Time to head to Chicago in advance of the Cubs Convention! I’m really looking forward to so many things from this year’s installment, led by Sammy Sosa’s return to the organizational fold. I hope to see many of you there, and if you decide to get a drink after the Opening Ceremonies on Friday, head over to Lizzie McNeill’s. That’s where I plan to be!
The biggest story right now in the Cubs’ world is the lack of a story on the international front. That is to say, unlike everyone of the years I’ve covered in the past doing this job, the Cubs did NOT sign the bulk of their international class on the first day the IFA period opened. I discussed here how it may or may not mean anything, but there’s no disputing that it’s super unusual and PROBABLY is related to Roki Sasaki spillover effects. That doesn’t mean anything exciting is going to happen, by the way, as it could all just be the Cubs holding back as long as possible just in case some crazy and surprising opportunity presents itself with a surprisingly-available prospect or an IFA pool trade or whatever. Interesting side note to the unique situation this year, with the Cubs and maybe three other non-Sasaki clubs not having finalized their classes, is that some team reportedly tried to poach the Giants’ top signing at the last moment, which forced them to go out and get extra pool space to close the deal:I'm told there were some attempts by some other parties to steal Joshuar Gonzalez away from Giants, leading to these trades today for additional international bonus pool money. t.co/VOdTuBmVNY
— Roger Munter (@rog61) January 15, 2025 The Giants, you’ll recall, were one of the earlier Sasaki teams, and you do wonder whether there were shenanigans going on in the final week leading up to IFA day – like, maybe they told Gonzalez something like “we MIGHT have to ask you to wait an extra day or two, hope that’s ok,” and then his handlers started shopping around? So maybe it wasn’t ENTIRELY a pure poach attempt, and just a fair market situation? Could this be happening with any of the other pre-Sasaki-finalist clubs like the Cubs and Yankees? Also, as speculated, the unique situation not only has the obvious teams looking to add IFA funds, but also non-Sasaki teams, too:One executive said: “There are a number of teams asking for international money some that you would guess and some that you would not. [LA & SD] are certainly reaching out but they aren’t alone, other teams are recognizing opportunities.”
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) January 16, 2025 We will know what we need to know by the time Sasaki actually chooses his club in the next few days, and in the meantime, we’ll see if IFA funds get traded, or if the Cubs add an extra prospect, or cut one loose, or simply close out their class as expected a little later than usual. This very cool. I love seeing baseball spread around the world:2B/CF Armstrong Muhoozi, from Uganda has officially signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bonus deal: $40,000. Another inspiring story of a baseball player rising from Africa. pic.twitter.com/B9q32T4Zm8
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) January 16, 2025 Enjoy Cubs pitching specialist Tyler Zombro talking about some deep pitching cuts:✅ Ride/Run 4-Seam Fastball✅ Gyro Slider✅ Changeup✅ Spiked CurveballPerformance Specialist @T_Zombro24 breaks down how 3/4-slot pronators can optimize their arsenals. ? pic.twitter.com/tsryVABJwv
— Tread Athletics (@TreadHQ) January 14, 2025 Extremely wild and enjoyable Greg Maddux story, complete with a Rick Sutcliffe suspension:Greg Maddux Intentionally hitting Benito Santiago in 1987…And getting sent to the Minor Leagues after the game."That was way more valuable than any win I could've ever gotten." pic.twitter.com/BgWIVN8vOA
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) January 14, 2025All true! I was suspended for 8 days without pay but it was worth it!! t.co/d7rKNLj5Jk
— Rick Sutcliffe (@Sut_40) January 14, 2025 I won’t explicitly endorse plunking a guy, but I will say I understand that this was almost 40 years ago, and I also understand the team cultural component. And hey, how could you not defend The Hawk?MORE FROM BLEACHER NATION: Check Out BN Fantasy | Subscribe to The BN Newsletter
This Helps Explain Why It's Taking So Long For the Bears to Hire a Coach t.co/FzY8ICacZ9 pic.twitter.com/aKKZduYYp8
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 15, 2025Box Score & Player Grades: Hawks 110, Bulls 94 – January 15, 2025 t.co/uC8d9vRQKr
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 16, 2025More Jones Talk, Vlasic, Patience, College Scorers, Draft Rankings, and Other #Blackhawks Bullets t.co/3qjZf5Y4W3
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 15, 2025 Read More Details
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