Kohl's Cash

Oh, come on!

I know I've been making jokes about the cheapskate Cubs using Kohl's cash to facilitate offseason transactions, but this is plain ridiculous.  Just a little too on the nose.

In case you haven't heard already, yesterday afternoon, the Cubs signed free-agent hurler, Kohl Stewart to a $700,000 Major League contract, every dollar of which is now quite literally Kohl's cash.  

Formerly a top prospect in the Twins organization since his drafting in 2013, Kohl has yet to put it all together in an extended run at the Big League level.  After a couple cups of coffee in 2018 and 2019, Kohl sat out the COVID-riddled 2020 season because of the elevated risk associated with his Type 1 diabetes.  Can't say I blame the guy.  Although, I guess with the vaccine now in play, Mr. Stewart feels a little more comfortable getting back in the ring.  Thus, the Cubs will see if they can throw Stewart in their (very sterile) pitch lab and tinker until they can make something work.

Is anyone else having problems with embedding content with Blogger or is that just me?

In all honesty, this is actually a move that makes quite a bit of sense and the first one the Cubs have made this offseason that I am in favor of.  Stewart is still young (26), comes with a primo pedigree, there are plenty of openings on the pitching staff, and the franchise has actually been pretty good with reclamation moundsmen over the past few years.  So, unlike the real deal, this Kohl's Cash may actually come in handy and not just because it doesn't require you to spend it in the next 12 hours on children's ties or some other ridiculous qualifier.  

If you've never shopped at Kohl's, you must think I'm a loon.  Trust me, "free money" has never been more annoying to use.

Anyway, back to baseball:

Seeing as Kohl was inked to a Major League deal (albeit a small one) and the team has a plethora of openings in both their starting rotation and bullpen, it's almost assured that Stewart will see some innings at Wrigley Field in 2021.  Especially so when you consider the innings bump teams will need to make up after last year's much-shortened schedule - everyone is going to need extra arms in order to avoid killing every arm on their staffs.  

With all that in mind, I went ahead and grabbed the cheapest Stewart card that I could find on Ebay.  Luckily for me, that pasteboard just so happened to be the 2015 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks & Prospects single that you see above, which - if you couldn't tell from the multi-colored sheen - worked out to be a glistening Refractor.  I'd say that worked out well - I'm a sucker for both good deals and shiny objects!

That said, here's hoping that Kohl finally bursts onto the Big League scene in 2021 the way that so many baseball soothsayers anticipated and earns himself a true, blue Cubs card in Update.  As much as I have a "shine" to reflective cardboard, I'd much prefer anything with a Cubbie uniform for my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.  Well, that and I'd like it if he and my begrudgingly favorite team did well.

At any rate, welcome to Chicago and to my CATRC, Kohl Stewart!