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Kris Bryant Has Talked To Bryce Harper About Playing On The Same Team

By
Aldo Soto
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The Internet exploded with talk of Bryce Harper possibly signing with the Chicago Cubs when the outfielder becomes a free agent after the 2018 season. The discussion erupted following a Peter Gammons interview on The Mully And Hanley Show on 670 The Score, in which the MLB insider said he’s heard Harper wants to play for the Cubs. It turns out that Kris Bryant and Harper have talked about the possibility of playing together.

As much as Harper to the Cubs would be amazing, Gammons did shut it down immediately after saying it. In case you missed it, here’s the full context of Gammons on Harper and the Cubs. It begins with talk of a Bryant contract.

Here’s what Bryant had to say about it a few days later.

Via Patrick Mooney:

“I think we might have talked about it, just like messing around,” Bryant said Monday inside Wrigley Field’s state-of-the-art clubhouse. “Like it would be cool to play with you again.”

“Honestly – obviously I’ve never been an outsider looking in here – but who wouldn’t want to play here?” Bryant said. “Especially now, with everything going on around here, the renovations, winning, it just seems attractive to any player. A lot of the guys that have come over from other teams are like: ‘This is unlike any other team I’ve played for.’”

“Like I said before, we talked about it,” Bryant said. “It would be really cool to play with him, but that’s something that they’re going to have to talk about it. Baseball’s a crazy business. You could want to play somewhere, but they might not want you, or they might not need you.”

(Kris Bryant)

Read all of Monney’s piece, it includes more talk about a contract for Bryant with his agent Scott Boras addressing it as well.

Anyway, Bryant and Harper have known each other since they grew up playing baseball in Las Vegas. The duo began playing together since they were 9-years-old, so obviously there’s a personal connection. Again, I doubt Harper signs with the Cubs, but Bryant makes a good point, saying that playing for the Cubs is a unique experience and recently free agents have taken less guaranteed money to play for this team.

So, who knows. Regardless, you know any team in a big market is going to look into Harper when he’s a free agent. They have to. That includes the Cubs.

Mitch Trubisky Made a Surprising Declaration At Bears Practice

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky draft

The Mitch Trubisky contract situation has a lot of Chicago Bears fans on edge. They know how front page their team has become since making the most polarizing move of the entire 2017 NFL draft. The last thing they need to see is the prized #2 overall pick holding the team up for an extended period over a dispute with his rookie deal.

It might sound ridiculous but not after what happened a year ago. Most fans will remember how defensive end Joey Bosa famously held out of San Diego Chargers training camp until late August. The talks broke down to such a degree at one point that some thought he might hold out the entire season and just re-enter the 2017 draft.

Eventually the Chargers got things worked out but it was a persistent distraction. One that people could say got things started off on the wrong foot. Well don’t count on Trubisky doing anything like that. The young quarterback made that very clear.

Mitch Trubisky contract is a non-issue

Several media members attending the eighth sessions of Bears Organized Team Activities brought the subject up. Though polite in his tone, Trubisky shrugged off the idea of any sort of stance being made on his part. Clearly the issue isn’t for him to worry about. He intends to keep all his focus towards the team.

“That’s not really for me to worry about. I’m going to be out here at practice everyday. My agent and the Bears organization is going to handle that. But I’m not really sure how that stuff works. I’m here to play football, I’m not worried about contracts.”

“It’s all about blocking out distractions and how good you want to be.”

If nothing else it sounds like a young man who has his priorities straight. There really isn’t much wiggle room on a rookie contract anyway. Most slow negotiations are over language inconsistencies. Little else. He knows he’ll be making his millions either way. Why waste time worrying about superficial things like that when he can be applying it towards helping validate the organizations’ faith in him? It’s what a leader would do.

Trubisky even said his biggest surprise thus far was how much time was spent on learning to be an NFL QB. How does stopping to study up on contracts help anybody, including himself? No one. This statement, however small is a clear revelation of the character the Bears were drawn to. There is still much proving to do, but it seems more than ever like they may have found their franchise guy.

Member Of 1990s Bulls Doesn’t Think They Could Beat These Warriors

By
Matt Peck
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bj armstrong bulls couldnt beat warriors

Considering the fairly lopsided result through the first two games of these NBA Finals, basketball geeks are grasping at straws for talking points. Where does LeBron James stand now compared to Michael Jordan in the debate of “greatest of all time”? What will it mean for Russell Westbrook if Kevin Durant finally wins a title without him? Blah, blah, blah. And of course, we’re getting a reprise of “Old Bulls vs Current Warriors” after last season’s Golden State team went 73-9, breaking the 72-10 record set by the ’95-96 champion Bulls.

The Warriors choked away a 3-1 lead, and that debate ended rather quickly. “72-10 don’t mean a thing without the ring,” as those Bulls said entering the 1996 playoffs. That argument still holds, and that Bulls team is still widely regarded as the single greatest team ever in NBA history.

This year, with the Warriors’ dominant 14-0 start to the playoffs and two blowout victories over LeBron’s Cavaliers to start the Finals, people want to talk about how this Warriors team stacks up against the rosters of that Bulls dynasty.

B.J. Weighs In

One member of the first leg of that dynasty, B.J. Armstrong, just gave his two cents on the subject while doing an interview with CBS Sports Radio. No allegiances to his former championship glory days appeared. B.J. sounds like he’d put his money on the Warriors.

“I’ll be very clear: I don’t think that that Bulls team could play in this era. I really don’t … but I will say that [Golden State] provides a lot of problems to defend, and I don’t think those teams in the ’90s had seen someone play like this … The X-factor is clearly Jordan, but Jordan was shooting 2s, those guys are shooting 3s, and by my count, three is more than two.” – B.J. Armstrong

Armstrong repeatedly put emphasis on the different styles of play in the ’90s and now. And he did say he didn’t think these Warriors could play in the ’90s, either. But putting those Bulls in today’s NBA would mean facing defensive tasks against the Warriors they never dealt with during their reign. There’s definitely truth to that.

B.J. continued, breaking down individual matchups on the floor:

Jordan vs Klay

“Jordan is going to be Jordan in any area you put him in, but he’s going to be occupied guarding Klay Thompson. Jordan is going to have to stay at home and not wander around defensively against Klay Thompson because Klay Thompson is an explosive scorer and he’s a catch-and-shoot guy, which is one of the hardest, more difficult guards because he’s constantly in motion.” – B.J. Armstrong

I’m sorry, B.J., but that’s downright insulting. To say Jordan would have a hard time guarding Klay Thompson? Klay can score, and he’s a great shooter. But Jordan was a perennial defensive player of the year candidate. He guarded Gary Payton, Reggie Miller, Penny Hardaway, John Stockton and Isaiah Thomas, to name a few. You think Klay is harder to guard than all of those guys? Gimme a break.

Pippen vs KD

“If you put Scottie Pippen [on] Kevin Durant, I like that matchup. I don’t think that is a matchup Scottie can just dominate Kevin Durant because Kevin Durant is 7-foot over there.” – B.J. Armstrong

Armstrong is right, Durant is one of the toughest guys to guard in the league today because of his insane combination of size and athleticism. But if there’s a short list of NBA players who have or had the combination of length and defensive skills to make Durant uncomfortable, Pippen is on that list.

B.J. or Harper vs Steph

“Steph Curry against Ron Harper or myself or any other guard that was playing with the Bulls – no one’s figured out how to guard him now. Why all of a sudden am I going to figure it out? Or anyone else? I think that is a tough matchup.” – B.J. Armstrong

No argument there. Harper was an excellent defender, but Steph is virtually unguardable when he’s on.

Bigs

“You got Draymond Green and Dennis Rodman or Draymond Green and Horace Grant. I like that matchup. I like it. And then you got Luc Longley and [Zaza] Pachulia or Luc Longley versus an athletic JaVale McGee. I don’t see that as just a dominant matchup for anyone.” – B.J. Armstrong

Armstrong appears to be on the fence for which team has the edge in the frontcourt. But based on his assumptions that a) Jordan would struggle to guard Thompson, b) Pippen couldn’t contain Durant and c) nobody could guard Curry, B.J. is leaning towards the Warriors.

…Not sure I agree. But that’s part of what makes these inter-generational NBA debates so great. We’ll never know (until time machines are real) who would win these matchups. But we can give our takes and counterarguments until those time traveling days arrive.

Let the debate rage on. Who you got? ’17 Warriors or ’96 Bulls?

Don’t Look Now, But Lucas Giolito Is Finally Looking The Part

By
Emmet McClain
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When the White Sox traded Adam Eaton the day after Chris Sale, fans thought there was a typo in what the return was. Reynaldo Lopez, Dane Dunning, and no. 3 overall prospect Lucas Giolito was considered highway robbery for one above average outfielder. However, throughout Spring Training and the first third of Triple-A, Giolito has been roughed up plenty. In fact, his ERA is currently sitting at 5.36, and that is after he threw a no-hitter in his last start. However, the way he threw in his no-hitter might have been a glimpse of what is to come from the hard-throwing righty.

When Giolito got the call to the Nationals last year, he got lit up pretty easily as well. In 6 games, he posted a 6.75 ERA. It was rumored that the Nationals, for whatever reason, made adjustments to all of his mechanics that saw him once grow into the top prospect in all of baseball. When his arm did not react the way the Nationals would have liked, they saw him as more of an expendable asset instead of a future ace. And thus, he ended up with the White Sox.

A Season Of Change

This season, the White Sox have been rapidly attempting to get Giolito back to his past throwing form. It has been a grind so far, and some fans have already given up on his potential, mainly due to his fastball velocity dropping from 96 to 92. While there have been glimpses of his pure stuff, he has not been able to successfully repeat his delivery, which has led to bad control and command, and early onset fatigue. Now though, we might finally be seeing a turnaround with Giolito.

As you may have heard already, Giolito threw a seven-inning no-hitter in the first game of a double-header last week. While he only finished that night with 3 K’s, he consistently had batters making soft contact, inducing shallow pop flies, and slow grounders. Understandably so, many saw the no-hitter as an accomplishment, but more of a fluke than anything. Well, as I type this, Giolito is currently showing the doubters that is not a fluke at all.

Dealing Like He Knows He Can

Currently at 97 pitches through 6 innings, Giolito’s night is more than likely done. In those 6 innings, Giolito had 11 K’s and gave up one earned run. It is for sure the best start he has had this season, including the no-hitter from last week. When his command is on and he is dotting the corners with his curveball like this, he is virtually un-hittable.


Over the past 5 starts, Giolito has been throwing the ball with much more confidence to a tune of a 2.57 ERA, 8.36 K/9, and 2.89 BB/9. It may have taken a little longer than people would have liked, but it looks like Giolito seems to finally be reverting back to the pitcher experts initially pegged him out to be.

 

Mike Montgomery Has To Fight Justin Grimm After This

By
Aldo Soto
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Maybe one of the most underrated trades in the Theo Epstein era with the Chicago Cubs is getting left-handed pitcher Mike Montgomery from the Seattle Mariners in 2016. Since then, Montgomery has been a key weapon in the bullpen for Joe Maddon and who can forget the lefty getting the final out in Game 7 of the World Series. On Monday, Montgomery once again showed his versatility.

Montgomery has appeared in 18 games this season, and 11 times he’s pitched at least two innings. That includes Monday night’s performance against the Miami Marlins. The lefty pitched 3.1 innings, earning his second save of the year and it also marked the eighth time he didn’t surrender a run when pitching at least two innings out of the bullpen.

A great performance from Montgomery, shutting the door on the Marlins, as the Cubs were without closer Wade Davis, who was put on paternity leave before the game. So, how was Montgomery treated during his postgame interview?

Justin Grimm stuck his finger in Montgomery’s mouth, as he was being interviewed by CSN Chicago’s Kelly Crull.

Obviously, this is coming from an outsider’s perspective, but Mike Montgomery has to fight Justin Grimm. Getting fish hooked on live TV? C’mon. That’s right up there with getting a noogie, or a wet willy. Montgomery was emasculated and really the only thing you can do to come back from that is a fight.

So, let’s get these two in a cage, the octagon, a boxing ring, street fight, whatever. The only way Montgomery can save face after that. Better idea, let’s have a good old fashioned baseball fight. Lots of pushing, talking, a huge scrum without anything actually happening. I mean, I don’t want Montgomery to get hurt, I just said how valuable he’s been for the Cubs.

But who knows, maybe it’s some sort of inside joke in the clubhouse, but regardless, an embarrassing look for Montgomery.

If not a fight, then we gotta have a dance off. Grimm might have the advantage in that though.

Although, Montgomery could actually come back with, “at least I’m getting people out.”

This Albert Almora Jr. Quote Will Make Cubs Fans Love Him More

By
Aldo Soto
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MESA, AZ - MARCH 25: Albert Almora #78 of the Chicago Cubs signs autographs before a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Cubs Park on March 25, 2014 in Mesa, Arizona. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-4. (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)

Sure, a few starting pitchers have wondered why Joe Maddon hasn’t left them in games longer and Miguel Montero questioned his lack of playing time during the postseason on the day the Chicago Cubs celebrated their World Series win, but other than that the egos have been put aside on the North Side. Albert Almora Jr. is just another one of those examples.

With Dexter Fowler and Jorge Soler no longer with the Cubs in 2017, a spot was open in the outfield for Almora to secure. It hasn’t quite gone to script for the 23-year-old, as he’s been in and out of the lineup, mainly starting against left-handed pitchers. The playing time became more scarce once Ian Happ was called up and immediately added a boost offensively. Since Happ made his debut on May 13, Almora has only started 7-of-21 games.

On Monday, Almora made his first start in a week and was 2-for-3, against the Miami Marlins, including his third home run of the season.

Following the Cubs win Almora discussed the playing time and how of course he’d love to start more. Yet, once again, he knows it’s not about him.

Almora has played in 45 games this season, putting up a slash line of .276/.327/.410. He’s made 24 starts overall out of 56 games, but outside of the stats the attitude is what stands out. And really it speaks to the greater message that is instituted from the very bottom to the very top of the organization.

That began in 2011, when Theo Epstein took over. Who was his first draft pick after taking over the Cubs? Albert Almora Jr.

Nothing about the Cubs success has been based on one player. Since the start it has always been about the team. Almora is prime example of that.

The message was delivered and everyone has bought in. So far, it’s worked out to perfection.

Jerrell Freeman Tells Rest of NFL To Beware This Bears Teammate

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears 2018 off-season

It wasn’t easy for veteran linebacker Jerrell Freeman last season. Not only did he endure his first career losing season as an NFL pro. He also suffered the humiliation of being suspended four games for PED violations. So no doubt he enters 2017 with a burning desire to get things back on draft. Both for himself as a player and for his new teammates. One in particular he sees great things from? Fellow linebacker Leonard Floyd.

The crazy thing with Freeman is he missed four games last year but still led the team with 110 tackles. He’s a good player in his own right and has played with some great ones. So it means something when he gives a shout out to a young kid like Floyd. He sat down with CBS Chicago to discuss the expectations on defense in 2017. Without much prompting, the admiration and expectations came out.

“The defense could be pretty good,” Freeman said. “I know for a lot of the season, we were top-10, top-five in a lot of categories, then the injuries happened. But that’s a part of the NFL. You know how that goes. If you’re not hurt or don’t have a little injury happening, you’re not playing. Everybody plays through things.

The defense could be pretty good. I like the draft pick from last year (Leonard Floyd), especially. He’s going to be good for a while. With our linebacking core, our front seven and the new additions we have, we’re getting out there in OTAs now and seeing what guys can do, how savvy guys are. I think we can be pretty good.”

Linebacker Leonard Floyd ready for his ascent?

Floyd had a weird rookie season filled with high highs and low lows. He missed time early in the year with nagging injuries and also suffered two concussions that slowed his progress. Then for a five-game stretch following the bye week he was one of the most unstoppable pass rushers in the league. In that span he delivered 6.5 of his seven sacks for 2016 and just seemed to be all over the field.

Word from the teams’ outside linebackers coach is Floyd arrived for Organized Team Activities is he’s added a considerable amount of weight. The good kind too. Mostly muscle. He arrived as a rookie last year at around 225 lbs. He has since increased that to just shy of 250. Floyd was already a cat quick player with tremendous length and speed. So try to imagine how pass blockers will feel knowing he’s stronger than last season.

Freeman might be onto something. If Floyd and the rest of that front seven can stay reasonably healthy, it could be a huge year for the Bears defense.

Vegas Oddsmakers May Have Pissed Off Chicagoans

By
Matthew Milakovich
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Last week social media and the talking heads were all abuzz discussing the Jordan-LeBron comparison. However, the basketball Gods didn’t seem to enjoy that too much, so as it stands now the Warriors have a commanding two game lead. And while it cannot be disputed that LeBron James, better than Jordan or not, has created his very own legacy…

Being in a position to lose your fifth Finals doesn’t make the comparison so much fun anymore. So in true sports media fashion, it’s on to the next one!

Vegas picks the flavor of the week

ESPN spoke to six Vegas oddsmakers regarding who would be favored in a heavyweight bout between the 2017 Warriors and ’96 Bulls. And while it wasn’t unanimous, five of the six had this years Golden State team favored by as high as -8 at the MGM (per Jay Rood, vice president of race and sports at MGM Resorts) to as low as -2 at William Hill US (per Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading, William Hill US).

Tale of the tape

Everyone knows how great this Warriors team is now with the addition of the Durantlula named Kevin. Hell, they were great before. Sure, people will point to the fact that they lost in the finals last year, but 73-9 is still 73-9. Let’s give credit where credit’s due…

It’s one hell of an accomplishment in it’s own right.

Although, what really matters here is, what rules are they playing by? It’s kind of why hypotheticals (while interesting in ever intriguing fantastical nature) are fucking pointless. The Bulls were built for hand checking. Playing through them, dishing them out, etc.

The Warriors were built to never think about them. Just create space and play an uptempo high scoring attack; predicated on great passing and court vision.

But, no matter the frivolity of such a mental exercise, let’s talk it out shall we?

Intangibles

When I saw the initial report that the Bulls would be playing against the spread last night the first call I made was to a friend of mine who runs a sportsbook (albeit an illegal one, sshhhh) in California. He mentioned the numbers and the fact that of course Golden State would be favored. Odds are always made based on trends and numbers, never intangibles and what if’s. What if’s are left to the people who place the bets. That’s why they’re called bets, and this is how Vegas stays afloat, taking the smart bet.

Easy economics.

One thing my friend also mentioned though, is that the Bulls may actually be, despite the odds, the smarter bet.

If one were to dig deeper they would see that during their respective campaigns, the Bulls were substantially better (46-33-1) against the spread than the Warriors (40-39-3).

Everyone knows that Jordan was never one to back down from a challenge. And while this may not play into the math for oddsmakers, it should almost certainly factor into the decision making process for the bettor. In this case, even the numbers support it.

Whichever way you slice it, the series would be an interesting one for sure.

Now of course, the Chicagoan in me would say that DA Bulls would have this dream match in the bag, no problem. The logical bettor in me would want to see the rules. While the situational bettor would pick the Bulls based on trends and odds producing a bigger payout. I mean come on, the match up might as well be a pick ’em.

Only problem is, we’ll never know. Maybe one day we’ll see it in Ice Cube’s BIG3 league.

Let’s just hope Luc Longley isn’t guarding Durant.

 

Forgotten Name Envisioned To Play Unlikely Hero for Bears

By
Erik Lambert
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kyle fuller

The Kyle Fuller Bears story seems like it’s ready to approach its final chapter. After such a promising start to his Chicago career, the former first round pick has encountered a rollercoaster ride since. Sometimes he’s look real solid, making plays. Others he’d get burned repeatedly by receivers and then had to bow out for an entire season due to a nagging knee injury. Most have given up hope for him.

As yet it’s not entirely clear what the team expects from him. There have been plenty of hints. Some claiming he’ll get a fair shot at playing. Others that he might get moved to safety. All that is known at this point is he’s healthy and faces a serious competition at the cornerback position. Thanks in large part to a series of free agent moves by GM Ryan Pace.

Prince Amukamara, Marcus Cooper, and Jonthan Banks are expected to stand in his way on the outside. Not to mention second-year man Deiondre Hall. To say nothing of Bryce Callahan and Cre’Von LeBlanc. It looks hopeless for the pessimistic fan or realistic media person. MMQB expert Andy Benoit thought feels differently.

Kyle Fuller Bears run can still be salvaged

He seems to have a greater degree of optimism regarding both Fuller and the Bears cornerbacks in general. Though not an elite group, a run of good health and playing up to their normal standards should give Chicago something to work with.

Is he crazy? Well not necessarily. Having not played for over a year now it’s easy to dismiss Fuller as a lost cause. At the same time that would also dismiss how well he was playing towards the end of 2015. According to Pro Football Focus, quarterbacks had a 39.1 passer rating when targeting him during the second half of that season. Don’t forget that with him in the lineup they ranked fourth in the NFL against the pass that year. Without him they dropped to 14th.

Then there’s the fact he was their best ball hawk. Chicago had just eight interceptions last season. In his first two years, Fuller produced six of them. So maybe he deserves more credit than he’s gotten. Nobody is saying he’s elite, but perhaps people were too quick to judge his value to the pass defense. If Benoit is correct, Bears fans may be in store for a pleasant surprise come this 2017 season. Through all the narratives, a Kyle Fuller comeback is the most unexpected.

Insider Reveals Why Bears Didn’t Draft Elite Safety

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears safety position

There were more than a few people who have lambasted the Chicago Bears safety position for years. In fact many local fans and media were doing it before it was trendy with the national folks. Regardless it came as a substantial shock when the team yet again again bypassed the opportunity to take one high in the draft.

The streak remains alive with the Bears having not taken a safety above the third round since 2006 (Daniel Manning). Over a decade. If people wonder why the situation got so bad, that’s why. Then again sometimes the philosophy of an organization doesn’t place a high premium on great safeties. That seems to be the case with GM Ryan Pace.

His attention has remained focused on the front seven, instead using free agents and mid-to-late round picks to fill in the gaps. He has confidence that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can make due with what he has.

Chicago Bears safety position underrated?

In Pace’s defense, he’s not entirely mistaken on that. Fangio actually has a history of turning such types of players into above average contributors. Of the five Pro Bowl defensive backs he coached during his time with the San Francisco 49ers, four of them were either free agents or later round draft picks. This could be why Andy Benoit of the MMQB stated that the Bears are considerably higher on their current crop of safeties than others outside Halas Hall.

Quintin Demps is one thing. The veteran is coming off a career year with six interceptions in Houston. Adrian Amos is another. A former fifth round pick, he’s lingering mediocrity for most of his time as starter. Perhaps the Bears believe he’s ready to make the leap now that his role will likely shift alongside Demps. Hard to say.

At the same time the team has steadily stockpiled the position with similar types. Eddie Jackson, Deon Bush and DeAndre Houston-Carson are later round draft picks. Solid athletes with intriguing traits that are worth developing. That sounds nice but it’s little reassurance for Bears fans who’ve had to watch crummy safety play for almost a decade now.

They can take some semblance in knowing this. Since the year 2003 there have been seven safeties selected in the fourth round or later who went on to become Pro Bowlers. So it’s not entirely unheard, especially since Vic Fangio has coached two of them in Dashon Goldson and Antoine Bethea.

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