With Major League Baseball's Opening Day just around the corner and Spring Training nearing its end, the Chicago Cubs have been all the rave up to this point. After what could very well end up being a historical off-season for the franchise which saw the signings of one of the top two free-agent pitchers on the market in Jon Lester and arguably the best skipper in the bigs in Joe Maddon, Kris Bryant who is not only Chicago's top prospect but is the number one prospect in the Majors, has been tearing the cover off of the ball this Spring. The 23-year old third baseman which has also seen some playing time in the outfield, leads the league in home runs this Spring and has Cubbie fans licking their chops looking into what should be a very bright future for an organization which hasn't won a World Series title in over a century.
In just 14 games this Spring, Bryant, a Las Vegas native and graduate of Bonanza High School, has belted 9 home runs, while driving in 15 RBIs and logging a robust .425 batting average, the type of numbers that would usually result in a player being a lock to get the opening day nod at the hot corner. But not in this case. Monday, the Cubs made a decision that was sure to grind the gears of Bryant's agent Scott Boras and the MLB Players Association alike when Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein announced the team's plan to have Bryant start the season at the Minor League level. Though the news of the team's decision is fresh off the presses and was finally made official, sources around the ball club say Epstein and company had their minds made from the start which has caused the Cubs front-office to be the target of criticism from those on the outside looking in. But if we're talking solely from a business standpoint while keeping the future in mind, the front-office made the decision every single one of us would make if we were at the helm.
By having Bryant start the year in the Minors, they can delay the start of his service clock and thus gain another full year of his services as he won't become eligible for free agency until after the 2021 season instead of 2020 had he made the opening day roster. To dumb it down some; if the Cubs can wait it out for the first nine games of the season (12 days), they'll have another year's worth of Bryant's services which considering his potential, is a no-brainer. Not to mention the championship drought that lingers on the north side of Chicago. If I'm a fan of the Cubs, I'm thrilled that the brain trust has their eyes focused on the bigger picture and that's the future of the franchise, opposed to the front-office giving him the green light to start the year only to watch him struggle out of the gates and send him back down to the Minors. Or worse, witness him become a free-agent and sign elsewhere a year earlier than he could have had we been patient for an additional two weeks.
Bryant's red-hot hitting this spring is no fluke as the second overall pick of the 2013 MLB Draft also hit a league-leading 43 home runs in the Minors last year which should bring smiles to the faces of fans sitting in the bleachers at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. With such bright young talent as Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Soler already on the big league roster and prospects Javier Baez and Addison Russell in the Minors and next in line to be the core of the franchise, the Cubs should be a fun team to watch and a contending powerhouse in the NL Central for many years to come.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
As if the odds weren't already stacked against them in their respective divisions, the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies are two teams that could ill-afford the absence of a key cog in their pitching rotation. Unfortunately, Spring Training has been none too kind to either ball club as they prepare for the regular season without the services of two of the game's most premier pitchers.
After being shutdown for the last seven weeks of the 2014 season with mild inflammation in his right elbow, Rangers hurler Yu Darvish was expected to be good to go at the start of spring training this year. But after pitching only one inning in his spring debut on March 5, the 28-year old Japanese sensation was pulled from his outing when he experienced tightness in his triceps muscle. An MRI would spell even worse news, however, as damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in Darvish's right elbow was revealed, resulting in Tommy John surgery which would put an end to any chance of the 3-time All-Star pitching again in 2015. Already expected to be long shots fighting to stay afloat in the AL Western division with two American League powers in the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics as well as the much improved Seattle Mariners, the news of Darvish being on the shelf for the season is devastating for fans in Arlington. Texas finished with the worst record in the American League last year at 67-95 thanks in large part to the struggles and absence of first baseman Prince Fielder and though they should finish with a higher win total than they did a season ago, anywhere ahead of a fourth place finish in the division would be a surprise for a Rangers ball club that's only four seasons removed from back-to-back World Series appearances.
As for the Phillies, another ball club not expected to be contending for a title this year, the injury to left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee is as unfortunate as any. Not only because the 36-year old Lee is still among the best lefty's in the league when healthy, but because it ends any chances the Phils had of dealing the southpaw in return for a prospect or two to help speed up Philadelphia's rebuilding process. Since signing a 5-year, $120 Million deal with the Phillies in December of 2010 and taking less than he could have made elsewhere to return to play in Philadelphia where he helped lead the Phillies to their second consecutive World Series during in his first stint with the ball club after being acquired at the trade deadline in 2009, the franchise has been unable capture the success they achieved in Lee's first two seasons. For Lee, who last pitched on July 31 before being placed on the 60-day disabled-list after sustaining the same injury a season ago, it'll be the third attempt to rehab from a torn common flexor tendon in his left elbow while shaking off the idea of having surgery which would cause him to sit out the season.
With $37.5 Million remaining on his contract which includes a $12.5 Million club option to buyout in 2016, the former Cy Young winner hopes the third time will be a charm as his road to recovery figures to be a long one before we'll get to see if the 4-time All-Star can make a return to the mound in the city of Brotherly Love. Without Lee, the Phillies who finished last a season ago (73-89), will have their hands full in an NL Eastern division which homes a number of clubs that are expected to improve from last season as well as arguably the favorite to win it all this season in the Washington Nationals.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
What started as a nightmare of an offseason for the San Francisco 49ers with the firing of head coach Jim Harbaugh, has now gone from bad to worse with the news of not one but two of the team's star linebackers announcing their early retirement from the game of football less than a week between one another. After learning just days ago that the 49ers would be without All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis who has been the heartbeat of the San Francisco defense since being drafted eight years ago, news broke that the team's brightest young star on defense -- Chris Borland, is also walking away from the sport just one year into his professional career. While Willis, 30, admitted it was past injuries that led to his decision, most notably those to his feet which he explained have bothered him for years during his press conference, the 24-year old Borland cited the dangers of what could happen rather than what did as his reason to hang 'em up.
It's no secret that the game of football is as dangerous as any with what we know today regarding the studies of repeated head trauma that occur during tackles and after doing his research, Borland is among those well aware of the safety concerns and long-term effects it could have on ones life. But it does come as a shocker with Borland announcing his decision so early on in his career. Selected out of the University of Wisconsin in the third round of last year's NFL Draft, Borland shined and was a tackling-machine for the 49er defense after getting the starting nod in Week 7 when asked to fill in for the injured Patrick Willis. From his Week 7 start until Week 15 when he suffered an injury of his own, the rookie linebacker led the league in tackles with 98, eight more than the next closest player during that span and was awarded Defensive Rookie of the Month for the month of November. Borland led the 49ers with 108 total tackles while averaging a tackle per every 4.5 snaps played which was the best in the league. In the wake of Willis announcing his retirement plans, the expectations for Borland next season were sure to skyrocket following his impressive rookie campaign. Instead, the team will now be left searching for an alternative replacement who's unlikely to step up in the way Borland was capable of while also holding their fingers crossed that Pro Bowl linebacker NaVorro Bowman can return to full strength after missing all of last season with ACL and MCL tears in his left knee.
As if the 49ers weren't already expected to showcase a completely different team defensively in 2015 under a new regime with former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio departing for the Chicago Bears, the franchise will virtually feature an entirely new roster with both Willis and Borland gone as well as fellow linebacker Dan Skuta, cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox all signing elsewhere for bigger paydays. The defense isn't the only area that was dealt a blow in the early goings of the offseason, however, as the Niners' o-line saw their 3-time Pro-Bowl guard Mike Iupati sign with the rival Arizona Cardinals. Another name that will soon follow is Michael Crabtree who's a free-agent and isn't expected to return with the team that drafted him in 2009. And then there's the franchise's all-time leading rusher in Frank Gore who inked a contract with the Indianapolis Colts over the weekend after 10 memorable seasons in San Francisco. The busy free-agent frenzy wasn't all about losing players, though, as the 49ers also made a number of acquisitions by signing 3-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle/defensive end Darnell Dockett who the team is quite familiar with having played his entire 11-year career in Arizona. Other signings include cornerback Shareece Wright formerly of the San Diego Chargers, running back Reggie Bush who gives the Niners another dimension in the running game after spending the last two seasons with Detroit and former Ravens wide-out Torrey Smith who provides the 49er offense with a deep threat they've so desperately needed.
As for the linebacker position, the unexpected retirement of two of their top three players at the position has to throw off the team's initial plans heading into next month's NFL Draft, but it's better to have happened now rather than after the draft. It would be hard not to see the Niners address the position come Draft day, however, unless they plan to hang onto Michael Wilhoite who was recently placed on the trading block or decide to possibly kick the tires on LB Nick Moody who saw limited action on the field a season ago.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
Before their title defense could even begin with the start of Major League Baseball's regular season still a month away, the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants were dealt a sizable blow in just their third Spring Training outing of the year. Facing Corey Black of the Chicago Cubs, Giants outfielder and clubhouse ringleader Hunter Pence took a pitch high and in off of his left forearm in the sixth inning that caused him to exit the game. With everyone in the dugout from manager Bruce Bochy on down fearing for the worst, x-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture in the ulna bone which will keep Pence on the shelf for 6-8 weeks.
Although the timing of the incident is somewhat fortunate given the injury occurred prior to the regular season, Pence will be without the benefit of working on his timing at the plate and everything else that Spring Training allows you to prep for. And while Pence expressed no ill will towards Black and even replied to his tweet which Black issued to wish the Giants outfielder a speedy recovery to which Pence replied, "It happens my friend. Thanks for the concern, it's part of the game we love." With the timetable for Pence's return out of his favor given he currently owns the longest active streak in baseball having played 383 consecutive games which will now be in jeopardy, life without their iron man won't be long for the Giants but it'll still take some getting used to, granted Pence has appeared in every single game since San Francisco acquired him midway through the 2012 season.
Since his arrival to the ball club, Pence leads the team in home runs, runs batted in and extra-base hits. But he's meant more to the team than just a statistical leader and everyday gamer, he's been the voice and soul of the ball club during two of their three title runs. The injury to Pence opens the door to a number of outfielders looking to get some playing time including Gregor Blanco, Juan Perez and non-roster invitee Justin Maxwell. The resilient Hunter Pence has plans of returning sooner than team doctors have ruled him out for but waiting out the full 6-8 weeks might be best as the Giants look to win their fourth World Series title in 6 years and put an end to the curse (if you wanna call it that) of the even numbered years.
Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest
