The Cubs were among the many teams experiencing delays in COVID-19 testing, as today’s results from this weekend’s batch of tests were late to arrive, writes Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. The delay proved to be brief, and general manager Jed Hoyer told the media this afternoon that all of the team’s tests came back negative. That’s obviously good news for the organization, though they’ll need to continue with caution and Hoyer acknowledged that they’ll likely be faced with positive results at some point.
With that in mind, Hoyer understandably opted not to discuss the possibility of extensions for core players or any trade that might eventually be on the horizon (Twitter link via Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune). “At this point, our focus is on making sure this season is operating effectively,” Hoyer said. The Cubs have a number of potential extension candidates — Javier Baez and Kris Bryant among them — and could very arguably use some rotation help following Jose Quintana’s injury. There are obviously more pressing issues for the Cubs and other teams at the moment as they prioritize health-and-safety protocols in the buildup to this year’s shortened season.
More from the NL Central…
- The designated hitter will be implemented in the National League for at least the 2020 season, but Reds slugger Nicholas Castellanos made clear this week that he hopes to remain in the outfield on a regular basis rather than serve a a primary DH (link via John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer). “I don’t want to DH,” Castellanos plainly stated. “…I like being in National League where I get to play defense every day. A goal of mine is to become a better and better defender every year that I play – every game that I play is probably a more appropriate answer.” Castellanos went on to note that he’d of course play wherever skipper David Bell asked him to on a given day, and he spoke optimistically about the Reds’ chances in 2020. At least occasional time at DH seems likely for Castellanos and others, though; the Reds have him, Jesse Winker, Nick Senzel, Shogo Akiyama, Aristides Aquino, Phil Ervin and Scott Schebler all in the mix for outfield reps.
- Brewers infielder Brock Holt tells Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that like many other players, he’s not particularly comfortable playing in 2020. However, Holt also feels that given his contractual status — he’s on a one-year deal after facing a surprisingly tepid market in free agency this past winter — he has little choice but to suit up if he hopes to continue playing. “If I didn’t play, it would be hard for me to find a job next year,” says Holt, who is making the difficult decision to leave his pregnant wife and child in Texas for three months rather than bring them to Milwaukee. “…If I was in a different situation contractually, it’s definitely something I would have considered with my wife being pregnant.”
Hope all goes well for BrockStar..
.A true mistake on Blooms part.
If you’re gonna trade Betts, no way you sign an overpriced utility man
Brock Holt signed for 1 year 3.25 mill
Jose Peraza, arguably a lesser utility man than Holt, signed for 2.85
Yeah that extra 400,000 sure would be a massive overpay to keep Holt around.
Maybe they thought they would be better with a right handed utility guy rather than a lefty
I think that $400,000 means a lot when the Red Sox are trying to keep under that tax threshold so they can be Big Spenders again next year.
Peraza was signed for $3M. It’s a $250k difference for a lesser quality player, who plays less positions than Holt.
Not to mention what he brings to a clubhouse.
And $750,000 of Holts deal is a buyout of a 2021 team option.
Which means…
You could have had him for $2.5M this year if you picked up the option.
Peraza is a young guy that probably has some arb control, and its not like he is a complete scrub. given the market will likely dip and he’ll be back on the market next year, you can have both next year if you want, or if Peraza is bad you just non tender him and go after Holt again.
Come on man you know that 400 might break the bank….. Henry can’t afford that…. lol. And btw you know he’s the better utility player.
I know this won’t be a popular opinion but, perhaps trading Betts was the best move. He is good and all but I wouldn’t want him in ten or more years.
He has extremely fast hands through the zone and that generally doesn’t age well. Once he loses that bat speed and wrist flick he won’t be the same. That’s not to say he won’t probably still be productive but I don’t think he will be mvp good. But then again who is at that age?
Such an incredibly useful player, I agree that the Peraza signing was a head scratcher when Brock was still on the market
Why was it a head-scratcher? Brock was probably looking for six million dollars. No way Brock Holt was going to sign for what Peraza signed for.. you kidding me…
Holt is an emotional signing at this point for Red Sox fans. Yes he WAS great. He did everything they asked him and more. But what is he now 33 years old? Things are slipping. You let him go and play somewhere else. End of story.
$6M?…
He signed for $2.5M with a $750k buyout of a 2021 option.
They could have paid him $3.25M instead of the $3M they paid Peraza.
yeah, but he was underpaid. all indications saw him getting more then he did.
TedYaz, at the point they signed the new guy I don’t think Holt was available for that amount or in that neighborhood. I think Brock was holding out for quite a bit more money if I understand it correctly. He wound up taking a lot less which surprised EVERYONE. But you can’t use that hindsight to say the Red Sox screwed up.
Test
Test 2
Go Mets.
A true mistake? Holt does strike me as a pretty good bench bat and all but I just don’t know how much sleep Bloom should lose over a bench bat.
I mean is Castellanos just blind or stupid?? He’s literally a black hole in the outfield on defense…
Neither.
He can opt out of his contract after this year I believe.
He provided any semblance of defense in the OF and has another stellar year at the plate he is in line for another pay day.
It’s a no brainer that a player would want to improve their signability by trying to show they can handle the OF, and the reds OF isn’t nearly as taxing as say the Giants, instead of being limited to DH duties which would hurt their potential earnings.
I would be shocked to see anyone with any decent contract opt out after this year, but with the likely market they are facing
In some players cases it’s too much currently on the table. Look at Nolan, I doubt he can beat that pay day next year. But then again, if he really wants to win something(and he does) he would get out of dodge faster than a speeding bullet. Goto the Dodgers Nolan(see what I did there?)Sign a big 3-4 year deal and win it! It’s easy for me to say that it’s only money, but you can be the bat they have needed to get over the hump. I think he will adjust to life outside of Coors just fine. Holliday did, and dj had a career year. People tend to not think about a players new lineup. Dj has more protection than ever when he went to New York so he saw more good pitches. Nolan would do the same thing. They wouldn’t have a choice but to pitch to him(not that he walks a ton) and he would get better pitches over the plate. Guys don’t walk him but they sure stay away if possible.
Just my opinion but I see the ball just doesn’t move the same in Colorado. It just hangs up, doesn’t spin the same. It looks like it’s much more alive on the road, moves more. It’s just an adjustment. If you look at Nolan’s power last year he had equal power home and away. It was the average difference(only hit 260 something on road).
Altuves father Nolan to Dodgers is a far fetch idea. Dodgers have a boat load of infielders and why would they add Nolan? He would be an upgrade but considering the Dodgers have solid infielders it would be silly to put strength where there’s already strength. When teams do this they don’t really get a lot better. If the Dodgers didn’t have a third baseman then that would make sense. But you got seager and you got a rookie shortstop that is a stud and you got an old turner that may be worth signing for a lot low in cash than you would for Nolan. I just think it’s more like a fantasy to think Nolan is going to the Dodgers.
I believe Nick is a sub par outfielder & always will be but he is as competitive as they come and very passionate about playing D no matter the contract or not.
I think the Reds have a good shot at winning it all this year if the short season happens..
I hear you bird man. Did you hear that the Reds have the easiest start schedule in all of baseball? Well considering it’s a very short season that may be enough for them to go wire to wire. Personally I think the Reds have a killer team and I will be shocked if they don’t go deep into the playoffs
For What It’s Worth… Jeter is ranked as one of the worst defensive shortstops of all time. Bernie Williams is ranked as one of the worst defensive CF’s of all time. That’s from those stat nerds. obviously they never watched a baseball game.
@doug.d
Obviously, you have never watched him play on a regular basis. He will never be a gold glove OF, but as his numbers show, he is improving. He makes all the plays. It not like he drops the ball and kicks it. He was slightly below average last year, and in the smaller OF, is likely to be average, this year.
DougDaniel has been reading too much MLBTR’s… Castellanos isn’t a great fielder, but he’s not that bad. MLBTR has bashed Castellanos for the past couple years as a guy thats “unplayable in the field”, even though he has improved greatly HIS SECOND YEAR at the position. Sure, he was bad at third… even though he had some decent seasons. His second year he rated the same as Frazier and better than Escobar and Lamb. Never heard any of them referred to as “unplayable”. When he hurt his back, he was moved to RF. His first year there was bad. Only 3 errors, but he was terrible at getting to the ball. That improved the second year and now he’s ranked higher than Blackmon and Markakis.
Not a gold glover, but not “unplayable”
@stymeedone
you seem to not watch him play enough. DWAR is not only defensive metric, and RDS seems to indcate that he is a defensive liability. Range and other metrics should be factored into the equation.
I applaud his efforts to improve his defense, and it has shown over the years.
Speaks to the original outfield defense though. How horrible was it to begin with that after all the improvements, you are still very below average and still a liability enough for defensive substitution? Admittedly converted player (originally a third baseman in minors), but how many years of improvement does he have prior to decline with age? Bad range hampered by decreasing mobility, etc.
Everyone wants him to be proficient in defense; himself/ family/ agent. Better player, better pay, better commission.
Yes he’s dumb because he wants to play more. He was terrible partly because he never played OF. Last year he was markedly better than 2018. He has pretty good speed and is athletic so him improving to mere average is realistic.
As a Cubs fan, I watched him play the last part of the season and he passed the eye test. Sure, it was a smaller sample than a full season, but he made all the plays. He wasn’t great, but he wasn’t terrible at all.
It’s not that he is a bad outfielder. The other guys are probably better
Good point remember the coup! It’s fair to say that most people don’t pay attention to the saying “what have you done for me lately” and ignorantly live in the past. I read that Nick in the outfield for the Cubs was actually adequate and did not hurt the Cubs on defense. I am well aware he did not make superior catches and was a glove guy out there but to say he’s horrible you have to just be a hater or a fool talking out of your rear.
Outdated information! He was possibly a black hole when he was first moved to the outfield from 3rd base a few years back. He has actually improved each and every year, so he is making sense by thinking he can get better. He is not a good outfielder but a black hole? Please!! Perhaps you piss cuz your team didn’t pick him up
I know this isn’t exactly all that relevant to the post above BUT the mention of Quintana in the beginning got me to randomly look at his baseball reference page and it was the first time I ever notice how incredibly bizarre a road to the majors he had. He was signed as an amateur FA by the Mets but then released a season later (okay he didn’t perform all that well in his first season) but then signed a minor league deal a year later with the Yankees. He went on to dominate the FRK but wasn’t even promoted to regular rookie ball for another 2 years. While he continued to be very effective as a SP and RP for the Yankees he never made it above A. Then was finally signed by the White Sox Sox where he pitched briefly in AA before getting called up to the majors and as you say… the rest is history. But seriously… why did (1) the Mets give up on him so quick and (2) did the Yankees have him totally dominate FRK and never promote him beyond A? — it all seems Incredibly bizarre and obviously in hindsight a big mistake. But as far as I know… he’s the only player I’ve ever seen who pitched so phenomenally in foreign rookie league play and was essentially just ignored for years on being promoted. Okay anyway… sorry I know that was kind of an irrelevant rant… But if anyone knows why his career progressed the bizarre way that it did… I’d be very interested to know!
yeah that always puzzled me as well
With the potential of the DH being here to stay in NL, does that mean the cub’s odds of signing a Bryant &/or Rizzo to extension are increasing? I’ll buy some tickets if it means they keep the heart of the title team around long-term. Worst part of professional sports imo is the player movement of fan favorites. I get it that it’s best for them, but long live the cubs who play the bulk or majority of career in 1 spot.
I assuming you think the DH in the NL would help the cubs sign Bryant and Russo because it would give them a place to play as they get older and can’t play the field as effectively? Seems plausible as both will around 30 or 31 when they are free agents, but I would think that it will com down to salary demands as I’m sure the cubs won’t want to pay either big money past 35 or 36, but the DH could certainly help. My guess, Bryant doesn’t have much interest in staying around and Rizzo is the more likely to be resigned and with someone like Baez and Contreras in a few years. I would be surprised if they trade Bryant in the near future for picks and salary relief.
Why do people keep saying that Bryant doesn’t have much interest in staying with the Cubs? All he has ever said is that he loves Chicago, the organization and the fans. That whole thing about the grievance was so over-blown – he said so himself. He had to do it for his union brothers. There’s no hard feelings from that. Also, i get it that he has Boras as his agent, but saying it’s unlikely he stays is far different than saying he doesn’t want to. All things equal, he obviously would love to stay. .
agreed. clearly the grievance thing was his agent’s idea. he really just threw it out there to see if it would stick. i dont think either are all that bothered by 2015 at this point.
Won’t be tough for Holt to find a job in 2021 if he sat out 2020. He’d have to take a very minor paycut but he’d be signed.
He was projected to make more than what he signed for this season. Now he’s gonna make a 1/3 of that money on the year or miss out on roughly a million dollars if he sits out. Then he’s a year older w no stats to help his case. Weigh the risk out in your own mind- he has to play. No way his fam is set for life over a fist full of service time and arbitration years
Teams like versatility on the bench. Holt can only hurt his stock if he hits horribly in 2020 if he plays.
Tiny- I respectfully disagree a few million is not much for these guys. But if you have the right mindset, that money can go a loooooong way. How do we know he didn’t buy 5 row homes and just rents them out every month? That’s thousands in residual income.
I know athletes tend to spend more than regular joes but you just never know. If he had 5-10k a month coming in guaranteed he probably would be set. For the average person that’s a ton of money. I know people at the local electric company with two rentals and they retired the first day they could and own a vacation home and just hang out now. Plenty of money.
Holt should be fine financially but should be playing baseball for a few more years. Not a big window of opportunity. He’s battled some injury issues and had some really productive moments in his career. Good guy. Hope it works out for him.
Knowing the Angels and their penchant for not disclosing injuries correctly, Teheran is out for the year. Hope not, but I’ve seen this dance too many times.
Always loved Holt even though he killed us. . Hard-nosed dirtbag that always does something good to help his team. I’m surprised he has trouble finding a job.
I understand why Castellanos wants to be in the field. If he gets lumped in as a Nelson Cruz type, it will effect his future income as well as any chance to make the HOF.
However, I could understand how the Reds might not want to keep giving him chances on their time. Castellanos is terrible in the field. I was going to post all these stats for the guy from fangraphs and realized I don’t have to.
I can simply say that Castellanos has never once..not even once, provided a UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) or a DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) over zero at any position he has ever played. Even saying THAT doesn’t communicate just how bad he is in the field because he only ONCE posted a UZR even as high as zero just ONCE. For DRS, he hasn’t EVER posted a result even as high as zero. I really am not exaggerating at all. Look for yourselves.
fangraphs.com/players/nicholas-castellanos/11737/s…
I know a poster above stated that he passed the eye test but that sounds like terribly short evidence. A fan goes to a game, watches an outfielder work and concludes he is sufficient.
That just sounds crazy to use as evidence that a player is a good fielder. There is just to much missed. It’s a short sample size, it depends on one person’s ability to judge that small sample and the human eye is just not enough. I don’t trust the human eye to judge the ability of an OF and to know the difference at how quickly Castellanos can get to where he needs to be to catch the ball compared to a league average defender.
If Castellanos defensive metrics were at least close THEN I think the eye test could have more merritt but they aren’t.
@Coop. I am obviously quoting you. I mean no offense. It’s more that you are an obvious representative of the position opposite of mine so I am referencing what you said.
He made a position switch before the 2018 season and improved in 2019. If we looked at his improvement from an offensive perspective we’d say he’s poised to really break out. Why can’t Castellanos improve his defensive numbers playing in Cincy versus the bigger park in Detroit?
He has a very good arm in RF. Stopping an extra base hit is enough for the Reds to put him out there. That, you will not find in your defensive metrics. The math geeks can’t measure a runner’s decision not to test Nick’s throw.
Yes, actually,they CAN measure a runner not willing to run on his arm. They track baserunner holds which is a part of what makes Defensive Runs Saved.
I can’t see the Reds whiping away all his negative value for several years because he showed improvement in 2019, which still resulting in negative value.
Holt is a good ball player, but his legend is bigger than reality. Holt asked for too much money, Sox moved on. Business.
Who’s the only player to hit for the cycle in a playoff game?
Castellanos is going to have a great short season for the Reds. And I predict not opt out. Looking forward to many bombs going out of GABP.