Category: Sports News

Today’s Reflections

I could post more PCA stories (and I probably did too many), but after I went through and posted the supportive and the mixed stories about his play, I came across a couple of closed-minded, well, fellows, who were looking for a new target for the shooting range. One guy’s title was “The rollercoaster Pete Crow-Armstrong experience is becoming far too much for Cubs.” He was below the “mixed” line, but only because his title was harsher than what he wrote. I do think that he either didn’t absorb what was happening or totally missed it with this short paragraph: “Even with the heroics on Thursday, PCA needs to reminded that he can’t give up on the play the way that he did once he realized the fly ball landed behind him. There’s no excuse, that was a bad look for Crow-Armstrong. Not the first he has had this season.”

Yes, PCA stood there in one spot, but he didn’t give up on the play. Running the video back few times, Happ and Suzuki were even with PCA at full speed, and as fast as he is, I don’t think he could have run them down in the next 60-70 feet. Plus, you don’t want three hands reaching for the ball. So, I think this author was “reaching’” in an attempt to match his tough-guy title.

However, there’s no walking-the-line on this article, “How Do Cubs Fans Still Defend This Bum” – MLB Fans Are Laughing At Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Worst Play Ever”. Ever? Wowwww. I think with 950 career chances in his MLB career (up to Friday’s game), he can be allowed to lose a ball at dusk once. And, yes, it probably is his worst play ever. By a lot. Because he’s PCA.

“Athletics slugger Shea Langeliers hit one deep to center, and PCA could track the ball. Instead, he stood with open arms in the field trying to locate it. To make things worse, the ball landed way behind him.“ 1) Hopefully the first phrase was a typo because he couldn’t track the ball, or he would have made the catch. 2) I’m not an authority or a coach, but I was under the impression the main thing to do (other than scream ”I lost it!!!“ in front of 40,000 fans) is to hold your arms out in a non-waving position to signal to the other outfielders that he’s in trouble — that’s how Happ and Suzuki got the jump on getting to the ball. I mean, he could have dropped to the ground in a fetal position and waited out the play.

Here’s more: “MLB fans never hesitated to troll the slugger for his mistake.”

“How do Cubs fans still defend this bum?” one fan asked.

“Bro completely lost the ball in the lights and just stood there like it was someone else’s problem. Brutal,” wrote another fan.

“Then he just stares at it like a kid in t-ball,” another fan commented.

That’s only part of the comments IN the story. It doesn’t seem professional to use several comments by trolls to support your weak story. So it is a rather empty article without clear or original thought.

I’m sorry — I don’t think I’m here to critique other writers’ stories in detail, but I couldn’t let these two go as regular links below.

In much better news, I went to the Dodgers-Diamondbacks game Thursday night. Folks, you know how bad Dansby Swanson has looked at the plate? That is nothing compared to what I saw from Kyle Tucker — off-balance swings, weak contact on bad pitches, taking strikes. Beyond clueless. Dave Roberts seems to be one the nicest guys in baseball, but for him to say this about Tucker, “I think that it speaks to his toughness and fight to still try to perform,” Roberts said. “But it still wasn’t right, as far as not even close to being locked in.” That was almost a public flogging compared to his usual upbeat comments. TUCKER. LOOKS. BAD. That simple.

And I got a walk-off, too — Ketel Marte HR inside the foul pole. And that collision between little Vargas and the brick wall of Muncy? THAT was brutal. And no, I’m not becoming a D-Backs fan — I’m just passing the time until the Cubs come to town.

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• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times): Jason Benetti mends fences with White Sox, makes first Chicago visit for NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Baseball’. And he will be calling the game at Wrigley with Jim Deshaies — as it should be (just my thoughts).

Analysis of PCA’s night (and a bit about Swanson):

• Andrew Wright (Yardbarker): Pete Crow-Armstrong redeems himself for blunder with first career walk-off in Cubs’ comeback. “The Chicago Cubs may have secured the win that will turn their season around in front of an electric Wrigley Field crowd on Thursday night.”
• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Redemptions for Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson as Cubs return to walk-off ways: ‘This is who we are’. ”Swanson, who’s been the biggest target for frustrated fan complaints thanks to the .183 batting average he carried into Thursday, got his own moment of redemption, delivering a two-out RBI single that tied the game in the ninth.“

• Kevin Druley (Deadspin): Pete Crow-Armstrong’s Redemption Could Be Exactly What Chicago Cubs Needed. ““In the past I might have dwelt on that, and that always ends up affecting how you go about the rest of your day,” Crow-Armstrong said. “People having my back, me not hiding from the next at-bat, yeah, I’m growing up a little bit and I’m proud of that, but I’ve got to keep it going for the rest of the year.”“
• Shaan Donahue (Just Baseball): Who Is Pete Crow-Armstrong as a Hitter? “It’s time to dive into the ever-fascinating Pete Crow-Armstrong and figure out exactly who he is as a hitter.”
• Zoe Grossman (Chicago Cubs On SI): 3 Takeaways After Pete Crow-Armstrong Walks It Off for Insane Cubs Comeback. “The Cubs plated four runs in the 9th in an improbable comeback to salvage the series finale against the A’s in a 7-6 victory.”
• Brent Maguire (MLB.com): Lucky charm? Cubs legend spotted going Tarps Off before Cubs’ wild comeback. “Who’s to say if Rizzo’s presence in the ballpark helped spark a dramatic Cubs win that featured many twists and turns?”

Let’s continue to talk trades:

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Jed Hoyer Reminds Us of the Other Major Consideration for Major Trades at the Deadline. “The World Series odds are such a driving force when it comes to doing harm to the future of your organization (which is, by definition, what these trades are: some level of long-term damage in exchange for near-term help).”

• Matt Sullivan (Sporting News): Cubs urged to pay whatever price it takes to acquire Tarik Skubal. “ESPN’s Jeff Passan is urging the Cubs to acquire Skubal for whatever price the Detroit Tigers ask for. It would be a bold move, but for the Cubs, with a struggling rotation, Skubal is just what they need to become a legitimate World Series contender.”
• Patrick McAvoy (Chicago Cubs On SI): Cubs-Tigers Tarik Skubal Trade Would Flip NL Central On Its Head. “If the Cubs were to land Skubal, they would immediately be viewed as the favorites in the division, even over the Milwaukee Brewers.”
• Jon Conahan (Sporting News): Cubs have to fix biggest issue and can do so by making non-Tarik Skubal trade with Tigers. “One name in particular that they should keep an eye on is Casey Mize, with one CBS writer recently saying he should be traded.”
• Patrick McAvoy (Boston Red Sox On SI): Red Sox’s Aroldis Chapman Floated for 2 NL Central Clubs. “Two of Chapman’s former teams stand out as contenders that need bullpen/closer help.”
• Joey Mistretta (Clutch Points): Cubs’ perfect trade offer for Red Sox’s Aroldis Chapman. “Breaking down the perfect trade proposal the Chicago Cubs could offer the Boston Red Sox for star reliever Aroldis Chapman.” (**Uh-no.**)
• Casey McAleer (Da Windy City): Ian Happ reaches 1,000 career hits as Cubs veteran adds another milestone. “The longest-tenured Cub continues building a legacy that spans multiple eras of baseball on the North Side.” (**GIVE HIM HIS MONEY!**)

Hitting and Pitching thoughts:

• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): As Cubs’ downward spiral continues, this brand of baseball ‘makes you sit in discomfort’. “As much as you want to put your finger on it and say, ‘Change it,’ the game makes you wait,” Craig Counsell said. “It makes you sit in discomfort for a little while.”
• Jared Wyllys (Allchgo.com): Cubs’ skid won’t end until offense comes back to life. “Though the pitching staff has suffered myriad injuries, none of that matters all that much when the team isn’t scoring runs. In May, the Cubs ranked 27th in OPS, with or without runners in scoring position.”
• Carson Wolf (Just Baseball): Alex Bregman Needs To Be Who the Cubs Paid Him To Be. “After a slow start to the 2026 season, Alex Bregman needs to return to form and help get the Cubs’ season back on track.”

• Vinnie Duber (Chicago Sun-Times): Just like he did with Astros, Alex Bregman making presence felt with behind-the-scenes impact for Cubs. “Bregman, who got a $175 million free-agent contract last winter, brought a reputation as a strong clubhouse presence. And a former Astros teammate is seeing that with the Cubs.”
• Tyler Courtney (LastWordOnSports.com): How Two Returning Starters Could Strengthen the Cubs Rotation. “This has linked Chicago to potential trades for starters, but if these veterans could return at a strong level, then they may be able to keep some of their top prospects.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): A Certain Power-Hitting Cubs Prospect is Up to Number 67 in Baseball. “Josiah Hartshorn’s breakout this year has been so impressive – so complete – that I think it’s useful to highlight the REALLY WILD stuff when it happens, even if it keeps happening.”

Food For Thought:

Samuel McClain (April 15, 1943 – June 15, 2015), better known as Mighty Sam early in his career, and later billed as Mighty Sam McClain, was an American soul blues singer and songwriter. He was born in Monroe, Louisiana.[2] As a five-year-old, he began singing in his mother’s Gospel Church. McClain left home when he was thirteen and followed local R&B guitarist, Little Melvin Underwood through the Chitlin’ Circuit, first as his valet and then as lead vocalist himself at 15.

While singing at the 506 Club in Pensacola, Florida, he was introduced to the record producer and DJ, Papa Don Schroeder and in 1966, McClain recorded a cover version of Patsy Cline’s “Sweet Dreams”. Several recording sessions at Muscle Shoals produced the further singles. For 15 years, first in Nashville, Tennessee, then in New Orleans, McClain worked at menial jobs. McClain toured and recorded in Japan in 1989.

That’s at least three hours south of me. A friend saw one two hours to the northeast. Maybe they are closing in!

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.

The Red Sox probably shouldn’t be buying with this roster, but if they choose to, there’s a mystery for us to pick apart. 

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported on the “Just Baseball” podcast that the Red Sox were actively seeking a right-handed bat to upgrade the offense, even at the expense of taking on a bad contract to do so. 

Should that really be the case when Boston probably has a few bad contracts to offload on its own end (i.e. Masataka Yoshida, etc.)? No, especially since this team still wouldn’t have enough to magically craft a postseason path. 

Nonetheless, for whatever motives the front office has, should the group pursue a bat that fits that description, here are five names to consider.

NOLAN ARENADO – Diamondbacks

Arizona just acquired Arenado in the offseason, but never say never to another transaction months later.

The Red Sox were constantly linked to the third baseman two offseasons ago before they signed Alex Bregman early in spring training. The 35-year-old is under contract through the end of the 2027 season and he’s been fairly serviceable with an OPS just under .800 with his new team. 

MATT CHAPMAN – Giants

The Red Sox traded a hefty contract to San Francisco with Rafael Devers last summer. Will the Giants celebrate the anniversary by returning the favor? 

Chapman makes $25 million annually through the 2030 season, giving Boston a new staple at third base if the team moves on from the concept of Caleb Durbin filling that stop. Unlike Arenado, Chapman has been brutal this season with a .652 in his age-33 season with regression over the last two years in San Francisco. 

MIKE TROUT – Angels

Rumors from 98.5 The Sports Hub went crazy about this last month. It WILL NOT happen, but we’ll throw it in here to be fun. 

ISAAC PAREDES – Astros

Paredes swirled through the rumor mill in connection to Boston all offseason before the Durbin trade that sent Kyle Harrison to the Milwaukee Brewers. The Astros are terrible and could revisit the idea. 

KETEL MARTE – Diamondbacks

Easily the most dynamic bat discussed in the Red Sox realm last winter, he’s a switch-hitter that instantly elevates the unit. This move would clearly be for beyond 2026 and require young pitching going back to Arizona. 

Worth it now to start building a functioning offense for 2027? 

What is the bare minimum you are expecting from Adolis Garcia the rest of this season? My hopes of his breaking out at any point have effectively been dashed by his poor play on the field, but I still reserve hope that he can at least be a threat in the box at any given time.

Maybe that’s the actual floor to what to expect.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Adolis Garcia has been searching, searching, searching for answers. Has he finally stumbled on the right formula for success ($)?
• Cristopher Sanchez has been a machine during his run of scoreless innings. His pregame routine has been a big part of that ($).

MLB news:

• The owners had a meeting this week to talk about the CBA negotiations. What can be gleaned from that meeting?
• One of the only good things to possibly come out of the negotiations could be the end of the local blackout rules ($).
• Looks like Max Muncy and Ildemaro Vargas both avoided a serious injury after a pretty bad collision at first base.

When Shohei Ohtani pitches, the chances are that his opponents won’t score.

Ohtani hasn’t allowed a run in five of his 10 starts this season. In another, he limited the damage to a solitary unearned run.

Only one run has been charged to him in the 25 innings he’s pitched over his last four starts.

Ohtani has been close to perfect.

He will have to remain that way until the end of the season if he is to have any chance to win the National League’s Cy Young Award.

As spectacular as Ohtani has been, this isn’t enough.

Not enough starts.

Not enough innings.

With the Dodgers using a six-man rotation to better manage their starters’ regular-season workloads, Ohtani has pitched only 61 innings this season.

The season isn’t even 40% complete and Ohtani is already 25 ⅓ innings behind the Phillies’ Cristopher Sanchez, who has started three more games than he has.

In starts and innings, Ohtani is also behind other Cy Young Award contenders such as Jacob Misiorowski (12 starts, 71 innings), Chris Sale (12 starts, 72 ⅔ innings) and Paul Skenes (13 starts, 70 innings).

Overcoming such a deficit in quantity will require Ohtani to maintain a sizable advantage in quality.

Even the greatest pitchers are due for an occasional stinker, but Ohtani can’t afford to have one.

Sanchez was pounded by the Cubs for six runs in 5 ⅓ innings on April 23.

Misiorowski’s ERA in April was 3.58.

A game like Sanchez’s or a stretch like Misiorowski’s will likely end Ohtani’s Cy Young Award candidacy.

Ohtani is pitching as if he knows that’s the case.

“I think a lot of starting pitchers, you feel your way into the game, give up a couple (of runs) early and you bear down,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “But I’ve noticed with Shohei, every run is a premium. He’s literally trying to throw a shutout every time out there where I don’t know that every starter has that mindset.”

In Roberts’ view, Ohtani doesn’t just bear down with runners on base. 

“He’s not trying to sit back and let the stress be created,” Roberts said. “He’s doing a good job of minimizing it from the onset.”

To Roberts’ point: Ohtani allows an average of 0.79 walks plus hits per inning pitched.

Now, it should be pointed out here that in the one year in which Ohtani was a qualified pitcher, in 2022, he pitched better and better as the season progressed.

He made a career-high 28 starts that season, pitching 166 innings for the Angels to finish fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting.

By season’s end, he was arguably the best pitcher in baseball. In his last 12 starts of the year, Ohtani’s ERA was 1.73. In his last seven, it was 1.00.

Ohtani thinks he’s trending upward, saying he felt better in his win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday than he did in his previous start when he pitched six no-hit innings against the Rockies.

“Well, I think it was better than last time,” Ohtani said in Japanese. “I don’t know if it was really good, but I think it was definitely better than last time.”

Ohtani has completed seven innings in two of his starts this season, but performances like that should become increasingly common for him. He should be a qualified pitcher. 

Even then, Sanchez will have him beat in innings pitched by a substantial margin. Ohtani’s challenge is to make his ERA look equally small by comparison.

ESPN | Jorge Castillo and David Schoenfield: In light of Aaron Judge’s rib fracture, the whole baseball world is now wondering what the captain’s absence will mean for the Yankees. Most immediately, it presses Spencer Jones into duty, but it will also open up ample opportunity for Jasson Domínguez and Giancarlo Stanton once healthy. It places the spotlight on Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham, two talented players who have had uneven seasons thus far. And it also influences their trade deadline plans, though don’t expect the team to rush out and try to find an outfield replacement, especially considering Judge is likely to return at some time in the second half.

MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: The Yankees made a surprising move after last night’s loss to the Red Sox, optioning backup catcher J.C. Escarra and calling up Ali Sánchez from Triple-A. Signed to a minor-league deal prior to the start of 2026, Sánchez has a .702 OPS for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2026, and has struggled in limited time in the majors, posting a .454 OPS in 50 games for five different teams this decade. That being said, the Yankees have been interested in getting a righty-hitting option at catcher, and the lefty/lefty tandem of Escarra and Austin Wells has been downright anemic in 2026. So even though Sánchez doesn’t have much of a track record either … well, why not roll the dice in the short term? They’ll be browsing the trade options regardless. Sánchez could be in the lineup tonight with the lefty Ranger Suarez ready to go for Boston.

MLB.com | Max Ralph: Judge’s injury primarily affects the Yankees, obviously, but it also sends shockwaves throughout the league. Ralph looks at some of the ways Judge’s absence will affect the whole baseball landscape, from the ways it could affect the trade deadline, to how the AL MVP race is now wide open, and will presumably have a winner that isn’t Judge or Shohei Ohtani for the first time since 2020.

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner*: After days of speculation, Judge’s prolong absence is a reality. The question now is: do the Yankees have what it takes to withstand it? As devastating as Judge’s injury is, there is reason to believe the club is better equipped to weather the storm than they were, say, in 2023, when Judge missed a total of 56, with the Yankees putting up a 25-31 record in those games. Now, they have two other MVP candidates in Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger, not to mention bats like Stanton and Domínguez on the mend. That said, the Yankees will need some of the hitters towards the bottom of the order to step up; Jazz Chisholm Jr., Austin Wells, and Ryan McMahon can’t be zeroes all at once if the Yankees want to stay towards the top of the AL.

*We shared this article yesterday as well, but it’s a good assessment and worth a re-up in case you missed it yesterday.

FanGraphs | Michael Baumann: The Yankees signed Gerrit Cole to a nine-year, $324-million contract in December of 2019, likely committing him to the Yankees until he turned 38-years-old. When a contract like that gets inked, the end of the term feels infinitely far in the future; at the moment Cole and the Yankees put pen to paper, a contract running through 2028 seemed like it might as well run until the end of time. But Baumann notes that for Cole, and a whole lot of other stars who signed mega deals, we are closer to the end than it may seem. Cole is tethered to the Yankees for just 2.5 more seasons, Giancarlo Stanton’s 13-year contract expires next year, and even Bryce Harper’s 13-year deal, which runs from 2019 through 2031, is on the back nine.