Workman's Comp

 Happy pitchers and catchers report day!

Baseball has been a frustrating sport to follow over the past few seasons, what with all the constant labor strife, ham-fisted attempts to "fix" the game, rampant minor league contraction and stifled pay, billionaire owners crying poor, slimeballs like Jared Porter and Mickey Callaway exposing a seedy underbelly, TV and streaming rights throttling the ability of anyone to watch the damn games, and.... okay, I'm droning on and on about the negatives, but today is the first official day of Spring Training and I'll be damned if I'm not still excited.  Of course, my chosen team is a whole other basket of badgers with it's own litter of troublesome issues piled on top of MLB's problems and the weather isn't exactly "spring" like, but my enthusiasm cannot be completely dampened!... Unlike my pant legs, which are soaked through from having to shovel out my parking spot for like the third time this month.

With the end of the offseason officially at hand, the Cubs' hurlers and backstops have begun to trickle into the Sloan Park facilities in Arizona.  Perhaps looking to make the most of this milestone, this morning, the team added one more pitcher to the attendance list, signing Brandon Workman to a one-year, Major League contract worth $1MM with another $2MM available via incentives.

Accordingly, I decided to use the Workman acquisition as an excuse to pursue my maiden dalliance with 2021 Topps.  To this point, I have not so much as seen a pack of this product in the wild, let alone purchased any.  In fact, I had to take to Ebay just to buy this single card.  I'm not about to battle with the investor bros stalking Target vendors over such trivialities and my LCS doesn't seem to have any of the seminal Topps product in their stock just yet.  

Of course, I don't have the card in-hand at this point, so I'm not going to go in-depth reviewing the cards and it's design - after all, it wouldn't be fair without getting my hands on the actual product.  However, I will say that I'm pleased with the return of borders and, as a Cubs fan, the fact that red and blue factor so heavily into the design is a major plus.  One the other hand, the font used for the nameplate might require a stronger prescription from my eye doctor.  

Anyway, maybe I'll do an actual breakdown once this card arrives in my mailbox.  For now, let's get back to the subject at hand, the Cubs All-Time Roster Collection's latest addition, Mr. Workman himself.

Workman during his Fenway days.  Image courtesy of Maddie Meyer at Getty Images

Just yesterday, the Cubs' new President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, broke from the norm and basically told the press outright that they'd be signing another Major League reliever in the very near future, though he stopped short at naming the mystery moundsman.  Some wondered if it might be the reclamation project known as David Robertson, as the team had representatives at his latest showcase.  But, the Northsiders were far from the only team to show up, all but ensuring that the price tag would far exceed what the Rickettses would allow.  Others posited that a reunion with Jeremy Jeffress was on the horizon.  That being said, the guy's 2020 results far exceeded his peripherals, indicating that major regression is in his future.  Still more Twitter experts bandied about names like Shane Greene and Trevor Rosenthal, but, strangely, I don't think I saw anyone mention Brandon Workman.  Honestly, I forgot he was even a free agent.  Did anyone out there call this one correctly?

Anywho, the former Red Sox bullpen stalwart was a solid performer after making a full-time transition from the rotation to the pen in 2017.  But, Brandon truly made his name with a phenomenal 2019 campaign, going 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA  and 16 saves in 71.2 innings for Boston that year.  His fortunes dipped slightly in the weird COVID-ridden follow up season, as did the Red Sox's as a whole - thus, the now-closer was shipped to a contending Phillies club at the trade deadline where he was promptly lit up (10 earned runs in 13 frames, plus 3 blown saves) and allowed to walk after the schedule's conclusion.

All in all, Mr. Workman probably isn't as good as his 2019 stat line, but he also probably isn't nearly as bad as his Phillies tenure turned out to be.  I think the statistics from last year's shortened season are almost meaningless due to short sample sizes and dozens of other mitigating factors, not the least of which was the weirdness of the time.  

While the high upside would be phenomenal to have, if Workman's stats and results can meet somewhere near the middle of that peak and valley, he'll make a solid, if unspectacular, bullpen option on a roster that lacks such stability.  This dearth of depth is especially exposed if Rowan Wick and Kyle Ryan's health do not rapidly improve, as these key cogs both reported to camp with maladies of their own.  As a sort of insurance policy meant to compensate for potential production lost during injury and sickness, does that make Brandon's signing... Workman's comp?

I will not apologize for art.

Anyway, if this franchise does one thing consistently well, it's isolate worthy rebound bullpen candidates and, with a few tweaks, turn out usable arms.  I mean, they got Ryan Tepera an MVP vote, after all and turned no-namers like Wick and Jason Adam into legitimate late-inning weapons.  This is one aspect of the Cubs that do actually feel some confidence in.  Although, that could just be the warm and fuzzy feelings brought on by "pitchers and catchers report" clouding my judgment.

As an aside, do you still feel the good vibes that are normally brought on by the first official day of training camp or has all the negative press surrounding baseball killed the mood for you?  Furthermore, what are your thoughts on the look and feel of the 2021 Flagship card set?  I encourage you to share your opinions in the comment section below!

At any rate, welcome to the Windy City and to my CATRC, Brandon Workman!

Everything's Jake

For the past several weeks, there's been plenty of rumors connecting the Cubs and a free agent named Jake.  We all assumed the club was looking into a reunion with World Series hero, Jake Arrieta.  After all, the Cubbies have more question marks in their rotation than answers and Arrieta remains as one of the better options left in the free agent pitching market.  And, as it turns out, these rumors were correct - word dropped this morning that the team had agreed to terms with a Jake on a one-year, $1.5 million Major League contract.   However, while the team may very well yet bring their one-time ace back home, it appears as though those previous rumblings had their wires slightly crossed - they had the wrong Jake!  This one plays the outfield.

Jake Marisnick has spent most of his career chasing fly balls in Houston, though he originally came up with Miami in 2013 and was briefly a Met in 2020.  He's seen here on a 2014 Topps Archives single which I just purchased from my local card shop on my lunch break.  Into the Cubs All-Time Roster Collection it will slide.

 

He was a pseudo-starter for several seasons as an Astro, but has been transitioning to more of bench role over the past couple years.  With his ability to play all three outfield positions and the Cubs having promised Joc Pederson a fixed starting spot, this Jake will likely serve as the fourth outfielder.  Somewhat amusingly, this means that the Mets and the Cubs essentially got together and traded their "next man up" in the outfield, with Albert Almora having taken his talents to Queens earlier this winter.

Image courtesy of Con Los Bases Llenas.

Like Almora, Marisnick brings plus defense into the mix.  But, Jake offers more in terms of speed on the base paths and his bat profiles as about league average against lefties - that's more than we can say about the now-departed Albert, who's bat simply never developed at the Major League level.  Thus, while we were gossiping about the wrong Jake, this one still plugs a hole on the roster.  It's just a gap that we Cubs fans assumed that the suddenly "poor" Ricketts ownership didn't want to waste any money on fixing.

Most of the offseason, the Cubs had been walking a thin line - rostering exactly three outfielders while cutting Almora and Kyle Schwarber loose - and they seemed all too comfortable on that razor thin margin.  With this signing, the previous acquisition of Pederson, and waiver-claim of Phillip Ervin the Cubs outfield has been completely retooled and now actually contains some MLB-worthy depth.

Speaking of Ervin, here's the 2020 Topps Flagship single I finally picked up for his slot in the CATRC.  Like I said previously, Ervin was brought into the organization waiver claim and, therefore, I was not convinced that he would stick around long enough to see in-season game action.  Something, something, roster Jenga, something.  That being said, as the winter has progressed, it seems as though the front office is intent on keeping Phil around; so, I finally pulled the trigger on a pasteboard for the collection.  He seems like as good of an option as any for the fifth outfielder role.

At any rate, the Cubs got themselves a Jake that fills a need.  Will they acquire another one to fill yet another unchecked box on the shopping list?   Word is the Mr. Arrieta is currently asking a bit too much for the front office's tastes and, honestly, more than the market has dictated for a hurler with his recent injury history.  Who knows though?  Spring Training is less than two weeks away, so both uncommitted players and shop around teams are going to have to start making some compromises.

Welcome to the CATRC and to the Windy City, Jake Marisnick!

Getting Chafed

Sometimes you lag so far behind that you've actually come back around to being timely again.

A few days ago, it was reported that the Ricketts had loosened the purse strings and tossed a few more coins at Jed Hoyer to spend on the Major League roster.  That rumor sure appears to be true as steel - since that rumbling became public, the Cubs have signed Kohl Stewart, Joc Pederson, Trevor Williams, and continue to be active in the market for starting pitching and second base.  Furthermore, just as I was tucking myself into bed last night, I noticed that the now suddenly fervent buyers had made another purchase.  This acquisition came with a tinge of deja vu as I read the headline on MLB Trade Rumors.

Late last summer, the Cubbies tried to put lipstick on a pig at the trading deadline, pulling the trigger on several supplementary pieces that ultimately did little to help their slow tumble from second best of the NL to first round playoff exit (swept by the COVID-ridden Marlins, no less).  Lefty Andrew Chafin was one of those auxiliary acquisitions, brought in via a minor trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the waning hours of the trading period.  With a track record of success as a LOOGY who was also usable against righties stretching back to 2014, this seemed like a perfect move for a club gearing up for a pennant chase.

 

There was just one problem - Chafin was damaged goods.

 

The Cubs knew that Chafin was injury-riddled when they signed the dotted line on the deal; after all, the pitcher had been on the injured list for a couple of weeks already leading up to the trade.  However, Theo and Jed were banking on Chafin being able to recover quickly from the strained finger on his pitching hand.  This was a gamble that they ended up losing, as Andrew could only squeak into a mere four games - plus one playoff tilt - giving up one run in 3.1 IP before the season came to an abrupt halt at the hands of the COVID-infested Marlins.  A free agent upon the conclusion of the World Series, I thought that was going to be the sum total of Chafin's Cubs career - another in a long line of random relievers scattered throughout my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

 

 

Image courtesy of Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

As it turns out, I was quite mistaken.  The Cubs decided to bring Chafin back into the the fold for 2021, with the money that Ricketts dug out of the couch cushions, on a $2.75MM guarantee.  It's a one-year deal with a mutual option and a buyout for 2022.

One can hardly doubt why the team wanted to keep Andrew around, despite his lost 2020 campaign.  Since he debuted with the D'backs in 2014, Chafin has posted a 3.67 ERA with roughly average strikeout and walk percentages (25.0 and 10.1) and a solid groundball rate of 52.3 percent in 274 2/3 innings.  The Cubs sure do love them some worm killers.  Furthermore, in that same time, lefties have slashed just .230/.306/.311 while righties haven't fair much better: .245/.333/.365.  This is key, seeing as we are now playing in the three-batter minimum era.  Furthermore, the heretofore shaky Kyle Ryan is the only other lefty option on the roster with significant MLB experience, so it seems prudent to bring in another choice for David Ross.  Hopefully he's got a clean bill of health for this go-round.

 

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports.

 

 

He's also got a pretty mean mustache, for whatever that's worth.

To conclude, with Chafin's return, no corresponding move is needed for my CATRC binders, as he was already added last summer.  However, Wrigley Roster Jenga was mothballed at this time; so, I'm taking this opportunity to spotlight his inclusion in my tomes.  For now, he's represented with the 2020 Flagship single which "Topps" this post - the only Chafin card I could scrounge up at my local card shop.  Hopefully, with his Cubs career now being extended for another year, he'll appear on a proper Cubbie Blue card with which I can "Cubgrade" his entry.  Fingers crossed!

Welcome (back) to the Windy City and to the CATRC, Andrew Chafin!

Blink And You'll Miss Him

Ian Miller is quick.

In fact, Ian Miller is so speedy that you might not have even seen him in 2020.  While the fleet-footed outfielder is celebrated for his fast-twitch muscles, his MLB tenure last season lasted through exactly one pinch-running appearance in a single game.  He didn't even get to attempt a stolen base either.  Talk about "blink and you missed him!"

Nevertheless, quick though he may be, he did not sneak by Wrigley Roster Jenga and my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder.  No sir.  When I read that the speedster had been called up to the Major League roster - right before the trade deadline - I immediately pounced on saved Ebay listing, like a certain coyote chasing after a certain roadrunner.  Only, in this instance, I was able to catch the card and had exactly no anvils dropped on my head.  It was as if I knew that he'd be streaking back to the alternate training site as soon as trade reinforcements were brought into the fold.

I'd saved the listing for this 2017 Grandstand Texas League All-Star single shortly after I read about his NRI.  I always do research on what's available for such potential Cubs, just in case, and I was quite pleased to find a MiLB single at a reasonable price.  After all, such pieces usually command a bizarre premium on the secondhand market and Miller doesn't have much of a mainstream cardboard footprint.

While, as of now, Miller's Cubs career has flashed by about as speedily as possible, the entirety of his Major League tenure hasn't been much slower.  Prior to his one-game cameo in Chicago, the 28-year old's only other time spent in the Bigs came with the Twins for a paltry 12 games in 2019.  It seems that the eight-year professional is constantly zooming through towns!

In all seriousness, Miller is a post-hype prospect that comes with a weak bat and plus speed, making him an excellent candidate for a September call-up on a contending team, just as he was used in the Twin Cities.  I imagine the Cubs invited him to Spring Training last season with the intentions of employing the same strategy - they almost always stash a speedster for the pennant drive - but the whole COVID thing kinda tossed everything about.  Nevertheless, due to a rash of outfield injuries, he still managed to sneak into that one game before getting designated for assignment.  The team would eventually acquire a different base stealer, but that's a tale for another day.

Being that Miller's time spent in a Cubs uniform lasted less than your average trip to the bathroom, I thought that the Texas League Ebay purchase would represent the player on a permanent basis in my CATRC tome.  Thus, imagine my surprise when I saw this on the checklist for Topps' 2020 Update set:

Initially, I was taken aback by Miller's inclusion in the product.  Hell, I sure wasn't against it - in an ideal world, I want every player who appears in Major League game to have a card in that year.  That being said, I was completely blindsided by the one-game cameo Cub making the cut.  

Although, upon further thought, the checklist for Update has usually been finalized by mid-summer and with the COVID abbreviated schedule last season, we were still in "Summer Camp" mode at that point.  Thus, NRI's and waiver claims that otherwise would be completely ignored by Topps and maybe even cut before the start of the regular season were needed to fluff out the checklist.  This is likely why otherwise unexpected Cubbie inclusions like Miller, Josh Phegley, and Jharel Cotton made it into packs, the latter of which never even appeared in a game for the Cubs.  I mean, even the picture dates from training camp.  It also probably didn't hurt that Miller was on fire in Cactus League play and appeared to be a dark horse candidate to break camp with the Big Leaguers before the shutdown began.

Like I said, I'm not complaining - I'm thrilled to be able to have short-termers like Miller and Phegley properly repped in my CATRC.  Although, now I wish I'd been a little more patient with the Ian hunt.  Oh well.

Ian displaying his skillset during Spring Training 2020.  Photo: Ralph Freso/Getty Images

There may be even more Cubs cards of Ian printed yet, as it was announced earlier in the winter that the Cubs are bringing him back into the fold, once again on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training.  Seeing as the team currently has just three outfielders on their whole 40-man roster, the path to extended playing time in Chicago looks pretty damn clear for Miller in 2021.  You might say that he is definitely in the "running" for a regular spot on the roster! *This post was drafted before the Cubs signed Joc Pederson*

At any rate, to Mr. Miller the speedster, here's an ironically belated welcome to the Windy City, goodbye from the Second City, and welcome back again to Chicago from Wrigley Roster Jenga! 

Plundering the Pirates

It seems somebody turned MLB's hot stove on within the last week, cranked it up to 11, and broke off the knob.

In yesterday's post about the startling Job Peterson signing, I theorized that it might not be long before the Cubs would add another player to their roster and to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection. As it turns out, I was even more correct than I thought I'd be - we didn't even make it 48 hours before making another addition. I must say, after nearly a whole off-season's worth of tearing down, I don't really know how to process this sudden spending spree.

Also as expected, the next transaction involved a reclamation project pitcher. In a minor twist, it wasn't any of the starters that the Cubs had been publicly connected too either. I guess you could say that Carlos Rodon was close, he just ended up back on the wrong side of the city. Meanwhile, we have yet to hear anything in the papers about the showcase workouts the team's scouts are confirmed to have attended for Jeff Samardzija, Jake Arrieta, or Mike Foltynewicz.  Although, any one of those three could still blow into the Windy City, as apparently today's signing is not expected to be the last starting rotation candidate to be brought into the fold before Spring Training.

Anyway, I've said an awful lot about guys who are NOT Cubs at this moment; maybe I should actually divulge the name of the guy who did put pen to paper with the Northsiders yesterday afternoon.

Trevor Williams has been with the divisional rival Pirates for the past five years, before the kings of roster teardown kicked him to the curb with every other useful player on their roster who might earn a buck.  Ironic that the Pirates are constantly allowing themselves to be plundered... do they know that they have it backwards?  Honestly, the Ricketts must be so jealous.

Williams was a good middle of the rotation arm for the Buccos from 2016-2018 and even seemed to breakout into a potential staff ace in that latter campaign, posting a 3.11 ERA in 170 frames. However, his Pirate ship sprung a leak in 2019 and sank to the bottom of the sea in 2020 as his walk rate and home run rate both increased to alarming levels. Obviously, those two are two stats that do not pair well together.

While the last couple years haven't been great, he still has a track record of prior success, is only 28, and is retainable through arbitration in '22 if the Cubs can turn him around. The franchise's pitch lab has been quite good at fostering turnarounds for hurlers over the past decade - I mean, they've built one of the most trustworthy bullpens in baseball out of guys whose names you could convince me were randomly generated. Thus, I believe if anyone can turn Trevor around and get him back to his 2018 form, it's the eggheads in the Cubs pitch lab.

It also bears mentioning that with the sharp innings jump from last year to this, overstocking on veteran arms is basically a necessity for any club that doesn't want to spend all their money on medical bills.

With Trevor now bringing his talents to the Windy City, I needed to pick out a corresponding baseball card for my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.  Hopefully he pitches well enough 2021 that he gets a card in the proper blue uniform; however, for now, a Pirates pasteboard is still required to keep the seat warm.  Unfortunately, I couldn't make a quick run to my local card shop, as an inbound snowstorm caused them to close up shop a couple hours early yesterday evening.  I can't say I blame them either, seeing as it started snowing around 3pm and still hasn't stopped as of this morning.  It's a winter wonderland out there.

Furthermore, I couldn't flip through my Bucco trade stacks in search for a Williams because, well, I don't have those anymore.  Seeing as Baby Burbs and all of his accessories take up a lot of space, I jettisoned everything from my collection that wasn't super special to me or direly needed in order to make room for my new favorite person on the planet - my trade boxes did not make the cut.   So, I did what any sane and rational collector would do... I immediately got antsy and impatient and took to Ebay to pounce on the least offensive overpay that I could find.

That being said, I think I lucked out pretty well.  While a dollar shipped for any single base card on Ebay is usually the going rate, I was able to supersize my purchase with a 2020 Topps Chrome Xfractor for a dollar shipped.  Honestly, my LCS would have probably wanted five bucks for this same card (if they had it); so I guess this actually worked out pretty well in the end.  Who doesn't like shiny things and a good bargain?  Of course, that's all provided the card makes it to my Chicago-area home safely.  

Is it bad luck to blog about a card you don't yet have physically in your possession?  Am I tempting the vengeful cardboard gods?

Speaking of damage, as decent as Trevor's acquisition is, here's hoping that the Cubbies will bring in a few more new buddies to help him shoulder the workload that comes with such a massive innings jump.  Selfishly, I'm hoping for Mike Foltynewicz or Chris Archer - Folty is from the area and a guy my friend went to high school with while Archer already has a Cubs Bowman card since he was a prospect that was shortsightedly traded away before making the ultimate ascent.  While bringing back Jeff Samardzija or Jake Arrieta would bring some warm fuzzies too, I wouldn't get the satisfaction of adding new cards to my collection.  So, what's the point, right?

At any rate, welcome to the Chicago Cubs and to my CATRC binders, Trevor Williams.  I hope you're as excited about this change of scenery as your father is!

Out of Left Field

 

Well, I sure didn't see that coming.

Yesterday morning, the Cubs actually made a move that actively improved the roster, inking slugging outfielder, Joc Pederson, to a one-year, $7 million deal.  The longtime Dodger and World Series hero had not been previously connected to Chicago in any rumor mill rumblings and, of course, the team seemed to spend most of the winter tearing down their roster rather than reinforcing it.  Thus, I guess it's appropriate that the six-year veteran was brought in to be an (more or less) every day corner outfielder, seeing as this acquisition came from WAY out of leftfield.  Honestly, did anyone see this coming?

My tone might come across as ungrateful, but I'm just a bit blindsided.  This is a great move to round out the offense, as Pederson fills the same role that Kyle Schwarber had for year priors but also brings much better defense and comes with a price tag a few million dollars cheaper.  So, I guess you could call this a great compromise move for the penny-pinching ownership and the front office who's still trying to field a competitive club in a supremely weak division.

Correspondingly, once I read about the news, I quickly made a financial transaction of my own.  As soon as I could secure some spare time, I ran out to my local card shop and picked up a Joc Pederson card for my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.  I guess you could say that I was enthused about the team finally signing a position player to a contract worth more than Daniel Descalso and did so with a guy who carried the 2020 World Series Champions on his back throughout the postseason.  Can you blame me?

I settled on the 2019 Topps Series One single that you see above for my most treasured tome, at least, for the time being.  It's not a particularly exciting piece on it's own, however the prominence of red and blue in it's design help it blend into a Cubs-centric collection a little more smoothly.  Joc will certainly show up in a Cubs uniform in at least one 2021 baseball card product, but this pasteboard can keep his spot warm in the interim.  That future card will definitely feature a different number on his uniform though, as good ol' 31 is retired twice over in Wrigleyville.

An artists rendering of Joc having traded his Dodger Blue for the Cubbie shade. Image courtesy of Clutchpoints.

Moreover, with reports coming out that the Ricketts have recently expanded the budget for on-field talent, Joc might not be the only name added to my CATRC prior to Spring Training.  There's rumors that the team is interested in Kolten Wong for their second base opening; adding him to the lineup would go a long way towards rounding out the offense.  Furthermore, the Cubs have been directly connected to several reclamation pitchers, i.e. Carlos Rodon, Chris Archer, and Mike Foltynewicz, with intent to stock their rotation.  They're scouts have also attended the workouts of old friends Jeff Samardzija and Jake Arrieta; of course, if the Cubs should choose to reunite, a matching CATRC move will not be necessary.

With the addition of Joc to the starting lineup and those potential follow-up moves on the horizon, I can now cross my eyes, squint and see a team with playoff potential.  They're still a bit wishy-washy, but at least they're not planning to start Phillip Ervin anymore.... no offense, Phil!  Plus, they'd actually have to ink Wong and at least two of those rehabbing pitchers with pedigrees for me to actually buy in.  We shall see what develops over the next few days.  However, after weeks of jettisoning Major League talent, it was refreshing to see some come through door instead.

  

...then the Cardinals traded for Nolan Arenado and all those good feelings instantly evaporated.  That's life as a Cubs fan.

Welcome to the original Second City and to my CATRC, Joc Pederson!

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!

A Needed Distraction

This summer, my wife and I welcome our first child into this world.  What a time to be born, right?

Hopefully, this kid has no memory of the pandemic, political and societal unrest, and tension which has surrounded his birth and early months of existence.  But, needless to say, there was a lot going on and a lot on all of our minds throughout the summer months of 2020.  Trying to navigate the birth of your first child during all of that chaos truly added a whole other dimension to the stressors of the last year and a half.  What was I getting this poor kid into?  

As a result, throughout the late stages of my wife's pregnancy and the immediate aftermath, this blog went dark because there was just too much else going on - my mind was in other places and baseball was far from a priority.  However, there was one brief moment of clarity and, ironically, it occurred during the most stressful twenty-four hours of the whole process:  labor.  Sure, my blood was pumping and my whole brain was crying once we realized the process had began; but, after we finished our Mario Andretti-like hustle to the hospital, there wasn't much else to do but wait.  Due to this brief snippet of time caught in the waiting room of life, I will always associate the following player with the rush of emotions that I felt that day.

Hernan Perez was called up to the Chicago Cubs roster from the alternate training site during the evening hours of August 18.  At that very same time, my wife and I had arrived at the hospital, been checked in and were queued up and waiting for a bed and a birthing suite.  Due to COVID restrictions, we couldn't even leave the room we were being staged in unless using the bathroom.  Thus, to calm our nerves, my wife and I were able to passively follow their game against the Cardinals that night, via MLB At Bat, while we plowed through takeout and looked for anything else to distract our restless minds.  Better to obsess about the inconsequential prospects of a pro sports team than ponder all the things that can go wrong in birth, eh?

I remember being surprised that the Cubs had recalled the utilityman, but happy to add another name to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection hunt.  Rather than obsessively over analyze every sound we heard in the hallway or count scuffs in the paint of the cream-colored walls, I spent a few minutes hunting down a card of Hernan for my CATRC tome.  I don't think it will surprise anyone that the ivy backdrop found on Perez's 2017 Topps Flagship single was too perfect for me to pass up when securing a piece for Wrigley's newest resident.

I'm pretty sure the photo you see above was taken while sifting through Ebay search results

In the end, without getting into too many details, the birth was quite a long and hairy experience - the little guy didn't make his grand entrance until a full day after kicking labor into gear.  But, in the end, the process was ultimately successful - our little Rowan was born and still is a happy and healthy little guy, now five months on.  In stark contrast, Hernan Perez's Cubs tenure was brief and unsuccessful - he only made six PA's in three games, recorded just one hit (a single) with two strikeouts, and was designated for assignment before the end of the month.  

Therefore, even though I've since been able to replace the visiting Brewer placeholder with a proper Cubs card from this season's Heritage High Numbers release, I will not be offloading the original.  Now, I'm not about to start super-collecting Hernan Perez or anything; but, the memories associated with that player and that card in particular are far too strong to simply discard.  It will hold a special, nostalgic place in my heart for the rest of my life.

Like I was caught off guard with his call-up, I was also surprised when Hernan was included in HHN.  After all, his tenure was "blink and you missed it" brief and he didn't do anything even approaching notable in a Cubs uniform.  However, with the pandemic effing up the schedule and printing deadlines being a thing, I guess I should have seen it coming that any player in Big League Summer Camp with an MLB resume was going to be fair game for both HHN and Update.  I'm not complaining either since Mr. Perez and his sweet arm tats look better in Cubbie Blue than Brewer Blue in my CATRC binder anyway.

In conclusion, I hear Hernan just signed with the Nationals on a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.  Here's hoping he can reestablish himself and join his former teammates in Jon Lester and Kyle Schwarber on the active roster.  Despite his lack of staying power, I wish Mr. Perez well.  I'll always think of him when I reminisce about the experience of bringing Rowan into this world.  And now I sit here banging out this post with my son sitting cheerfully on my lap.  

Life comes at you fast.

Add a Player? Are They Allowed to Do That??

The Cubs actually did it!  They signed a free agent instead of letting one walk!!  Signed one to an actual Major League deal!!!  The rebuild is cancelled - huzzah!!!

Okay, I'm done with the sarcasm... for now.

Yesterday morning, it was announced that the Cubs signed an established catcher to a one-year, Major League contract worth $1.5 million.  Prior to this deal, it's been  an offseason that's been filled with nothing but non-tenders, "why not?" waiver claims, minor league reclamation signings, infuriating trades, and watching key free agents sign with other clubs - all coming off the back of a season in which they won their damn division.  Just this week, the greatest free agent signed in Chicago sports, Jon Lester, took his talents to the nation's capital after the Cubs refused to match the Nat's modest offer.  Then, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood took off for greener pastures in successive days.  Honestly, when I read that the Cubs had signed an actual big league player instead of waving goodbye, I thought that maybe Jed Hoyer snuck the guy in without telling the Ricketts.

"Hey Tom, can you sign this?  What is it??  Oh... ummmm... it's your Door Dash receipt.  Definitely not a free agent contract or anything like that."

Anyway, who was this free agent that Jed snuck into Wrigley Field hidden under a table cloth in a dinner cart?  

The man of the hour was Austin Romine, formerly of the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers.

I know that Romine is not a mind-blowing acquisition or anything; but, he is at least an established, Major League caliber backup catcher with a track record of success.  Austin was the main backup to Gary Sanchez in the Bronx from 2016 through 2019, providing good defense (career 1.3 dWar) and a usable bat (.239 batting average in NY and even popped 10 homers in 2018) coming off the bench.  That's pretty much exactly what you're looking for in a guy who only starts once a week or so.  Now, the guy is no Victor Caratini, but that's a whole different kettle of fish...  

Of course, last season was his first year in the Motor City and a total a dumpster fire for Austin; but the conditions of the 2020 season were not exactly conducive for success, especially for veteran players.  Perhaps it was a fluke due to the shortened prep, long layoff, and sprint schedule.  Perhaps it was the start of a decline for a player in his early 30's?  We shall see.

As long as the Cubs don't trade Willson Contreras for a stack of wooden nickels and let Austin start because more players cost more dollars, this could actually be a good pick-up.  At any rate, it was definitely needed, as Contreras was the only guy on the 40-man roster with any Major League experience.  Top prospect, Miguel Amaya, has yet to play above A ball and is still a few years away while P.J. Higgins is going to spend 2021 at AAA auditioning to take Austin's spot in 2022.

Image courtesy of Con Las Bases LLenas

With Austin signing a real Major League contract, that of course necessitated a concurrent move in my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.  So, after a long day at work, I made a quick stop at my LCS to dig through their team stacks in search of a good Romine card for my most treasured tome.  This place has always had stacks of common singles and inserts for each and every Big League club set out on their counters, making it perhaps the most fertile source for new CATRC additions since I started this project.  

They've been my number on, go-to source for damn near 20 years now and have always treated me  and my eclectic collecting habits exceptionally well.  If you're ever around the south suburbs of Chicago, you should definitely pop-in to Baseball Dreams and Memories and tell 'em Tony sent ya!

Anyway, despite having a fair amount of Yankee cardboard to sift through, I could only find one Romine card to bring home - the 2017 Honus Bonus Partners oddball that sits near the top of this post.  For those that may not remember, Honus Bonus was a very short-lived product that attempted to blend baseball cards with fantasy sports, a blend that several manufacturers have tried but no one has seemed to be able to perfect.  Playing off of the then-recently launched Topps Bunt digital cards, HBP even debuted their maiden offering with a virtual card-trader app of their own - gotta give them credit for being ambitious, after all.  

The Cubs' 2021 catching staff in Honus Bonus form.

The unlicensed product only lasted for one year, due to a decided lack of interest.  Honestly, I can't say I'm surprised as the cards themselves are not particularly appealing to the eye with their grayscale players, random colored borders that have no connections to the team depicted, and - of course - the lack of logos.  I mean, who doesn't think of purple when they think of the Yankees, right?  Nevertheless, seeing as I am absolutely entranced by off-the-wall oddballs, I purchased a Cubs team set at the time.  For a deeper review of Honus Bonus cards, I suggest that you give those timely ramblings of mine a read.

In short, as ugly as the cards are, HBP sure did try to make their product unique looking.  I must admit, I wouldn't confuse their cards with anything made by Topps or Panini - so, they had that going for them!  Honestly, I wish they could have stuck around.  Who knows, perhaps they would have been able to evolve their design to more aesthetically pleasing places?  Plus, it would be nice to have another baseball card-maker in the market.  Heck, in today's baseball card bubble and the nationwide legality of sports betting, maybe their fantasy blend would have even find some sustained success.  The world may never know.

RIP HBP

Here's hoping that Mr. Romine fairs better in Cubbie Blue pinstripes than Honus Bonus faired in the baseball card market.  I guess that's not a very high hurdle to clear though.

Now that the team has finally inked a back-up catcher, all they need is a second baseman, a couple outfielders and two or three more starting pitchers... with just about a month left until spring training is set to begin.  Yikes - better start scraping the bottom of that bargain bin, Jed.  Although, maybe Austin can pitch in to help plug that hole on the pitching staff.  After all, believe it or not, he actually has experience taking the bump in the playoffs!  *Sigh*

Anywho, welcome to Chicago and to my CATRC, Austin Romine!

Extraneous

 

Next up in my series of posts catching up on Cubs roster moves made while Wrigley Roster Jenga was mothballed, is a guy who briefly popped up during the most recent campaign, but figures to play a much more prominent role in 2021:  Tyson Miller.

Miller was the quintessential "next man up" for the Cubs in 2020.  Twice, the young pitching prospect was called up as the bonus player for a doubleheader and twice he was immediately sent back to the alternate training site after the completion of said twin bills.  As of this writing, these two cameos are the only tastes of Big League action that Tyson has experienced - he has yet to receive a call-up via "traditional" means.  However, as one of the only competent starting pitching prospects in the apparently rebuilding Cubs organization, Miller figures to get ample opportunity to take the mound in regular ol' nine-inning games quite often in 2021.  In fact, this rookie is almost emblematic of the current state of the club's pitching corps. 

Miller on the bump in his MLB debut.  Image courtesy of Matt Marton/AP & the Chicago Sun Times.

For reference, Tyson Miller was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the fourth round of the amateur draft out of California Baptist University.  A franchise in dire need of pitching depth, Theo and crew selected an eye-popping 18 moundsmen in the first 20 rounds, obviously including Tyson.  Five years later, this franchise still features a dearth of mound talent, up and down the chain, and Mr. Miller is the ONLY one of those arms to have even tasted the Major League scene in Wrigleyville.  Well, except for Thomas Hatch, who was - of course - traded away for a random reliever in David Phelps and is now impressing in Toronto.  Ain't that a tale as old as time?

Scarier yet is the fact that only three men drafted in the Theo Epstein/Jed Hoyer era have so much as started a game in blue pinstripes - Rob Zastryzny, Duane Underwood, and our friend Tyson Miller.  No offense to those guys, but how's that for talent development?

Not exactly a robust resume when it comes to drafting pitching for this front office.

Here's hoping that Tyson can change that absolutely dismal directory - after all, he showed some flashes of brilliance in his twin reinforcement auditions last season.  Jitters must have got the best of the righty in his maiden outing though, a start against the Cardinals in August, where he walked three in only two innings, allowed a homer and two earned runs along the way.  Furthermore, he tossed in a balk for good measure.  However, in a relief appearance in early September against the same club, Miller harnessed his command and gave no one a free pass and allowed only one hit, though one runner did come around to score, in three frames.  

Once again, it seems nerves may have played a role in his rough debut and one can hardly blame the rook - it was a hotly-contested game against a hated divisional rival in a fierce pennant race.  Talk about being tossed into the fire.  On the plus side, judging by the way things are looking a month out from Spring Training, I don't think Tyson is going to have to worry about a pennant race when he's on the hill in 2021...

Images from each teams' corresponding Twitter feed... *sigh*

At any rate, here's hoping that Tyson Miller bucks all trends and becomes the first Cubs draftee in years to secure a regular turn in the starting rotation.  Seeing as the team has only two proven arms currently slotted on the depth chart, Miller will have a great chance to be the hero that this town needs.  That said, no matter how things go from here, I say welcome to the Show and (most importantly) to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection!

When it came to picking out a card for my CATRC binder, it wasn't a particularly tough decision to fill Mr. Miller's slot.  Despite being a fairly well-touted prospect in a major market with a rabid fanbase, Tyson has only one unique card on the market - the 2016 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects single that leads off this post.  Of course, there are plenty of variations on that single pasteboard, because we're living in the new and improved overproduction era; so, there was still SOME hemming and hawing to be had.  In the end, I opted for the base Chrome card, both because I am a sucker for shiny things and the fact that it was the most readily available to me at the time of his call-up.  I'm a sucker for ease of access too.

And that about covers Tyson Miller, for now.  Next time up on Tony desperately tries to catch-up on roster additions before the 2021 season commences, we'll discuss a utility infielder who first showed up at a time where baseball was the absolute furthest thing from my mind.  Seriously, when this dude was added to the active roster, I basically forgot that America's pastime was even a concept at all!  

Let's just say that I was a tad bit distracted.  As to why my mind was so clouded, I leave that as a mystery for now.

'Til next time!

Never Trust a Man With Two First Names

As Mystery Science Theater 3000's Joel Hodgson once boldly stated, one should "never trust a man with two first names."  Apparently, David Ross has never seen that episode of the cult classic television program because one of his top relievers in 2020 was a man with multiple monikers generally considered as firsts.

Jason Adam is something of a minor league vagabond, or at least he was before he finally made his way to Chicago.  As a post-hype reliever, who was never considered a blue chip prospect, with little in the way of  Major League credentials. it's no surprise that the hurler doesn't have much of a cardboard footprint.  In fact, unless you want to chase minor league, team-issue set singles, the only way to add a card of Adam to your collection is to dig through 2011 Leaf Metal or Valiant Draft, which are hardly mainstream products in their own right.

As you can see, I opted to chase the latter after Adam made his Cubs debut this past summer.  It's a wonderfully shiny card and has a background akin to the old Topps Crusades insets of decades past - a purposeful aping, as I understand it.  You'll also notice that I splurged on his certified auto rather than his base card.  Every now and then I decide that I deserve something nice... plus the auto was the only reasonably priced Adam card I could find on Ebay at the time.  I could have spent $12 with shipping for a basic minor league card or half as much on a certified autograph - he may be an obscure player, but that's not much of a dilemma.

At any rate, it's a beauty of a card.  Plus, with the blank, blue jersey (because, you know, Leaf has no license), you can kind of cross your eyes, squint, and see a Cubs card in your hands.  All in all, I'm pretty happy with this being the first modern Leaf revival card added to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection.

Ooooooo - shiny!

Anyway, we've talked a fair amount about his baseball card; perhaps we should learn a little bit more about the player depicted on it's reflective surface?  Who is this man that, like Ricky Bobby, has two first names?

Adam has actually been around for a little while now, as he is now enduring his second decade of professional baseball.  Drafted by the Royals in the fifth round of the 2010 draft as a strikeout pitcher with plus velocity and movement, the hurler seemed poised to be part of Kansas City's elite, World Series cinching bullpen.  However, it wasn't mean to be, as he was instead traded away to bolster their offense in a straight up deal for Josh Willingham in August of 2014.  Since then, Adam has been unable to find a consistent groove, bouncing from the Twins to the Padres to the Royals again to the Blue Jays and missing the entirety of the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to a stress fracture in his pitching arm.  One can hardly blame him for being unable to settle in, right?

Although it was during that second stint with the Royals organization that Adam was able to finally make his MLB debut, making 31 appearances out of their bullpen long after the team had ceased to be a contender.  Still on the mend from his arm injury, he wasn't quite up to the task yet, posting an ERA well over six in those 32.1 innings pitched.  There was a glimmer of hope though, as illustrated by his 37  strikeouts over that same period.  A move to Toronto was apparently just what the doctor ordered, as after his contract was purchased by the Canadians, Adam started turning things around.  In a late season trial, Adam got into 23 games out of the pen, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.91 ERA in 21.2 IP.

Adam on the bump at Wrigley in 2020.  Image courtesy of Marquee Sports Network.

That revitalization caught the eyes of the Cubs, who were intrigued by his pitch movement - a characteristic they have often zeroed in one when scouting pitchers.  Buoyed by a new, shortened arm action (a la Lucas Giolito, Shane Bieber and Trevor Bauer), Adam impressed in Summer Camp and eventually earned another call back to the Majors after Tyler Chatwood's season ended due to injury on August 16th.  He quickly earned David Ross' trust as he was used heavily down the September stretch to the playoffs, allowing only two earned runs the entire month (both of which came in his final appearance).  You might say that he put forth a "Valiant" effort.

Get it? Valiant... like the baseball card that I bought for his slot in the CATRC.  Look - I'm actually a father now, so I am basically contractually obligated to throw in terrible dad jokes whenever I see the opportunity.

Regardless, Adam was nails during the high-pressure pennant race.  With that performance, there's little doubt that he'll be leaned upon as a key contributor out of the pen once again in 2021; hopefully, Jason can pick up where he left off last September.  Perhaps, after all those years of drifting from franchise to franchise, he has finally found his home?  With that in mind, maybe he'll even finally get his first actual Major League baseball card out of Topps or Panini and, better yet, perhaps it will come in a Cubs uniform.

Dream big, right?

Regardless, welcome to Chicago, Jason Adam, and - more importantly - to my Cubs All-Time Roster Collection binder!