NEWSLETTER
I will keep doing my best to listen to the scientists and experts, even when I don’t like what they’re saying.
Because the more we resist, the more we see things like what’s happening in Chicago (and in Wisconsin, and Ohio, and so many other places right now) – and, among so many other areas of our lives, this is going to continue to directly impact sports over the next 12+ months:
Arwady: "Another warning sign: Chicago cases have dramatically increased across all age groups, including among older Chicagoans." pic.twitter.com/rKKTRbWmiG
— Kelly Bauer (@BauerJournalism) October 19, 2020
• The Marlins now have an opening atop their baseball operations department, and it could be an old friend getting a look:
Marlins have yet to conduct interviews for Team President, but I believe Jim Hendry is a key name to watch. A great communicator & collaborator. Was with Florida Marlins before taking Cubs GM role. Now w NYY as special assistant to GM.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) October 18, 2020
• Hendry, 65, was always good at the scouting side of the game. He could identify talent at the right times. Where he was not altogether successful with the Cubs was in organization-building, in part because he never had the proper financial support from the Tribune, even if he’d wanted to modernize things beyond hopelessly antiquated structures and technology. So what happens when he goes from one of the most robustly-supported baseball operations groups in baseball in New York to the Marlins? Well, I suppose it depends on how the Marlins move going forward, but I can’t help but wonder if they’re looking for a cheap (but smart), experienced option as the new president, with Derek Jeter still running most things. There’s no doubt that Hendry is a guy you’d love to have in your organization, but it’s not clear to me that what he’s been doing with the Yankees is presidential prep work.
• Lotta top exec openings already this year, including the Marlins, Reds, Angels, and Phillies. For the Angels opening, Jon Morosi reports that Cubs exec Jason McLeod, who has changed roles in recent years, is on the list. A frequent interview candidate, McLeod’s future with the Cubs is unclear with Theo Epstein transitioning as soon as next offseason. While many have talked openly about Jed Hoyer staying on in an elevated role, there has been little talk of McLeod, who was once part of that three-headed group as the Scouting and Player Development chief. I have no doubt his role is still very important in the org – you just don’t hear about him much. He’s now titled the Senior VP of Player Personnel, third on the depth chart, so to speak.
• Wait, as I type, the Reds appear to have stayed internal to fill their opening:
The #Reds today announced that Vice President, General Manager Nick Krall will head the team's baseball operations department. pic.twitter.com/NX5ksE5quD
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) October 19, 2020
• This takes stones:
The 3-1 support group meets on Tuesdays, Braves fans.
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) October 19, 2020
• You see, the Cleveland Indians also blew a highly-publicized 3-1 lead in the postseason, losing the 2016 World Series to the Chicago Cubs. People forget that.
• This young man is BUILT:
By the way (and I learned this after the fact), credit for this photo goes to @biest22, whose pics from Instructs have been giving me life lately. Follow and support!
— Cubs Prospects – Bryan Smith (@cubprospects) October 19, 2020
• Stevens was a legit IFA signing at $400,000, inked in January of last year (which means it was out of the normal cycle, as he was coming from Cuba, which in turn means that a $400,000 bonus is quite large). As Bryan notes, Stevens played only Dominican Summer League in 2019, when he was 20, so you can’t take too much away from the results. That said, it’s where you would’ve expected him to debut, and he went right into playing upon signing, and now has been invited to stateside instructional ball after the pandemic. It says a lot about what the Cubs think of Stevens, who is one of just four DSL prospects who got the invite. The other three include two big bonus babies (Rafael Morel and Kevin Made), and breakout outfielder Yohendrick Pinango.
• Halloween candy, smart bulbs, furniture, dishes, and much more are your Deals of the Day at Amazon. #ad
• There’s a reasonable point embedded in here, and I’ll make it more explicit – namely, that the current system for player compensation doesn’t get the right volume of dollars to the right players:
Rob Manfred says that payroll and winning aren't correlated. But 18 of the last 20 titles have been won by a team in the top half of payroll.
The Rays could change that, and it could have big ramifications for baseball's already-fragile labor relations.https://t.co/5Y3YXcxrL2
— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) October 19, 2020
• The problem, though, is that just because the Rays win it or the Dodgers win it doesn’t really prove anything. We already know the Rays massively game the system to reduce player compensation … as do every other organization. It’s just that the Rays also don’t pay anyone else. The next CBA just needs to look very seriously at earlier free agency/arbitration and a higher minimum salary, in my view.
• This tweet, in addition to being kind, serves as a reminder that free agency hasn’t arrived quite yet:
Happy birthday, @DanielDescalso! pic.twitter.com/Uqc3Kx1tub
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) October 19, 2020
• Having some fun with another Bears win, and if you aren’t already, I’d ask you please and thanks to smack that like button on our Facebook page:
