No Collusion Maybe, Succeeding Against the Best Pitchers, and Other Cubs Bullets

Obligatory opening crack about the Chicago Cubs please going shopping on Black Friday. I don’t have any illusions that someone like Carlos Correa is signing sometime soon, but, hey, how about a catcher like Christian Vazquez? You could make it happen today, Cubs! I’m just saying! You could!

  • Well, that collusion investigation didn’t last long. Apparently MLB looked into the MLBPA’s concerns about the Yankees and Mets colluding to not pursue each other’s big ticket free agents (which would be very bad!), and MLB almost immediately found nothing, per TIME. Did they, what, send an email to Steve Cohen and Hal Steinbrenner and ask, ‘Hey, did you guys collude, y/n?’ Obviously MLB – which is made of its constituent owners – has an overwhelmingly strong incentive NOT to find any signs of collusion, but I thought this might take more than a day or two to look into. Just kind of a weird situation from top to bottom.
  • Now it’ll be up to the MLBPA to decide whether to file a formal grievance. That, in turn, might depend on where and when Aaron Judge signs (and maybe also Jacob deGrom, though the original reporting was about Judge, specifically), and for how much. I doubt it winds up going anywhere, but obviously there’s no love lost between these two sides, so would never rule out another dispute.
  • Speaking of which, one thing we know that will be happening at some point this offseason is a negotiation between the union and the league about the new minor league players’ collective bargaining agreement. That’ll be fascinating to follow, whenever it happens. Sounds like it’s still on tap, and Rob Manfred says the ideal is to get it done before the start of the next season.
  • The Angels are taking no days off this offseason, including Thanksgiving (actual effectiveness TBD):
  • Fun read over at FanGraphs on whether the best hitters step up their game against the best pitching (or whatever version of that you want to imagine). The data says … nope. If you get a large enough sample of players and PAs, you find that hitters generally perform about 18% worse against the top 50 pitchers in baseball than they do against all pitchers in the aggregate. I mean, the best pitchers become the best pitchers for a reason, right? Also, this would help explain why the postseason always seems to skew pitching/low-scoring heavy.
  • Extra fun? The single best hitter in the last decade against top-50 pitching, when compared to his performance against all pitchers? It’s Rafael Ortega, who has posted a .344 wOBA against top-50 pitchers, but just a .300 wOBA overall. Clearly, he just needs to face the best of the best to max out his performance.
  • Marcus Stroman offered Triston McKenzie a Rolex, and sure enough, he ponied up:
  • Narciso Crook is off to join the Red Sox, and he sent his thanks to Cubs fans:
  • https://twitter.com/ThatOutfielder/status/1595889166180651009

  • Black Friday sales of note … our friends at Obvious Shirts are up to 40% off everything:
  • Fanatics is 30% off everything:
  • And of course there’s Black Friday at Amazon, with all kinds of everything on sale. #ad
  • It cannot be done better:
  • written by

    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.

    more cubs news

    Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 6, Brewers 3 – May 28, 2024

    THANK. GOD. I gotta tell you, friends, I did NOT have it in me to watch the Brewers walk it off tonight. I really didn't. Not after five straight losses. Not after Ben Brown was removed from the game after...

    Matt Shaw Hits a Blast in His Second Straight Game

    The Tennessee Smokies were scoreless heading into the 8th inning. Then, Matt Shaw stepped up to the plate. The Chicago Cubs' top 3 prospects only needed to see two pitches before he sent a ball deep over the center field...

    OMG … Cody Bellinger Robs a Homer to Preserve the No-Hitter!

    Ben Brown has now gotten through 7.0 no-hit innings tonight, and for 99% of that, he deserves all the credit. The 1% though? That goes to Cody Bellinger, who saved a run and preserved the no-hitter (and the Cubs lead,...

    Michael Busch Just Hit the Most Cathartic, Towering Home Run

    Aside from Ian Happ's pair of homers the other day, the Cubs have been in an absolutely absurd home run drought for a while now. And that's due in no small part to their slugging rookie first baseman completely disappearing...

    Pre-Gamin’: Cubs at Brewers (6:40 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — Is Freddy Peralta the best matchup for the Cubs lineup to finally wake up? Nope! But at a certain point, they'll have to hit some good pitching. Really any pitching would be nice. Here's how Craig Counsell...

    It Is Not Possible to Have a Worse Game-Ending Call

    We beef a lot about lousy calls, as in the nature of baseball fans. And when it's a game-ending lousy call, the hostility gets ratcheted up quite a bit. Usually, the call is at least close enough that, although you...

    MLBits: Jose Abreu on Minor League Demotion, Angel is Out, Ohtani Shares TJ Recovery Update, More

    MLB Notes — Jose Abreu talked on Friday about the tough decision to accept his minor league demotion from the Astros last month, which he called the best thing he's done in his career, before making his return to the...

    How to Watch Cubs Games: Full 2024 Schedule, Live Stream and More

    Hey Cubs fans, if you’re looking to watch their games, you can find most of them on Marquee Sports Network. But that isn’t the only avenue to catch the action of your Cubbies on TV. Sometimes, they’ll be on other...

    Cubs Farm Report | May 28, 2024: Top 25 Prospect Stock Report

    The Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates were off on Monday, so it's time to take stock of some recent hot (and not-so-hot) performers inside the Cubs Top 25 prospects down on the farm in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm...

    Pre-Gamin’: Braves at Cubs (6:40 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, Game Thread

    CUBS LINEUP — It's a rematch! The Cubs won only one game during their series in Atlanta last week, and it was started (on both ends) by the guys on the mound tonight: Javier Assad and Charlie Morton. Let's hope...

    Latest News

    Liberty vs Mercury Prediction: Picks, Live Odds & Moneyline – May 29

    The New York Liberty (4-2) play the Phoenix Mercury (3-3) on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at 7:00 PM ET on CBS Sports Network, AZFamily, and Mercury Live.Liberty vs. Mercury Prediction & OddsFavorite: Liberty (-13.5)Total: 168Liberty Moneyline: -1000Mercury Moneyline: +650Spread Prediction:...

    Dream vs Mystics Prediction: Picks, Live Odds & Moneyline – May 29

    The Washington Mystics (0-6) will look to turn around a six-game losing streak when they host the Atlanta Dream (2-2) on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 at St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena. The game airs at 7:00 PM ET...

    Panthers vs. Rangers Stanley Cup Semifinals Game 5 Prediction: Odds, Picks, Best Bets – Thursday, May 30, 2024

    The oddsmakers are expecting a close game between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers on Thursday in New York City, with the Panthers given moneyline odds of -115 and the Rangers at -105.Watch the NHL on Fubo!Panthers vs. Rangers...

    How to Watch Mariners vs. Astros: Live Stream or on TV

    George Kirby will take the ball for the Seattle Mariners (29-26) when they host starting pitcher Hunter Brown and the Houston Astros (24-30) on Wednesday, with first pitch at 9:40 PM ET.The article below will give you everything you need...

    Yankees vs. Angels: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The New York Yankees (37-18), led by Juan Soto, visit Taylor Ward and the Los Angeles Angels (20-33) at 9:38 PM ET on Wednesday in a series opener.Keep reading to find out all the details on how to watch New...

    OMG … Cody Bellinger Robs a Homer to Preserve the No-Hitter!

    Ben Brown has now gotten through 7.0 no-hit innings tonight, and for 99% of that, he deserves all the credit. The 1% though? That goes to Cody Bellinger, who saved a run and preserved the no-hitter (and the Cubs lead,...

    Blue Jays vs. White Sox: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Wednesday, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays (24-29) play Gavin Sheets and the Chicago White Sox (15-40), with first pitch scheduled for 7:40 PM ET at Guaranteed Rate Field.Keep reading to see how to watch the Toronto-Chicago...

    How to Watch Guardians vs. Rockies: Live Stream or on TV

    Jose Ramirez and the Cleveland Guardians (36-18) visit Ryan McMahon and the Colorado Rockies (19-34) at 8:40 PM ET on Wednesday.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know to watch Cleveland play Colorado.When is Guardians vs....

    Matt Shaw Hits a Blast in His Second Straight Game

    The Tennessee Smokies were scoreless heading into the 8th inning. Then, Matt Shaw stepped up to the plate. The Chicago Cubs' top 3 prospects only needed to see two pitches before he sent a ball deep over the center field...

    Twins vs. Royals: Free Live Stream, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Minnesota Twins (29-24), who will give the ball to Bailey Ober, host the Kansas City Royals (34-21) with Seth Lugo on the hill, Wednesday at 7:40 PM ET.The article below will provide you with everything you need to know...

    more cubs news