Cubs Still Having “Positive Conversations” on Extensions, *NOT* Cutting Off Talks for Spring Training
There were no surprise extensions to announce at this morning’s Spring Training kick-off presser with the front office, but there was some positive news at least.
Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer, who is never going to get into specifics, said that there have been “positive conversations” on possible extensions. More importantly, despite his previously-stated desire not to negotiate during Spring Training anymore … he’s not setting a hard, artificial cut-off.
“That’s not a hardline thing,” Hoyer said of the desire not to negotiate during Spring Training. “We have had discussions, and I’ll stick with what we always do, which is not talk about where we are with them. But we’ve had good dialogue with both sides. We’re not going to just cut it off because we’re here today.”
In other words, extension talks – if they are positive and still happening – with guys like Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Justin Steele, and/or others can and will continue even after the official start of Spring Training.
Not to read the tea leaves and then find myself Charlie Brown’d once again by extensions that don’t happen, but I’ve gotta think that if Hoyer and Carter Hawkins had a sense that an extension with the guys (at least one of them) could not realistically happen within the next couple weeks, he *would* say he’s cutting things off and turning the page to the season ahead. He didn’t say that. It tells me that the “positive conversations” at least leave a chance that a deal can get done.
For today, I’ll take it.
