Will Cody Bellinger be this year’s Dexter Fowler? | CHGO Cubs Podcast

Cubs pitchers and catchers are ready to open up camp in Mesa, AZ. CHGO’s Ryan Herrera joins from Sloan Park with the latest on Cody Bellinger’s free agency…has Scott Boris overplayed his hand? Plus, what kind of impression is free agent addition Shota Imanaga making on his Cubs teammates? Former Cubs outfielder Jorge Soler has a new team. Oh, have you seen the new home jerseys? Join Luke Stuckmeyer and Cody Delmendo for the February 13th edition of the CHGO Cubs Podcast #vibewithus

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#Cubs #ChicagoCubs #FlyTheW

[Applause] hey Chicago what do you say it’s the chgo Cubs podcast live from oh no it just sounds like an airplane coming in that’s cuz we’ll get to Ryan Herrera out in Mesa Arizona in just a second there he is Ryan baby 70° he’s taking off the

Hoodie he’s showing us the pythons the short sleeve shirt he’s got the Brick by Brick gon and it is another thank you Jay for coming up with this therapy Tuesday here on CH podcast therapy Tuesday credit to us for bullying Ryan to taking his hoodie off that’s right I

He was like oh it’s a little chilly here and I’m like like man it’s 70 I didn’t say chilly I said it was a little Breezy he got peer pressured but he is showing us that it is nice and warm where he’s at by the way guys shout out to all the

New die hards out there signing up in droves as we get ready for spring training and of course the Bears with the number one pick uh new high die hards in the last 24 hours Nathan Andrew Raymond Joe and Matt shout out to y’all bro thank you for joining the family see

You on the Discord uh see you getting your free shirt I saw that Joe the other day said he was getting his already um yeah I mean you get the free shirt you get all Ryan’s content which is going to be coming in like crazy right now from especially

From spring training this is first day out there how’s how’s it going how’s it feel other than it was a little Breezy excuse me well speaking of content you said uh we we me uh did for first uh newsletter today this morning Cho Cubs newsletter so um some may be unlocked

But manyu will be uh for die hards only so if you’re interested in that another perk uh for our die hards but yeah no it’s uh like I said it’s a beautiful day out here sun’s out what you would you say it’s 70 degrees out you’re you’re 70

9 M hour wind 38 in Chico yeah a little Breezy but I took the hoodie off for you guys because I’m you know I’m I’m I’m a team player I’m part of the team I’m I’m do what you guys tell me to do um but yeah no it’s

Uh it’s it’s you know it’s cool it’s it’s you know coming back here really is baseball season obviously Super Bowl ends on Sunday and that’s kind of the start of baseball season for us but um you know seeing the guys out there you know we talked to Nico earlier today um

We’re able to catch some glimpses of sh IM managa the Cubs new signing out of Japan and just other guys you know arriving I don’t I don’t think the entire team’s here I want to say something I heard something around like 90% of the teams already here um you

Know pitchers and catchers report tomorrow we’ll talk to to Jed and Carter and Craig Council and we’ll really get going tomorrow but but yeah it’s a nice nice day to kind of get back in the swing of things out here in Mesa you know baseball’s back and Ryan’s on the

Ground for like two weeks out there the next couple of weeks by the way we’re all Company Men we’re all team players why Ryan went from the camo chgo hoodie which is all one of our favorites that you can get the chgo locker at all chg.com now he’s taking that off he’s

Showing us the Brick by Brick the brag special talking about the Bears he’s got that shirt on I have the uh the Die Hard hoodie right that came with signing up for being a Die Hard underneath chto Bears so I’m like Ryan double company guy Cody has the t-shirt

On just the Chicago flag chto is that a c hat too yeah we each we each double down on the company merch today credit to Us credit to us we need like a blue CH Jo hat to signify Cubs though my opinion you know like every team in

Like get a red one for Bulls maybe orange and blue kind like your hoodie the red one could cover Blackhawks and Bulls true I mean technically the black could but I mean if a red one you could all you’d have to do is a red and a blue

Yeah if you get a nice little blue hat though shout out to everybody in the live like a powder blue like the like the spring training hats the Cubs have yeah you’re into the powder blue I’ve been seeing all the players wearing the spring training hat and like all the

Pictures that our guy which I will say I will say it looks very cool those hats those hats are nice they do they do hit they they they are you know I’ve been getting a lot of slander on Tik Tok and Instagram for my hat rankings but the Cubs Spring training

Hat is is different it’s it’s the best in my opinion of all 30 teams and that’s not biased I think it’s legitimately true I would go Orioles number two Brandon in live YouTube chat says Ryan needs to show off the 100% Barrel rate leave the hoodie off I want to know

Where you’re standing at where you standing you got a A little Chain Lake Fence is this uh it is Sloan Park right we’re right at the practice fields wow look at that he just Ryan Herrera just took us to Sloan Park and it’s like we’re standing there soaking in Cubs

Baseball can’t wait I can’t wait to be kicked everyone off the field said Cub shows is more important you gotta leave and and everyone listened obviously so there we go the fact GNA we have a good story is our good friend Max Bane there have you seen him I haven’t seen Max

Bane yet but maybe we’ll maybe we’ll get him to make another guest appearance on the show I have yet to text him I have yet to text him I want to text him and tell him that I’m going to be out there so uh so Ryan saw I pictures well he took

Pictures with his phone of imaga arriving signing autographs uh what can you tell us how how does he look Ryan have you seen him throw yet how does he looking a shirt is he attractive what no I haven’t gotten chance to see a bullpen or anything like

That uh he looks he looks like a baseball player man he looks like the kind of guy the Cubs need so I don’t know I there was just a group of fans out here um I don’t know oh wow I don’t know whether it was a uh a group of fans

Like Cubs fans or whether it was people that followed him you know from Japan but yeah he already had a big group of fans here waiting to get his autograph after practice and stuff so obviously he’s a uh he’s a name people care about already um and we’ll see I I would love

To get uh you know a glimpse of him throwing Bullpen seeing the ball move everything we’ve heard out of Japan is the the stuff is awesome the stuff is Elite so it’ll be interesting to see once he really gets going you know obviously again like I said pitchers and

Catches report tomorrow so I’m sure he’ll be getting one of those going here soon well we’ve seen Justin steel already on social media saying I’ve I’ve seen this guy throw and it’s filthy yeah you watched him throw a bull Bullpen said something about a slider yeah and

He’s like this guy’s filthy I’m buying my jersey or cap or what I don’t remember what it was or stock he he was all about it niik horer kind of doubled down on just how he’s how imanaga is already fitting in like we saw that Ryan at Cubs convention just when he comes

Out and starts introducing himself and speaking English to everybody he he won everybody over in that moment but it sounds like uh you know Nico was just as impressed with him now that he’s arrived in spring training yeah I know do we have that quote from from Nico we got that

One there it is partial you want to read it or you want me to read it go ahead take it can you see it uh I just always think it’s interesting playing with guys from different places and the routines that they bring with them obviously on

The Japanese side I’ve been able to see seya go through his work but imaga has really I think fit in pretty quickly with his personality he’s obviously very on top of his work but has a good sense of humor too just kind of all you can

Ask for from a teammate so that’s I mean it’s nice to see the guys the guy’s blending in with the team already now if he can fit in as a great number three starter or number two starter even better it’s great to see that he’s there

I mean he showed up last week I believe Rich basterfield who’s in the chat tweeted pictures of him there last week so you know he showed up early looks like he’s motivated wants to continue to get better like he said in his opening impressor like he thinks that there’s

Still more to unlock out of him like obviously all the stuff is things you want to see he’s got to go out there and prove it of course but you know he’s definitely made a great impression with the the opening pressure and you know to

See him out there early in Arizona is is exciting to see so I’m I’m excited to see like his first spring trending outing and stuff like that can you guys hear this playing yeah I mean you’re close enough to the Phoenix Airport yeah keeps freaking yeah you know these planes

Literally fly right above right above Sloan Park so but no yeah I agree with everything you guys said and um yeah you heard it even at Cubs convention some of these guys that had just met imanaga right and and had one conversation with him um talking about how funny he was

And all that kind of stuff so uh and it’s similar to what they’ve kind of said with seya like maybe seya um wasn’t outwardly to like the media or to us like cracking jokes or any of that kind of stuff right away but like everything you heard when seya first arrived was

That like he’s got a good sense of humor he fits in that kind of stuff so I well I think SE for one will help with that right having a fellow um former Japanese baseball player npb guy already in the organization on the team will help with

Imaga little transition but um I do think the way these guys talk about him already uh he’s kind of he’s kind of hit the ground running as far as fitting in like that off the field transition stuff of of talking to those guys getting to know them and you know even though there

Might be a language barrier not letting it kind of affect him and and not letting it you know not allow him to show his personality I think that’s from you know what we’ve heard is that he’s he’s starting to do a good job of of allowing that personality to come

Through um with these guys that he’s he’s that are here already I know that you’re gonna not well every single day there will be Bellinger questions for you guaranteed for the first two weeks there will be Bellinger questions and I can already see in our live chat people

Are starting to get a little more torn than they were before Godfather’s mad he says great everybody’s got a nice sense of humor now go sign Bellinger and other people in the chat are saying you know what he’s not going to live up to the contract because he’s he’s dragging this

Out let’s just move on from the whole thing I heard uh Jesse Rogers uh when I was driving in talking about uh that he had talked to people in the Cubs organization that there’s no progress on the Bellinger thing at this point um I I I’m starting to question

Whether or not Scott Boris has overplayed his hand like I I I said you know maybe two months ago my my take on it was the Cubs are playing a d dangerous game of chicken and I still believe that because I think they need the guy on their roster but it the

Longer it goes it does seem to feel like Boris had this High asking point and he’s finding out you know what too many teams are worried about the two years prior to last season that that are saying this may not play out as long and as successful as you think it will and

Maybe the Market’s not as great so maybe the Cubs have played this right I I it’s it’s frustrating but maybe they have played their cards right so far Ryan you go first yeah I was gonna say yeah I mean same thing like you know there’s no updates on the Bellinger

Front obviously he didn’t make any sort of Dexter fer type walkouts onto the the field to surprise his teammates and everybody else um that hasn’t happened yet but yeah know I I think both sides can be valid right like Jed Hoyer not coming up from his asking price could cost them Cody

Bellinger eventually but Scott Boris you know um not wanting to come down from his asking price could burn some teams out and and and just make some teams kind of give up on that Quest you know and and go the different direction we’ve already seen it in part with some like

Like the Giants right um signing some was it uh the guy out of Korea I think I don’t remember exactly who Giants sound an outfielder uh brought him in kind of yeah oh yeah and that too now they they got him but uh so they’ve kind of put

Themselves out of the Ballinger few Stakes they pivoted and and made another or made other additions that that have now it seems like cost Boris at least one of the teams that could have been a Suitor for Binger so I think both sides can be true that whichever team Bellinger signs with

Like the the the front office and the agent are going to have to meet in the middle at some point um but yeah it’s it’s both teams are going to have to give a little bit both sides are going to have to give a little bit otherwise it’s not going to work

Out yeah I mean it’s day 136 of the Cody Bellinger free agency experience I don’t I don’t have any answers for y’all anymore man like I went on the rant yesterday like I still feel the same it’s I just think that this is a terrible way to grow the game

If you’re looking at it from the league standpoint you know I I think that players should get the deal that they’re deserved uh but at the same time like I don’t know how like you see fans in the chat you see you see people on social

Media like it’s this the the fact that these these main guys are you know pitchers and catchers report like technically supposed to report tomorrow like it just this is not good for the game man I and I’m going to die on that Hill I don’t I don’t care what anyone

Says um doesn’t mean I don’t want players to get the deal they deserve but like the fact that you’re you’re you’re at spring training the start of the season the start of spring training and you’re going to be asking questions about Cody Bellinger and them signing him at spring training that’s enough for

Me to just like what else do I have to say well it’s a it’s a mess it’s it’s [ __ ] in honest in all honesty I think I disagree to a point honestly that as far as growing the game like the Casual fan the fan that might turn into

Becoming a baseball fan doesn’t doesn’t give a damn about the offseason as much as as as the games themselves right so I don’t think like changing the offseason is going to make the people that love baseball explode like the the population that loves baseball explode but I I mean

In a sense I do agree that I mean it’s not it’s not great for the game right it’s not great for that’s what I’m maybe maybe turning off the fans that are already there to because they want they want to know who’s going to be on their

Team they want to know where these best players are going to sign so you may turn off some fans in a sense but I don’t I don’t know that it’s I don’t know that it’s it it as far as growth the offseason and and free agency really

Helps that much I don’t know and I’m I’m just saying that based on my own opinion right um but I mean again I agree in a sense that like you could be hurting the fans that are already here and want don’t want to see this process dragged

Out any long it’s definitely a turnoff to people who de for sure care of course we’re like we’re Die Hard Baseball fans and so we’re going to pay attention anyway but like it gets to a point to where you just feel like you’re it’s

Insanity like a lot of us are at a point where we’re just like it’s so bad now Ryan that people are starting to talk themselves out of Cody Bellinger like thinking that they that the it would be a bad move for the Cubs to get Cody Bellinger now like that’s where it’s at

Man from like from a fan standpoint specifically not like not from a baseball stand just from a fan stand there are people in our chat there are people on social media saying this man like it’s it there there there has to be again there has to be something that

Changes this at some point down the line I know it you got to wait till the next colletive collective bargaining agreement all that [ __ ] I understand that we’ll probably do this again next offseason with Boris clients but it doesn’t take away the point that it’s

[ __ ] we got us we have a super chat about that Jim Barista says 499 thank you guys at chto Cubs for showing up every weekday to talk Cubs baseball through the most boring off season in years appreciate you all thank you for that Fernando is one of those guys that

Thinks Bell’s making a mistake by not just getting there now uh late spring start will be the slow start excuse for belly Devil’s Advocate Spin Zone as you like to call it Cody he could walk onto the F field when it full team arrives just like Dexter Fowler and it would be

Hashtag Vibes and Dexter Fowler had the best season of his career that year right so but it is different go ahead say other other spins on to that is is that if we’re being honest position players don’t need as much time to ramp up as like pitchers do so even if he

Were to come in like on March 1st like I don’t think it’ be the end of the world but yeah you’d obviously like to have your full team in Mesa as soon as possible and Nico herner’s the guy that pointed out today you were there Ryan that like Bellinger’s big season last

Year his bounceback season after two great years now Nico wasn’t saying this like oh that’s what he should have done but he points out that I mean Bellinger was there right after New Year’s Day last year so he in order to turn his career back around what he did was show

Up on like January 1st and that was the path for a good season last year now her uh saying to Ryan and some reporters it’s definitely I’ve definitely kind of given him his space talking about Cody Bellinger I just hope that the process is what he wants and he gets what he

Deserves he’s been everything you could ask for from a teammate just so consistent with his work just really satisfying to see a good person just earned such a great spot for themselves obviously I’d love to have him here that’ be amazing but I’m just happy for him too as a

Person cool now I hope he’s on the Cubs right like I I don’t need to see him and I heard the rumor what do we yesterday we’re talking about the rumor Dodgers and I almost vomited no Astros Astros we heard Astros rum yesterday like do where you see that

Not not Dodgers I meant Astros that would be I couldn’t take it yeah I would say Nico didn’t he didn’t outwardly do he didn’t take the Dansby Swanson route taking the stage at Cubs convention and saying we need to resign belly uh but I you know they feel the same way and I

Think most of the guys in that Clubhouse feel the same way that like obviously adding Cody Bellinger just obviously adding Cody Bellinger even if he wasn’t on the team last year would be a huge move but to bring back one of the guys they fought with for an entire season

Really turned himself around and you know mixed well with that group I mean that’s that that adds another layer on to why they all want him back so much and so you could ask anyone and give you the same tell you the same thing that

They want him back right and I guess I didn’t phrase that right rich and some other people are pointing out that he lives there in the off season so it’s not like he got there on January 1 no but he’s he was working out at the Cubs

Facility he was at the complex like as soon as the New Year turn as soon as he could get there he was working out at the complex obviously he’s not going to do it as a free agent because he doesn’t want to get hurt and lose all his money

Right but if I remember correctly he may have been here like not too long after he signed last year and that was like December 22 winter meetings so he may have already been coming to the complex like not very long after he signed if I if I remember correctly but even then

Like he was already going to the facility working out and stuff and I mean maybe this is just more of like my own talking myself in my head but you know he’s had to have heard a lot of the the conversation the discourse related to him and his free agency and how some

About how teams are you know questioning which version of him he is I feel pretty good about him coming into 2024 motivated to be what he was last year I I don’t I don’t see I don’t see a l down and again he’s still he’ll be entering age 29 season like there’s

Still still plenty of reason for him to continue to try and be a really good player not that players don’t do that anyway but um I I I’m getting the vibe in the chat uh the Youtube chat trying to like kind of start that discourse and

I’m I’m putting a stop to it because it’s stupid I’m I’m gonna admit something I’m with Gary on this I’m with Gary I still think it’s happening on two 24 24 that’s the new date I’m setting is Cody Bellinger day now I’ll already be out there they’re they’re just going to

Wait for the 24th on year 24 for number 24 and he’s going to walk out onto the field and all the players will go crazy and we’ll all forget about how long it was deal I’m in I mean I’ll be I don’t want to wait that long but I think it

Could could happen this the third date you’ve set right no fourth date that you’ve set for Cody B your no don’t let the facts get in the way of a good story I’m predicting 2 24 24 that’s what I’m doing here uh oh God please yeah actually I’ll take it beforehand so I

Can stop doing these stupid Instagram videos counting down the days counting down every single day I like those I appreciate that Sarah so what what happens tomorrow then Ryan Ryan everybody all the pitchers and catchers have to be there tomorrow right so we might get a little

More and then and then a week later is full full team yeah I think Monday is the day full teams got to be here but like I said most of the team is already here working out they may not be like a bunch of scheduled stuff for position

Players until Monday but most of the team is already here has been here working out and stuff and that’s you know that’s talking to Nico that’s another thing he noted that um you know he doesn’t know specifically that a bunch of guys are getting here extra

Early so that they can you know just based on how the season ended and that that’s a huge Factor he doesn’t know for sure that that’s it um but I think he does he he he he sees a lot of guys that are motivated to be better guys that may

Have had good Seasons but want to go out and have great Seasons you know I even asked him you know personally what’s kind of the off season been like for him um as far as you know coming off a kind of a break season for him you know what

Has this offseason what has been your motivation this offseason to try to you know improve on that even in 24 and you know he kind of well the first thing I said and I like this was that he kind of wants to have the same mindset of improving regardless of how good his

Season was this the year prior like for the rest of his career like regardless of how good or bad he does the goal should always be to improve on it you I kind of like that notion just keeping that in his head but um you know just

Talked about being able to be out there the entire season you know I don’t even know if he went on the I at all I don’t remember for sure but um just being able to make it through the grind of the 162 especially that second half where they

Were really no no days off for a lot of those guys um so yeah so back to the original Point like a he’s seeing a lot of guys here with a lot of motivation to be better themselves uh in 2024 um and so yeah you have most of the position

Players already here probably you know already working out doing drills and stuff um but that’s yeah that’s coming up next Monday would be that and like I said we’ll have pitchers and catchers tomorrow um front office talks Craig Council talks and really hit the ground running for spring training I mean we

Got he’s Ryan is our boots on the ground that’s our guy right he’s boots on the ground Cody if Ryan can’t get Bellinger sign then Cody will be out there next week you can’t I I will be I will be I I will be there and I will be I don’t know

Kicking and Screaming or something I don’t know what I’ll be doing but yeah by the way Ry you hit in and out yet when is that on the schedule um so I’m a waterburger guy and yes I did hit waterb last nighto inter out’s good and waterburger

Clears it by by Miles that’s a great great call I like Inn out but I mean but waterburger is better it’s just not as talked about sometimes that’s true it is underrated you know we don’t talk enough about waterburger you’re right yeah well we don’t talk about a lot here because

There’s not one here in the Midwest right which is we need to bring we start the campaign to bring one out to Chicago tomorrow we expect a Hawaiian shirt because I’ve looked at your forecast let me look again uh you know we don’t want this what do I got here 38

Tomorrow Ryan’s got 70° for a high Thursday 73 Friday 74 Saturday 78 Sunday 75 Monday 75 Tuesday 79 76 73 he’s in Paradise yeah he’s in Paradise I agree break out the I’ll have the hoodie when I arrive here you know in the morning and it’s a little chilly but then when

The day heats up Hawaiians will come out that’s that’s how we got to do it all right all right all right thanks Ryan appreciate you jumping on uh we’ll talk to you again tomorrow unless of course Bellinger signs tonight and then we have the emergency podcast absolutely yeah

All right we’ll see all right thanks thanks Cody Cody tell us about uh our friends at prize picks prize piics could have made some money money on prize picks on the day of the Super Bowl uh maybe make some you got college basketball tonight you got NBA you can

Do it all on prize picks right um it’s the largest daily fantasy sports uh platform in North America the easiest and most exciting way to play DFS because Luke let me emphasize this yeah it’s just you against the numbers man it’s not like going on some of these

Other platforms where you have to face your friends or random people that you’re never going to meet in your life and you lose by one or two points and you know that person’s happy and and and and you lose and you get nothing at least in this instance when you lose

It’s just because your number didn’t go over right it’s your own fault it’s your own fault for not being smart at at betting right so instead of battling thousands of players including pros and sharks you pick more or more than or less than on two to six player stat

Projections and watch the winnings roll in all right uh prize picks is the most fun that I’ve had winning up to 25 times my money this basketball season this hockey season this college basketball season this NFL season that just ended um again you select two or more players

Pick more or less on their projected stats it’s like over unders for like props like right for instance uh what I had the over or I had more than on uh Debo Samuel on rushing the other day on the Super Bowl didn’t come close so I

Lost but dubs won 63 bucks on priz exactly like if you had G if you had gone less then you won you know you would have got a lot of credit I would have given you a lot of credit all right so uh again the Bulls are on last night

Would you have taken IOD dumu more than threes or just more than on points because the dude had a career high a lni legend by the way uh if you had done anything with I dumu last night on prize bicks you would have made lots of money

All right so it’s one of the great things all right must be you you must do this I’m telling you price is the place to be all right go to prix.com and use code Cho for a first deposit match up to $100 that’s pri.com chgo and use code chgo daily fantasy

Sports Made Easy I wish you guys could see what’s going on behind the scenes right now here at chto yeah I’m not allowed to say it I’m just telling you there’s a new partner in the building we’re excited the announcements coming soon I don’t want to give it away like I

Gave away the Cory offer Thing by accident the other day don’t tell the old guy the details I know the details but look at me Keeping a Secret I’m just telling you new partner in the house we’re very excited credit to him for not revealing credit to me for not giving it away

Early big of me credit to me thank you very much by the way I should tell you I don’t know if you know this it is getting easier uh for businesses to switch to electric vehicles right now it’s something you know we can all get

Behind for us and for you know the well of all of us who share this beautiful planet absolutely Luke the electri grid is evolving to meet your cleaner energy needs as we all move with confidence toward an electric tomorrow whether you have one delivery van a whole Fleet of

Shipping trucks Com Ed can help guide you to make the changes that makes sense uh so what should business owners do Cody Luke how many times I have to tell you yeah you got to go to comed.com clean all right to learn more about the resources Fleet rebates and infrastructure incentives available to

Help businesses go electric if you own a business don’t wait start making your plan today to switch to electric vehicles good for business good for the planet good for all of us go to comed.com clean well thanks to Mike dubs I just realized that uh Justin steals

17.5 strikeouts on prize picks and so I missed what you were saying did you say comed.com clean yeah I don’t blame you for missing that because that is a huge prop on price pick I would love to take um but yes go now and see how electric how

Going electric connects us to a better way of doing business and a better future of generations to come yeah again listen I’m not going to give anything away because that’s not what I do okay I I do do it but I didn’t do it on purpose

I’m not I’m just telling you new sponsor in the building and all I can tell you about that exciting announcement that will be coming up is that beer bats are going to Vibe this year that’s all I can say better than they ever did before beer bats are going

To Vibe this year after every win anyways which we’re manifesting at least 90 one way or another somehow some way we did have a was it wild thought Wednesday last week where I said I bring Solair back look at all the power he gives you yeah make him the DH and then

We realized that wasn’t a good idea but anyways he’s not coming to the Cubs former Cub always a cub or H soir World Series champion World Series CH two World Ser Champion one with the Cubs one with the as or one with the Braves yeah yeah three years 42 million do to the

Giants he fits that lineup he does fit that lineup they need right-handed power I just don’t think he I have I have no anger about it because I don’t think he fits what the Cubs need there’s there’s much cheaper ways of getting the right-handed power whether whether that’s wisdom

Playing more in a DH role whether that’s Morel playing more as DH whether that’s Canario getting a shot well just when you think about it do you want Jorge CER to take the abats away from Christopher Morell do you want Jorge CER to take abats away from Alexander Canario if

He’s here if they don’t trade him which spring training technically starts tomorrow I feel like he’s going to be here um and also he’s a right-handed power bat the the Cubs have plenty of those guys I never thought that the Cubs were ever interested or serious about

Him at all it’s a nice contract for him like he’s a very good he hit almost 40 bombs last year like I I get it like I understand why there were some fans who want them but it’s like the Cubs have so many right-handed bats it doesn’t make

Any sense and again at this point for what we know Christopher Morell is going to be the DH that that’s that’s that’s what I’m going into spring training thinking like I I I I hope I’m wrong and I hope that they move him like they put him out

Of position but I’m I’m right now I’m thinking he’s going to be the DH again like I I have no choice other than to believe that I and unless unless they really do give him that full shot at third base I I think he’s going to be

Your main DH yeah Bellinger is Story number one until opening day and whatever Morel ends up being will be story story number two all spring and I agree with you I I don’t expect him to be the opening day third baseman if he is and he’s improved his defense credit

To him bonus to the Cubs yeah but I think the most likely scenario is that he’s probably going to be the DH this year yeah and it more often than not he’s gonna play some but more often than not I bet he’s your DH but I again I

Would love I would love for that storyline to to to change but at this point we just don’t have any evidence that shows that that’s going to happen especially what they said at Cubs Conan like we’ve talked about the last handful of weeks like so to again to bring bring

It back around like Jorge Solair just didn’t have a spa on this roster man like do you want to take away at bats from Christopher Morell I don’t think any of you in the chat want to do that so like it’s fine I don’t I again I don’t think anyone was real serious

About Jorge s being a cub in my opinion I I but it would have been nice to have to add the power if if if that’s a thing but I I don’t know what else to tell y’all like this is this is how I’m viewing it and I think if if I’m reading

It right then that’s how I think the Cubs are viewing it too Barb’s calling uh by the way Barb of course the Godmother of the chdo CBS podcast is calling Morel is going to hit more homers than Juan stto this year it’s a bold lot of Kool-Aid Barb that’s a bold

That’s blue Kool-Aid if you’re predicting the Super Bowl Kool-Aid color she also predicts Jackson Ferris will be a Hall of Famer so we’ll see listen put some respect on Juan sto’s name come on now Barb come on how about a friend of the podcast John morosi from MLB Network

Our pal saying that the Cubs are monitoring Noah syner guard and Michael Lorenzen you buying that I you buy you buying stocking one of those keeping an eye on those two guys maybe Lorenzen I’m not high on Center guard at this point in his career like he was one of the few

Ones who had Tommy John and then did not get better right his velocity is significantly different when you look at Noah card and you think about the times that he hurt the Cubs it was whenever it was before Tommy John the guy was throwing upper 90s had electric stuff he

Had electric hair people were calling him Thor all these things but he is not that guy anymore the only thing that I can think of is you know he’s cheap and the Cubs are thinking okay throw him in the pitch CL pitch lab it’s there’s no

Risk in it like if you give them like the minor league deal or something like that let him come in spring training invite and see what happens great and and then if it if he looks good okay but like he’s he’s going to be battling for

A spot against a lot of dudes who are honestly better than him so like Lorenzen at least there’s some recent success there um here’s what I here’s here’s what I like about the report it goes back to what we’ve talked about for two years build depth right if

It if the if the deal’s not too expensive does either guy excite me no I’d rather have Lorenzen than I would card but it’s about building quality depth right I just saw at the very beginning of the podcast somebody in the live chat was telling us that at that

Moment uh former Cub Adrien Samson had signed with was it the Giants someone said that in the chat yeah that Adrian Samson had just signed uh you know I’m sure it’s a minor league deal uh show up to spring training type of deal but that’s what I’m that’s what

I’m talking about Sarah’s trying to find it some it was way at the beginning of the show oh really way at the beginning of the show um and I just kind of Let It Go by but I did see somewhere that Adrien Samson had signed with

Somebody see if we can find it in there who who was telling us that maybe somebody remembers in the chat and can tell us anyways it it’s it’s not significant to this I’m just saying that’s that’s the type of depth you need you need other guys that you’re not

Thinking about going into the season that may need to have a start or two or that are capable of a start or two or that can get you through a stretch of the season when you really need that extra arm so I’m not saying they desperately need those guys I personally

Think the Cubs could be done fixing their setting up their arms for the season clearly they’re not done with the bats for the season they can’t be because if they’re done with the bats for the season then we’re in trouble I agree pitchers it’s okay if they are but

I wouldn’t I still wouldn’t mind a little extra depth if if you can afford it somewhere so yeah Lorenzen again Lorenzen to me makes a lot of sense um and one thing and I I got to give a lot of credit to sahad Sharma from the athletic today in his article that he

Put out there I think it it might have been co- co-written with Patrick Mooney uh so I’ll just mention them both anyway but um when they were talking about the pitching because it’s kind of they have it column or like subheadings talking about pitching uh or starting pitching Bullpen

Offense and when they got to the pitching they emphas he emphasized about how Council when he was with Milwaukee how um they would go they would give a lot of guys like extra rest like Corbin Burns would have more than five days off in between starts multip like a lot

During his time with the Brewers um so I’m I’m thinking about a lot of these Swingman guys or it got me thinking about a lot of these Swingman guys that c have um oh there’s a comment John golden Rangers rangers Adrien Samson to deal anyway I knew I saw it somewhere so

When you think about the Cubs Swingman guys they have in the rotation Bullpen it’s jav Assad Hayden wineski uh Drew Smiley yep um those those th those three are the top ones on my head but like then you can think about you know maybe a Ben

Brown if they call him up this year which he probably will be he’s healthy right you don’t know if Wicks could end up being Jordan Wicks could perhaps be that if they do right add another pitcher but Michael lenen would be right in that as well so the way that I think

About it is it’s like and it goes back to a quote that Jed had at Cubs convention something about how like when you looked at 2016 you had their starting rotation and all of them were healthy the entire season and they won the World Series that way and he said

Something about how like that feels like a hundred years ago that doesn’t happen like no one around the league is doing that anymore and you need more depth than like pitching wise to get through a full 162 and so when you again when you talk about Michael Lorenzen that’s

That’s what makes me intrigued about him and I guess same thing about Noah card but it’s just like he would be a Reclamation project and the Cubs have enough of those guys man well Keegan Keegan Thompson could be that guy too the the mayor could have a

Bounce back here here’s the hoping like they have plenty of it feels like they was a weapon the year before like it was it feels like the Cubs have a lot of Swingman guys but the thing is is not all of them are going to be on the major

League roster for from April 1st or whatever to the end of the year they’re going to need some of those guys to remain in Iowa um and the guys who pitch well in the spring and have more more upside in terms of how the Cubs think

Then those guys are going to be on the roster opening day but what I’m saying again what I’m saying is is that whoever’s in the starting rotation opening day don’t be surprised if we see a lot of them get more rest throughout the year more than 5 days maybe they get

Six days off like I’m just saying Craig council did that Craig council did that with Milwaukee so like why wouldn’t he do that with the Cubs so that’s just something to really pay attention to and honestly I I like the idea of it because it just provides more rest and as we saw

Even with Justin steel specifically last year at the end of the year man he was it he reached a career high in Innings pitched in his last two starts he wasn’t very good in those last two starts and it’s probably cuz he was out of gas man

He probably needed some extra rest and um if you get to the playoffs I mean obviously step one is getting the playoffs but you don’t want to be totally worn out either yeah so again when it comes to like a guy like Michael Lorenzen or a Noah Center guard that’s

How I view them like they’re they’re going to be a guy who can probably help in your Bullpen but I wouldn’t be surprised if they get a start here or there too David Snider in the live YouTube chat says card likely a bargain price Liam Hendrick also a bargain

Pitcher he wants to stay in Chicago Jed’s a bargain hunter if we get belly he should lead off until he slumps all right well I I don’t know about all of that but I agree with I agree with some that was a that was a lot packed into one that’s a good

Comment I mean I I don’t hate it no I don’t and that’s another thing that council did too he would play his best player at the very top of the lineup you know I mean I called for it last year to be the number two hitter yeah wanted him

Two or three so I at least knew that there was a chance he was going to get the extra bat yeah he consistently in the Brewers lineup last year it was Yelich and and William conteras at the very top of the lineup you look at the

Cubs lineup right now you add in Cody Bellinger Cody bers is the best hitter on your team he’s undoubtedly the best hitter um you know you after that maybe maybe uh you know it’s Ian hap or it’s it’s seya you know something like that like it’s kind of like that’s where

That’s how I view that the lineup’s going to be made I think it’s going to be a lot different than what we saw from David Ross I’m I’m looking at this live YouTube chat uh you know I see us on the screen there I’m surrounded by cactuses

Cacti they’re at my feet they’re at my side lot lot of lot to think about there lot lot of prickly uh Cactus you know what I think about more than that though floor how can I upgrade my flooring yeah see I was thinking exactly how can I

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Through his website the other day I was just thinking what where do I want to dabble here you know where where do I want to what do I want to try out I’ve got some ideas I I have some ideas I really do think I want to try out the

French toast one uh bacon jams all naturally cured preservative free products there aren’t any ingredients that Charlie can’t pronounce himself involved in the process unlike most store-bought bacon vacuum sealed freezes perfectly bacon lasts in a package up to 60 days in the fridge one week after the

Seal is broken 9 months in the freezer bacon Jam lasts 90 days in the fridge up to a year in the freezer and about 30 seconds here in at chto some of my favorites Maple pepper Rosemary cheso now I haven’t tried the French toast but that’s the one I’m going to go after

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To haul out the grill right now and you think you make a good burger where do you throw some of Charlie the bacon guy bacon jam on there or slide it into your grilled cheese right Valentine’s Day is tomorrow is there a better gift than bacon

Jam no hi dear I have three different types of bacon Jam for you to try tonight honey I made you one of my patented grilled cheeses and way to you taste the bacon Jam that I slipped in there you’re not going to believe or you really want to

Show off for the wife or husband and you’re like hey guess what Valentine’s Day I made a shuder board M I got all kinds of cheeses on there that’s great maybe I got a little salami on there put a slab a bacon jam on and watch your partner melt right there they

Just won’t even know what to do they’re just going to they’ll probably faint I mean you’re giving great Valentine’s Day advice here listen you want to you want to spice up your life bring a little bacon jam into your life starting now you can save 10% on your order at Charlie thebacon guy.com

When you use the code code chgo again four most important letters in the alphabet chgo at checkout you can pick it up that’s the most efficient way or Charlie will deliver it to you meet you halfway or even ship it he makes the bacon so you can bring it

Home don’t disappoint your loved one on Valentine’s Day give them what they want bacon you do that lots and lots of bacon you do that we’ll give you lots of credit that’s right uh we have like like 170 some people watching and only 49 likes that’s

Not right and we even have a thumbs down say have a thumbs down yeah like we always have a thumbs make that makes sense I don’t it’s so I love it that’s my favorite part of the show is when I see the thumbs down come in I’m always

Like yep whoever that loser is we got to him again yeah credit to us we got to that loser whoever that loser is they just wasted 10 seconds of their life going in and putting down that speaking of losers there’s this guy he watched our show last week and he said he watch

He said he watched the show for 10 minutes yeah and then like said that it was the first and only time he’ll ever watch the show and then yeah he replied to one of our tweets that I put up last night I’m like bro no one’s asking you

To be here if you don’t like listen you love the show you want to watch the show hey we appreciate y’all who want to watch the show but we ain’t forcing you to be here man oh no so I’m convinced maybe the guy giving us the thumbs down

Is is that guy well cuz he’s here but he or isely he’s like hate watching us right now which is wonderful which yeah I appreciate you want a hate watch listen I love a good hate watch all right anytime the Cardinals or the Packers in the playoffs I’m I’m I’m I’m

You bro I’m you when the Cardinals or the Packers are in the playoffs I’m you I’m hate watching the [ __ ] out of that all right carate you being that Carter Hawkins thinks it’s Barb here’s what I say whoever the thumbs down person is go ahead send us a direct message let us

Know who you are maybe The Godfather Michael colat will make you a heart shaped Pizza like he does every Valentine’s dayed play this into something special to God Godfather make you one of those heart-shaped pizzas I I know madis makes those too but Godfather is uh you know

He definitely has the brand of of bitter bitterness but when it comes to what he’s got to do to make I’m assuming his his wife happy he has a heart of gold he’s this case a heart of a heart of sausage pizza credit credit to credit to

Godfather Godfather I I saw Mike dubs offering up you because you sounded so sad about Cody Bellinger do you need a heart-shaped Portillo’s cake he was for the holiday he was answer is no Mike he doesn’t I do I don’t if I’m still trying to drop the 30 pounds that I’m trying to

Drop before opening day right but because I look like Usher I’m willing to eat that cake for you yeah right I might have a bite though yeah don’t do that again we do that again it’s like when you s Creed yeah by the way I did check into

Usher’s new album today while I was at the gym of course you did it is it’s good that’s why he spent the 7 million on performing because he knew a lot of people were going to check that out people like me yeah 45 and still dancing pretty impressive he’ll need a new hip

Pretty soon though uh so I know Cody wanted to talk about this because I saw it on social media before I got here and I’m not upset about it at all you’re not really upset about it but some people in Twitter were a little upset about it I

Mean I’m I’m a little annoyed by it like new home Jersey it still looks the same but some people don’t like what’s altered on it you think the font is different it’s the text the font yes the name is smaller all right this is uh it does sort of look like a

Knockoff with the name being that small I saw this tweeted from the guys over at just baseball and it’s a picture that’s taken by someone on Twitter with the handle I hate lettuce 2 Great Name by the way um and it’s it’s just a picture

Of an Ian hap Jersey at the Cub Cub store today and I’m telling you if you if you’re not watching on YouTube and you’re listening to podcast version just like go go look at if you live in Chicago or if you live in Wrigley like

Just go look at it yourself or come to the YouTube channel and and see like I’m bothered by the size of the font I really am it BS someone who used to work at the Cub store the one in Wrigley Field and I used to yeah I didn’t know

That yeah yeah I did it for three and a half years you could have got us a discount huh I did that was my Christmas presents for quite a few years still know people anyways first I used to make uh jerseys there all the time like the

Custom jerseys and everything and when I look at that photo it looks like the letters they’re using are the kid-size letters because they have the adults siiz letters and then the kid Jersey ones and those letters look like the kid Jersey ones that they’re using then on

The adult Jersey so maybe maybe the photo was taken of the discount rack like some employees started throwing the wrong letters on and like hey these are 40% off maybe yeah I don’t know I don’t I don’t know yet I like the letters a little bigger and then I don’t know now

I will say I came across an article uh that has quotes from certain players who have seen them and have kind of said good things about him like I think it was I don’t know why it was quotes from Cardinal players but like noan Aeron likes it I guess it like it’s not

As heavy I guess in some ways so like for playing perhaps it’s probably better for the players but I also know that like miles michelis and I can’t believe I’m agreeing with Michaels miles michelas on something uh that’s let’s not take note of this at all like let’s

Please forget this but I’m I’m giving him credit for something for saying that like he thinks that the the uniform is awful he says it looks cheap um yeah so like the it’s kind of it’s kind ofy there’s no like Middle Ground Godfathers got something to say about that I’m sure

When you said the word cheap I’m thinking exactly what Rob and some other people in the live YouTube chat part of the C family I’m going to say Spin Zone they’re making the font smaller cuz they got to get Crow Armstrong on there looking better do it they found yeah but

It’s going to look better they wrapped around a little too much they were like you know what I think it looks cool he’s going to be our next star player let’s shrink the font I don’t no the thing is is that every team is it’s going to be

Like this for every team Luke it’s it’s not just a Cubs thing would you not let the facts get in the way of a good story in this instance no cuz you know what fans want to buy a damn Jersey man I ain’t going to at this point cuz I’m

Like it’s kind of weird for someone my age to be buying a younger man’s Jersey but you know like I I just think fans deserve better I feel like Nike had one job bro and they then they they messed it up I’m sorry and will I get over it yes I’ll

Probably get over it in like you know tomorrow but to me like this is it I’m kind of siding with Miles Michaels it looks kind of cheap looks like they could have done better well they did they did get the Jordan pitch right so credit to them yeah what

It is what it is like I’m not I’m I’m whatever about it but I just I just feel like it could be better I’m sorry they got to make room for Slaughter on the back Gary says fair enough fair enough Gary I by the way I

Also saw speaking of things you can go by that uh our Twitter follow 1 million Cubs we we had them on at the trade show last year Cubs fan who’s trying to collect 1 million Cubs baseball cards is now up to 994 595 and the newest one is something that gets Brendan Miller’s

Hair even wavier even wav just a little more volume and a little more wave to it my favorite player Dansby Swanson’s Topps card for this year that’s a sharp looking baseball card I haven’t bought a baseball card in a long time but I’m thinking my son sometime soon might want

To collect baseball cards that’s a pretty good one you know what I feel like this could be your new bit and I see this on the internet a lot but like people like watching people do [ __ ] people would love to watch you open baseball cards that could be your new thing right

Probably with my shirt off but that’s a whole well you won’t even be in the video it’s just be your hands opening just my hands oh I do I have model hands like right I think people would love watching you opening a pack of like a

One of those big giant boxes doing that yeah I think people enjoy that he got a whole case of them I saw they were all showing up it’s weird how people like watching people do [ __ ] but people like watching people open baseball cards or whatever they do for the last month they

Could have just watched me blow my nose I don’t know if they would to see that but but you never know never weird they’re freaky people are weird you are right this year’s tops card looks really good says dubs I agree that’s you know that’s pretty sharp I like some of the

Ones they’ve done I’ve seen I just see them briefly but one year they went they flashed back to to like 83 or 84 or something like that they’ve done some like retro ones that go back this one’s this one looks a little more modern yeah I’m in on

It uh anything else you guys want to talk about in the chat no good we’re good we’re back by the way 3:30 is the live Showtime every day this week 3:30 okay 3:30 3:30 is the live time for chgo Cubs this week make sure you subscribe to the chgo sports YouTube

Page so you don’t miss any shows Ryan will join us live from Sloan Park again tomorrow with all the latest from Cubs Camp hopefully we get some good stuff yeah pitchers and catchers officially have to be they have to be there tomorrow pitchers and catchers pitchers and catchers which says very big things

About Nico Herer being there for like the last two weeks just saying but if we could get belly to show up day 136 and Counting tomorrow’s 137 I I’m not I’m not getting off I’m not getting off the Soap Box wait a minute what if the Cubs are waiting for

Valentine’s Day God don’t talk don’t let me talk what if they’re waiting for Valentine’s Day God right no they present everybody on the team Cody Bellinger runs out and he jumps up and he leg locks one of the other players like The Bachelor contestants all do he pops out of a

Heart-shaped cookie yeah pops out of a heartshaped cake cake yeah holding Charlie the bacon guy bacon Jam for all of his teammates wow see it I would assume that we as a company would get so much credit for that I feel we’d be and hopefully Ryan wears that

Hawaiian shirt tomorrow but we’ll wait and see it was a little chilly today 70 it was 70° soft thanks for checking out the chgo Cubs podcast back tomorrow at 3:30 until then thanks for watching and fly the W we all sitting like the May