BigbadB

I'll go with Marvell Wynne.

Watching those guys skate last night was absolutely amazing. The best of the best playing their hearts out. I won't even tune into "all star games". Sign me up for more of that.

I did a bunch of stuff in anticipation of sitting down to watch the game, only to find that MLB Network isn't on You Tube TV. I'm having a tough time justifying my monthly YTTV service these days. I did remove $20 worth of service from them yesterday as payback, plus that $20 now pays for my Marquee app. How are they not providing MLB Network to their customers? Geez.

Workman hasn't played an inning above AA ball. He's probably better off if the Cubs make some sort of trade official and dumping him to AAA where he can hit everyday rather than rotting on the bench as a little used lefty bat. Or just return him to Detroit and find a lefty hitting INF/OF option.

Losing Morez likely for the rest of the season doomed their chances of being good.

Probably Workman.

Correct. I pay about an equal amount to California as I do Illinois. My source of income is from California, but I live in Illinois. I don't earn anything from Illinois. The little bit of income I get from Missouri doesn't even qualify as owing taxes.

I don't think anyone is jumping up and down for joy that Turner is a Cub now. I don't think anyone here would have crafted an offseason plan that would have included Turner. He's getting paid more than he's likely worth. But, given where this offseason has led the Cubs brass, he's a decent signing this late in the ballgame. While I do agree it's important to consider cap space on any signings, I don't see how overpaying for a bench bat when there is plenty in the coffers to not only sign Turner and possibly another pitcher, but they'd still have plenty left at the trade deadline. Overspending on a budget actually works if you managed to keep enough in reserve to be able to make those types of signings. I also think he'll end up with a lot of at bats, and not necessarily at the expense of the better bats. Injuries happen, and Turner is 100% the first DH option the moment someone is missing time, whether it's for a DL stint or days of rest. I think there will be a lot of rotating of outfielders to get Suzuki plenty of time in the field since he's not all that keen on being a full time DH. Grichuk just wasn't coming to Chicago. There is already 4 OFers blocking him from playing the field, and there is really no position he fills as a bench guy that wasn't already covered. Grichuck hasn't played a single inning at 1b in his entire MLB career, and that's something that was a bit needed. As much as Ryanrc thinks any athlete can play 1b, and in a pinch, I think good athletes can catch a ball, I have to agree with Cubs brass that having one with experience that can also hit is a much better idea than just winging it. Whether Turner deserves 6m or not: A combination of Workman, Brujan, Kelly, Berti and Canario is not as good of a bench as Workman, Turner, Kelly, Berti and Canario, and benches do matter. It drove me nuts seeing Wisdom being the best bench bat at times in previous seasons. No one is going to be sitting here waiting for "I told you so's" at the end of the season if the Cubs stay relatively healthy all year and Turner only logs about 125-150 at bats. You sign a decent bench bat for the risk there will be that many and possibly a whole lot more.

Think that's about all he'll play besides DH. Berti has the other infield positions covered. I'd even bet on BJ Murray or someone in the minors logging more time at 3rd than Turner if Shaw had to miss significant time.

They need to sign at least 2 starters in free agency. Even then, you're counting on at least one player from the draft to step in on day 1. Not sure you want two rookies protecting your QB after last season's failures. If the plan is to continue with Braxton Jones at LT, the holes can be filled a lot more easily, but I'd guess about 3/5's or more of the cap space the Bears have should be spent on OLine, if not more. The depth on the OLine is just as concerning.

Yep. There is plenty of talent to make a trade work. They just have to stop asking for Shaw.

I'd also give the nod to Turner as a righty hitter. The times to give Busch a day off would be a day where they face a tough lefty, and Turner would be a better handcuff than Rizzo.

I think you are undervaluing the position way too much. It's one thing to have an average fielding guy at 1st. It's another to put guys out there that just don't play 1b. There is way more going on at that position than you are letting on. There are pick offs from the pitcher and catcher. There are throws from 3rd and short that are hoppers, or off base. There are places to be moving to when runners are in motion. There's places to be when a runner doesn't take off as the pitch is delivered. There are a lot of foul ball plays that require an ability to avoid injury making plays on balls around the dugout. Bunts. Knowing when to take your foot off the base to chase an errant throw to prevent extra bases, etc... The biggest thing to me is being a legit ball retriever from your all gold glove ability infield. Reducing their defensive play ability with an inexperienced guy you are just throwing out there because "anyone can play 1b" changes them to no longer gold glovers. I'm not really clamoring for Turner because I'm enamored with him in some way. I just don't see how you can be happy with the current roster as it's currently constructed, whether you add Bregman or not. You need an experienced backup 1b, and there is no one in AA or AAA that qualifies as that, let alone the roster. Everywhere else outside of SS if you traded Hoerner, there are backup options in the minors, And that's why trading Hoerner because they "signed Bregman" is a big no for me. Even signing Bregman means you still have to make room for a backup 1b regardless. Not sure how they plan to fit all that in their budget, but it absolutely needs to happen.

Down by 42 at the half to a .500 team. lol.

I didn't say it directly, but I think my point is that signing Turner now might be more sensible than playing out a Bregman deal that may never happen, and then you potentially lose out on a decent backup 1b option as well.

Seems there would still be a gaping hole at backup 1b if they did sign Bregman. Who are the current candidates? Workman, Berti, Brujan, Shaw, Happ, Suzuki? You have about 10 professional games at 1b between them. I would certainly hate to see one of Suzuki or Hoerner moved for a backup 1b. I suppose if you could get a mid rotation starter and a good backup 1b, it might be worth considering. I'm just not fond of this weird Bregman love, which seems to require some other move to make it work.

I have an old Samsung and I haven't checked it yet, but I probably should have mentioned that I downloaded Marquee to my phone. I'll have to use Air Play. I do still have a couple of working Fire Sticks laying around that I can download the app to, also, if casting ends up being a problem. I haven't done much of that.

I think trading for Tucker and letting him get away without an extension will have been the wrong plan. But you weren't getting an extension pre-trade, period. Tucker knows his big pay day is next year and he should be planning on letting the bidding begin, unless the Cubs give him an offer that is too good to pass up. And they absolutely should give him that deal. And that is the one thing that makes trading for him on a one year deal worth it. You have all season to talk him into an extension he will want to sign. Whether the Cubs brass have the cajones to drop that kind of coin remains to be seen. But if Tucker has a great year, it will be hard to just watch him walk, especially if he goes to a market that isn't as big as Chicago.

I just downloaded the Marquee Network, so I'm ready.

I'd definitely like to see him return.

I watched the second half (for some reason I only have one CHSN channel, so it didn't tune into the Bulls game until after the Hawks game was over) with no sound, but Jimmy sure seemed to get comfortable in his new uniform in the second half.

That power play goal in the 2nd period was a thing of beauty.

Are the refs brave enough to make a call in the Chiefs favor now that the most popular Super Bowl discussion leading up to the game has been the refs playing favorites with the Chiefs?

So how many "very good" players do they think they have right now?

I just don't see why it can't be sign Bregman and call it an offseason. Don't trade anyone. Defer whatever amount necessary to stay within the cap, because the tax penalty is probably 2 or 3 times more costly than the deferred amount. And then you have a premium player like Shaw getting a bit more time in AAA, a beneficial upgrade to the roster by keeping Hoerner. I get having clean books and all, but if you are only deferring what amounts to a middle reliever/back end of the rotation salary, so what?