Darvish Looks Good, Edwards Wants to Close Eventually, and Other Bullets

Mar 15, 2019

Today’s my final full day at Spring Training, which I reckon means I’m getting cut tonight. Gonna hit up the back fields again this afternoon to watch some minor league games. That’s gonna be fun.

Meanwhile …

For whatever you can tell when you’re at a game watching live, Yu Darvish looked to have a fantastic slider yesterday – great command, great movement, tons of called strikes and whiffs and ugly swings – and he also had plenty of fastball velocity. But he was really missing down with his fastball in the first inning, and was still a little wild with it into the second inning. Then he settled in, and, until he reached his pitch limit, he pretty much cruised. It was nice to see him adjust and proceed.

Sure enough, Darvish said after the game that he just didn’t quite have the feel early, made an adjustment, and then it was fine (Cubs.com). Sometimes that’ll happen, and it’s good to get in some practice.

In a perfect world, Carl Edwards Jr. wants to be the Cubs’ closer after this season:

Closing time? Focus on command key to 2020 vision for Cubs' Carl Edwards Jr. https://t.co/KydA6S1kfU via @suntimes

— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubCub) March 14, 2019

No one could question Edwards’ ability to be a very good closer. You can’t teach a guy to have a 96mph fastball that also naturally cuts late and also has elite spin rate and also comes out at above-average extension. And to pair that with a devastating, wipeout curveball? Edwards is the guy you’re picking to close for the Cubs – even right now – if everything is working. But, of course, like with so many uber-talented pitchers, being able to consistently command his pitches is the thing. Edwards has never been quite there, and that’s what has held him back to this point. We’ll see if the new hesitation delivery is a game-changer for him – it certainly could be, if he keeps him more square to the plate and simplifies the final part of his delivery – but it’s going to be fun to see what he can be this year.

The Cubs are certainly going to need him to be very good and very healthy out of the gate this year, since they’ll be without Brandon Morrow and Xavier Cedeño, and possibly also Pedro Strop and a fully-effective Brad Brach.

So far so good on Morrow, by the way:

Brandon Morrow (right elbow) has his final day of long toss today. No setbacks in his rehab to date. On target for his first post-op bullpen session on Monday.
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) March 15, 2019

If he actually had a normal ramp-up following Monday’s bullpen, he could actually be ready for the regular season by mid-April. But, given his past injury issues and the fact that he’s coming off elbow surgery, I’m thinking his ramp up will be very deliberate, and carefully controlled. Do not expect him before May, and you won’t be disappointed. (By that part, at least.)

Michael is right that this is essentially meaningless, but he’s also right that it is nevertheless fun:

Spring Training stats are meaningless, but that doesn't mean I'm not stoked on David Bote who's got 8 hits (two 2Bs, HR) and 8 walks already. He's "slashing" .421/.586/.684.
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) March 15, 2019

Still, I want to offer something. It’s not really a counterpoint, just a reminder:

I mean this also in a thinking positively way, but also just generally about the Spring:

Javy Baez, 2018 Spring Training: .257/.297/.400, no homers, 9 Ks against just 2 BBs, etc.

Nothing there to suggest the breakout he was about to have …

— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) March 15, 2019

Ooh, up to 22% off iPad Pro at Amazon today.

Hey, there’s a new safety, and it’s a fun one to pair with Eddie Jackson:

Bears Sign Ex-Packers Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to Replace Adrian Amos https://t.co/GmYk31p90j pic.twitter.com/WJpaMDXRqy

— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) March 14, 2019

Heads up:

https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/1106581031216242688

written by

Brett Taylor

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.

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