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Cubs Option The GOAT To Triple-A, New Reliever Added To Roster

By
Aldo Soto
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The Chicago Cubs added newly acquired reliever Brandon Kintzler to their bullpen and with no one else having options left in their contract besides Randy Rosario, it was the lefty who was the odd-man out.

Rosario, who quickly became a fan-favorite, was optioned before Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates to make room for Kintzler.

The Cubs claimed Rosario off waivers last November from the Minnesota Twins and after being called up and sent down a few times in May, he finally stayed in the Cubs’ bullpen since May 26.

The lefty has appeared in 26 games for the Cubs this year, pitching 32 innings and putting up a great 1.97 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. He didn’t allow a run in his first 7.2 innings and Cubs fans granted him with GOAT status.

The GOAT will definitely be back by September, when rosters expand.

Meanwhile, Kintzler arrives to the Cubs after posting a 3.59 ERA with the Washington Nationals. He has previous closing experience, recording 29 saves in 2017.

Amid Criticism Yu Darvish Takes Another Step Toward Coming Back To Cubs

By
Aldo Soto
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It hasn’t been a smooth comeback for Yu Darvish since suffering a setback in June, a month after he was placed on the disabled list with a triceps injury. Yet, his return to the Cubs is getting closer, as Darvish has taken another positive step in his rehab.

Darvish threw 35 pitches in a bullpen session on Tuesday in Pittsburgh, a few days after he made an adjustment in his delivery in St. Louis, where he said he felt pain at first. It’s all positive on the Darvish news now.

On Tuesday morning Cubs’ pitching Jim Hickey followed up with another positive development, saying Darvish will throw in a simulated game sometime in the next few days.

So, when you take into account the two simulated games and possibly two or three rehab starts and hopefully with no more setbacks, Darvish could be back as soon as Aug. 28, when the Cubs play against the New York Mets.

Of course, the team could just wait and would make it easier with the rosters expanding, until Sept. 1, to bring back Darvish. Again, the biggest thing is for Darvish to be healthy, get back in time to get a full month before the playoffs and if everything goes well, he’ll be a part of a deep postseason run with the Cubs.

Going back to Darvish’s return, Mike Montgomery would be moved back to the bullpen and hopefully that will get him back on track, as he’s been a little rocky during that last month after doing an incredible job filling in for Darvish in the rotation.

So, if all goes well in the next two simulated games for Darvish, he should be heading out for his rehab starts on Aug. 11 or 12, and if all goes according to plan he could be back with the Cubs two weeks after or at the latest Sept. 1.

History Proves Keith And Seabrook May Have Lots Of Good Hockey Left

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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Hockey is a tough game but hockey players have some of the longest careers in sports. Over the last couple seasons we’ve heard about Blackhawks defensemen Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook getting too old and being worn out. While they’ve obviously lost a step, I still believe they have a lot of hockey left in them and have history to back it up.

Over 30 years old is certainly not a death sentence by NHL standards. Chris Chelios, Nicklas Lidstrom, Ray Whitney, Zdeno Chara and Ray Bourque are just a few all-time great D-men who played into their 40s. Keith and Seabrook are only 35 and 33 respectively.

What really got me thinking about this was Chris Chelios’ career. He played until he was 48 years old and won 2 Stanley Cups after 40. 

Chelios was also an anomaly known for partying hard and working out harder. It’s been well-documented how he would stay up partying later than anyone and still be the first guy at the gym in the morning.

Keith is always mentioned in the talks of best conditioned NHL players. Seabrook not known for his workouts is now turning heads this summer. I would never question Seabs work ethic or his word because it seems like he wants to prove people wrong and show them he has a lot left.

In addition to their training there are a couple other positives about their careers. Neither have ever been linked to being chronic partiers or ever really had serious injuries.

“But they’ve played so many games!” So did the guys I mentioned previously. Lidstrom made the playoffs every season in his 20 year career, Chelios only missed once in his final season and Chara has been 13/20 seasons. This isn’t a valid excuse because hockey players are machines.

I’m not denying that Keith and Seabrook haven’t declined slightly but I don’t think they’re done yet. The difference between them and those players is that the other organizations recognized it.

The problem isn’t the duo. It’s the Blackhawks not putting the correct defensive pieces around them and Coach Q not giving younger players a chance. These two shouldn’t be looked upon to carry the whole defense anymore.

We can be honest that neither at their prime could be replaced. Though without playing anyone new, they won’t be able to find anyone new. Both saw small declines in time on ice but in all honesty were only seeing one, maybe two, less shifts per game last season.

Keith can still battle as a top 2 defenseman for a few more years but Seabs is better suited to work with a much faster partner in second pairing. Seabrook faired much better when his minutes declined as last season went on and will be valuable to the team more as on ice coach.

Aside from their dependability on the ice, both are invaluable in the dressing room and on the ice for younger players. It would be hard to argue that either of them wouldn’t be captains on many other NHL teams.

Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t think the Blackhawks will be very good this season but it won’t be the fault of the pair. The team just doesn’t have the right guys around them or they just haven’t been developed yet. It will most likely be another year of Keith and Seabrook being blamed for the team’s defensive struggles which is unfortunate.

Keith and Seabrook started their NHL careers on the same night and their names will always be synonymous with each other as well as the Blackhawks. Without either of them there would probably one or two less Stanley Cups to brag about. I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything.

They went through some lean seasons through the start of the careers and have earned everything. It’s a shame people are willing to turn on them for matters out of their control.

I don’t know how this season will play out but I know Keith and Seabrook still have a few good seasons left in them. Hockey history doesn’t lie.

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter for more Blackhawks news and musings.

Retiring Cornerback Gets In One Last Dig at Jay Cutler

By
Erik Lambert
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jay cutler

Everybody knows that Jay Cutler didn’t exactly have a lot of friends across the NFL. Sure there were people who liked him, but there were far more who didn’t. They thought he was offputting and cocky. He had a mouth on him too. That made it easy for him to accumulate some enemies over his long career. One of the most notorious was cornerback DeAngelo Hall.

The roots of their rivalry began in 2008. Hall was spending one year with the Oakland Raiders. His lone encounter with Cutler came on opening night. The Denver Broncos quarterback torched the Raiders for 300 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-14 bashing. It was a humiliation for Hall, who never seemed to forget about that.

Two years later he finally got his shot at revenge. Cutler was now quarterback of the Chicago Bears and Hall was with the Washington Redskins. In one of the most bizarre games ever seen between a QB and a corner, Cutler ended up throwing four interceptions. All of them to Hall, who returned one of them for a touchdown.

It was a low point for Cutler as the Bears lost 17-14. It was also the signature game of Hall’s career.

Now retiring, Hall couldn’t resist sniping Jay Cutler one more time

Some might say he never quite got over that game. Otherwise, why would Hall reference it so clearly during his retirement speech from the Redskins? Understanding that his career, while a success that included three Pro Bowls, was also a disappointment. If not for constant injury issues he probably should’ve ended up in the Hall of Fame.

Thus he unloaded a biting joke at the former Bears quarterback to explain why he won’t.

In fairness, Hall played against Cutler four times in his career. The only time he intercepted him was on that day in 2010. It was just one of those things where the avalanche had started and there was no way to stop it. Still, the comment is a true stinger. A reminder that Cutler was average enough to where good-not-great cornerbacks can make him the butt of their retirement jokes.

Cubs Came To Yu Darvish’s Defense And It Was Beautiful

By
Aldo Soto
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I know, I know, of course Yu Darvish’s teammates and Joe Maddon are going to publicly support him after Alex Rodriguez’s comments on ESPN, but there have been several other situations where a team isn’t so forthcoming in defending a player from criticism.

Anyway, the Cubs coming to the defense of Darvish really was a thing of beauty. First, Maddon responded after Sunday’s night’s game with the following.

Maddon went on 670 The Score on Tuesday and expanded on his thoughts regarding Rodriguez’s allegations, projecting what seemed like his personal agenda on the Cubs’ clubhouse and Darvish.

“I was really shocked by the whole diatribe, in a sense a soliloquy,” Maddon said on the Bernstein & McKnight Show on 670 The Score on Tuesday afternoon. “It really came off to me as plastic and probably rehearsed in advance. It was definitely a contrived situation. That part of it, I didn’t really like either. Beyond the substance, it was definitely not extemporaneous. And that really is a concern too. Because if you walk into our locker trying to substantiate something, you’ve already made up your mind to do that. That’s kind of bothersome. These (national broadcasters), they see us two or three times here. They’re not in the presence of all of our guys. They really have no business making those kinds of comments. So having said all that, for me, it’s not about empowering Alex. I do not want to do that whatsoever.

“Because I think that’s what he’s looking for — is empowerment. And the other part is from our perspective, nobody contaminates our space. You as an individual should not permit it, we as a group are not going to permit it. We have a very tightly knit group. These guys are wonderful. They interest so well together, not only among themselves but also coaches, front office, etc. It’s a very tightly knit group. So when you attempt to come into our sanctum and say or make those kind of comments in a predetermined negative way, I don’t take kindly to that.”

“What I just said to you illustrates exactly how I feel about this. It’s one of those situations that a guy like him (Rodriguez) has to be careful, because now he can really sully his reputation in other clubhouses based on this irresponsible moment.”

(Joe Maddon)

Maddon said he talked with Darvish and reassured him that the comments were all crap.

That also came after Darvish’s agent went hard at Rodriguez on Monday.

Anthony Rizzo was on ESPN 1000, and he was asked if anyone in the Cubs’ clubhouse has an issue with Darvish.

“No. Not at all. Yu’s been great and he wants to get back and pitch. And we need him … He comes in everyday and does his work. It’s unfortunate, it’s tough: when you’re hurt, people question you a lot, but I think Yu’s doing the best he can to get back and be healthy.”

(Anthony Rizzo)

One of the ridiculous things that Rodriguez claimed was an issue regarding Darvish is that the pitcher should be in Arizona, working on his rehab there instead of being with the team because his teammates would get angry or some shit like that?

Anyway, Albert Almora Jr. was also on 670 The Score and he responded to the comments as well.

“As a teammate, I prefer guys being with us and us seeing what he’s doing,” Almora said in an interview with the McNeil & Parkins Show on 670 The Score on Tuesday afternoon. “That’s just my personal opinion, going back to ’16 when (Kyle) Schwarber got hurt. He asked to be (around) the team. That just shows what type of teammate he was, thinking about it like that. We want our team to stay close-knit. We’re brothers at the end of the day. I’m glad that he’s here with us.”

“There’s going to be people that are unhappy, but no one’s in our clubhouse. No one knows what we’re actually going through. No one knows what we’re dealing with. Yu’s a brother of ours. If he says he can’t go because something is hurting him or something is bothering and he’s hurt, then we got to respect that. We know he wants to win just as much as we do. I don’t think there’s any problem with us and Yu.”

“We want to get him back out there,” Almora said of Darvish. “He’s going to be a big part of us getting another World Series championship. We’re not down on him. We’re excited for when he comes back, and we’re trusting that he knows his body best. There’s no tension or hard feelings at all.”

(Albert Almora Jr.)

The best response may have come from Darvish himself, who despite being the one who was being dragged on national TV by A-Rod, said the following.

You can be frustrated as a fan and honestly who isn’t right now, but there is no way you can look at Darvish and say you dislike him. Has he been a disappointment so far? Of course, he hasn’t pitched since May 20, and has a 4.95 ERA, but how about you calm down with the “he’s soft as baby shit” takes. It’s year one with Darvish.

If you actually feel that he should be pitching right now while he’s hurt, then you really don’t care about the long-term success of Darvish and the Cubs.

But hey, if you want to be on A-Rod’s side of this, go right ahead.

Bears Veteran Tells Everyone Why Roquan Issue Is No Big Deal

By
Erik Lambert
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roquan smith

The Roquan Smith issue continues to drag on for the Chicago Bears. It’s the lone distraction for a team that’s otherwise managed to avoid them this offseason. Matt Nagy is settling in as head coach. Mitch Trubisky is getting to know his new offense. There haven’t been any significant injuries so far, which is a blessing. It’s basically what the team’s doing in practice and Smith. That’s it.

So naturally, it’s hard for Bears fans to talk about anything else. They haven’t experienced a first round pick holding out like this before. It’s rather unprecedented and the entire league is fascinated by it. Not because the issue is contentious. Reports hint the two sides remain in communication but because the situation isn’t normal.

Smith is supposedly holding out due to his fears regarding the new NFL helmet rule that could get a player suspended in certain circumstances. This would open the rookie up to losing guaranteed protections in his contract at the discretion of the team. The Bears have promised, verbally, they would not go after those guarantees but Smith wants it in writing.

The problem is if the Bears do that, it sets a trend for all future contracts. Something they aren’t wild about. Thus the standoff continues. Fans are growing frustrated. So at least one veteran tried to calm the masses.

Prince Amukamara has faith Roquan Smith issue will blow over

Cornerback Prince Amukamara resigned with the Bears back in spring. He’s made every practice since and has been one of the standout players in drills. Expectations are for him to have a big year. When asked about the Smith situation, the 29-year old was able to offer a somewhat informed perspective. Not only has he been in contact with the rookie, but he also knows what Smith is experiencing as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune explained.

“I spoke to Roquan yesterday and he is working his butt off,” Amukamara said. “He is training hard. I told him, ‘Hey, I was in the same position. You have to trust the process and trust the agent you are with.’ I am sure both sides are close and both sides want to get something done. Hopefully, it happens soon.

“From what everyone saw at OTAs, he has a motor. He definitely is a pro. I am not saying he has it figured out but he is definitely disciplined so I am sure he is taking care of business.”

Amukamara is referring to when he was drafted by the New York Giants in 2011. He too was the longest holdout of that class, not signing his rookie deal until August 4th. Keep in mind this was during the NFL lockout year. So not only did he miss training camp, he ended up missing the preseason and nine games of the regular season because he broke his foot two days after signing.

Did the long time away from practicing have an effect on his body?

It’s hard to say but Amukamara wasn’t much of a factor his rookie season even as the Giants went on to win the Super Bowl. In the end, his time in New York was a disappointment. So it is difficult to take his words of encouragement about Roquan to heart. Working his butt off at home sounds nice but it can’t compare to the physicality and callousing the body needs in training camp.

Even Joey Bosa, who had the longest holdout for a rookie in recent memory, injured his hamstring not long after he signed. It’s not just getting Smith to sign that Bears fans are worried about. It’s getting him signed with enough time for him to be of any help to the team in 2018. The longer this goes on, the greater the odds of that happening become.

REPORT: New Cubs Pitcher Traded Because He Was A Snitch?

By
Aldo Soto
-

The Washington Nationals were in a weird spot at the trade deadline, standing in third place in the National League East, below .500, and reportedly telling teams to bring them their best offers for Bryce Harper.

The very next day Mike Rizzo, Washington’s GM, said the team wasn’t going to trade Harper and that pretty much signaled that they weren’t going to be sellers. They have plenty of talent to jump back in to the division race, currently 5.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies, but they did make one trade on Tuesday.

Former closer Brandon Kintzler was acquired by the Nationals in 2017, from the Minnesota Twins and the right-hander re-signed with Washington in the offseason, as the team was preparing for another playoff run. On Tuesday Kintzler was traded to the Chicago Cubs and he was caught completely by surprise, thinking it was a joke. 

Now, there’s a report in The Washington Post that says Kintzler was an anonymous player leaking things to the media, saying that things were getting bad in the Nationals’ clubhouse.

Via The Washington Post. 

The Nationals gave their reasons for trading Kintzler publicly, but a significant reason went unspoken. Club officials believed Kintzler was an anonymous source for reports that cited clubhouse strife, according to people with knowledge of the situation. In a radio interview on 106.7 The Fan on Wednesday, Kintzler denied he was a source for Yahoo’s recent story, which called the Nationals’ clubhouse “a mess.”

Kintzler had a radio interview and responded to the accusation.

“I’ve never talked to that [author] Jeff Passan guy in my life, so that’s an interesting accusation,” Kintzler said on “Grant & Danny.” “I know for a fact that someone got him to admit his source was not a player, so it wasn’t me. I’ve never talked to that guy in my life.”

Interestingly enough, Theo Epstein was on ESPN 1000 Wednesday morning and he said that Jeff Passan, who wrote the article on the dysfunction in the Nationals’ clubhouse, called him and said he’d never spoken to Kintzler before.

So, that collaborates with Kintzler’s story.

At first it does sound pretty convincing that Kintzer could have been a mole or whatever, as he’s a solid reliever and could help the Nationals, if they believe they can still reach the playoffs. And they do think that, considering they didn’t sell at the trade deadline. So, to trade him was an odd decision.

However, Kintzler’s and Passan’s stories match up and the Nationals just DFA’d a reliever because he slammed his glove on the mound during Tuesday night’s game. Things just seem a little out of whack with the Nationals.

Anyway, the Cubs will welcome in Kintzler, who is hopefully part of another postseason run on the North Side.

White Sox Search For Ripple Effect Instead Of Splash At Trade Deadline

By
Matt Enuco
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July 2017 seems far off in the distance compared to where the White Sox are one year later. Last season the White Sox handed off a package of contributors to the New York Yankees and shocked the world when they finalized a deal with the Cubs to grab Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease. The Yankees deal wasn’t a negligible deal either, considering the Sox culled Blake Rutherford, Ian Clarkin and Tito Polo in that deal.

This season has been completely different. Few expected the White Sox to make a splash at the non-waiver trade deadline given how they value on high-character players and a slew of injuries that sapped value from possible trade chips like Avisail Garcia. Still, deals were made this July that could have a serious ripple effect on the organization.

Something was a Brewing

The only trade the White Sox consummated last week was a deal that swapped Joakim Soria for Kodi Medeiros and Wilber Perez. Soria injected life into his trade value of the last few months as he became a dependable closer for the White Sox through July. After missing out on Zack Britton and other options, the Milwaukee Brewers were pressured to find a solution to the back of their bullpen and the White Sox were willing to oblige.

Left-handed pitching had been a concern for some (me included) and the White Sox satisfied this need in grabbing Medeiros from the Brewers. As a former first-round pick in 2014, he had the cache of a serious prospect and at only 22 years old and dealing in Double-A he may quickly find himself forcing a decision.

The other arm is a high-ceiling prospect with a lot of unanswered questions. Perez is a right-hander with success in the Dominican Summer Leauge, but at 20 years old the serious question is “why is he still in the DSL?”

Buying the Future From New York

The Yankees faced a serious problem this offseason: Risk losing an enormous amount of prospects in the Rule-5 draft with few spaces available on the 40-man roster.

This was a problem they addressed last season but became an open wound this season. Considering the White Sox were very familiar with New York’s farm system after last year’s trade, it’s not surprising that Rick Hahn went back to the well for more.

Caleb Frare is another southpaw (checks another box) and was practically bought from the Yankees for $1.5 million in international bonus-pool money, an irrelevant sum based on the fact that the White Sox couldn’t sign any international free agents for more than $300,000 after making a splash with Luis Robert last summer.

It was a win-win for both teams: The White Sox flushed unusable money and picked up a Triple-A reliever with serious potential. Frare has less draft-glow than other prospects as an 11th-round pick in 2012, and it is concerning that he has already undergone Tommy John surgery. One look at his mechanics and you’ll understand the trouble with his arm action.

Yet, it is precisely that that makes him so valuable as a reliever. He can run the ball up there in the mid-90s with serious action on his pitches and has flummoxed hitters at two levels this season. Frare was assigned to Triple-A and he may still need some time before he is promoted, but I don’t expect the White Sox to wait long in promoting him.

The Tide Ebbs in Tampa Bay

Few expected the Tampa Bay Rays to throw everything out on the lawn and cash in on whatever they had, but after Nathan Eovaldi was traded to the Boston Red Sox, something was afoot.

The Sox had no use for any major-league players and instead hashed out a deal for more international bonus-pool money and grabbed yet another left-hander in Hunter Schryver. This move is a tad more enigmatic given the age and developmental milestones Schryver has checked off.

He was a seventh-round pick last season out of Vilanova with a lengthy resume of Big-East and Big-5 honors. Still, Schryver was a senior-sign and begs the question of why he wasn’t picked in 2016. Now, he is 23 years old and still in High-A (Winston Salam).

The final figure the White Sox paid for Schryver is still unknown, but he’s been very good this season, which doesn’t really say much considering he is 1.1 years older than the average Carolina-League prospect. The White Sox are sure to challenge him soon with a promotion to Double-A. And if they don’t, well, that in and of itself makes a resounding statement.

When you boil it down to the necessary parts, a ripple effect has a broader impact than dropping a boulder into the ocean and watching it sink. The White Sox made a splash last season and hope the ripple effect of 2018 will cast a wide radius over their developmental success.

 

Michael Kopech Pulls Silly No-Look Play In Latest Start

By
Matt Enuco
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Michael Kopech pulls a stunning, no-look play on Tuesday night.

Michael Kopech‘s pitching skills are well known by most White Sox fans. But Kopech pulled a serious athletic feat on Tuesday night in his latest start.

In a one-run game with two men on Kopech dazzled the crowd in Charlotte with a no-look spinning stab on a comebacker that logged a very important out. These types of plays are rare and undeniably lucky. Here’s another prayer thrown up in self-defense on a line drive.

And if that doesn’t knock your sox off, check this out this doozy from the Chinese baseball league.

That’s a serious bit of self-defense on a tracer lined right back up the shoot.

But down to the important stuff: Kopech went seven strong on Tuesday allowing two earned runs on four hits with eight punchouts. The Norfolk Tides laced two solo home runs off of Kopech, but it appears he maintained his composure and went deep into the game.

…that’s a 2.25 earned run average over that span.

Despite my unbridled optimism that the White Sox would call him up last Friday, Kopech continues to demonstrate poise. Command of his secondary pitches may be what is holding him down (that final box that hasn’t been checked), but he has rebounded from a slew of ghastly outings and appears to be rolling once again.

His earned run average is down to 4.15 and he has posted a 3.33 ERA in July with a 0.96 WHIP over his last four games. The short story is: it’s all falling into place.

Add stupendous plays like the no-look twirl he pulled tonight and it’s one less box he has to check.

NFL Insider Reports What Other Teams Are Saying About the Bears

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears
Credit: USA Today

The Chicago Bears are focused on their own business and that’s the way it needs to be. Never mind winning seasons. They haven’t even won seven games since 2013. Fans have suffered for a long time. Some could argue this has been the darkest period in team history. They need every hand on deck to pull the team out of the mud. How close are they?

That’s an interesting question. Perhaps a good way to find out is through hearing the opinions of outsiders from other organizations. One man who could offer that benefit is none other than top NFL insider Ian Rapoport. As sources go, everybody knows he’s among the best. So it was interesting to hear what he had to offer on the subject.

He reached out to several people about their impressions of the Bears. He then appeared on the Under The Center podcast with JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports and delivered his findings. It turns out the rest of the league has more respect for this team than people realize.

“I will say this. When other teams talk to me about the Bears, they say two things. One? That is a badass defense. Tough, physical, and badass. That’s one. The other thing is they’re fascinated by what Matt Nagy is going to do with Trubisky and this offensive group.”

Rapoport also said that the Bears are not a team that has any elite players. They are instead a team that is made up of several “very good” players. That means across the board, offensively and defensively. He does believe Roquan Smith could end up being their first truly elite guy in a few years if things pan out as expected, which is great news.

All things considered, this news is encouraging. It’s a sign that the Bears have the attention of the rest of the NFL for the first time in years. That said, there is a ways to go before they can earn respect. To do that they must win. This is a young team that is still searching for an identity. The pieces are in place to make something interesting.

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