The Chicago Cubs begin their West Coast journey Friday with a three-game sequence in opposition to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the place Seiya Suzuki is predicted to make his season debut.
Listed here are 4 takeaways from sequence win in opposition to the Seattle Mariners.
1. Jed Hoyer’s 3-year plan
With three-year contracts throughout the books for Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ, President Jed Hoyer has made it clear the Cubs select short-term provides freed from cost brokers.
So who’s subsequent?
Marcus Stroman has an opt-out after this season on his three-year, $71 million deal that pays him $21 million in 2024. Hoyer could want to lock up Stroman for a few additional seasons sooner than the pitcher opts out for a long-term deal.
Cody Bellinger may very well be holding down center space until prospect Pete Crow–Armstrong is ready, which seems to be wish to be rapidly. Bellinger signed a one-year, $17.5 million address a mutual $24 million selection for 2024.
The solely completely different excellent potential free agent is Kyle Hendricks, who’s rehabbing in Arizona after correct shoulder surgical process and getting ready for a minor-league rehab stint.
The Cubs clearly should see Hendricks’ restoration sooner than making a name on his future. They keep a $16 million membership selection for 2024 nevertheless could determine that up and tack on additional years within the occasion that they contemplate he can return to variety.
Hendricks didn’t know on the end of spring the place his rehab would begin.
“Wherever it’s, I’m simply excited to get again into the sport mode, competing, getting hitters within the field,” he acknowledged.
If he’s healthful, making Hendricks a Cub for all instances should be a no brainer. He’s the one participant left from the 2016 World Sequence champions and the one star from that workers who was eager to sacrifice money on the free-agent market to stay throughout the group.
Like Happ, Hendricks always has acknowledged he has wanted to stay nevertheless doesn’t dwell on being the ultimate man standing from 2016.
“I preserve it easy, deal with as we speak and the current,” Hendricks knowledgeable the Tribune. “While you reminisce, talking to some of your buddies now who’re on completely different teams, that’s when it might probably come up. You give it some thought then. Yeah, it’s pretty weird and excellent, the turnover throughout the sport, and it’s quicker and quicker as a result of the years go by.
“On the finish of the day, I’m so grateful for the time I’ve had. This group has been superb to me, and I like all the pieces about it — the followers, the environment at Wrigley, all the pieces. I’m simply so grateful I’ve gotten this period of time right here and I’m making an attempt to deal with me getting again.”
Does Hendricks actually really feel earlier?
“Undoubtedly not,” he acknowledged, laughing. “I’m 33, nonetheless younger. The damage tried to make me really feel previous a bit of bit, however we’ve bought all these younger guys and introduced in some older guys than me, in order that helps.”
2. Cody Bellinger’s weekend plans
Bellinger will get the homecoming remedy this weekend at Dodger Stadium when the earlier Los Angeles star returns residence.
However first, Bellinger consider to stop on Thursday’s off day in Arizona, the place his girlfriend, model Chase Carter, was practically ready to supply begin to their second child. The pair launched the data on Instagram in October sooner than Bellinger was non-tendered by the Dodgers and signed with the Cubs.
A fan favorite in Los Angeles, he misplaced favor with administration after back-to-back offensive struggles in 2021 (.542 OPS) and 2022 (.654 OPS). After starting 0-for-11, Bellinger is 10-for-31 (. 323) with two residence runs and eight RBIs over his remaining eight video video games.
After Wednesday’s sport at Wrigley, Bellinger acknowledged he didn’t know what to anticipate when he stands on the plate in Los Angeles for the first time as a Cub.
“I’m certain within the second it can all hit me,” he acknowledged. “However I’ve purchased to go residence, go to Arizona, probably have a toddler, so that’s what I’m focused on correct now.
“I’m excited to see the blokes. A number of good recollections over there. I actually don’t know what to anticipate however I think about I’ll be excited.”
The Cubs moreover will face Jason Heyward for the first time given that correct fielder was launched. In a strict platoon place with the Dodgers, Heyward has three residence runs in 18 at-bats. Final season he accomplished with one homer in 137 at-bats.
The Cubs are paying Heyward $22 million in 2023, the final word season of his eight-year, $184 million deal.
3. Jarred Kelenic, ‘Large Z’ and the Invoice Veeck seats
Mariners outfielder Jarred Kelenic capped off his large week in Chicago with a 482-foot residence run into the upper a part of the center-field bleachers, just some ft from what as quickly as had been usually referred to as the Invoice Veeck seats.
The solely participant to hit one there throughout the Statcast interval since 2015 was Javier Báez, who cranked one to left-center in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 23, 2018.
“That was one in every of my goals: to hit a ball like that with the wind blowing out,” Báez acknowledged that day. “Lastly, we bought it.”
The longest homer at Wrigley since 2015 was Kris Bryant’s 495-foot blast in opposition to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 6, 2015, in accordance with Statcast. Kelenic’s shot was aided by a 19-mph wind, nevertheless it may’ve been out even when the wind had been blowning in.
MLB Community studio host Mark DeRosa, a former Cubs second baseman, acknowledged on his current that the one time he observed a ball land throughout the greater deck at Wrigley bought right here all through a batting-practice session. That hitter was Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano, who had 24 career residence runs.
“It doesn’t make sense,” DeRosa acknowledged of Kelenic’s shot.
The front-row seats on the most effective side of the upper deck had been the favored seats for Veeck and his entourage throughout the early Eighties. Veeck, the earlier baseball proprietor, was boycotting earlier Comiskey Park after his sale of the Sox, and sometimes sat throughout the center-field bleachers at Wrigley.
4. What number of Cubs presidents does it take to screw in an LED gentle bulb?
Since Dallas Inexperienced’s hardball methods launched lights to Wrigley Area in 1988, six Cubs presidents have cherished the benefits of night baseball: Don Grenesko, Andy MacPhail, John McDonough, Crane Kenney, Theo Epstein and now Hoyer.
However years of dimly lit corners couldn’t persuade anyone to make a change throughout the lighting, until Kenney and Hoyer ushered in a plan this offseason, altering the 34-year-old fixtures with LED lights to make the sector brighter and the Cubs additional energy atmosphere pleasant.
The Cubs are 2-0 beneath the model new lights and have programmed them to flash on W’s all through a postgame gentle current after a win.
Power effectivity was the Cubs’ purported goal throughout the lights swap. Now they’ll work on closing the house home windows throughout the press discipline when the air-con is working full blast.
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