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It’s Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the coolest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come on in out of the cold. There’s no cover charge this evening. We still have a few tables available. The hostess can lead you to your table. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you about infielder/left fielder Miguel Andujar, who was linked to the Cubs in at least one report. I was pretty skeptical about signing him (even though I think he’s a solid player) because I didn’t see the fit. The majority of you agreed, as 68 percent of you were against the idea.

Here’s the part with the music and the movies. The second round of the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic is coming to a close. But as always, you’re free to skip ahead to the baseball stuff at the end. We’re OK with that.

For those of you who like showtunes, tonight we have vocalist Jordan Fisher performing “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Emmet Cohen is on piano. Peter Martin plays keyboards, Tivon Pennicott is on tenor sax, Yasushi Nakamura is the bassist and Joe Farnsworth is on drums.

(Fun fact: My wife hates that movie. She hated it as a child and she hates it today. Her well-meaning sister gave her a blu-ray copy of it for Christmas one year and she had to pretend that she liked it.)

This is a brand new video released just yesterday.

You voted in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic and there are a lot of Star Trek fans among my readers. I guess there are a lot of Star Trek fans among people who write here as well. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan advanced over the number-one seed, Blade Runner. As I had written, Blade Runner is the one film that gets mentioned most often as the best science fiction film of all time if you don’t pick 2001: A Space Odyssey. But you like Kirk, Spock, McCoy and especially Ricardo Montalban as Khan.

Tonight we are going to the final quadrant of our tourney, the “modern” bracket, to finish out the second round. Number-two seed Brazil (1985) goes up against Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).

2. Brazil. (1985) Directed by Terry Gilliam. Starring Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro and Katherine Helmond.

Here’s what I wrote last time about Brazil.

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Directed by James Cameron. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Robert Patrick.

Here’s what I wrote last time about Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Both films are terrifying in their own way. Brazil scares me with its portrait of a totalitarian world where the rich live lives of pointless conspicuous consumption. The rest of us live in a world desensitized to the capricious violence and cruelty of the state and that the only way to survive is to remain as anonymous as possible.

While I’m not worried about time-traveling killer robots, I sure as heck am worried about the artificial intelligence future that created the nightmare future of Terminator 2.

So now it’s time to vote.

You have until Monday to vote. Coming up on Monday is the final matchup of the second round, where The Matrix takes on Back to the Future.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

Earlier this week I asked you if you thought the Cubs should improve their pitching depth by signing Zac Gallen. I suppose it’s not quite right to say that Gallen would “improve depth” because he’d probably be one of the better pitchers in the rotation. But it would mean that other pitchers would move down the pecking order and provide more depth.

One pitcher on the free agent market who would improve the Cubs’ depth but has gotten very little attention for some reason is right-hander Chris Bassitt. Bassitt has been as solid of a pitcher over the past five years that you could ask for. He just finished a three-year, $63 million deal with the Blue Jays where he made over 30 starts every year and pitched over 170 innings every year. He posted a Fangraphs WAR of between 2.3 and 2.6 in all three seasons with the Blue Jays. In fact, according to Fangraphs, Bassitt has had a WAR above two in every season since 2019, not counting the shortened 2020 season. But he pitched well in 2020 too.

I haven’t heard the Cubs connected to Bassitt at all, but I have heard people arguing that Bassitt is a better pitcher than Zac Gallen. He did indeed have a better 2025 season than Gallen, although we’ve been over that 2025 may be an outlier bad year for Gallen. Bassitt also is a more extreme ground ball pitcher, which plays in to the Cubs strong infield defense. He probably would also cost a lot less than Gallen.

I’ll add that Bassitt pitched very well in the postseason last year for the Blue Jays as well.

So why is Gallen so much more highly regarded that Bassitt? For one, age is a huge factor. Bassitt is heading into his age 37 season whereas Gallen is going into his age 30 season. As he ages, Bassitt’s fastball velocity is dropping. He only averaged 91.4 miles per hour on his fastball last season, which is down from 92.7 the year before and definitely down from the 94 mph or so he threw when he was young.

Bassitt also struggles with left-handed pitching a lot more than Gallen does. While their overall results are similar, Bassitt is the type of pitcher you might want to skip against a lefty-heavy lineup. However, since the Cubs have several good left-handers, that might not be as big of a problem for the Cubs.

Bassitt also has some experience pitching out of the pen, so if he’s not one of the top five or six starters on the Cubs, he could become a long man in the bullpen.

So basically, Bassitt would serve as an upgrade on Colin Rea, if you think he’s better than Colin Rea.

Bassitt’s age actually plays in well for the Cubs in that he’s probably not going to get more than a one-year deal at this point. I’m proposing a one-year, $17 million deal for Chris Bassitt? If you were running the Cubs, would you make that offer?

Thank you for stopping by tonight and all week. We really appreciate your patronage. Please get home safely. Stay warm out there. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The worst kept secret of the offseason is the San Diego Padres do not want to add significant money to their payroll. Reports surfaced after Nolan Arenado was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Arizona Diamondbacks the Padres were involved in the trade discussions for the third baseman, but they wanted the Cardinals to pay more of Arenado’s salary. The Diamondbacks will pay him $11 million for the next two seasons.

It was recently reported that San Diego president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller was considering additions to his roster but was not ready to make a move. At the time the thought was Preller was waiting for the asking prices of free agents to drop and/or he needed to trade away some of the money already on the roster to create financial flexibility. We may never know what he was waiting for, but we can speculate.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athleticreported earlier this week that some potential free agent pitchers the Padres might target are Lucas Giolito, Nick Martinez or Justin Verlander. An addition of one of those players is not going to send the Friar Faithful into a frenzy, but it may be all we have to look forward to.

Lucas Giolito

Giolito is a 6-6, 245-pound 31-year-old right-hander from Southern California. Maybe he wants to return home and pitch close to family and friends in San Diego. He spent the 2025 season with the Boston Red Sox and pitched in 26 games, finishing with a 10-4 record with a 3.41 ERA over 145.0 innings. Giolito spent the bulk of his major league career with the Chicago White Sox and holds a career 4.30 ERA. It should ne noted that Giolito did not pitch in 2024 because he had surgery to repair his right elbow ulnar collateral ligament in March of that year.

Nick Martinez

Padres fans are very familiar with Martinez, 35, and what he can bring to the rotation. He spent two years in San Diego in 2022 and 2023 before signing with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent. He spent 2024 and 2025 with the Reds and threw 165.2 innings. He appeared in 40 games and 26 of those were starts. Martinez finished 11-14 with a 4.45 ERA. Preller does not typically bring former players back, unless it’s in a front office or coaching role as we have seen with manager Craig Stammen or developmental coach Wil Myers, but considering the need for pitching he might make an exception with Martinez.

Justin Verlander

Verlander and his career speaks for itself. He is a sure-fire Hall of Famer and despite being 42 years old, he still wants to pitch and keeps getting opportunities. Verlander spent 2025 with the San Francisco Giants and started 29 games. He finished with a 3.85 ERA over 152.0 innings, but his final record of 4-11 was not what you expect from a player of his stature. Of course, wins and losses are not solely on the pitcher, so perhaps a season in San Diego with a solid defense behind him would flip the record.

If we are to believe the reporting of Rosenthal, which I will admit is difficult to do due to his constant praise for the Los Angeles Dodgers and his unconfirmed disdain for the Padres, which one of Giolito, Martinez or Verlander would you, the readers of Gaslamp Ball, want San Diego to sign?

Results of the poll will be published later this week.

David Stearns said early Wednesday that he was still looking to acquire a frontline starter this offseason. 

Just hours later, the Mets' President of Baseball Ops was able to deliver. 

According to SNY analyst and SiriusXM's Jim Duquette, Stearns was considering multiple options, but talks heated up with his old club, and he was able to complete a deal to bring ace RHP Freddy Peralta from Milwaukee to Queens.

He had to pay a hefty price with top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat heading to the Brewers, but it’s certainly worth it to acquire one of the top arms available on the trade market.

“Acquiring Freddy brings another established starter to help lead our rotation,” Stearns said in a statement. “Throughout this offseason, we sought to complement our rotation with another front-end pitcher, and we’re thrilled we are able to bring Freddy to the Mets.”

Peralta is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, in which he finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting after leading the league in wins (17) and finishing fourth in ERA (2.70). 

The two-time All-Star has made 30+ starts each of the past three seasons. 

And he isn’t the only piece being acquired in the deal.

The Mets were also able to grab an intriguing arm with control, bringing in RHP Tobias Myers, who has accumulated a 3.15 ERA in 49 games the past two seasons. 

Myers is much more than just a throw-in, as he provides Carlos Mendoza with a steady piece for the bullpen and even more rotation depth. 

“Tobias has become an extremely valuable Major League pitcher,” Stearns said. “His ability to pitch out of both the rotation and bullpen allows him to help our team in multiple ways. His addition adds to another quality, young major league arm to our organization.”

Owner Steve Cohen certainly seems amped about the moves as well…

What an incredible week. Let’s go Mets !

— Steven Cohen (@StevenACohen2) January 22, 2026

Brett Chancey – Independent Journalist | Co-Host Locked on Astros | Back to the Bullpen with Mike Stanton

The Astros embark on a season in a way they haven’t known since 2016. This is the first year they enter a season where they didn’t qualify for the previous Postseason. We all recall the first round, 2 game exit vs. the Detroit Tigers when they at least made it. Many say was the beginning of the end. I do think, however, despite missing the playoffs in 2025, the Astros stock going into 2026 has gone up.

What gives you the right?

Well, this team has a slew of very capable players on this roster and in this rotation to be highly competitive in the American League West, as well contend for the American League title. Realistically on paper, you would put the Blue Jays, as well others who qualified for the postseason above the Astros. That doesn’t mean I am ready to put them on the shelf, and no one is ignoring it will be a tough task.

I am a firm believer in the law of averages, especially when it comes to the 162-game season that is Major League Baseball. The Houston Astros set a record for injured players in a season and the year prior dealt with injuries so frequently it led to roster irregularities and a team that in the end was too banged up to truly compete in 2026. There is no need to recall all the injuries,

3 Things to focus on:

1. Win the innings war, with a six man rotation and pitching depth.
2. Scoring runs, as well keeping them off the board (offensive and defensive approach)
3. Stop living in the margins: Astros need more depth, fewer empty innings.

Win the Innings War, Pitching Built to Last.

The Astros fastest route back to pitching stability – not “rely on ONE ACE” (AKA HUNTER BROWN), but stack usable starts so the bullpen isn’t cooked by May. They have the starting depth to do that, even if they don’t add anyone at this point. When a team leans into a six man rotation early, which the Astros will by default due to schedule.

There is proof that at this point according to Joe Espada this is a clear and intentional direction for this pitching staff. This was detailed by Brian McTaggart in a tweet December 15, 2025 prior to signing Tatsuya Imai.

The Astros need six serious starters to get off to a hot start pitching wise and take pressure off the offense. My starting 6 would be:

1. Hunter Brown
2. Christian Javier
3. Tatsuya Imai
4. Mike Burrows
5. Spencer Arrighetti
6. Ryan Weiss/Jason Alexander

(Spring Training will also determine if Lance McCullers Jr. has a role in this rotation, which he could earn, Nate Pearson, AJ Blubagh, Colton Gordon, and J.P. France.)

While some may pencil in McCullers Jr. I am not there yet, as with Gordon because I think he profiles as a Long Reliever in the grand scheme of things. The others not mentioned Wesneski and Blanco won’t factor in until July or August realistically speaking.

If the Houston Astros six man rotation can create fewer bullpen “bridge games”, starts where they pitch into the 6th inning more than not, then you have a recipe for success. The one thing that begs the question, will the Astros be able to trust anyone beyond Hunter Brown a 3rd time through the order?

Scoring Runs: Bringing Runners Home.

The Astros don’t need to be the #1 offense in MLB to be a playoff team – but they do need to get back to controlling run environments with quality contact, patience at the plate, and increasing their RISP. With all the discussion of interest from other teams regarding a trade for Isaac Paredes this seems to be a counter intuitive goal, if you are going off past history.

The Astros getting more barrels and fewer easy outs isn’t a vibe, it’s a measurable and attainable goal.

This begins with a Healthy Yordan Alvarez. His Barrel % is 13.8% and huge driver of slugging and extra-base hits. His 52.9% Hard Hit percentage is among the best in MLB, we know his ability to hit all sides of the field as well. Jeremy Pena having another solid offensive year would be huge. While his chase rate is at a career 28.4% he hasn’t been below 35.9%, if the new hitting coaches can get him to reduce that, and get more lift on the ball his barrell % would go up and be a catalyst for this team.

A third player I will mention, (Isaac Paredes is a given if he remains on this roster Opening Day) is Carlos Correa. I believe that with him playing 3B you will see a Correa that stays on the field and can enjoy a chase rate in the 2021 range where he saw his lowest chase% at 24.1%. This would give higher probability to more barrels. In 2021 he had his 2nd highest barrel % at 11.4% only topped by 2019 12.9%. What does this all mean? I see this offense feeding off each other. Notice I didn’t mention Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, Yainer Diaz, Cam Smith, or any of the others. I didn’t for this simple fact, this offense goes as these 3 listed go. If you can get the others to follow you have a playoff offense.

Run Prevention 101 (Pitching and Catching)

This Astros team narrowly missed the playoffs almost solely off of it pitching alone. In the same conversation they were the same pitchers who at times couldn’t stop late inning comebacks. In 2025 the onus is on the offense primarily speaking, but the pitching wasn’t flawless. You need a couple things for this too happen: Prevent runs on the board, manage opponents contact.

The Houston Astros need to understand balls will get hit, so what is the Hard Hit % of batted balls agains their pitchers, as well advancing runners on base. The Houston Astros starting backstop was 1 Catchers CS Above Avg. in 2025, the backup everyone wanted was -4 Catchers CS Above Avg. Both bottom of the barrel. While Yainer Diaz arm strength is 3rd in the league and 4th in Exchange time, his Caught stealing % was only 18%. What does all this have to do with run prevention and the pitching? I will wrap up the discussion here.

Your pitchers have to make a concerted effort to get to the plate as fast as possible. Catchers have to be in an optimal position to throw out the runners. If you can eliminate the threat of running to 2B by throwing out runners, or simply holding them at bay. This team stands to give up fewer runs. Fewer runs less pressure on the offense, as well the pitchers.

All in all I expect the Astros to be contenders in 2026, of course that is why every team plays 162 games in the regular season. As my co-host on Back to the Bullpen Mike Stanton says, getting to the playoffs is the hard part, once you’re in, it’s anybody’s game.“…….or is it? Dodgers????