For the past few years, there’s been a new trend in how some batters are approaching hitting. That approach pisses off John Smoltz and has become something of a hot button topic throughout Major League Baseball. The idea itself isn’t anything new, but it’s never been as unilaterally applied as it now is throughout the […]
Author: Bill Thompson
2019 Player Profile: Duane Underwood
Duane Underwood finally brought his considerable talents to the big league club in 2018. It was only one game and four innings pitched, but personally, it felt good to finally see Underwood in a Chicago Cubs jersey during the regular season. Position: Starting/Relief Pitcher 2018 Stats: For the Iowa Cubs the right-hander posted an ERA […]
Cubs 2018 Rule 5 Draft Preview
Thursday, December 13th is not a day that many Chicago Cubs fans have marked on their calendars. It’s the end of the annual Winter Meetings, and if there are any blockbuster trades or big free agent signings during the 2018 Meetings they will have taken place before the 13th, most likely. For some, the 13th […]
Willson Contreras: It’s All in the Pop, Part 2
Very early into the 2018 season, I dug into an aspect of Willson Contreras’ defensive game that fans and pundits alike have viewed as a strength for him even as he’s struggled offensively: his ability to throw runners out. I specifically focused on this because Contreras tends to get a bad rap defensively, namely because […]
2019 Player Profile: Jen-Ho Tseng
Last year I wrote about Jen-Ho Tseng being a viable starting rotation option for the 2018 Chicago Cubs. His chance came in one game and he lasted a total of two innings. Perhaps the time has come to move on from the soft-tossing right-hander? Position: Starting/Relief Pitcher 2018 Stats: Chicago Cubs: one game, two innings […]
2019 Player Profile: Cole Hamels
When the Chicago Cubs made a trade deadline deal for Cole Hamels in 2018 it was considered, by most, to be nothing more than a minor move of little consequence. Fast forward to the end of 2018 and Hamels had found himself again and become the best pitcher on the Cubs and one of the […]
Player Profile 2019: Daniel Murphy
As the trade deadline passed in 2018 the Chicago Cubs had only made a few minor deals. Though those deals ended up working out very well for the team, namely in the bullpen, the front office wasn’t finished. Enter a waiver wire trade for Daniel Murphy. Position: Second Base 2018 Stats: With the Cubs, Murphy […]
Dakota Mekkes: A Backend Option for 2019?
Down the stretch for the 2018 Chicago Cubs, there was one glaring problem with the team: their silent bats. Fans, the front office, the manager, reporters, and every single person watching the team focused on that problem, and with good reason. With the Milwaukee Brewers slowly gaining ground and bludgeoning most teams the lack of […]
2019 Player Target: Nathan Eovaldi
Nathan Eovaldi was going to find himself as a free agent of some interest heading into the 2019 offseason. Following the playoffs, the flame-throwing right-hander may have made himself the most interesting free agent pitcher of all. Position: Starting/Relief Pitcher 2018 Stats: Combined between the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox, Eovaldi produced a […]
2018 Player Profile: Victor Caratini
Coming out of spring training in 2018 the Chicago Cubs didn’t have many tough decisions to make. One of the very few was Willson Contreras’ back-up at catcher. In a surprising move, at the time at least, the Cubs passed over veteran Chris Gimenez and named Víctor Caratini as their opening day 2018 backup catcher. […]