It was weird to see some Bears fans cheering Caleb Williams’ terrible game last night. Even if you are a hardcore Justin Fields guy and want him to be the long-term QB, you should STILL want Williams to look like a superstar – not because the Bears might take him, but because it makes their first round pick(s) all the more valuable. If the Bears wind up with the first overall pick, either their own or the one they own from the Panthers, you want that pick to be among the most valuable in recent memory REGARDLESS of how Fields does this year. Heck, the best possible outcome is that Fields keeps looking like he’s looked the last two weeks, and Williams looks like a generational star. Then the Bears are in the catbird seat no matter what they do.
I had third base on the brain as the Cubs look ahead to 2024, and I proposed a question:
Just taking temperature. If these were your ONLY options for 3B for Cubs, which way you going for 2024:
Those, of course, are NOT the only options for the Cubs, and even if they were, it wouldn’t be a perfect 162 without any overlap. But I was just curious where peoples’ heads were if those were the only routes available to the Cubs. For me, if those were the ONLY routes, I’d probably have Christopher Morel spend the offseason intensively working at third base. I’d tell him that the job is his for Opening Day, and he’s going to have multiple months of runway to get settled there. Physically, he’s got all the talent to do it – he just needs to settle the arm stroke and get that muscle memory locked in. And the upside if he can establish himself there is significant, because I think the bat has even more potential from here.
I wasn’t surprised that Jeimer Candelario got the most votes, though, because that’s a perfectly solid option for third base (and support at first base, too). Based on some of the comments, I get the sense a lot of folks still don’t realize just how good Nick Madrigal was defensively at third base, as shocking as that was. He was a top three defender there on the season by the advanced defensive metrics, and the eye test (and coaching evaluation) matched. That doesn’t mean you go into 2024 with him as your starter if you don’t believe he can be an above-average bat – and I’m just not sure he can be at this point, or that he can stay healthy – but I do still like having him around as an option.
Also, that made me check on Matt Chapman, who is perhaps the best free agent option at third base, and this made me chuckle:
After June 12:
Matt Chapman: .213/.314/.378/95 wRC+
Nick Madrigal: .280/.328/.393/98 wRC+
lol
(Also, Chapman was at 4 Outs Above Average at third base. Madrigal had 10 OAA in less than half the innings.)— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) October 14, 2023
I just don’t see Chapman for a huge contract being a good idea right now, all things considered. Yes, I’m sure he’s MUCH more likely to be the better hitter and defender in 2024 than Madrigal, for example. But with a number of (imperfect) internal third base options and a weak free agent market for bats, I could see Chapman’s price tag quickly becoming a poor use of the Cubs’ available budget.
(A lot of folks wondered why I didn’t mention Matt Shaw or Luis Vazquez, and it’s pretty simple: although it’s certainly possible each or both could see time at third base for the Cubs in the big leagues in 2024, it would be an UNBELIEVABLE mistake for the Cubs to PLAN THEIR OFFSEASON on that basis. They have to have a plan in place for third base from day one, and a guy who was drafted in 2023 and a guy who only just broke out with the bat cannot be the plan(s). Longer-term, of course, I kinda love Shaw as a starter somewhere (with third base the most obviously available), and I think Vazquez could have a future as a really solid bench guy.)
It took him until his age-31 season, but Julian Merryweather finally made good on his substantial potential in 2023. He had the stuff for a long time, but just couldn’t maximize it or stay healthy. The Cubs got him at the right time, helped him be the best version of himself, and had a great late-inning option. He’ll get tendered and get a nice salary bump in arbitration, and that’s kind of the dream scenario for all sides when the Cubs endeavor on one of these projects. A happy birthday indeed.
Something I didn’t realize, or at least didn’t remember until now: Merryweather was drafted by Cleveland back in 2014, when Carter Hawkins – now the Cubs’ GM – was Cleveland’s assistant director of player development. Merryweather rose through the then-Indians’ system as Hawkins became the director of player development and then assistant GM.
Kevin Alcántara is heating up in the AFL, which is what he does:
I know the Cubs can’t keep all their top prospects. I know they shouldn’t keep all their top prospects in the face of trade opportunities. I know that all the top prospects are not going to become successful big leaguers even if they got that chance. But dang if it’s hard for me to look at the top 10-15 Cubs prospects and not think that I don’t want the Cubs to trade that guy! “OK, but not him.” “OK, but not HIM.” That’s me, going down the list as I think about Cubs prospects and trade opportunities. I gotta get past that soon, because I’m quite certain it’s happening this offseason …
Once 2016 happened, 2003 ceased to have any power over me. I did enjoy this, though:
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