Bertz

I don't sub to BA anymore, so did Badler not list Fernando Cruz at all (essentially confirming he's a 2024 guy), or did he link him to another team?

Why wouldn't Devers sign an extension as a condition of the trade? Is he a Boras client? I tried to look it up, but I couldn't find his agent. He's a perfect fit for what this team needs. I'm sure he would, what I'm saying is that trading e.g. Morel and then giving Devers $300M+ doesn't feel like something Jed's going to do right at the start of this window. Especially with Correa, Turner, Arenado (probably), and Swanson all available in FA for just the money. Jed's going to be less pedal to the metal than Theo was. This isn't going to be an offseason of just one year pillow contracts but at the same time I think anyone expecting multiple 9 figure contracts or some other similarly balls out approach is setting themselves up for major disappointment.

I'd be very surprised by a trade for someone like Devers. Feels like this is a year too early to go make a huge trade for a star, especially a walk year guy. I could see Ohtani, just because he's so special you've gotta make that sort of deal when it comes around, but a more "ordinary" star like Devers would shock me. Something like Pablo Lopez feels like the top end of the non-Ohtani options I'd anticipate?

Depending on how the playoffs go wondering if we see similar for PCA and the other standouts at SB

On the rotation side, Wicks and Brown are probably second half options too. SSS but both appear to be figuring out AA. That said I'd still probably be reticent to dip too far into the SP stock for trade. Setting aside Mills and Sampson, the former of which is definitely roster fodder and the latter probably is, I probably only feel comfortable trading one. I love all the SP depth, but on a guy-by-guy basis it's not hard to go through and pick the list apart. Plus we just saw in May how quickly horsefeathers can hit the fan and you can end up giving multiple starts to your #8/#9 guys. I'm probably more cavalier than most about "just throw a bunch of talented guys with options at the roster and things will work out," but even for me the volume plan only works if you maintain volume. The OF though, Jed can spend a good chunk of that capital if he wants. Davis, Canario, and Nwogu are all essentially the same profile. There's also Velazquez, who is already up and yet another power/whiff RHH bat who's a bit of a CF tweener. Offensively Morel is cut from the same cloth, and Alcantara is yet another guy in that mold a year or two further out. I'd try and avoid touching PCA (lefty, a couple grades higher on defense) or Morel (versatile, already here), but honestly the org could move several outfielders this winter and I wouldn't bat an eyelash. I'd even go as far as to say it'd be irresponsible for all three of Davis/Canario/Velazquez to be in the org on March 1st.

Yeah this has been really big. On August 1st you'd have said that Suzuki would probably be fine next year, but you wouldn't feel super confident. At this point there's no need to worry about him, the question is whether he's a solid starter or the borderline star he was projected to be coming over.

Chourio is a big problem

The more broken the play, the more I love the dots

Baumann is about as far from a cheerleader for MLB as you can get so I think this is a lot more meaningful than it'd be from like an MLB.com writer. On the shift: On the pitch clock: I basically quoted the entire article, but it merits it.

The radar looks pretty clean after another ~hour or so, I'd bet they get it in.

Just put $5 on the 49ers live at +1200 to hedge my emotional bets

Given how many weapons they have, it's wild how many hits SF is letting Lance take.

The rain getting going again right as the Bears take a 2-score lead is pretty clutch too

I wonder how much of the 1st half was just JF being nervous for the first game. I think we're not giving enough credence to the weather impact. Things started getting a little better when the rain first started letting up midway through the 2nd IMO

I mean, he's going to win it Pretty severe waste either way

Kyle Shanahan brain genius just used a challenge on a 4 yard gain on 1st down in the first quarter

So Wittenmyer fairly confidently claimed last night that Smyly's option is for 10 million, and it's a club option and not mutual. Brett for one seems to be taking that at face value with the caveat that the team itself used the word mutual in announcing it: https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2022/09/10/drew-smylys-incredible-outing-and-the-status-of-his-2023-contract-option/ It's good to have options, but I have a hard time seeing a scenario where keeping Smyly is a good idea. He'd be extremely underwhelming as the sole SP addition, and $10M is way steep for some sort of depth "you can never have too much pitching" type of add.

Opening day 1B

Nwogu on base four more times tonight. Unreal tear right now

7 walks and 26 strikeouts in 18 innings since he came off the IL

Yeah Hughes has been great. I feel very comfortable with him even in leverage spots already. Leiter has been good in relief too. His overall numbers are blech but he's been strong out of the pen, and even early in his starts. He has a 2.70/.3.94/3.33 ERA/FIP/xFIP against hitters first time through the order this year. I don't know how well I'd trust him in a leverage spot, but I'm cool with him. That splitter or change or whatever it is a weapon. I wonder if over the offseason they can coax some more velo out of him if there's no need to worry about throwing 100+ innings? Similarly I wonder if Assad might play up in shorter outings. Could he just do cutter/curve a la David Robertson? When Steele and/or Thompson come back I'd love to shorten up on Assad and see what happens. Given the quality of the stuff, it's not going to take me long to trust Estrada. He's absolutely a guy who even with only a month left in the season could cement a late inning role for next year in my mind. It'd be nice if one of Rucker/Uelmen/Manny could pop, but I'm not counting on it.

If this Yan Gomes' heater lasts a little longer he may get his season line back up to about where you'd have expected coming into the year.