The wait continues: Cubs targets Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman STILL free agents | CHGO Cubs Podcast

It’s February and the Chicago Cubs’ offseason still isn’t complete. Did anyone see Scott Boras’ clients still unsigned at this point of the offseason? The good news is no other team has decided to swoop in and take these candidates from the Chicago Cubs. The wait continues. We discuss what needs to happen in February for optimism headed into March. Tune in with Cody Delmendo and Ryan Herrera on this edition of the CHGO Cubs Podcast.

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#Cubs #ChicagoCubs #FlyTheW

[Applause] Hey Chicago what do you say this is the chgo Cubs podcast yes the chgo Cubs podcast the best Cubs podcast on the internet don’t let the facts get in the way of good story but also it is facts true yeah that’s that’s not not fax it’s just

Facts just facts right there you go uh welcome in no Luke sumire today so it’s just me and Ryan and uh we got a lot to talk about we’re going to talk about the fact that the four main Boris clients are still available as we all know uh we

Got there was a good article or a good blog on uh Bleacher Nation about Morel uh it didn’t go super in depth but it gave me an idea of something we can talk about related to Morel that we haven’t really talked about all offseason in my

Opinion um and then I heard I I heard AJ Hench talking about jav bayas yesterday and and I want to talk about jav bayas at the end of the show so hit the like button that’s first thing hit the like button also Super Chat already Ricky

What up Ricky I see you in this chat all the time $2 just wanted to say credit to Cody for being Cody that’s very big of you to send I should screenshot it and put it like on my uh my Twitter header that should be my Twitter header all

Right maybe I’ll do that uh but thank you for the Super Chat I see other names in the chat Becky Godfather Michael Greg DFW Susie I know she’s a Die Hard um speaking of the die hards I I want to give a shout out to Jackie Nico Aaron

William Eddie Mick Larry and Jim you’re all new die hards credit to you guys yeah 110 new die hards in January yeah and I want to smash that in February yeah we’re looking for like 210 in February that’s I don’t think that’s a a lofty goal

We’re going to do double that in fewer days yeah we’re we’re going to take that leap year and we’re just going to run right into March tell your friends tell your family tell your kids tell your brothers goldfish everyone sign up right and right now especially

If you’re a CBS fan it’s a perfect time to sign up because the CB season is right around the corner we’re doing more events this year we I believe we’re going to do at least three takeovers which are going to be fun uh Me and My

Guy Greg Braggs are going to be out at Wrigley Field a lot this summer unconfirmed but pretty much confirmed either way it’s a great time to become a die hard because because I think we’re going to we’re definitely going to be out in the community a lot

More also was to say I know people have asked how to become a Die Hard you got to go over to all.com there’s a DI hard tab there you click become a DI hard and that there you can find all the information all the all the benefits of

Becoming a Die Hard how to sign up do all that stuff so make sure you go to all chg.com click that tab the Die Hard tab yes and get get signed up join the community and you get a free shirt maybe the Sammy social bring him home yes what

A great Point big of Stephen to say because he’s a yeah huge of me very big of you uh yeah the Sosa hat uh shirt and or hoodie the hoodie would be perfect in April right if you if you you’re in the area and you’re going to Wrigley for an

April game which the the good thing about going to Wrigley in April is that the tickets are usually pretty cheap because no one wants to go to Wrigley in April cuz the weather is such a it’s just so unpredictable you could get a 70° day or you could get a 30 dee day

With some flurries or something like that you know what I mean so I think the hoodie of this bring bring Sammy home uh would be great on a day like that but um yeah so so uh do all that another reason to become a die hard and this is like

Recent stuff is that the CSO Cubs Discord is going off about Barb people are not for not in a bad way not in a bad way not in a bad way and the reason being is I believe someone created a parody Barb account last night because I’ve have started tweeting my

Top 10 favorite Barb comments from each show the last two days and in turn it led to someone creating a parody Barb account now Barb if you actually did create a um if you actually did create an account uh hi I appreciate you follow me on Twitter you

Should become a die hard too but what’s funny about what’s going on in C wa hold is this live it we are live just just to and I haven’t seen Barb in the chat yet so I last this these last couple days she’s been coming in kind of

Late so hopefully you know things she she sees this but the thing that’s funny these last handful of days is that people are they’re just so me mesmerized by bar because she sent some of the funniest comments in the chat and uh this goes into the fact that the

Community is incredible in the Cho Discord so this is this is all good and fun Barb it’s nothing against you at all but I do find it hilarious that someone made a parody account of you at least I believe that’s what it is because I I said I tweeted I replied to someone

Saying that they should create or someone should create a like a fake Barb account and then just start telling me to charge my phone every day and tell me to text Hoyer to uh you know not trade everyone or something you know the classic Barb comments you know what I

Mean so anyway I just want to give a shout out to the Cho Cubs Discord because it it’s been cracking me up the last couple days with with all the with all the the conversation because the Cubs haven’t been doing anything at least these last handful of weeks as far

As you know signing these these main four one or one or two of these uh Boris clients that we’ve been talking about off SE all offseason right sorry I’m I getting word the Cubs have just made the nearest uh signing official one-year deal Club option for 2025 and to make

Room on the 40 man Michael Rucker has been designated for assignment oh and this is actually hey Gary I was right we we were we uh we’re in in we were in the Discord um yesterday kind of chopping it up I was you know Gary was in there

Susie a couple others uh and kind of I think Gary had actually asked about making room on the 40 man and I said you know Michael ER I think I said something just just the fact that you know he’s a kind he’s a guy just shuttling back and

Forth in Triple A to uh big leagues was only really taken up mop-up Duty situations kind of thing like if they were going to release someone on that 40 man as a pitcher like that was a guy that I’m like could could be on the chopping block for that but um when I

Was in the Discord last week and we did we did reactionary stuff to the Nar signing he asked me along the same question and I credit to me for saying this I said that you’re better with these like roster things cuz you know more about it than I do but I believe I

Did say Michael Rucker was an option that I think that they would DFA so I don’t know I don’t know about that okay well anyway real quick just want to shout out Eric olrick just signed up to be a Die Hard To You incredible is that

How you is that how you pronounce it rrick if if so it’s there’s a bar in Poria Illinois called rrick it’s one of my favorite favorite bars was there when I lived there for about a year and a half back in 2016 when the Cubs won the

World Series people forget that uh but thanks for becoming a Die Hard bro uh as far as uh this this move that you just made that you just told us that was official um I don’t think anyone’s very upset to see Michael Rucker or surprised even or even surprised to see that

Michael Rucker um was the one DFA um oh yeah it it made it to me it I I feel like he could be explain this to me that way I get this right he’s DFA and he has he will now go through waivers right and then he

Could be outrighted to the Cubs Triple A if that yeah yeah yeah because I don’t think he’s been DFA before I don’t know if the top of my head if he has but like his um the Cubs DFA you know designate for assignment they could place my waivers

And if another team claims him they bring him on or if he goes through waivers doesn’t get claimed the cups can I believe assign him to to Iowa I’d have to make sure just cuz I don’t remember for sure if he uh um has been DFA in the

Past but I don’t think he has okay well till then I have one very very important question and that question is what was your favorite part of the Michael Rucker era um my favorite was it my favorite uh what was the phrase you just said what was your

Favorite part of the Michael favorite part of the Michael Rucker era yeah was the friends we made Al the friends we made Al he had some good moments he also had some bad moments no I I I he had some good moments like I said he was

Like kind of guy that came in uh mop up Duty and um maybe maybe takes a couple Innings here and there and um you know he he was the guy that shuttled back and forth between Iowa and and the big leagues andh he wasn’t going to be their

Their Lynch pin or their Cornerstone of their Bullpen or anything um but he was you know a good dude worked hard and you know hopefully he lates on wherever right if someone claims him or they’re able to keep him in the system um you know good dude and and see if see where

He can get go from here yeah I see uh DFW suie says Rucker had a few moments last year yeah like I said he he had some moments over the last couple years it just he wasn’t one of those trusted relievers he wasn’t getting the high

Leverage kind of stuff right um he was kind of going in for for mop of Duty take you know eat up some Innings whether the Cubs were ahead by a lot or or down by a lot that was kind of his role and you know that’s that’s a role

That that play that needs to be filled on a team right a guy that can just come in and and take up the Innings that so you don’t use your best relievers every day like that is a role that has to be filled um not that it’s you know not

That it can’t be filled by someone else obviously but sure yeah so he was a good dude nice to talk to uh got along with him but we’ll see we’ll see where he goes we’ll see if they can keep him in the system yeah I uh you know related to

Other former Cubs relievers I was going to get to this later in the segment but since we’re talking about relievers now because of this uh official news regarding nerys uh I saw before the show and credit to Gary for t uh dming me on

Twitter about it uh so I could see it um Brandon Hughes signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks Cubs Legend officially now um obviously last year was hurt for most of it I believe with a knee injury right uh he was really good for the Cubs in 2022 hell he was getting

Closing opportunities at the end of the season in 2022 uh just couldn’t stay healthy last year they went into 2023 hoping that he could be like that consistent Lefty to come out of the PIN for them just didn’t really work out signs a Min League deal at the

Diamondbacks we’ll see how things play out they they’re they’re uh they’re Bullpen I remember outside the postseason last year the Diamondbacks Bullpen was uh not great so we’ll see where he fits in the fold there if he makes it out of Camp again it’s a minor

League deal so he could end up in Triple A to open the season for them but um he was always an interesting one just because remember he came up as a position player and then they turned him into a reliever yeah he was an outf I don’t remember exactly the year look

That up but he was an outfielder for years right and then um I remember he was telling the story that at one point they kind of basically sat him down and were like there’s just no more room for you as an outfielder on the on the in

The system um but we think you can convert to a pitcher um obviously for a guy who was about to lose his job right probably about to be released had he not agreed to give it a try um you know he converted to to a reliever converted to

A pitcher um and had success kind of he he’s one of those guys that just kind of came up out of nowhere like he had heard the name thrown around there every once in a while but he wasn’t like this big time guy that was just he he just kind

Of moved up pretty quickly and all of a sudden he was in the big leagues right in 2022 and it’s funny cuz he’s uh he debuted the same day that Morel he actually debuted before Morell they both got called up the same day and debuted that day um and Brandon Hughes had his

Own little historical debut of itself do you have the the numbers it was yeah so he pitched his major league debut I think he pitched um one and two-thirds of an inning and he struck out Five Guys so every out he made was via the strikeout which was he became

The first player in the modern era to do do that or something like that so he had his own little historical kind of Debut and obviously morel’s home run and what moral has done since um he’s kind of that’s kind of the one that gets remembered but like Brandon Hughes had a

Great debut and he had a really good 2022 2023 obviously didn’t work out for him um and now he’s elsewhere now he’s taking a a spring training invite in Arizona so yeah we’ll see but uh another guy that was you know easy to talk to easy

To get along with um worked really hard and and when he’s right and healthy you saw how good he could be and like that’s why we we talked about last year going into the season like we we felt he was going to be an important part of the

Bullpen right um and it just didn’t work out the knee issue became a thing and he just never got right um and that you know that was tough for the CU Bullpen because I’m they were definitely relying on him to be one of those guys against

Lefty options and that’s why for most of the season Mark lder Jr was really the only guy yeah I mean Brandon Hughes can be a good example of uh you know kind of about kind of like what we were talking about yesterday with you know how injuries happen how guys don’t

Necessarily continue to have the success that they might may may have had the year before at least especially the young guys that don’t have a ton of Major League uh success and that’s why you can’t Prospect H you you can’t just rely on all these prospects to you know

Come up and and and light the world on fire um and with that said I I you know yesterday uh Wy Peralta signed with the Padres and then Jake deckman reportedly is headed to the Mets and I know the Cubs are kind of linked to deckman was a

Lefty for the Rays and white socks last year really struggled with the white socks at the beginning of the year then he went to the Rays and the Rays did what the Rays did and got him back to like what he basically had been his entire career

Um I saw or well I guess I saw I also listened uh on Robert Murray’s podcast the baseball insiders he reported on that podcast on Tuesday that the Cubs are still part of the reliever Market they’re still interested in bringing one more guy in or at least one more guy in

So to see these two guys gone I’m interested in or I’m intrigued into in who they’re thinking they have like we kind of talked about it this week in general like they they have a lot of guys in the bullpen it’s just like like

Not really a lot of them have a lot of Major League experience or have proven to done it for a long time and so maybe another veteran wouldn’t be so bad somewhere there in the middle yeah um you know and this is actually another another benefit of the of the being a

Die hard we were in the Discord chat me like I said me Gary Susie and some others um just kind of chopping about the Cubs and this is also brought up about you know would they still bring in a reliever um and just I’m kind I I think it’s possible Right like obviously

They brought in Hector nerys and yansi El Mon’s a a little bit of a Reclamation project kind of guy um but they have I think my main point was they have I would say six guys right now um on the 40 man that don’t have six Bullpen guys

On the 40 Man uh that don’t have any options left and and that’s the flexibility aspect of it makes it a little tough ER for me to see them going out and and signing someone that doesn’t really move the needle right like if there’s someone out there and I I’m

Not I haven’t taken a look at the reliever Market in a in a little bit but like if there’s someone out there that they they really believe is going to be a Difference Maker for them then I can see it right but if it’s someone that’s

Just going to be um filling in that Michael Rucker type role or right there at the at the the lowest of of the leverage situations in the bullpen I I would my gut would would say that they would rather you know stick to internal options guys with options that can be

Moved back and forth from Iowa to the big leagues um versus bringing in a guy that’s going to take up another Bullpen spot without the ability to be flexible and and we’ seen how um Bullpen depth Bullpen health and flexibility in the bullpen um can be or

Can can be advantageous for teams or as the Cubs showed last year um how a lack thereof can be disast for a bullpen so um yeah again I I think it’s possible I don’t know what names um the Cubs are for sure looking at but you know if it’s

Someone with options that they’re bringing in it’s possible too but um I just unless it’s a Difference Maker um veteran reliever I don’t know if I don’t know if that’s someone that they would bring in just just because we’re talking about flexibility for flexibility sake maybe maybe it’s a um you know

Non-roster invite type thing bring them in spring training similar to what they’ve got with like Carl Edwards Jr and some of those guys that they’ve brought in this this off season but yeah um yeah we’ll see uh Anything Can Happen the nearest deal kind of came out of nowhere so yeah like

We don’t a lot of these especially with the reliever side a lot of these kind of move moveing silence like lasagna yeah I uh I like Mike Taylor’s comment not the one on the screen but the one he sent before that Steven put up it said uh

Wick Wick with an i as in Bradwick uh Brandon Hughes then Ethan Roberts all guys we thought were going to be Bullpen Main Stays injuries change all of that slim chance we might see Wick back on the 40 man this year now of those guys you mentioned I’m I’m still optimistic

About Ethan Roberts he’s very young and um you know I I can’t blame him for having to have Tommy John there’s so many pictures are having Tommy John this year so I’m I’m still optimistic about him our conversation with Tommy hoty I asked him about Ethan Rober a little bit

You should go check that out Barb you asked in the chat if if the Cubs are bringing back Tommy Hy yes he’s going to be the pitching coach this year uh I I promise you he will be there I I did not tell Jed to uh to uh to let him go okay

But you do want to trade all the young players I do want to trade all the young players I absolutely want to trade them all Assad weski I want to trade them all guys send them all straight to the moon or send them somewhere for a bag of

Balls that’s that’s exactly what I want don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story yeah I buy that all right if Ryan buys it it must be true um okay so anyway yeah the the re relever Market is interesting and uh we’ll see what happens Barb what else

You have uh they have Horton coming up he’s going to be very good hope Cody doesn’t tell Hoyer to trade him already did Barb already did you got to char your phone first before you can do it though true I I have not charged my

Phone today uh I’m just a mess right now Barb but I don’t know what to do uh I I’ll work on it though anyway would you like to see Horton come up as a reliever Ro or do you want them to just to just bring him up when he’s ready to join the

Rotation like I compare it to what they did with steel in like 2021 where he came up for I want to say a couple months that he was up relieving I know he got hurt and that’s why he kind of went back down and got stretched out but

This year I wouldn’t be opposed to him coming up in reliever role just because like he is only like a year and a half removed from Tommy John correct right so something like that two years and so they’re trying to build up the Innings and that’s why I feel like you know

Midseason is more of like more likely when we see him so how they will limit those Innings perhaps maybe in that kind of role and then maybe let him go like full go in 2025 but I don’t know I I how what would I like to see depends

On first off it depends on who’s having success for Cubs right like you know if Steele’s having another solid year if if Hendrick is still Kyle Hendrick and you know imanaga has you know been is he if he’s consistent in a lot like he was in

Japan and you know you know Jordan Wicks you know who whoever else you know like if if you’re getting good contributions out your rotation and it’s not like an automatic like we got to put him in there yeah then I’m probably okay with him going to the bullpen and then maybe

You can let him loose later in the year whenever maybe if you’re in a penet race or who knows maybe if the runner away of division maybe earns himself a start you know I just think with what we’ve seen with like injuries and stuff like that I

Could see him getting a few spot starts but I don’t I don’t necessarily know if he’ll automatically jump into the rotation or if I even want him to I want him to be on the Cubs in m in mid-season just because I his stuff is great and I

I want to see him pitch but I don’t think it’s an automatic like we need to put this guy in the rotation you know what I mean I think I feel the opposite I think I think I well because obviously like you mentioned if he’s going to come up and

Go right into the rotation that means there’s some underperformance or some injuries in the rotation I don’t know that I want to see him come up in the bullpen roll um you know guys can do it guys have done done it obviously we saw Justin steel but um

For a guy like like Horton and and I think this goes to like I think this Bullpen is right now better prepared to handle the 162 Game season I think they have um you know veteran guys obviously guys like Julia Mayweather adbert have a lot have a full year of experience in

Those roles under their belt they brought in nears um true Smiley was actually pretty good in the reliever after they moved him out there last year um and then obviously some of the young guys Palencia and Luke little going to get more experience uh there’s other

Guys on on the way bayy horn is another name that could pop in there um I I don’t know I think there’s I think there’s enough depth and Effectiveness in there to to get them through the 162 and for Horton I I don’t know I I think it’s just

Um I don’t know if you want to do it where cuz obviously you know relievers their volume is just not what starters have they just don’t have um they’re just they’re just doing things differently than what starting pitchers do their routines are different um what they have to ask out of their

Own bodies is different U maybe he can come up as like a piggyback type guy I guess that’s that’s an option but yeah um I think I would I think if I’m like picking between one or the other I think having him up just directly into a starting

Position and not you know not asking him to go eight Innings every time out like maybe he’s the starter of the piggyback guy maybe that’s an option um but I think I’d rather have him be a starter keep him on a starter routine you mentioned it they’re going to have still

Have a little bit of a limit on his Innings um so if he’s a starter that they can limit that way and they can keep him on that routine I think that’s the better option than than just putting him right into the bullpen yeah uh to be

Clear guys some people in the chat are yelling at me like I want to see him start like I’m not I’m just saying that I wouldn’t be surprised just based off how the organization has worked with certain starters in the past all right so and somehow someway the chat has

Turned to the conversation of Jose quas who I think is obviously going to be one of the greatest pitchers in Cub’s history uh anyway I I I think Horton certainly can make a huge be one of those extremes that hit for the Cubs in 2024 that perhaps puts

Them in you know the penet race or you know maybe puts them into a position where you know they’re really competing for a legit playoff spot so the time like I remember we had Greg hus on here and I haven’t forgot that day because of

What he said just lit my eyes up so much he said six starts in in the miners and he’ll be up with the Cubs that’s what he said that he wants to see cuz he thinks he’s seen enough of him in the miners I don’t know that’s going to happen hell

He doesn’t know that if that’s going to happen but that’s that you know he watches the minor league he he watches Minor League Baseball more than I do so I’m willing to trust a guy like that and if it’s you know more than six so be it

Depends on where the Cubs are at that time if they need a spark if they need they need an arm because there’s an injury then sure like I I wouldn’t be surprised if we see it so um yeah we’ll see what happens but I I’m really excited about Horton he’s the one guy

For me as much as Barb and everyone in the chat thinks I want to trade all the good young players which I mean obviously some of them I do um he’s the one that I don’t want to trade right so anyway uh we got a lot more to talk

About the very first segment we were going to start in the uh we going to start the show with we completely skipped over because of all the the reliever the nerys thing so we’ll do that here in the second segment uh first listen let me tell yall about cd1 Price

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Coupon options first time I’ve read that one sorry was a little bit of a a roll it did end with a little debate for me you say coupon I say coupon Ryan break the tie coupon I’m a coupon coupon coupon I I think they’re both right but

C they just stood up it’s like it’s like caramel versus caramel no that one’s caramel I’m not caramel for sure absolutely caramel I say caramel caramel see eggs eggs versus eggs oh there’s only one right answer there people just mispronouncing it sorry go ahead FCO is

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Team branded friendship bracelets oh that’s that’s new uh whether it is jackets Beach wear or even overalls there’s something for fans for almost every occasion I know they got those aloha shirts too and and those might be really good uh that summer time at Wrigley Field you know Aloha Hawaiian

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Click the link in the description below for all non pre-sale items use the promo code cho10 for 10% off you can go there and you can get all all the good stuff folks so do that and then you can credit us yeah all right um I’m reading it reading the chat

Y’all are cracking me up Barb you’re you’re listing so many good comments I don’t know how I’m going to rank your top 10 comments after this after this show when she says something about us interviewing Taylor Swift yeah yeah she says she thinks that we’re going to

Super Bowl or she keeps asking if we’re going to Super Bowl unfortunately we’re not they’re only sending the Bears guys yeah they’re sending brags and Karm and and hog and and Morano you said are Cody and Ryan going to the Super Bowl next week interview interview Taylor Swift we

Don’t have an interview lined up but if she does to introduce me to Selena Gomez I’ll I’ll uh I’ll I’ll take that maybe she can introduce me to Travis or Jason Kelsey I Jason Kel is kind of my spirit animal so um okay so we wanted to start the

Show with you know the fact that Bellinger Chapman Blake Snell who’s the other one uh Jordan Montgomery still free agents it’s February 1st and they’re still free agents so I guess the question being is will will will uh will be will we be able to

Go into March in 30 days or 31 days however many days there or no 29 we’re in February 29 30 I don’t know it’s a leap year isn’t it this year yeah think it’s AAP think there’s 29 days 29 days will we be able to go into March in 29

Days more optimistic about this roster yeah okay I think so I I I think uh especially with the guys you mentioned I I it would be I wouldn’t be like a total shock but it I would be more inclined to think that those guys Futures are going to be more Set uh by

By the time we get to March I um especially Binger man I I don’t again I those guys can can sit out when did Harper and um I saw was it Brendan who tweeted this this morning I think both were in March of that year was it it was

February the end of February well and I I mentioned brenon I don’t know if you saw his tweet but he tweeted this morning that it was like February 28th 20 28 2019 that Bryce Harper officially signed with the Phillies so like that went way into spring training right so I

Mean we’ve seen it February 28th to the last day of February yeah so we have seen it so I I I I’m sitting here and I’m I wouldn’t be the most shocked person in the world if some of those guys are still we get to March and and

You know spring training games are starting and they’re still not signed but um no I I think um I do think we will sit here on March 1st and definitely think a little bit better about what the Cubs roster looks like I think you know I think a guy like Cody

Bellinger will sign and and again I still lean towards Cody or the Cubs bringing him back I think um everything we’ve heard the tea leaves have said the Cubs are the most likely Destin ation um I think that’s a guy that they pick up and and I mean if we’re comparing it to

Right now adding Bellinger makes the team better right I agree it’s I mean obviously we all know this I to me man if Cody Bellinger isn’t a Chicago Cub by March 1st but he’s but he’s still out there I mean then I’m really going to get into like the Craig Kimbrell like

Situation I’m going to really start thinking man this could be like June you know what I mean like and and the thing is is like his situation is not anything close to what Craig Kimbrell’s situation was if you remember Craig Kimbrell’s free agency after the 2018 season going

Into 2019 he was coming off a bad postseason with the Red Sox even though they won the World Series if you remember when they won the World Series Chris sa was on the mound for them to get the final outs not Craig Kimbrell because he was not good in that

Postseason and there were a lot of questions about him him and of as we saw play out he gets picked up by the Cubs like in the middle of the year and it’s honestly like the only reason and I will always believe this the only reason that

He signed with the Cubs was because Ben zis left the team and that opened up money because of whatever I can’t remember the technical words for this but that to me that that was the only reason Curry Kimbell was ever a cup was because Ben Zas had to leave because of

His Situation off the field with his now ex-wife so that still is crazy though that it ended up like June and Craig Kim who at the time was still a really good relever like he wasn’t he wasn’t washed up by any means I’m thinking back to

That I think it had to do with draft pick compensation for him so if he signed later on in the year uh and same with Dallas kyel I think another Boris client if they signed later on in the year the team that signed him would not have to give up that compensatory pick

Gotcha yeah okay that that that makes a little bit more sense still it’s just it’s just crazy to think that CRA Kim it’s my 10 foil hat Theory it’s just crazy to think that Craig Kimbrell um was just not pitching for the first two two plus months of the season and you

Saw like you saw how that affected him because he really wasn’t good for the Cubs in year one largely because he didn’t have a spring training and you pitched a ton in 2018 pitched all the way to the World Series right so um yeah the first year and a half of Craig

Kell’s Cubs tenure was not good uh I want to ask you guys a question I obviously don’t do a lot of these shows Cody and Bellinger what’s the max years and dollars you’d actually be willing to give him cuz he he’s had his up and

Downs in his career he’s been an MVP and he’s also had Seas where he’s barely over 200 on the batting average so what’s what’s your max years and dollars I think seven maybe eight May and I would hope there’s an opt out in there uh maybe two I I’d probably go up

To eight years tops um eight years 200 yeah I mean this I’ve I mean I basically kind of said this all offseason I think a really fair deal for him is seven years 180 and I think Boris is trying to get him 200 like a flat 200 M well at

This point he should be trying to get him 200 that way he gets some sign but I think right now the reason that this is played on as long as it has is because Boris is trying to get him like 250 and still get him like maybe a couple more

Years you know what I mean I think a fair deal or a really good deal for him a fair deal 7 years 180 a good deal for Bellinger for him I think is you know eight years 210 something like that you know yeah like I think yeah eight years 200ish is

Probably like maximum and you know I don’t know if that’s what bis is going to get like I don’t know if there’s going to be team that goes and wants to give him that considering the the injury history in the LA in the couple down years prior to 2023 for Bellinger um 780

Is like what we’ve seen get thrown out a bunch of times and or but I say 780 7180 um and that doesn’t feel like uh that that feels more fair obviously mhm might have to overpay a little bit maybe 7185 or something like that but yeah um

No I think I think right around there’s the range of of what’s between like comfortable and like not too uncomfortable that you don’t want to do it that to me I think that’s what it feels like okay cuz I I look at it there’s there’s two big players and

You know if you look at the thumbnail today that we’re going to be talking about the other Matt Chapman two very very different types of player and I would also say two very different types of contract that they’re going to command yeah Cody Ballinger you’re comfortable with going seven eight years

Matt Chapman you’re not going to want to go anywhere near that right no definitely at now yeah I don’t I don’t think anyone wants to give him more than four years personally uh and we’ve talked about this too like the difference between Cody Bellinger Matt jman is results but

The baded ball data for Chapman is better than Cody Bellinger so you’re thinking he just didn’t you know the quote unquote luck Factor wasn’t there for him he still hit the ball really hard great exit velocities all these things obviously a great defender and I don’t think Matt Chapman is an

Absolute you have to get I think it would make the team better absolutely I absolutely do think that and I think it would then make their lineup better even though his offensive number numers don’t show that they were there again the baded ball data was there but

Not you know not the results and you know take that however you want to take it right again to answer your question Stephen I think I personally would go three years Max and if you have to pay them more on AEV then like I’m fine with

That because it’s the Cubs and they have the money to do that right yeah and also it’s not going to in the long term it’s not going to block a guy like Matt Shaw or or whoever else that you know could be potentially there so I’m I’m pretty

Much fine with getting match Atman but I just don’t think it’s a must and Cody Bellinger is a guy that I feel like it’s a must like this team the the the predicting what this team could be on opening day is only goingon to it’s hard we it’s

Hard to even be able to do that right now without him on the roster you know so until that day comes if he signs with someone else then I guess I can start doing that but I just think that without him this team ain’t going to be any

Better than last year actually I’d probably think it’s worse they would need a lot of prospects to uh pan out and bust on the scene and and and play well and if they do then I’ll give a front office credit but that’s a bold move to do going into year four of your

Uh of your era Jed that’s all I can say yeah no I like let’s like we’ve said all along Binger is the priority um that’s the guy that feels like they need to get before the season starts need to go into 2024 with Bellinger and Tow um and

Obviously if he go somewhere else you’re going to have to make a contingency plan right like you might have to Pivot to Matt Chapman you might need to go the pitching route and sign the Jordan Montgomery or something like that right like um well apparently Montgomery is

Like Gary has said this to me in the Discord a few times like that apparently Montgomery is still getting linked to the Cubs and I I’m I’m honestly surprised by it like I I if if they sign Montgomery then I I definitely think they’re out on Chapman and we’ll see if

Bellinger is still an option but I mean Montgomery is going to get like something similar to like what John Lester got right like that’s what his like that’s what like MLB trade rumors like predicted and so just based off that he probably get a little bit more

Than that you know like based off the predictors because the predictors are never fully right they’re just close like he’s the projection right yeah so you know that’s we’ll see I’m not against it it’s just like yeah well you need offense in my opinion I mean well but what I guess the

Way I’m saying that is like you can pivot to the pitching side and you you spend the money like the the big money on a guy like Jordan Montgomery where and then you can fill in on the offense with you know a Brandon Belt type or a

JD Martinez type like the guys we’ve talked about that may not be your you know long-term answers anywhere and you probably wanted to get um better guys in the market but could still add solid and I’m saying this is just as as missing out on the top bats which you know would

Be a little bit of an indictment on the on the front office for missing out on them but oh but if you do miss out on them um there’s other routes you could take to still improve the roster may not be as on paper the roster may not look as good

As you know we kind of pictured it could look when we got into the offseason but um you know yeah we we’ll have to see man it’s playing this waiting game is uh sucks it sucks it’s it’s given us multiple multiple stretches of like weeks with nothing to talk about but the

Exact same people out there maybe that’s maybe that’s the goal yeah just keep their names in the cycle it’s interesting to hear the chat’s like thoughts on this uh Jay Anders Stephen put his chat up a little bit ago Chapman three years at 22 million per uh

Bellinger 7 years at 25 million per year which would equal to 175 million Chapman would equal out to 60 6 million like I’m not I’m not against that like I just it with Bellinger it with his Agent Man like I just I would love seven years 180 if

That ends up being the deal then like I think we can all give ourselves a pat on the bat for being so like for having a crystal ball but I just think that he is going to somehow get $200 million from someone and I think he’s worth he’s worth going over

That that uh that that fin going over that threshold the Cubs have never done before he’s to me he’s worth it he’s 28 years old I know he’s he’s had one good year in his last like three whatever I understand it but with how versatile he

Is the way he’s Chang his approach the type of player that he is in general I think he’s going to age well and I I hope there’s an opt out in there too because he could if he plays well next year and the year after perhaps he could

Make even more money because again he is 28 so you know we’ll see what happens but yeah yeah and and J I think Jay Andrews maybe put in the chat just right now like if ask both of us if we’re uh if if we are the GM who are we signing

Sltrading um everyone thinks I’m trading everyone yeah you’re trading all the prospects for staying oh yeah quas is stay every you’re giving up like the entire triple A team for like one major league player and he won’t even be that good yeah um no I think we’re sitting here

Both like I think we can both agree like the the guy you’re signing is Cody Bellinger yeah that’s your number one option and that’s a priority it’s been the priority for most of this offseason and yeah I I guess we’ll see when it happens but to your question earlier um

I do I still do think it happens in February like before March you know maybe a week two after spring training starts which that in itself kind of sucks but um I do think I do think we’ll see one of those signings happen or maybe even both those

Signings happen by the time we get to March yeah I me I hope you’re right man because at this point I just don’t know and I am tired of be nice to know I am tired of waiting man it’s been 123 days in counting H the free agent Market not

That you’re counting or anything not that I’m counting at all not at all right so um this is going to be a a good transition to next segment but let’s do some ads um at least the match admin conversation so Ryan Justin Timberlake tickets go on sale tomorrow where can you get these

Tickets you know you can get them with game time H yeah I just needed to hear you say it yeah you know you can get them a game time you’re a big you’re a big JT guy huh I am a big a huge insync

Guy back in the day I was actually a big BSB guy but I just think Justin tur Lake as a solo artist is incredible but I did like insync as well I think I think Adam hul said he already got tickets somehow what I need to get I need to get in his

Circle man I’ve been like the 2020 experience album is is one of my favorite albums of my life anyway anyway um let me ask you though what could you do with an extra $100 in Vegas if you were there for the big game what could I do what could you

Do with an extra $100 in Vegas if you were there for the big game oh man there’s so many shows I could possibly go to show I you know might log on to game time and check it out might walk into one of their fabulous casinos and

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Decide where you want to sit right yeah for sure like our friend Susie Hunter over at dmvr one time got uh Wrigley got stuck behind one of those poles and I was like you should have used game time you would asked you would have known told her where you were going to be

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Or if you’re not going to the big game use code chgo for $20 off your first purchase download game time today last minute tickets lowest price guaranteed everyone in the chat talking about how expensive it’s going to be to go to the Super Bowl and uh listen that’s why I

Use code chgo and you can get tickets to something going on here right but if you’re in Vegas there’s other things to do too there’s a lot of lot of awesome stuff to do in Vegas they’re really sending my Guy Greg brags to Vegas he might not come back alive brother

Like that’s all I can say I felt that way about myself going back going to Vegas multiple times so I I can imagine Barb is on a mission to like get us to Vegas she wants to write someone to tell them that that they should send me and

You to Vegas yeah also the whole chat is saying that me and Selena Gomez would be a cute couple so thank you big of them to say Ryan Selena if you’re watching or listening um hello Selena do you have any friends uh follow me on Twitter and and we we’ll

Talk you know what will get Selena to DM you Ryan some bacon all right bacon will get you anything all right you got that right especially if it’s from Charlie the bacon guy who I saw in the chat earlier and I’m sorry I didn’t acknowledge your your your your chat

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Can visit his website at Charlie thebacon guy.com he’s on Instagram Twitter Instagram is Charlie the bacon guy Twitter is CZ thee bacon guy you can even send him an email at Charlie thee bacony gmail.com our friend Gary being Gary and reminding me that Selena Gomez has a

Boyfriend I know uh the day I did not know I uh who’s she dating these days Benny Blanco oh okay found that out a couple weeks ago and it uh ruined my week so if it that was in a bad Mo I think all of us are better looking than

Benny Blanco I we’re still in the running is what I’m saying it’s not over little less money that’s it sometimes you just got to be persistent it R uh it ruined my week so it’s like thank you for ruining my day again Gary it’s like when Vanessa hudgin got married to Cole

Tucker who was on the Rockies recently yeah like it ruined it it ruined ruined my it kind of ruined my day and my week at the time because it meant that the dream is officially over the dream lived for like 15 years bro from the moment I

Saw her on High School Musical it it ended that whenever Cole Tucker ruined it all right yep um okay so before we went to Those ads we were talking about Bellinger Matt Chapman and I said at the end beginning of the show that I was reading a a Blog from Bleacher Nation

Today and it was it was like their bullets article or whatever and speaking of them they did write an art he did write an article about us and how we interviewed Tommy hotovy so thank you Brett uh thank you for uh promoting that for us uh but in this particular one I

Was reading uh it was talking about the scenario of like what if the Cubs are forced or put in a position where they’re forced to play Christopher Morell at third base as in if there’s injuries or whatnot and he said something in there related to like if

There’s an injury to Nick magical or Patrick wisdom or both basically both right um I generally agree with that but obviously I think I he deserve oh maybe not deserves I’d obviously love to see him get the opportunity over them to it’s just all about what we’re going to

See in spring training and so I’m just I am curious what happens if they do get in a position where they’re like those two get hurt or um and Matt Shaw’s not ready and like what will they do you know what I mean like will they actually

Play him at third if it comes down to that if they decide that they don’t want to because and I say this because at Cubs convention as I’ve mentioned many times since Cubs convention the front office has kind of walked back on how they view him in the in which they

Basically said that they think they can still play him all around the field instead of just one position and yeah that makes me want to pull my hair out um yeah no that’s a good question and and that scenario while while somewhat unlikely is definitely possible

U i mean is that magical has shown to have injury problems wisdom he’s shown like I think he’s good in a role where he is off the bench and not playing every day and only facing lefties you know what I mean that don’t hot throw High fast balls you know what I mean

Like there’s those guys are so like they’re good in one particular role right while Christopher Morell obviously the offense he’s gotten better every his F like let me rephrase that he’s gotten better last year compared to the year before so it’s like do you do you risk a

Little bit of the defense at third so you can keep him in the lineup while and maybe putting someone else in that DH in that scenario if those two were to get hurt like to me like it’s not necessarily a hard question to answer but as I’ve seen from the Chicago Cubs over

The course of my life they make things harder than it seems that it need than it needs to be at times and again they know more about Christopher Morell playing Third Base than I do but well so okay so in that scenario mle’s out wisdom’s out um Master bony did you

Mention him I did not mention Master bony um perhaps he’d probably be their third option or even mat Shaw is not ready here’s the thing in that scenario um if morell’s not playing third base in that kind of scenario then you really know how they feel about him

If they’re doing something like bringing Michael Bush uh from first you know moving him from first to third right he played a lot of Third Base last year for the do when he was actually up in the Dodgers um if they do that if they bring up uh like Luis Vasquez someone like

That to go in and play Third um and they’re not giving morale the run in that scenario that you’re talking about then I think that really shows you how they kind of feel about what he does at third base it would it it would be interesting if we got to

That point where a lot of their biggest or their their main options at third base are hurt and or you know unable to play or being or aren’t playing well or whatever it is um and they still don’t put morale in there then that that tells

You that kind of tells you what they think about him at third base and Brendan has I think Brendan has actually put like kind of side by side videos and you can see like you could just see the the the arm angle when he’s throwing it from

Third base I don’t remember who it was it might have been arnado or Machado or um but it was like a comparison right and you could see the arm angle that Morel you like he has on his throws and you can like and then you understand why it’s kind

Of throws can get so wild sometimes it’s just not as Compact and and straightforward as some of those you know the best Third Base that you got or in the majors right so um that’s like a seems like a pretty clear area for him

To clean up up um and but like you said like it will be this spring will be pretty telling about about all that like what has he done all offseason what has he worked on has he picked up on anything and has he improved defensively

Over there to give himself a shot to be that third baseman obviously considering what was said at Cubs convention it doesn’t feel that way yet right now but there are still right around two months till the season starts what can he show them in spring training that’s that’s

Huge for him um also Gary wants me to say Jake Slaughter um I’m be honest like if it gets to a point where Jake Slaughter is their starting third baseman a lot has gone wrong like just injury-wise guys underperforming like there there are just a number of players

Ahead of him on that in in in that you know up the going up the ladder um that you probably suffered a bunch of injuries or just really bad performances that they needed to turn to to Jake Slaughter nothing against the guy um he’s just

Not from what I’ve heard or or what I’ve seen he just doesn’t seem like he’s um as much of a priority to get up to the big leagues as some of these other guys yeah no I I in general agree I just felt like bringing it up because it’s a kind

Of the way a way of with Morel that we haven’t talked about all off season uh Tony in the chat says Morel has to play every day even if he’s just a DH too much Good Vibes and power we don’t have enough 30 to 40 Homer guys and that

That’s kind of my thing on why I even brought it up to begin with it’s like they have to find a way to get this guy in the lineup you know what I mean like he’s too athletic he he obviously makes an impact in the lineup they got to play

Him so again the magnifying glass will be over this kid in spring training where will they be having him play well like it’s going to be the thing honestly it’ll probably be the thing that I’m paying attention to the most as far as guys who are on this roster so we’ll see

What works out here um let me tell you one more ad that we got here H it’s getting easier for businesses to switch to electric vehicles that’s something we can all get behind for the health of the planet and for the well-being of all of us who share it yeah yeah the electric

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You say comed.com clean I did say comed.com go now and see how going electric connects us to a better way of doing business and a better future for generations to come okay um thanks you all hanging out today Cory and Brennan will be tomorrow they won’t be live I’m

Pretty sure they will not be live Barb knows Barb knows that one is not live yeah Barb knows she knows um hit that like button we got 46 likes with 131 people watching we even got a thumbs down but for the people that are here and you haven’t hit the like button

Please hit the like button it means a lot um we’ll be back Monday hopefully Bellinger signs over the weekend and if he does we’ll do emergency podcast we keep saying that all offseason but we’re just waiting we’ve been waiting you know waiting for a while what what is it um

The 4th February 4th 2424 2 424 that’s when Bellinger signing next that’s Sunday that’s Sunday so we we’ll see you on the emergency podcast on Sunday all right and the Super Bowl is in two weeks so there won’t be any football on so I’ll definitely be locked in there you go all right

Uh also I’ll be doing I’ll be in the Discord doing the what do we call it the overtime the voice chat yeah I’ll I’ll be do I’ll be in there either or Extra Innings o I like that too that’s how we’ll Rebrand it the Extra Innings the

Extra Innings uh yeah I’ll be in the Discord doing voice chat um tonight or tomorrow maybe both just CU I’m I love y’all all right there you go so tune in to that become a die hard if you want to be in that yeah become a become a die

Hard and uh and if if you don’t come to that M I’ll see you on 2424 when Cody Bellinger signs with the Cubs all right thanks for checking out C show Cubs podcast we’ll see you Monday or Sunday or both Bye like May