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Theo Epstein Makes It Clear Yu Darvish Was The Cubs No. 1 Target

By
Aldo Soto
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Yu Darvish was officially introduced as the newest member of the Chicago Cubs and Theo Epstein made it clear that Darvish was the team’s number one target this offseason.

Before the Darvish signing was reported on Saturday, Bob Nightengale wrote about the lack of contact the Cubs had with Jake Arrieta this offseason. Everyone saw the velocity dip in 2017 for Arrieta and how he simply wasn’t the same dominant pitcher as the previous two seasons. However, with most of the free agents not signing a week before the start of spring training, were the Cubs really not considering Arrieta at all?

Remember the Jon Heyman report from Sunday that said Epstein made a last-minute offer to Arrieta before signing Darvish? Almost everyone put no stock behind that report and during Tuesday’s press conference Epstein said what we all already believed.

Darvish was the guy since day one.

We know the Cubs flew to Dallas in December to meet with Darvish face-to-face, but the talks between the two began at the GM meetings and continued throughout the winter.

As for that meeting Dallas, it appears to have been the turning point in Darvish’s mind, who said he fell in love with the Cubs at that time.

It also helps that Darvish’s wife loves Chicago.

And as far as the World Series performance goes, Epstein isn’t worried about it all.

As a matter of fact, Epstein said that experience will only motivate Darvish more.

Quickly back to Arrieta. Despite not coming back to the Cubs, Epstein made it a point to praise 2015 Cy Young Award winner.

So, Darvish to the Cubs is official at six years for $126 million. You can see all the contract details here.

And finally a few other highlights from the press conference.

Darvish will No. 11 with the Cubs.

Tanking Is Harder With Zach Lavine On The Loose

By
Patrick Mooney
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zach lavine

Last night, against an Orlando Magic team just one game worse in the standings, the Bulls came extremely close to blowing an 18-point 4th quarter lead and racking up another draft lottery ping pong ball.

The Magic actually took the lead, twice, in the final minutes of action, but Bobby Portis answered with a floater and 3 to tie the game at 101.

The game remained at that score until Zach Lavine stole an inbound pass and took it the length of the court for a dunk with 12.4 seconds left.

Lavine stepped to the free throw line 10 seconds later to seal the win with a pair of free throws.

Earlier this season, especially without Kris Dunn, the Bulls don’t hold on to win that game. But Lavine, especially against a team as bad and committed to the tank as the Magic, has the combination of athleticism and skill that gives the Bulls a legitimate go-to option down the stretch.

Yes, for now maybe that’s harmful, the Bulls future would be better off if they won 25 games this season instead of 32. In the big picture, though, unlike many other teams in the NBA that are tanking, the Bulls have 3 players under 25 years old that are too good to allow the Bulls to lose as often as we’d like.

The Finnish rookie shown above, Lavine, and Dunn have all exceeded expectations thus far. Maybe the Bulls will be drafting 7th instead of 1st this summer, but the way this upcoming draft class is shaking up, winning with three good, young players like the Bulls currently are might outweigh the #tank after all.

 

 

Former Bears Scout Warns to Stay Away From Jarvis Landry

By
Erik Lambert
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jarvis landry

Jarvis Landry is one of the most popular names in the Chicago Bears fan community right now. This shouldn’t be a surprise. Free agency starts March 14th. Signs continue to grow the two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver will hit the open market. The Bears had the worst passing offense in the NFL in 2017. They clearly need upgrades at the position. They’ll have lots of money to spend. It looks like a perfect match.

Except one person doesn’t think that’s the case. Greg Gabriel has become one of the more notorious voices on social media these days. The man worked as a Bears scout throughout the 2000s, rising to become their director of college scouting. He had a hand in helping build their 2006 Super Bowl team. He’s always had a stake in what they do even after being fired in 2013.

Since then he’s become a football analyst for Pro Football Weekly and CBS Sports. On top of that, he has a rather colorful reputation on Twitter. He’s never shy about sharing his opinion, and he did so in regards to the Landry idea.

Gabriel thinks Jarvis Landry is a poor fit for Bears in every way

Indeed Landry didn’t make the best first impression during the leadup to the 2014 draft. He ran a glacial 4.77 at the scouting combine. Unheard of for most wide receivers. In fairness, he did improve that number to 4.61 at his pro day. Nonetheless, speed definitely wasn’t part of his game. Then again if that’s true how did he post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons? Namely his excellent hands, route running and agility.

This is not to say Gabriel is wrong. It’s more to say there are plenty of things that make Landry alluring. At the same time, the character issues are well-documented. Though he’s never had suspension or notable off-the-field problems, Landry is notoriously outspoken. He has been at odds with both his coaches and the front office in Miami, particularly in the past couple years. This has to do with his role in the offense as well as his contract.

The Bears have prioritized top-notch character in their acquisitions since GM Ryan Pace took over. Perhaps the arrival of Matt Nagy may soften that stance but that seems unlikely. Then again it will be hard to find better upgrades this off-season. Landry may not be perfect, but he’s a proven producer. Everything depends on if the Bears are willing to pay the price tag.

Full Contract Details For Yu Darvish

By
Aldo Soto
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The Chicago Cubs are going to officially announce the signing of Yu Darvish and have a press conference introducing him down in Mesa, as spring training has arrived. Darvish inked a six-year contract worth a guaranteed $126 million and now we know the breakdown of the deal.

We already new a few details on Saturday, when the signing was reported. First, Darvish has an opt-out option after his second year. The contract also includes escalators for Cy Young Awards and finishing 2-5 in Cy Young Award voting.

The other big detail is that Darvish has a full no-trade clause in the first four years of the deal.

Here’s the year-by-year breakdown of his contract. The Cubs put some extra money on the first year, but after that the salary pretty much stays the same.

So, for everyone freaking out about how much he’d be making at the end of his deal, it’s only a few million more than what John Lackey was making the past two years with the Cubs.

Obviously the Cubs bumped up the first year of the deal because they have the room under the luxury tax this year. Darvish’s salary goes down to $20 million next year, when the Cubs are going to go after Bryce Harper.

Ahh, it feels great having baseball back and real things to talk about again.

Looming Roster Cut Predicted To Become a Chicago Bears Target

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears target
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 21: Defensive End Muhammed Wilkerson #96 of the New York Jets fires up his teammates against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 21, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/New York Jets)

The Chicago Bears target list for NFL free agency is undoubtedly being formed as we speak. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy want a battle plan set. This off-season is incredibly important for the franchise. They have to attack the roster from both the inside and out in order to finally get it over the hump and back to winning football.

Pace knows he’s under the gun more than ever. The honeymoon period is long over. Excuses are dwindling. He’s got his new head coach in Nagy and his desired young quarterback in Mitch Trubisky. If this team doesn’t start winning soon, his job is going to come into question. George McCaskey has remained patient to this point, but there’s no telling how much longer that lasts.

Up to this point, Pace has operated carefully in terms of the types of players he seeks. He heavily emphasizes character in his evaluations. Trubisky, Akiem Hicks, Cody Whitehair, and Eddie Jackson are just a few examples of this. However, if this team is going to reach the next level he may have to take a bit more of a risk on that front.

Muhammad Wilkerson projected as upcoming Chicago Bears target

Bill Barnwell of ESPN projected five moves the Bears have to make this off-season. Among them included some obvious things like cutting Mike Glennon and re-signing Kyle Fuller. His most interesting note though came at the end. He believes the Bears are in position and must consider a hard run at looming salary cap casualty Muhammad Wilkerson.

“Although not technically a free agent, Wilkerson is expected to hit the market this offseason when the Jets cut their former first-round pick to shed his $20 million cap hit, which would be the largest for any defensive end in football. Wilkerson has been wildly disappointing over the past two seasons since signing the deal, and nobody’s going to pay him that much.

On a lesser deal, though? There are plenty of teams who could use a defensive lineman with Wilkerson’s track record of getting after the quarterback from the interior, and the Bears’ front seven would look terrifying with a rejuvenated Wilkerson in the fold.”

Wilkerson turns 29-years old this October. The Jets would save $11 million by cutting him. The problem is they already have $73 million in projected space, so it’s not like they need the extra cash. Still, the possibility is certainly there. Wilkerson was a dominant force in 2015, notching 12 sacks and his first trip to the Pro Bowl. Since then though he’s last his edge. Not only has he gotten into reported disagreements with the coaching staff, he also has just eight sacks over the past two years.

It’s hard to say whether that regression is simple diminishing skill or lack of true effort. If it’s the latter, then the Bears would have reason to take this calculated risk. If they could get the 12-sack version of Wilkerson together with Hicks and Eddie Goldman? That combination would be devastating.

Jim McMahon Uncorks Crazy Mike Ditka Super Bowl Betting Story

By
Erik Lambert
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jim mcmahon

If people want to know why Chicago continues to love the 1985 Bears so much, it’s because the team continues to be an endless supply of crazy stories. There was no championship team in football history that can say they had a greater cast of unique characters on their roster than that squad. Perhaps two of the craziest was quarterback Jim McMahon and head coach Mike Ditka.

While the two share a mutual respect that lasts to this day, they also haven’t been shy in admitting they haven’t gotten along. Ditka always had a reputation for being hard on quarterbacks. McMahon was the only one he ever coached who wasn’t afraid to talk back. Ironically this is probably why they were so good together in their heyday.

That said it seems like McMahon may still harbor some ill-feelings towards his former coach. He certainly hasn’t hesitated to take shots at Ditka over the years. He did so again with yet another bananas story about Super Bowl XX.

Jim McMahon claims Ditka bet money on Bears to beat Patriots

Ditka always likes to say he doesn’t hold grudges but he has a good memory. According to Bears lore, he was upset when the team was made huge underdogs in the 1984 NFC championship against the San Francisco 49ers. McMahon admits he doesn’t have proof, but he believes the coach held onto that until the Super Bowl the next year when he allegedly committed a major NFL violation.

“I think he might have bet. I’m not positive, but I know he likes to gamble. Everyone likes to gamble every once and awhile. I’m sure he probably put some money down.”

It’s easy to pass that off as nothing more than a rumor. At the same time, this is Mike Ditka we’re talking about. Since when did he fear repercussions from anybody for doing what he felt was right? This is the same guy who flipped off cameras in public and made all sorts of disparaging comments to the media throughout his career.

He got revenge on the 49ers with his use of the Fridge in their meeting earlier that season. It’s not a stretch at all to think he’d get back at the oddsmakers next by winning some money betting on his team to beat New England. The fact he did something that could’ve gotten him banned from the league? Big deal.

All-Pro Tight End Insists Matt Nagy Will Make Mitch Trubisky Great

By
Erik Lambert
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matt nagy

The best way to get a gauge on whether a coach is respected is by talking to players who worked under him. So several Kansas City Chiefs have come forward in regards to Matt Nagy with their opinions on his style. Alex Smith was an ardent supporter from the start. Colleagues Andy Reid and Brad Childress also voiced strong positive opinions of the new Chicago Bears head coach. The latest to join that troop is All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce.

Kelce has good reason to love Nagy. He was a good tight end through his first three seasons in the NFL, going over 800 yards in 2014 and 2015. However, it wasn’t until Nagy took over control of the offensive coordinator job in 2016 that things really took off for him. Kelce went over 1,000 yards each of the past two seasons, making the Pro Bowl each time.

Nagy found ways to feature his talents even more in the offense. He has become one of the most feared tight ends in football. So Kelce might sound biased when talking about his former coach. That said he wasn’t bashful about what he thinks awaits the Bears in the seasons to come. Especially for their young quarterback.

Kelce believes Matt Nagy is perfect choice to elevate Mitch Trubisky

The 28-year old spoke with Chicagobears.com on the subject. In typical Kelce fashion, he was direct, unfiltered and passionate.

“I think Matt’s a hell of a coach. I think he could be Doug Pederson 2.0, to be honest, especially with the quarterback. I’d like to see him have all the success possible just because of how much I loved him as a coach.”

Comparing him to Pederson is fairly easy. Both came up as offensive coordinators under Andy Reid. They even worked together for a long time in Kansas City. Pederson has since won a Super Bowl as head coach in Philadelphia, doing tremendous work with Carson Wentz and Nick Foles along the way. Considering Kelce worked with both, it’s exciting to hear his belief that Nagy can reach the same level.

Trubisky still has plenty of proving to do. However, most agree the coaching he got in 2017 was average at best. It’s the biggest reason John Fox was fired. No one felt he was qualified to get the young QB where he needed to go. Nagy, with his deep background at the position, made for a perfect fit. All that’s left is the hard part.

Waiting to see how it develops.

Comparing Yu Darvish’s Contract To The Biggest Deals In MLB History

By
Aldo Soto
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For some reason there are more than a few Chicago Cubs fans upset about the deal Yu Darvish received. The four-time MLB all-star has reportedly agreed to a six-year deal worth a guaranteed $126 million. The contract could be worth up to $150 million with incentives.

Darvish, 31, was projected to get at least $160 million, but after a stalemate between free agents and teams this offseason, Theo Epstein gave in with the extra years on the contract, while at the same time acquiring the No. 1 free agent starter for an average of $21 million a season. Yeah, $21 million is A LOT of money for you and I, but for the best free agent pitcher on the market? A steal for the Cubs.

Before we get into the bigger contract comparisons, the Cubs just had John Lackey on a two-year deal that payed him $32 million, $16 million a year. So, $5 million more on average for Darvish? I’ll take it.

Now, let’s take a look at how Darvish’s contract matches up with the biggest deals given to starting pitchers in recent years.

The first chart will list the nine biggest starting pitching contracts, as well as the average annual value, the length of the contract, age at the time of the first year of the deal and then accumulated fWAR in the five years leading up to the deal.

PitcherGuaranteed $AAVYearsAge (1st year of contract)fWAR (prior 5 years)
Zack Greinke$206.5million$34.4 million632 22.4
David Price$217 million$31 million730 26.3
Clayton Kershaw$215 million$30.7 million726 29.2
Max Scherzer$210 million$30 million73021.6
Justin Verlander$162 million$27 million630 30.2
Jon Lester$155 million$25.8 million63119.1
Felix Hernandez$175 million$25 million726 26.3
Stephen Strausburg$175 million$25 million728 19.1
Cole Hamels$144 million$24 million62921.7

(spotrac)

The following chart will include Yu Darvish, along with contracts that are most similar to his deal with the Cubs.

PitcherGuaranteed $AAVYearsAge (1st year of contract)fWAR (prior 5 years)
Masahiro Tanaka$155 million$22.1 million725n/a (pitched in Japan)
Jordan Zimmermann$110 million$22 million52918.7
Johnny Cueto$130 million$21.7 million62918.8
Yu Darvish$126 million$21 million631 19

(spotrac)

Just look at the two pitchers above Darvish. Jordan Zimmermann and Johnny Cueto got the third and fourth biggest deals that offseason, behind Price and Greinke. The third and fourth biggest contracts only two years ago are still going to be more than this offseason’s biggest contract for a starting pitcher, Yu Darvish.

OK, let’s make the easy comparison. Jon Lester vs. Yu Darvish. Both pitching in year one of their contracts at age 31, while also agreeing to the same six years and having almost identical value in the previous five seasons, (19.1 fWAR, 19 fWAR). A couple different factors played into the signings. First, when the Cubs signed Lester, they needed to make a big move. The front office new the team was on the cusp and needed that one huge acquisition to get them to the next level. Also, Lester didn’t have any health concerns that Darvish has, so that’s why he got that extra guaranteed money.

All that being said, Darvish signed three years later and has maintained his success even after Tommy John surgery. Contracts are supposed increase. I guess the Cubs were lucky that all of a sudden teams were more cautious about spending, but still Darvish was projected to get $160 million guaranteed. The Cubs managed to sign Darvish for only $4 million more per year than Lester with the same goal. As long as the Cubs remain World Series contenders, the Darvish contract is worth it. No one is going to care what he’s making in the last few years of his contract just like we’re not going to care that Lester will make $25 million a season in the last few years of his contract.

If you look at the biggest contract, Zack Greinke, notice that he signed at 32, while compiling a 22.4 fWAR in the five seasons prior to signing. So, he was 0.68 fWAR better than Darvish a year during that five-year period, but he got $13 million more per year on his deal being one year older than Darvish at the time of the contract signing.

Of course there could be a downside to giving big contracts to pitchers who are in their 30s. Not every team is going to be able to max out their stars at a young age. Out of the 13 biggest contracts listed, seven were given before the pitcher was 30-years-old and only Masahiro Tanaka, Stephen Strausburg, Felix Hernandez and Clayton Kershaw were younger than 29.

So, the pitchers who were at least 29-years-old when getting the bags of money are Greinke, David Price, Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Lester, Cole Hamels, Jordan Zimmermann and Johnny Cueto. All of those pitchers are making more money per year on average than Darvish.

Yes, Scherzer is insane, Verlander was a machine in the second half last year, while Hamels and Lester have stayed consistent, but you can’t make the argument that the Cubs overpaid for Yu Darvish. That is simply false. The Cubs paid accordingly to what previous contracts have been and to some extent, looking at Lester’s deal, you can even say they got a bargain with Darvish.

More importantly, the Cubs stayed aggressive and signed the best man available. At the end of the day, who cares how much Yu Darvish is making. He makes the Cubs better and gives them a better chance to avoid being a Wild Card and once in the playoffs he gives the Cubs a better chance to win a World Series. I don’t care about what he did against the Houston Astros. He was tipping his pitches and that’s going to be fixed.

Fine, I get that you could be mad about not having Jake Arrieta back. He was a monster with the Cubs, having one of the most dominant runs this franchise has ever seen. His 2015 season may never be matched by another Cubs pitcher again. But, big but here, if Theo Epstein and the rest of the front office were on Yu Darvish and not Arrieta, I’ll go with their judgement on this signing. And again, the signing in a vacuum is a fucking steal for the Cubs.

Now get out of my face bitching about Yu Darvish making $21 million a year and get back to bitching about Jose Quintana, who might be the best pitcher on the team, while making peanuts, but some of you are just too dumb to realize how good he is.

Former White Sox Pitcher Esteban Loaiza Arrested With Over 20 Kilos Of Cocaine Or Heroin

By
Matt Enuco
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Screenshot from Esteban Loaiza's Instagram page.

According to arrest records from the San Diego Polic Department, Esteban Loaiza was arrested on Friday, Feb. 9 with 20 kilos of heroin or cocaine. The 46-year-old Mexican hurler spent parts of three seasons with the Chicago White Sox, but is well known for his itinerant major-league existence.

Loaiza was recently a guest at SoxFest last month and appears to have been a sizable attraction.

Loaiza was charged with possession and intent to sell by the San Diego authorities. With over 20 kilograms of contraband, Loaiza was carrying just over 44 pounds of the illegal substance(s), an astonishing figure given its street value.

According to a Business Insider article from 2014, one kilogram of cocaine can sell for $10,000 to $20,000 placing Loaiza in possession of somewhere between $200,000 to $400,000 of cocaine. And if Loaiza was transporting heroin that estimation could shoot far higher — in the neighborhood of nearly $2 million.

Screen shots taken from Jeff Passan Twitter account.
Screenshot from Jeff Passan Twitter account.

Loaiza is scheduled to appear in a San Diego court on Wednesday and has been issued a $200,000 bail.

This Is the Likely Fate of Bears Free Agent Kyle Fuller in 2018

By
Erik Lambert
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kyle fuller

The Chicago Bears free agency plan for 2018 can’t begin until they assess their own situation. Including unrestricted, restricted and exclusive rights they will have 25 players coming out of contract this March. That is almost half their current roster. Plenty of big names are included in the masses. Among them are Christian Jones, Cameron Meredith, Prince Amukamara, Kendall Wright and Lamarr Houston. All take a certain priority to retain for GM Ryan Pace. Yet none are even close to the importance of Kyle Fuller.

The 25-year old former first round pick emerged in a big way last season. After two up-and-down years to start his career, he missed all of 2016 with a knee injury. People didn’t know what to expect upon his return. That was why the Bears didn’t pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. He responded with a breakout season that included two interceptions and 22 passes defended.

Outside of Akiem Hicks he was the best player on the Bears defense. Letting him walk after such a good year would not be wise. That’s why reports indicate the team is already talking to his representatives about a contract extension. They have until March 14th to get something done. Otherwise Fuller becomes a free agent. That is unless they go with their trump card.

Kyle Fuller a likely candidate to receive the 2018 franchise tag

An extension would be preferable in terms of long-term security. However, this sort of situation is tricky. Fuller had a terrific year, but the timing of it is dangerous. His first great season came when his contract was expiring. Too many times teams have handed out huge deals to players who played great in a contract year, only for those players to regress after getting their big payday. This is the landmine the Bears undoubtedly want to avoid.

This is why the franchise tag is likely in play for Fuller.

The idea from the Bears’ perspective is simple. They pay Fuller top five money for 2018 but maintain security against overpaying him on a long-term contract. If he repeats his standout performance from this past season, they can adjust their offer accordingly in 2019. If he doesn’t, then they can either get him back on a cheaper deal or let him walk knowing they made absolutely certain whether he was the real thing.

People may view this as similar to the Alshon Jeffery situation that ultimately resulted in the wide receiver leaving. However, it’s a bit different. Jeffery had clear intentions of leaving. There’s no indication Fuller feels the same way. It’s likely he’s seeking the biggest possible contract he can get. This is how the business works.

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