The Dodgers and Padres are apparently battling it out for J.T. Realmuto, which is fun to follow, and the fallout thereafter would certainly be interesting. If Realmuto winds up with the Padres, you wonder if they’ll be more aggressive on Manny Machado. And what would the Dodgers do in response, if anything?
And could the Cubs somehow snag Austin Hedges away from the Padres to pair with Willson Contreras? I sure do love the idea of a 60/40 Contreras/Hedges split, which would allow Contreras to maximize his offense, better rest him through the year, and perhaps help develop his framing a bit. And in the 40% of the games when Hedges is starting, the Cubs would have an elite defensive/framing catcher behind the dish, and it’s a guy who may yet have the upside of an average bat, too. Maybe that’s all too good to actually dream on, but it’s not as if the Cubs and Padres haven’t been connected many times before.
Spent all week in Mesa, so let’s all pretend we’re there now instead in -5 degree weather while reading this… How the Cubs are using technology to enhance their player development department. https://t.co/AlRr7S9w9G
— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) January 25, 2019
“In a little more than a year with the organization, Sagara has impressed even some big leaguers with his knowledge and organization skills. He spent time with the major-league club toward the end of last season and multiple pitchers valued the little tidbits he would share. Sagara is known to have what one pitcher referred to as a pitch-grip index. Sagara takes images of pitchers’ grips from the high-speed cameras throughout the season. As the year progresses, the pitcher can go back and look and see how his hand was in relation to the ball — was he on top of the ball, under it, holding it differently in some way? — and compare that with how effective that pitch was at different points in the season. Seeing those images lined up over time helps the pitcher understand exactly what he’s doing when things are going right on the field compared to when they’re not.”
Cubs’ pro scouts did an exceptional job last winter of identifying low-cost relievers, and Aaron will enhance this department in a significant manner. https://t.co/Pb02ax4u3L
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) January 25, 2019
Willie now with the Cubs, but you probably knew that.
— Mark Gonzales (@MDGonzales) January 17, 2019
The Marlins don't want their amazing home run sculpture anymore?
Stage Five of the Wrigley Field renovation. pic.twitter.com/5gzvVNl9kA
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) January 18, 2018
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette & Cavan Biggio all get invites to big-league camp per #BlueJays
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) January 26, 2019
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1088967989838385153
Four More Years! Bears Sign Right Tackle Bobby Massie to Extension Before He Hits Free Agency https://t.co/puXS5KQCvo pic.twitter.com/EzfwR6CfKs
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 26, 2019
Bears Reportedly Sign Kicker Redford Jones https://t.co/LciqR5YvG5 pic.twitter.com/6UOq8oPKEg
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 25, 2019