Yes, this is an A.J. Pierzynski hate post because I cannot believe his take on the Chicago Cubs letting go of Jameson Taillon earlier this week. No, it’s not that serious, but it’s kind of annoying that this is the type of analysis MLB fans are getting, and this isn’t a case where the former player has to be sought after by his audience on a podcast, A.J. Pierzynski is going to be the lead analyst on Fox for Saturday’s game featuring the Cubs and New York Yankees.
So, if at any point during that broadcast, you raise an eyebrow thinking that whatever came out of Pierzynski’s mouth sounded off, just remember that he’s confused as to why the Cubs designated one of the worst starting pitchers in MLB for assignment.
He notes that Taillon has obviously had a rough year, posting a 5.92 ERA while allowing 25 home runs in 76 innings, but, for some reason, argues that the Cubs need innings. Well, sure, over the course of a 162-game season, every team is going to need guys to pitch and fill in, especially if there are several injuries on the pitching staff, as the Cubs have had in 2026. Yet, we’re not talking about the Cubs trying to get by, they’re trying to win, and what they need down the stretch are competitive innings.
It was clear to everyone watching, except for A.J., that Taillon was done. Who knows, maybe he goes off and trains with a personal staff and he finds something with another team, but the Cubs do not have the luxury of waiting around for him to get back on track this year.
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He goes on to praise Taillon as a teammate, and I guess that’s the real lesson here as much as I want to shit on A.J. Taillon has been in the league since 2016 with the Pittsburgh Pirates to begin his career and the Yankees before signing a four-year deal with the Cubs. By all accounts, Taillon is a great dude, a great teammate, a smart guy, and when you bring that positive energy, guess what? You’re going to be beloved by the people around you, and that will extend to the media.
Because there is simply no other explanation for Pierzynski being so dumbfounded by the Cubs moving on from Taillon than that he’s a well-liked player, and you now have another ex-player in the media who will try to say positive things about him. But hey, Pierzynski shouldn’t have stopped there, because if he actually felt that Taillon should have stuck around, then he should have advocated for the White Sox to sign him for the league minimum because they need pitching help, too.
So yeah, can’t wait for more insight from A.J. during Saturday’s Cubs vs. Yankees game on Fox.
