit his first Triple-A home run for the Iowa Cubs as Iowa and Tennessee secured victories. The same can't be said...
Given the way the offseason played out for super agent Scott Boras's top available clients - Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Blake Snell, and Jordan Montgomery - you wouldn't be shocked to see some unhappiness behind the scenes. Did Boras overplay...
Hayden Wesneski was the hero of yesterday's finale and series-win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, coming in to clean up Jordan Wicks' (little) mess in the 5th ... and then tossing 4 shutout innings to save an over-used bullpen and help...
Hand up, I really wanted the Cubs to sign reliever Robert Stephenson this offseason. I felt like they could use one more impact arm (accurate), and I felt like Stephenson was one of the best available (about that ... )....
Rays closer Pete Fairbanks has been an extremely effective reliever the last four years, posting a 2.66 ERA from 2020 through 2023, with a 34.8% K rate and worth 4.1 WAR. But things have started out much more rough for...
The Chicago Cubs (11-7) are set to take on the Miami Marlins (4-15) Friday at 2:20 PM ET, airing on BSFL. The Cubs are listed as -165 favorites by oddsmakers, while the underdog Marlins have +139 odds for the contest.Jameson...
In one of the 15 exciting matchups on the MLB schedule today, the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals take the field at Kauffman Stadium.MLB prop bets for today's games are available, so if you're interested in placing a...
The Miami Marlins (4-15) kick off a four-game series on Friday against the Chicago Cubs (11-7). The contest starts at 2:20 PM ET at Wrigley Field.The Cubs will give the ball to Jameson Taillon and the Marlins will turn to...
The Cincinnati Reds (9-9), led by Spencer Steer, host Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels (9-10) at 6:40 PM ET on Friday.If you're intending to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and TV options for the Cincinnati-Los Angeles...
The Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans take the court to start the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. The Kings are favored by 1.5 points in the contest, which airs on TNT at 9:30 PM ET. The over/under...
The Blackhawks put the worst regular season of more than 70 games in the history of the franchise to bed on Thursday night in a manner that sums up the season fairly well. Connor Murphy was banged up and Nikita...
It's a first-round matchup with a history of fireworks! The Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers lock horns once again in the NBA Playoffs. This year marks the third time in five years these two teams meet in the opening...
The NBA Playoffs are here, and the Eastern Conference first-round ignites with a clash of styles. The Indiana Pacers, boasting the league's top-scoring offense, bring their high-octane attack to Milwaukee to face the experienced Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo's status adds further...
The Pittsburgh Pirates (11-8), led by Bryan Reynolds, host Jarren Duran and the Boston Red Sox (10-10) at 6:40 PM ET on Friday in a series opener.If you're trying to watch this game, keep reading for streaming and TV options...
The San Diego Padres (11-10), with Matt Waldron on the mound, host the Toronto Blue Jays (10-9) who will counter with Yariel Rodriguez, at 9:40 PM ET on Friday.Find out how to watch the San Diego-Toronto matchup below.When is Padres...
NEWSLETTER
