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Bears Stubbornness In Key Area is Killing Mitch Trubisky

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky

Somebody needs to ask what in the world happened to 2016 Dowell Loggains? That guy was a much better offensive coordinator than whoever took over his body this season. That Loggains was creative and aggressive. He didn’t telegraph what he was going to do from one week to the next. As a result, despite a myriad of injuries the Bears offense moved the ball consistently and put up lots of yards. With Mitch Trubisky in town now, one would think the Bears aim to do more of the same. Instead nope.

This 2017 offense is, in a word:  dull. They run the ball constantly despite defenses selling out to stop them. Even when facing boxes loaded with 8-9 defenders. Loggains didn’t allow that last season. One of the big things he did last year was a constant willingness to throw the ball on first down. The Bears threw 227 passes on first down compared to 223 runs.

This year? They’ve thrown 82 passes compared to 141 runs. Head coach John Fox would like to think this is for the better, but is it? Last season with their more balance approach the Bears averaged 5.2 yards per carry on the ground and their QBs had a 91.6 passer rating on first down. This year? They’re averaging 4.0 yards on the ground and an 80.5 passer rating.

Confounding it all is the fact that Mitch Trubisky is good on first down

What makes it all the more enraging is Trubisky has had success when allowed to throw earlier. So far this season he’s 18-of-34 for 337 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. This gives him a 94.9 quarterback rating on first down. That’s higher than any of the ratings on subsequent downs. In other words he’s having success when opponent don’t know when he’s going to throw it.

Go figure.

So again, why? What has compelled Loggains to go this direction? In truth there are two explanations that make any sense. The first is the wide receiver situation. Last year the Bears had Alshon Jeffery and an emerging Cameron Meredith. This year they have Kendall Wright and Dontrelle Inman. That’s a considerable step down. Then there’s Fox himself. The man is a huge proponent of running the football.

It wouldn’t surprise in the least if he made it clear he wants a greater commitment to it. Loggains can’t say no. He doesn’t have that authority. Fox may think running the ball more is helping the team win. Truth be told an improved defense is the primary reason they’ve been better this year. Meanwhile the offense isn’t moving the ball nearly as well as last season. Lack of creativity is a huge reason why.

Eloy Jimenez Expected To Join The 40-Man Roster Before Spring Training

By
Matt Enuco
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The White Sox are expected to add Eloy Jimenez to the 40-man roster so that he can attend big-league camp in the spring.

According to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune, several other new prospects are expected to join the early work at Spring Training as non-roster invitees. This is not an unusual move for many major-league clubs. Michael Kopech, Zack Burdi, Dane Dunning and Zack Collins were non-roster invites to Spring Training last season.

Rick Hahn expects quite a frenzy at Spring Training considering the spoils they’ve been able to cull from other teams in the first season of rebuilding the franchise. But he also pointed towards the general excitement at having so many young and heralded players.

Luis Robert is certain to collect a lot of attention as he voyages to the United States for the first time. As the elite international-signing of 2017, Robert will have to deal with a swarm of media day-in and day-out. Despite hanging around the Dominican Republic for the summer working out at the White Sox facility there, plenty of razzle-dazzle found its way to fans pockets over the summer. Robert slugged a homer in his first at-bat as a White Sox farmhand and he recently posted this beauty on Instagram.

Porque corres tan rapido si callo lejooo🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👌🏿🇨🇺🙏🏿

A post shared by Luis Robert (@luisrobertm56) on

Micker Adolfo had a breakout season in 2017 and flashed signs of the promise White Sox brass rewarded with a sizable signing bonus a few years back. He won’t compete for a  roster spot in the big leagues but he will be fighting for his future. With Jimenez and Robert expected to fill two-thirds of the outfield in the near future, Adolfo finds himself struggling to hold on as a premier prospect.

There are sure to be other non-roster invites to Spring Training before the winter closes, but the first batch of names includes only one 2017 draft-pick. Jake Burger is viewed as the future third-baseman on the south side of Chicago and he has work to do. Before the draft, Burger was heralded for his offensive prowess and makeup, but he has must improve his footwork and glove skills to become a major-league third baseman. After speaking with his college coach Keith Guttin last summer, I’m confident he won’t let excuses infect his future. According to Guttin, Burger has an unparalleled work ethic and pedigree that will serve him well as a professional.

One final thought: The only question with Jimenez is how his body will hold up after such a long season in 2017. He is expected to play his final contest on Wednesday evening but he is only a few short weeks away from reporting to mini-camp in Arizona. Baseball is a game that mandates playing to improve, but every player has their limits. We’ll see how Jimenez’s body responds to the grind.

A Bears Head Coach Idea No One Will Consider (But Should)

By
Erik Lambert
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bears head coach
Credit: AP

By now most fans know every major Chicago Bears head coach idea. The big names have been mentioned over and over. Josh McDaniel, Jim Harbaugh, Dave Toub, Matt Patricia and John Gruden are just some of the names on the list. Most of them have an offensive background for obvious reasons. Mitch Trubisky takes priority. Of course everybody also loves to dig up possible sleepers. So here’s one absolutely nobody is talking about.

His name is Raheem Morris.

Don’t remember him. That’s understandable. He somewhat fell off the grid after he was fired as Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach following the 2011 season. Before that he’d spent several years as an assistant with the organization, being part of their Super Bowl winning team in 2002. After Gruden retired in 2009, the organization made the surprising decision to make Morris (who was defensive backs coach) his replacement.

Bears head coach search has to consider Morris for several reasons

Truth be told Morris got served a raw deal with that assignment. He was only 33-years old. The roster was aging in a lot of places and lacking talent. That was evidenced by how they went 3-13 his first year. Yet he wasn’t daunted. In 2010 he led the Bucs on a remarkable turnaround, finishing 10-6. He even got a Pro Bowl-caliber year from quarterback Josh Freeman, who threw 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Unfortunately the NFL lockout the next year hit his young roster hard. They finished 4-12 in 2011 and Morris was dismissed. After that he became secondary coach for Washington and helped them make the playoffs in 2012. Then he was brought over to Atlanta where he was made Assistant head coach and wide receivers coach, showing his range wasn’t limited to the defensive side.

The year he arrived Julio Jones had the best season of his career, going for 1,871 yards and eight touchdowns. The next season the Falcons scored 540 points and went to the Super Bowl. It’s getting to that point where it’s time to wonder if he might be due another chance at the head gig.

Morris has a certain reputation that will entice Bears fans

So why the Bears? Why do they have to be the ones to give him this second chance? Well aside from being 41-years old and showing promise the first time there is a specific reason Morris deserves consideration. He gives Aaron Rodgers problems. In his entire career to date Rodgers has thrown three interceptions in a game only three times. Twice it was against Raheem Morris’ defense.

In fact Rodgers has thrown seven interceptions in four games against a defense Morris was involved with. Considering he’s thrown just one interception in the previous four games against Chicago, it’s clear they need help in that department.

Morris checked plenty of boxes during his time in Tampa. He got the defense to play well against good quarterbacks. He got his own quarterback, who was never that good, to play like a stud for a sustained period. Last but not least he’s been to the mountaintop multiple times and knows what it takes to get there.

This is not saying he should be the primary option. On the other hand this is somebody who deserves a closer look.

Jed Hoyer Doesn’t Rule Out Return Of Cubs Most Hated Player

By
Aldo Soto
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PHOTO: Chicago Sun Times

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all love the Chicago Cubs. We don’t actually “hate” players, but goddamnit this better just be a favor by Jed Hoyer to drive up the market. For some reason, Hoyer isn’t ruling out a return for John Lackey to the Cubs.

He briefly talked about Lackey last week on 670 The Score, saying the Cubs would reach out to Lackey, but it didn’t seem he was seriously considering the veteran pitcher in free agency. Well, now at the GM meetings, Lackey was brought up again and Hoyer isn’t saying no for some reason.

WHY DAMNIT?!?! WHY???

You know, thanks for the two years John. The Cubs had the best season in forever in 2016, won the World Series and Lackey deserves credit for being a pretty good starter. But I’m good and I’m fairly confident that most Cubs fans are good with Lackey pitching elsewhere in 2018.

Let him yell at his teammates and blow up on umpires in some other uniform. Go sign with the Cardinals. That’d be great.

So, I’m not going to panic yet and think the Cubs actually want Lackey back. I’ll take this as the Cubs doing Lackey a favor to try and give him some leverage in any other negotiations. At least, that better be the case.

Cubs Big Offseason Move Becoming More Evident

By
Aldo Soto
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There hasn’t been a more obvious fit for the Chicago Cubs since, well not that long ago. As soon as Jim Hickey was available, everyone pretty much knew he was going to come to Chicago and reunite with Joe Maddon to be the Cubs pitching coach. Now, as free agency begins another former Tampa Bay Ray is likely coming too, at least according to recent reports.

Yes, it’s right-handed starting pitcher Alex Cobb.

The 30-year-old free agent has already discussed his interest in signing with the Cubs and according to ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers the calls to Cobb from the Cubs have already started.

Meanwhile, the front office is casting a wide net, with Rays righty Alex Cobb in their sights. According to a source familiar with the situation, they reached out to Cobb early in the free-agent process, as he checks a lot of boxes. He’s a couple of years removed from an arm injury, has good stuff, would be making the move from the American League to the pitcher-hitting National League and gets an A+ in terms of fitting into the Cubs’ clubhouse. Don’t dismiss that last notion. The Cubs are very mindful of whom they let into their club — especially on a multiyear, big-money deal.

(Jesse Rogers)

Cobb has a 3.50 ERA in 115 career starts. He set personal highs in 2017, starting 29 games and pitching 179.1 innings. The righty missed all of 2015 because of Tommy John Surgery and came back to start five games in 2016. The concern is how will Cobb perform when more is asked of him, or will he be able to sustain his success deep in seasons. Again, the 179.1 innings is a career high. He’s never been that close to 200 innings.

That being said, it’s becoming evident that Cobb and the Cubs are destined to come to an agreement. Here’s what the pitcher recently said on potentially becoming a part of the Cubs starting rotation.

“I don’t hide the fact that I have the most respect for Joe Maddon and what he did for me coming up as a player, and not so much as a pitcher on the mound, but as a professional athlete and a professional baseball player,” Cobb said. “It had to do with the mental side of the game and how to deal with the stresses that come with a big league lifestyle. There’s nobody better in the game to control and to deal with people as he is.”

“You make a ranking system of what’s most important to you and your family,” Cobb said. “No. 1, first and foremost, is that we’re going to a place that we feel is going to be winners for the length of the contract. I’ve been through losing and winning seasons. The amount of joy that winning brings can’t be replaced by a dollar figure. That’s our No. 1 decision-based reasoning.”

“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Cobb said of Hickey. “He’s not only a good pitching coach, but a real close friend of mine.”

Now, the question is for how much? Cobb said the decision to sign somewhere was going to impact the next five years of his life, so obviously he’s looking for a five-year contract.  FanGraphs has his projected contract at four years for $60 million, an average of $15 per year. It makes more sense for the Cubs to sign Cobb at those figures than spend more than $100 million on a guy like Yu Darvish, or even Jake Arrieta, depending what his market becomes.

If the Cubs do sign Cobb, they’ll lose their second highest draft pick in 2018 and $500,000 in IFA pool space. Cobb has until Thursday to decline Tampa Bay’s qualifying offer.

So, get ready for the Cobb puns because it really does seem like the Cubs are targeting him and Hickey gave him his full endorsement.

“I would trust the arm 100 percent, especially because he did miss the time that he missed,” Hickey said. “The usage is minimal for a 30-year-old type of pitcher. What he did with basically two pitches in the American League East last year was remarkable — incredible, really.”

(Jim Hickey)

If Cobb does sign with the Cubs the rotation would be Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana, Alex Cobb and for now Mike Montgomery. Cobb would actually become the second-highest paid starter, below Lester. Another reminder that the Quintana trade was great not only because he’s a good pitcher, but because he’s making less than $10 million in 2018 and then $21 million total the following two years.

Anyway, Cobb to the Cubs, I think it’s happening.

Mitch Trubisky Is Proving He’s For Real In the Weirdest Way

By
Erik Lambert
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Most people who know anything about quarterbacks will say the same thing. A team never truly knows what they have until they see how he reacts to pressure. Not just pressure in the metaphorical sense. High stakes and all that. Pressure in the literal sense. There are plenty of quarterbacks over the years who haven’t been able to stay productive in the face of being hit or sacked a lot. For Chicago Bears rookie Mitch Trubisky, that doesn’t appear to be a problem.

The #2 overall pick has begun to develop an odd reputation in 2017. It seems like the more he gets pressured during a game, the better he plays. Stats reveal as much. Against Green Bay, Baltimore and Carolina Trubisky was sacked 13 times. He went 33-of-58 for 517 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He had a quarterback rating of 97.6.

Against New Orleans and Minnesota he was only sacked three times. He went 26-of-57 for 292 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Of course this doesn’t mean he has to get pressured to play well. What it does mean is being pressured won’t completely ruin his day. That is a vital attribute for good quarterbacks to have.

Mitch Trubisky handling of pressure will show up down the road

This sort of quality can’t be taught. It also reveals that good things will be down the line for the Bears if he stays healthy. Typically the best quarterbacks are able to perform despite frequent pressure. Russell Wilson was sacked 45 times in 2015 and had the best season of his career. Tom Brady won two of his five Super Bowls during one of the four highest pressured seasons of his career.

Aaron Rodgers had the third-highest quarterback rating and third-most touchdown passes of his career in 2012. He was sacked 51 times. Would any of these men prefer to get hit so often? Of course not. Neither would Trubisky. The point is they don’t let that pressure get in the way of them doing their jobs. So far Trubisky is 2-1 in games where he’s been sacked four times or more.

The Bears don’t want to make a habit of letting that happen a lot. At the same time it’s nice to know their future franchise quarterback can keep his composure when the atmosphere is inhospitable.

Braves Gold Glove Outfielder Ender Inciarte Is On The Cubs Radar

By
Sean Sears
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The Cubs continue to hunt down quality outfield options this offseason, and have now check in with the Braves on talented center fielder Ender Inciarte. According to a source close to Sports Mockery, he reportedly “Wouldn’t be surprised” if the Cubs try and make a deal with Atlanta and their new GM, Alex Anthopoulos.

The Cubs have admired Inciarte from a far for some time now, and had checked on his availability a few times while John Coppolella was at the helm. However, the Cubs were unable to make a deal happen in those moments – likely due to the stacked farm system the Braves boast.

But with Anthopoulos taking over, the former GM of the Toronto Blue Jays, Inciarte may not be as valued by him as he was by previous management. There hasn’t been any real talks quite yet, mainly because Anthopoulos has only been in the office for a few days now. However, expect the Cubs to be aggressive with their offer, potentially Ian Happ or if they need to Kyle Schwarber, Albert Almora, or Javier Baez all could be involved.

Why you should love Inciarte 

To the casual fan, the 27-year-old center fielder may not be a household name, but Inciarte profiles as exactly what the Cubs are lacking in their outfield. The two-time gold glove winner has had two wonderful seasons with Braves, coming off his best this past season.

Inciarte slashed .304/.350/.409 with 11 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and 93 runs scored – all career bests. The veteran center fielder would be an excellent addition to the top of the Cubs lineup. He also just signed a five-year deal for $30.5 mil last season that has five more years of control including a club option for $9 mil in 2022.

The asking price, while tough to determine with a new GM in Atlanta, is likely going to require MLB talent. The Cubs farm system isn’t quite what it used to be, and while there are some intriguing options, they alone are not enough to pry Inciarte away from the Braves.

Who would the Braves want? 

If I had to guess, the Cubs will likely have to part with player like Ian Happ to start the conversation. But if they want to try and acquire one of their minor league arms, it could bump the asking price to Kyle Schwarber or Javier Baez.

Likely, that won’t happen unless the Braves decide to include former ace Julio Teheran, who looks to rebound after another disappointing season in 2017. However, Teheran still holding value to the Braves, is unlikely to be included in any deal at this time.

So the Cubs may have to part with more than just Ian Happ if they are serious about acquiring a lead-off center fielder. But if they are, the Cubs would be hard-pressed to find another option as perfect as Ender Inciarte.

 

Matt Lafleur Is a Name Who Must Top Bears Coaching Search

By
Erik Lambert
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matt lafleur

Somebody out there want to start the Chicago Bears Matt Lafleur bandwagon? No? Alright then here’s a firm crack at it. For those who aren’t familiar with the name, here’s a quick overview. Lafleur is currently offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams have the highest-scoring offense in the NFL as of now with 296 in nine games. If they maintain that pace, they will finish with 526 for the season. That would tie them for ninth all-time in NFL history.

Their turnaround from last year (224 points total) has been dramatic. Head coach Sean McVay is garnering most of that praise, but Lafleur should be getting his share. After all McVay himself said he delegates most of the responsibilities to the first-year coordinator. People will argue that Lafleur doesn’t call plays, but McVay insists he’s a vital part to their successful execution.

“I think the one thing that people should understand as well is (play-calling is) a collaborative effort,” McVay said. “Everybody’s on the headset, we’ve got a plan and ultimately somebody’s got to send it in to the quarterback.

Ultimately, you’ve got to make the final decision, but I think it’s a representation of our staff as a whole when things go well, and that’s a credit to having good guys around you.”

Truth be told this success the Rams are enjoying isn’t an accident. Lafleur tends to bring out this sort of play wherever he goes.

Trail of Success

Lafleur first cracked the NFL level back in 2008 as a quality control coach for the Houston Texans. After just two seasons he was scooped up by the Washington Redskins to be their quarterbacks coach. Understand how significant that is. At 31-years old with two years of NFL experience he was asked to take over the second-most important job on an offense.

It didn’t take him long to acclimate to it. The tandem of Donovan McNabb and Rex Grossman threw for over 4,200 yards his first year on the job. A year later he got 3,000 yards from Grossman in just 13 games. Then in 2012 the Redskins drafted Robert Griffin III, who promptly went to the Pro Bowl and won Rookie of the Year.

After the coaching staff was dismissed in 2014, Lafleur was hired by Brian Kelly to be the quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame. The impact was immediate and electric. Everett Golson, who’d thrown 12 touchdowns his previous year as a starter, threw 29 his first year under Lafleur. A year later Lafleur left. Golson threw 11 touchdowns that season.

That’s what they call tangible impact

The coach was heading to the Atlanta Falcons, summoned by former colleague Kyle Shanahan to take the quarterbacks job. A year later in 2016 Matt Ryan had the best season of his career with 4,944 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He won MVP and the Falcons reached the Super Bowl. This year Ryan is on pace for 4,216 yards, 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Then of course there is Jared Goff. The former #1 overall pick was a hot mess his rookie year. In seven started he completed barely 54% of his passes for 1,089 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions. With Lafleur’s arrival as offensive coordinator he’s currently at 2,385 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in nine games

Having a significant impact with one organization can be considered a fluke. Lafleur has done it with three different NFL teams and a top college program as well.

Coaching Tree

Often one of the biggest tell-tale signs of future success for an NFL head coach is the tree they come from. Who were the coaches that mentored them?  Bill Belichick was a disciple of Bill Parcells. Bill Walsh learned under the great Paul Brown. Chuck Noll got lessons from Sid Gillman and Don Shula. Often in order to achieve greatness, one must learn from greatness.

Lafleur has enjoyed lessons from some of the most successful NFL coaches of the past few decades. He was brought in under Gary Kubiak in Houston. Kubiak has since won a Super Bowl with Denver. Mike Shanahan collected him in Washington. He has two rings himself. Dan Quinn got the Falcons to a Super Bowl in his second season and he also has a ring as a coordinator in Seattle. Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay are both head coaches now too.

Lafleur will be 39-years old in 2018. He’s approaching the optimum age for a coach to start garnering looks for his own team. The man has done well at every stop he’s made in the NFL. He’s a specialist with quarterbacks. To top it off he’s received on-the-job training by some of the best in the business for close to a decade.

If the Bears are serious about Mitch Trubisky, this has to be a guy at the top of their list.

John Fox Committed Unforgivable Sin Before Packers Game

By
Erik Lambert
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john fox

Marty Schottenheimer was one of the best coaches in the NFL for a solid two decade span. One of his hallmarks was a tremendous ability to motivate his players. Chief among his greatest attributes? Embracing the rivalries of his respective teams. During his primary runs in Cleveland, Kansas City and San Diego he was a combined 31-9 against those teams’ biggest rivals. Why is this relevant? It’s a window into what separates good coaches from great ones. A lesson John Fox refused to learn.

It’s becoming clearer by the day that Fox was never the right man for the Chicago Bears franchise. Not because he was unqualified. The man went to two Super Bowls. He was clearly an accomplished coach. His problem didn’t appear until after he got the job. Fox is an excellent team builder. He fosters a strong locker room and knows how to keep players content.

What he never grasped about Chicago is not all games are created equal. To him every game has the same amount of impact on a seasons’ outcome. That’s applying logic to a sport that’s half driven by emotion. No game gets Bears fans up more than the ones against the Green Bay Packers.

John Fox was root cause of teams’ lack of effort vs. Pack

There is nothing more unforgivable than seeing a Bears team play with a lack of interest against the Packers. Last Sunday fans played witness to it again under Fox, and it turns out he set the tone before the game even started. According to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times he told his players this was just another game.

“John Fox reminded his team Monday that it was only one game.”

Except no. No it isn’t, John. Rivalries at their heart are irrational. A team can have a losing season but feel like it was a good one provided they beat the hated nemesis at least once. The 2007 season was a failure at 7-9 for the Bears, but many fans don’t cry over it because Chicago swept the Packers that year. It’s not a coincidence that the coaches who’ve lasted the longest in Chicago, Mike Ditka and Lovie Smith, had solid records against Green Bay.

Fox is now 1-5. His latest defeat was by far his worst. Dropping a game at home to a Packers team without Aaron Rodgers is impossible to escape from. So much in fact that it apparently enraged Bears ownership.

“Sunday’s loss to the rival Packers has angered Bears ownership, sources said. The way the Bears lost — committing seven first-half penalties after a bye, making Packers Brett Hundley look at times like his predecessor Aaron Rodgers and having Fox’s replay challenge cost his team the ball — only increased the annoyance of a frustrated fan base.”

Bears brass has to set their priorities with the next coach

Per usual Fox shrugged the defeat off as “just another learning experience.” If he doesn’t get it by now, he’ll never get it. Simply having a good coach isn’t enough for the Bears. They need a coach who understands the value of history. One of those histories is:

“Thou shalt always beat the Packers”

If the McCaskeys and Ryan Pace aren’t clear on whether their next choice grasps this, then they better ask. Smith said way back in 2004 that the first order of business was to beat Green Bay. Ditka was drafted by Chicago. He was indoctrinated by George Halas himself to hate the Packers. Listen to Mike McCarthy talk. It’s clear he always understands the magnitude of these games.

Fox doesn’t and he proved that.

Report: The Cubs Are Interested In Zach Britton

By
Sean Sears
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The Cubs bullpen cracked under the postseason pressure this fall, with their dreams of repeating as World Series champs dashed by the Dodgers.

And to make matters worse, their most reliable reliever and closer Wade Davis is a free agent and may become too expensive for the Cubs to retain.

Enter one, Zach Britton to the conversation. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Cubs and Dodgers are once again expressing interest in the lefty-closer.

This is no surprise, as the Cubs were rumored to be the favorites to make a deal for Britton at the deadline this past summer. The 29-year-old reliever has put together two straight fantastic seasons, with a 2.89 ERA in 2017 and an incredible 0.54 ERA in 2016.

Britton is signed for this 2018 but will be a free agent after the season, which may drive the asking price down some for the Cubs. However, Baltimore ended up holding on to Britton at the deadline in hopes of the club making a late playoff push.

But with the Orioles two best players in OF Adam Jones and 3B Manny Machado both free agents after the 2018 season, maybe Baltimore will reduce the asking price?

With the Cubs reportedly willing to part with MLB talent to acquire the likes of Chris Archer or Andrew Benintendi, maybe they would do the same for Britton? I doubt Zach Britton alone nets the Orioles a Kyle Schwarber or Javier Baez, but maybe sweeten the deal with a Kevin Gausman?

No word on any actual deal forming, but with Heyman reporting it, the Cubs are surely weighting all options at the closer position.

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