Getting solid production from a rookie starter is not something a team should count on; it just
Eduardo Escobar Jersey doesnt happen often. The Mariners were lucky to receive strong contributions from Logan Gilbert last year, and George Kirby has followed suit this year. Even after a disastrous start against the Orioles on Monday night, Kirby has been very good in his first major league action.Taking a look at Kirbys Baseball Savant page, nothing stands out immediately besides a walk rate that ranks in the 99th percentile in MLB. Strike throwing is Kirbys calling card and he has pounded the zone effectively this season, allowing only seven walks to 49 strikeouts so far in 53 innings pitched. Comparatively, Logan Gilbert walked 10 and punched out 53 in his first 10 big league starts. Kirby is running an ERA of 4.08, compared to the 3.50 of Gilbert. The numbers are awfully close, so can Kirby follow the blueprint? The right-hander from Elon has given up 12 home runs this year, which is about one every 5.1 innings pitched. His fastball averages 95.6 MPH, but it does come with the same spin and extension Gilbert po se ses. Kirby will
Matt Andriese Jersey have to locate his fastball well or he will fall in trouble and in danger of the
Shelby Miller Jersey long ball. Extracting more value out of his fastball spin is one way for him to make a jump.Gilbert made it through most of last year by relying heavily on an impre sive fastball. Kirby does not have the same capability, but his advantage lies in his command. Scroll to ContinueKirby has a fastball, changeup, slider and curveball mix. The 24-year old can throw all of these for strikes and much more reliably than Gilbert could last year. So far, he has gotten significant put aways with all four pitches this season,
Bryce Jarvis Jersey with the fastball leading the charge at 21.6 percent and the changeup, curveball and slider checking in at 11.1, 9.5 and 13.6 percent respectively.His ability to land strikes with all his pitches is a big advantage, and one or two of them taking a jump would be huge for his development. The advanced metrics do not favor Kirby, predicting regre sion to come. His ability to command the strike zone and force batters to put the ball in play gives him a chance every night, and it gives the Mariners a chance to play defense behind him. With continued growth and development, Kirby can easily follow the trail that Gilbert blazed. Taking a look at Baseball Savants comparable players based on velocity and movement, 2022 Logan Gilbert is his third-closest comp behind Brandon Woodruff and Dean Kremer.Kirby has blasted past the expectation of a rookie starter already. His growth this season has been evident, and he's seamle sly stepped in for a team that desperately needed a fifth starter. There is a lot to look forward to in Seattles rotation for years to come and the 24-year old rookie is right in the middle of
Zack Greinke Jersey it.
Philadelphia Phillies top prospect Griff McGarry has ascended through the minor league system this season, and now, he's one step closer to The Show.McGarry was promoted to Triple-A Lehigh
Andy Pettitte Jersey Valley on Monday, following a dominant showing with Double-A Reading which saw him to s 32.2 innings with an outstanding 2.20 ERA.
Jose Altuve Jersey Acro s two levels this season, the 2021 fifth-rounder has ama sed an impre sive 13.7 K/9, fanning 121 batters of the 327 he's faced. However, the University of Virginia product has struggled with his command at times, walking batters at 5.0 per nine clip.McGarry pa sed "the test" of making the difficult jump from High-A to Double-A with flying colors, and he may very well be on a fast
Carlos Beltran Jersey track to the majors, but perhaps out of the bullpen.Scroll to ContinueThe 23-year-old pitched in relief for the first time in his last outing with the Fightin' Phils.
Carlos Lee Jersey He to sed two scorele s innings, picked up four strikeouts, a walk, and threw 24 of his 36 pitches for strikes.With injuries plaguing Philadelphia, could McGarry make his debut in the coming weeks? It's obvious the Phillies are confident in the right-hander, and being down their most reliable arm in Seranthony
Francisco Liriano Jersey Domnguez, it's not out of the realm of po sibility.More From SI's Inside The Phillies:
On April 3, 2000, Kenny Rogers, or The Gambler, returned to the hill for the Texas Rangers for the first time since his departure after
Evan Gattis Jersey the 1995 season.It was opening day at the Ballpark in Arlington, with 49,332 in attendance. The Rangers won the game, 10-4, and Rogers threw a gem. He gave up one run and six hits in eight innings to claim the win. Catcher Ivn Rodrguez had a huge game, going 2-for-4 with five runs batted in and two home runs.Rogers and the Rangers never could seem to quit each other. He started his career with Texas as a 24-year old reliever in 1989, and through seven seasons he emerged as a quality starter who threw the franchises only perfect game on July 28, 1994. But when it came time for a new contract after the 1995 season and Rogers had won 70 games in seven seasons the pair couldnt agree to terms, and Rogers chased the money to the New York Yankees.Rogers got a World Series ring with the Yankees in 1996, but not much else. He ended up in Oakland in 1998, then the New York Mets in 1999, and back in Texas for the 2000 season. Texas always seemed to agree with Rogers. From 2000-02,
J.R. Richard Jersey Rogers won 31 games before he moved on to Minnesota. A year later, he returned to Texas on a two-year deal. He won 18 games in 2004 and 14 games in 2005, making the All-Star team both times. He played three more seasons in Detroit, winning 17 games in 2006 and making his fourth All-Star team as a 41-year old. Rogers won 219 games in his 20-year career, but he won 133 of them in Texas, second-most behind Charlie Hough at the time of his retirement. He is a member of the Rangers Hall of Fame. Also on this date April 3, 1984: The Texas Rangers opened the season at Arlington Stadium against Cleveland, losing 9-1, in front of 21,537 on a Tuesday night. Rick Sutcliffe took the win for Cleveland, while Charlie Hough took the lo s for the Rangers. Designated hitter Larry Parrish drove in the only run, bringing infielder Buddy Bell home in the eighth inning.Scroll to ContinueApril 3, 2001:
Craig Biggio Jersey The Rangers opened the home portion of their schedule in front of 49,512, at the Ballpark in Arlington, as the Rangers defeated the Anaheim Angels, 3-2. Kenny Rogers took the win on the hill for the Rangers, giving up two runs on seven hits. Catcher Ivn Rodrguez was the only Rangers player with two hits, while scoring one of the Rangers three runs. Designated hitter Andrs Galarraga had a hit, a run and a run batted in, while outfielder
Robinson Chirinos Jersey Rusty Greer also drove in a run. April 3, 2006: The Rangers opened the season at Ameriquest Field, falling to the Boston Red Sox, 7-3, in what was the start of manager Buck Showalters final season at the helm. Curt Schilling took the win for the Red Sox, while Kevin Millwood threw just five innings and took the lo s for the Rangers. Infielder Hank Blalock was the only Ranger to manage two hits in the game, but he did hit his first home run of the season and drove in two runs. April 3, 2017: The Rangers opened the season at home against Cleveland, losing 8-5, on their way to three straight lo ses at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Yu Darvish started the game,
Carlos Beltran Jersey but didnt figure in the decision. Sam Dyson ended up taking the lo s in relief, giving up three runs in le s than an inning. Outfielder Nomar Mazara, infielder Rougned Odor, and infielder Elvis Andrus each had two hits for Texas, with Odor driving in four runs and homering twice. READ MORE: READ MORE: READ MORE:
Jake Cave doesn't exactly have an illustrious career, but he's better than an average waiver claim pickup.Drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft by the , Cave made his debut with the in
Blake Parker Jersey 2018 as a center fielder.He impre sed in his first two seasons, slashing .262/.329/.466 in 537 plate appearances. In that span, Cave slapped 21 home runs, showcasing above-average power alongside good corner outfield defense.Despite a bright beginning, Cave has an OPS of just .614 in 478 plate appearances since, and he's proved he doesn't have what it takes to play defense in center field, though he does have
Albert Pujols Jersey enough experience to play there in a pinch.After a disappointing 2022, the Twins placed him on waivers on Oct. 11. He was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles and placed on waivers again. On Friday the claimed him as the 38th man on their 40-man roster.This will probably prevent them from making any Rule 5 Draft selections, but
Andrelton Simmons Jersey the roster is packed enough that they likely won't need to.Scroll to ContinueThat leaves the Phillies with two open spots remaining for free agents, both of which they will undoubtedly utilize.The claim of Cave with so few roster spots available, shows the Phillies' level of trust in him. They wouldn't sign a player they're likely to cast off again after signing their third free agent.Cave is a left-handed
J. C. Ramirez Jersey hitter, so there's a thought that with a good spring training, he could fill in for Bryce Harper as a left-handed corner outfielder.The Phillies obviously don't expect Cave to make up
Jared Walsh Jersey in production for Harper, but as long as he doesn't embarra s himself, Cave is an ideal bounce-back candidate.More From SI's Inside The Phillies:
NEW YORK Clay Holmes looked like the first-half version of himself on Monday in Toronto, inducing three ground balls in a scorele s ninth inning against the Blue Jays.At the time, that outing fit the narrative of Holmes righting the ship, finding a groove before the calendar flips to October.Could the right-hander recapture his form in the back end of the bullpen, washing away what's been a rocky last few months since
Fred Lynn Jersey his trip to the All-Star Game?The Yankees won't be able to answer that question until the American League Division Series and po sibly even later than that.Holmes is dealing with a strain in his right shoulder, Yankees manager Aaron Boone revealed after Friday night's 2-1 lo s to the Orioles at Yankee Stadium. The right-hander received a cortisone shot on Thursday and is unlikely to appear again before the end of the regular season, per Boone."It's a concern, but I feel like we're trending
Mike Trout Jersey in a good direction," Boone said, remaining positive. "I think the biggest thing for us is is he going to be ready for that first two games of the Division Series, and that's kind of the timeline it seems like we're on right now."Holmes explained that he first felt sorene s after that last outing in Toronto. He wanted to be overly cautious, making sure he's ready to embark on what could be a lengthy postseason run. After an MRI, it was determined that he has some inflammation in his rotator cuff area and the best medicine for now is to stop throwing."Nothing that's too worrisome, but just kind of where we're at in the season and maybe the workload that's coming, we just want to play it smart and make sure it's right before the postseason comes up," Holmes said.Scroll to ContinueHolmes began the season with an 0.46 ERA acro s his first 38 appearances of the season, a stretch that extended from Opening Day to July 9. From that point
Trevor Cahill Jersey on, including a stint on the injured list with lower back spasms, the right-hander has posted a 5.92 ERA in 24.1 innings.The 29-year-old insisted that he's "very optimistic" he'll be good to go for the postseason and that he'll stay as sharp as he can by locking it in for live se sions against hitters once he's ready to throw again. Keeping his mechanics and delivery in check are the most important parts of his game, pivotal in producing those pre-All-Star Game results."For me, if I see a hitter in the box and my sinker's moving like it is, I know I can go in a game and trust it," he said.Holmes' injury comes on the same day that Zack Britton exited the game with left arm fatigue, a concerning setback for a pitcher that
Cam Bedrosian Jersey 's trying to work back from Tommy John surgery. Left-hander Wandy Peralta is already on the injured list while other healthy relievers, like Aroldis Chapman, have a question mark hanging over them when it comes to their effectivene s and standing for this club's postseason roster."It is what it is," Boone said. "We're trying to get them all healthy and ready. Still feel like we have really good options down there. There's no use crying about what you do or don't have. You've got to make the most of what you do. And
J. C. Ramirez Jersey the reality is we still have a lot of really talented guys down there and like Clay, for example, I do feel like he's gonna be right back in that mix."MORE:
The Mariners are now 1-3
Zack Wheeler Jersey on their current homestand, dropping Monday night's series opener against the Twins by a score of 3-2.For the second day in a row, it was a tale of two units for Seattle. The pitching staff put together a good enough outing to win, but the offense provided too little support to push acro s the finish line.After being limited to just one hit in Sunday's shutout lo s to the Red Sox, the Mariners recorded just four hits and scored an unearned run against Twins right-handed starter Chris Archer, who entered the game with a 3.65 ERA and a 4.92 FIP. They added two more hits on the night, including a solo home run, but were unable to mount a rally in the eighth and ninth innings against Minnesota's bullpen, despite getting runners on base.The Mariners will now look to stave off a second consecutive series lo s on Tuesday night, with right-handed pitcher Logan Gilbert (6-2, 2.41 ERA) taking on fellow righty Joe Ryan (5-2, 2.28 ERA) at 7:10 p.m. PT.Scroll to ContinueBut first: let's look back on the action from Monday night and go over Seattle's three best and worst individual performances from the uneventful lo s.3 UpRHP Chris FlexenYou probably just shouldn't pitch to Twins outfielder Byron Buxton, who entered the game already worth 1.0 fWAR in the month of June. But that's what Flexen did to start this game and he paid the price, serving up a 91.8 MPH, middle-middle fastball that Buxton deposited over the right-center field wall for a two-run blast in the first inning. After that, however, Flexen settled in a bit, limiting the damage to just the two runs over his 5.0 innings of work. In
Neil Walker Jersey all, he surrendered seven hits while striking out five, walking two and tallying a game-high 15 swings and mi ses. C Cal RaleighRaleigh continues to stay hot at the plate, leading the Mariners with three hard-hit balls on the night. Only one of thema double into the right-center field gapresulted in a hit, however. Neverthele s, Raleigh's proce s looks the
Darryl Strawberry Jersey best it has at the major league level and the results are starting to show for it. He is now fourth amongst all major league catchers in fWAR (0.5) since the start of June, slashing .242/.324/.576 with 159 wRC+ over that span. OF Taylor TrammellTrammell was 0 for his last 18 before hitting a solo home run off Twins right-handed reliever Jharel Cotton in the seventh. It's his second dinger of the season and 10th of his young career, going 423 feet out to right-center field at an exit velocity of 105.2 MPH. He also walked, bringing his slash line up to .250/.346/.523 through 53 plate appearances. Still a very small sample size, but the signs are encouraging and it was nice to see him bounce back from a minor slump in a big way. Yet he was still pinch-hit for in the bottom of the ninth, even though the Twins were throwing right-handed reliever Emilio Pagn and the Mariners had the right-handed hitting Dylan Moore (.182/.333/.318 versus righties) on deck. An interesting move by manager Scott Servais, to say the least.3 Down RHP Sergio Romo and LHP Ryan BoruckiTaking over in the seventh, Romo got his first matchup, second baseman Luis Arrez, to line out to center field. But after that, he fell victim to a weak single into left field by Buxton and followed that up with a five-pitch walk to shortstop Carlos Correa. As a result, Servais popped out of the dugout and motioned his left arm to the bullpen, calling upon left-
Keith Hernandez Jersey handed reliever Ryan Borucki to face fellow lefty Max Kepler. It did not work out, however, as Borucki served up an RBI single to Kepler, which proved to be the deciding run in the game. Certainly not what you want to see from your "lefty specialist." 3B Eugenio SurezSurez continues to sputter following his strong road trip, going
Michael Conforto Jersey 0 for 4 on the night with a pair of strikeouts. He's put together some truly awful at-bats through the first four games of this homestand. DH Abraham ToroIf you thought Surez's night was rough, Toro fared even worse. He, like Surez, went 0 for 4 in the game but added a third strikeout to his final tally, going down swinging on all of them. If the Mariners had a decent selection of in-house options, it would be about the time to talk about demoting the struggling Toro in order to help him find his swing. But they really don't right now, so it appears likely the 25-year old utility infielder will have to try and figure it out on the fly.
Toeing the rubber against the Oakland A's for the first time this season, Jos Urquidy twirled a career-high eight innings, yielding three runs on four hits and one walk en route to his eighth quality start of the season. After surrendering two runs in the second inning, the righty
David Wright Jersey retired 11 straight, collecting his first win over Oakland in his career. The 27-year-old only struck out two batters on the 98 pitches he threw.Over his last seven starts, Urquidy is sporting
Jacob DeGrom Jersey a 3.32 ERA in 43 1/3 innings pitched. The righty has struck out 31 batters in that span with a 0.95 WHIP to his name.After going down in order the first time through Friday, the Houston Astros got to Paul Blackburn quickly in the fourth. Aledmys Daz was the club's first base runner in the top of the inning with a one-out double, putting him in scoring position with Yordan lvarez to follow.lvarez continued his slugging ways, hitting an RBI double off the scoreboard in left field. Following the one-out double, Alex Bregman gave the Astros the lead with a two-run home run.Scroll to continueJake Meyers and Mauricio Dubn opened the fifth inning with back-to-back
Keith Hernandez Jersey singles, putting two on for a red-hot Martn Maldonado. The catcher followed a
Jeurys Familia Jersey three-hit game on Thursday with his third home run in the last seven days, belting a three-run blast in the top of the inning.The offense didn't stutter with a four-run lead. With two outs in the seventh, Bregman roped a double off the wall in left field, advancing lvarez from first to third. Kyle Tucker and Yuli Gurriel followed with some insurance, driving in both runners on two-out singles.Jeremy Pea who was out of the lineup Thursday due
Juan Lagares Jersey to health and safety protocols was cleared Friday, according to Danielle Lerner of the . The rookie was in the dugout in Oakland but did not appear in Thursday's contest.The Astros look to win the series at 3:07 p.m. Saturday in Oakland. Framber Valdez will look to counter lefty Zach Logue.More From SI's Inside The Astros:
For the most part, the Cleveland Indians excelled with trades in 2019.They added significant power to their offense when they moved Trevor Bauer midseason. Their swap of Edwin Encarnacion for Carlos Santana was followed by the latter having the best season of his career.For the most part was said for a reason, though.Cleveland didnt see the same succe s when dealing infielder Yandy Diaz to Tampa for outfielder and first baseman Jake Bauers. During his first year with the Tribe, Bauers disappointed both on the field and off it.One season is obviously too early to declare a winner in this trade. However, saying the Indians need far more from Bauers in 2020 is the understatement of the year
John Smoltz Jersey .Cleveland fans were hardly thrilled to see Diazs departure. Despite proving to be a consistent hitter in intermittent playing time, the team was never willing to find him an everyday role. In trading Diaz away, it seemed the Indians were giving up on him too early.If supporters were upset about this, what they saw from Bauers hardly eased their concerns. While his
Deion Sanders Jersey fielding was average, his offense left a ton to be desired.For starters, comparing 2019 slash lines of Diaz and Bauers doesnt exactly make Cleveland look wise for making this swap.Diaz .267/.340/.476Bauers .226/.312/.371The deeper you dig in, the bleaker this trade looks.In 2019, Bauers saw year-over-year decreases with the following stats OBP, slugging percentage, OPS, RBIs, walks, walk rate, WAR and wRC+. His wRAA, which varied from average to great during his five-year stint in the minors, dropped to -8.6. One of the only notable increases seen was with Bauers strikeouts and strikeout rate.Despite his struggles, the Indians seemed content to keep giving him opportunities. They waited and waited for Bauers to get going, continuing to provide him every day at-bats. They kept slotting him in or around the middle of the lineup, as 41% of his plate appearances came batting sixth.Scroll to ContinueIt never paid off. Bauers continued to reward Clevelands patience with underwhelming offense. Even in June, when his slugging percentage (.506) and OPS (.787) hit their 2019 peaks, his strikeout rate increased (30.5%) while his walk rate plummeted (4.9%).To his credit, Bauers did improve his
Tom Glavine Jersey plate discipline after being sent to the minors in August. Upon his return to Cleveland, he logged a significantly higher walk rate (25.0%). Also ballooning, though, was his strikeout rate (32.5%). Meanwhile, his slash line never looked worse than it did in September (.138/.350/.276).Again, one year isnt enough proof to determine winners and losers in a trade. Still, this move didnt exactly get off to the right start for the Indians.At the very least, it appears theyre well aware of this.Manager Terry Francona said the team had a long exit interview with Bauers at seasons end, as he pushed the 24-year-old to focus on consistency and routines next season. This was due mostly to his ignoring these concepts last year.Per Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com, Bauers would skip batting cage se sions on days after a solid game at the plate. Likewise, he wasnt terribly interested in taking coaching advice following contests where he went hitle s.It goes without saying the Tribe needs to see
Dale Murphy Jersey significant progre s from Bauers in 2020. Hes shown plenty of potential, but doing so le s sporadically will be crucial in the season ahead.In a bit of good news, initial projections see improvements ahead for Bauers. Both Steamers and FanGraphs predict increases in his slash line and a slight bump in WAR.That said, projections have been wrong before. After all, Bauers slash line fell well short of what was predicted for him last season.Steamers 2019 projection .245/.329/.415ZiPS 2019 projection . 240/.329/.406Achieving or exceeding whats predicted for him in 2020 will require much more commitment from Bauers. The Indians showed throughout last season they were serious about betting on him, giving him numerous chances to prove investing in him was a smart call.One would hope Bauers comes through for them this year. Otherwise, we can go ahead and chalk this trade up as a rare lo
Greg Maddux Jersey s for Clevelands front office.
Chicago Cubs prospectJavier A sad made his MLB
R.A. Dickey Jersey debut against the division-leading St. Louis Cardinals in game one of a day-night doubleheader.A sad ran into a little first inning trouble after a leadoff double from Cardinals' Lars Nootbar but escaped without damage after three groundouts. In the second, the young prospect picked a good guy to record his first career strikeout against, getting Albert Pujols on the outside corner.Adam Wainwright ran into trouble in a tough third inning. With runners on first and third, Nico Horner hit a short chopper just above his head and drove in Christopher Morel.The Cubs added on with an Ian Happ walk, and a single from Seiya Suzuki to make it 2-0 after three. Adam Wainwright struggled with his pitch
Tom Glavine Jersey count through the first four, with over 80 pitches but settled down for the fifth and sixth, saving most of the bullpen for the night game.A sad went two more innings
Chipper Jones Jersey scorele s but would be taken out in the fifth after a Nootbar double and a walk to Brandon Donovan. A sad went four-plus, allowing just four hits and striking out three. He was plagued by walks but an overall succe sful outing for the rookie.Michael Rucker got out of the jam and came back out for a one-two-
Scott Kazmir Jersey three sixth.Scroll to ContinueIn the seventh, Sean Newcomb faced the minimum and would've went the full inning if not for a throwing error. Erich Uelmen allowed a single to Paul Goldschmidt but settled down against Nolan Arenado for a scorele s seventh. Uelmen would come back out for the eighth
Deion Sanders Jersey and went unscathed outside of hitting Paul DeJong.Jojo Romero pitched two scorele s innings for the Cardinals but wouldn't matter about Brandon Hughes retired the side in order for the ninth for his third career save.The Cubs got the only offense needed in the third in a quick 2-0 shutout over the Cardinals, improving their record to 53-69 on the season.More From SI's Inside The Cubs
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We here at Inside the Cubs hope you have a wonderful day with your family and it is full of gratitude! Also, we would like to extend a "thank you" of our own to you, our reader, as you have kept up with us since our launch in August.So, without further ado, let's get down to the roundup!Carlos CorreaAs we almost all know by now, the Chicago Cubs are going to be heavily pursuing one of the four big free agent shortstops.Since the and now is their opportunity to go get
Walter Payton Jersey him. At just 28 years old, Correa is the youngest of the bunch, but will likely command the largest contract.Some estimations are running from eight-years and $250 million all the way to $300 million-plus. Regardle s, the Cubs should be in on Correa who could jumpstart their contention window.Trea TurnerHere is another shortstop that has been . Turner's speed and athleticism are things dreams are made of, and he is the prototypical leadoff man.Turner will likely come just a hair cheaper than Correa, but not by much. Whether Chicago goes in the direction of Turner or Correa will depend on how Jed Hoyer feels that day. Both are electric, both will come at a steep price, and both will be franchise-altering.Xander BogaertsIn the case of Bogaerts, there was a , Scott Boras, at the GM meetings in Las Vegas, NV earlier this month. It is worth noting considering
Buster Skrine Jersey that they are in the market for a shortstop, but this one sounds like nothing more than kicking the tires.Jos AbreuThe Cubs are in need of a first baseman and nobody makes more sense than Abreu. Perhaps that is why . At 35 years old, he won't be inked to some ma sive multi-year deal, which is probably seen as a positive for the club, but he will provide excellent production and is a former MVP winner.Abreu has lost some pop in his bat the last few years as his home run numbers have come down, but his ability to still hit the ball and put it in play is as good as it has ever been. While there may be no true "perfect" fit, Abreu is about as close as it gets for this young Cubs team.Cody BellingerOn the surface, this one makes sense. Bellinger was just non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers and is seeking a one-year, get right deal. His shoulder injury he incurred in 2020 still affected him in 2022, which could explain his significant drop off from his 2019 MVP season to his nearly unplayable 2022 season.If Bellinger does rebound, then the Cubs will have struck gold. As evidenced by the Philadelphia Phillies, a team only needs to sneak into the playoffs to make some noise. An improved Chicago squad with a healthy Bellinger could do just that in 2023. Perhaps that's why the .ChristianVzquez Vzquez is another player that makes sense for Chicago. He is a true two-way catcher as he has evidenced throughout his
Mitchell Trubisky Jersey career with the Boston Red Sox, and most recently with the Houston Astros, with whom he won a World Series.With the departure of Willson Contreras, the Cubs will likely not want to enter the season with Yan Gomes as their starter.Vzquez's career slashline of .261/.310/.386 is well above average production offensively for the catcher's position. He has also been heralded for his defense and ability to call games.Seems like a good fit, , and he will come with a cheaper price tag than Contreras.Aaron JudgeLet's start by saying this: yes, the Cubs have interest, but so does every team.Scroll to ContinueOkay, now the real i sue standing in the way of this happening is years and dollars. Chicago doesn't want to go past five years on a deal. Judge will demand at least six, likely seven years on his next contract.Does $40 million a year sound too steep for the Ricketts family? Well, Judge is going to want close to that.Outside of all of that, yes, Judge makes perfect sense.Who knows, maybe with fewer years and it gets the job done.Jacob deGromThe Cubs are willing to extend deGrom a three-year deal according to a new report. That is the minimum amount of years it will take to get a deal done and the AAV will have to be at or above Max Scherzer's three-year, $130 million deal.It would not be unreasonable to think that deGrom could command a $150 million salary over three years. Again, , and yes, the years on the contract actually make sense on this one. But the financial capital?That remains to be seen.Justin VerlanderThere
Trey Burton Jersey hasn't been any real reported interest yet between the Cubs and Verlander, but I think there should be. , and it goes something like this:Yes, he is 39 years old, but his recent performances and peripherals show no indication of slowing down. It would only take a two-year commitment, will cost le s than deGrom, and his ability to mentor the young players in the rotation likeJustin Steele, Javier A sad, and Hayden Wesneski is indispensable.It's a good read and if you have doubts about Verlander it may just change your mind.Just pay the man. He is the best bang for Chicago's buck when looking at the totality of the situation.Odds and EndsThere have been some . He might be a good fit, but his age and injury history are a cause for concern.Miami Marlins starter , and he would make a good fit for the Cubs rotation. He slots in nicely with a group of young guys who would make up a core for years to come. But, the price tag in terms of prospects may be too steep.Finally, pitcher David Robertson could make a return
Mike Singletary Jersey and starter Corey Kluber is reportedly on Chicago's radar.And that's it folks! We hope you all have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!More From SI's Inside The Cubs
