Cubs bring back Mike Tauchman | Matt Chapman to the Giants | Kris Bryant made a mistake?

it's the 120 podcast Mikey fernell alongside Benjamin hoodie for another edition of season number two for us in Cub spring training as well underway the news has been a little dry this week as it pertains to the Cubs but there's a couple big National Stories We want to talk about and how they pertain to your Chicago cup so first and foremost Ben it's a pleasure to be on the mics with you again on another Sunday night yeah long weekend for the both of us uh we had a good time this weekend but um probably good thing that no Cubs news broke um it's always a better thing when it's more quiet I think right AB to a certain extent so um yeah it's been a pretty nice week with some Cody Bellinger introductions back to Camp some some good Prospect stuff happening as well as just some more lowkey news so um not not a pretty I'm doing pretty well and uh happy to be doing this once again on a Sunday night there is uh this article from the athletic that we talked talked a lot about on the Red Zone which is our wz andd podcast this week if we haven't shouted that enough before go listen to that um it is with wz andd Illinois State we talk about Illinois State Sports and National Sports we talked about this on that show but if you didn't hear that on 120 we want to talk about this this is the biggest I would say Cubs related Cubs adjacent news of the last week this article from the athletic written by Sam Bloom about Chris Bryant um and I would say potentially regrets about signing in Colorado but more than anything kind of just talk about coming in when expectations are that high and getting to the point he's in now well I find my favorite quotes Ben why don't you kind of pick up what I left off there yeah it was uh I think Mikey put it pretty well there but um basically Chris just kind of said that his entire free agent process was kind of rushed um obviously his his free agency year was the lockout season and majority players that year signed right before the MLB went into lockdown because they wouldn't they didn't know how long it would truly go and how long did it end up extending in like the actual spring not not not too long it it was obviously long and we were waiting the season started on time the season started on time but it was a short and spring training if I'm M if I'm not mistaken yeah so it was right around I would say probably like a week ago when it ended yeah so yeah and Chris Bryant was one of the only you know Marquee free agents in an awesome free agent class that was if I remember correctly um that didn't find a home heading into the lockout so he was left for dead while he couldn't talk to any teams or anything and all these other players had already signed their big contracts and he kind of came out right after the lockout with spring training already started not having a home and kind of feels like Rush his free agency process which ended up Landing him in Colorado on that 7year $177 million deal and I know Mikey will get into the quotes and yeah um kind of what he explained as how he feels about Colorado yeah kind of the focal point of the start of the article here uh in Bloom's article in the athletic is talking about this billboard um of Chris Bryant wearing a Cubs Jersey before he' played in a Cubs game saying you know the future is now or something along those lines um and Chris's quote was I didn't know that billboard was going to be up there but if I did I probably would have been like let's not do that let me just go out there and play ball let me be who I am the article goes on to say Bryant won a rookie of the year an MVP in a World Series in the span of two seasons upon his call up he was literally playing em willb the show on rookie mode for a while and then the early returns hinted at a Hall of Fame career now 32 Brian stood inside the Rockies Clubhouse in an early morning before the first Spring Training Game the Billboards are gone the expectations too Cooperstown that's not likely to happen either there's so much desire to be the best you can be to be the best in the game to get to the Mountaintop Bryant said but at the same time as I'm getting older you have to have the right perspective to first get to that point I think at certain times throughout my career I've lost some of that perspective It's Made Me SM spiral more than I've needed to yeah you can't help but feel for Chris um the article goes on to say a little bit about how he like Ben pointed out the lockout forced him into a contract he just wanted security and so he went there were other teams talking but he just went with the rockis that's who he was uh you know looking at the most then he didn't really think about the program he even kind of roasts the Rockies and says they kind of like I didn't do enough research right like he kind I didn't do enough research on their farm system yeah and that's true because Colorado is not in a good shape at all for the future so he's in a tough spot there and then Ben and I talking this weekend as we queue into this match Chapman thing Ben and I are talking about Matt Chapman when he signs a very Bellinger asque deal with the Giants we said this on Red Zone on Thursday before Matt chadman even signed on on Friday night did Chris Bryant kill the big time Boris contract seems like it huh I'm pretty sure and Don's a uh Boris as well so um yeah it I think because Cody Bellinger and Chris Briant free agencies like when they went into it they felt so eerily familiar I don't know why but if if I'm not mistaken besides the fact that Chris was traded by the Cubs going into like for the second half of the Season or whatever it may be and Cody wasn't it's two players that had phenomenal like young parts of their career won an MVP one Rookie of the Year Cody did the same exact thing and and then the injuries start to tack on a little bit and Chris Bryant and Cody Bellinger both put together Allstar campaigns in their final year of their contract you remember Chris Bryant's last year he was really freaking good before he once again got kind of an injury right before he left the Cubs and I'm pretty sure he was really good on San Francisco too if I'm not mistaken he played well played all seven positions that year yes and the only thing that people were worried about was the power numbers being down but it still was enough to get him that big contract going into free AG because 7 years for 177 is you know is in the upper echelon of con even though we're reaching 300 million and and whatnot in today's game of baseball 177 is still in the upper echelon of contracts in Major League Baseball so yeah Chris pryan might have killed the the BigTime contract for players that have question marks with injury past and inconsistencies and so that cues in a Cody Bellinger situation like you said Ben a great point mirroring those two's careers you can see that a year or two later Bellinger treaded the waters completely differently had aove it year true one-year contract with a team that he knew he could hit well on did well and then didn't sign a big Boris contract which is where it's surprising he signs another potentially proven contract and that he can opt out on in two years from now or he can opt out next year but he probably will wait and opt out two years from now and then he'll might get his six or sevene deal then and then sure enough Matt Chapman now is doing the same thing as well it's right it's eily familiar to the Korea situation in Minnesota when everyone was like he didn't really have a Suitor and they were like why is he going to Minnesota it just doesn't make sense it never made sense and he did one year before opting out and then finally got the long-term uh contract that you know the Twins were hoping for when they first signed him um that was not with a couple of stops in San Francisco and New York but uh yeah this whole contract thing um kind of splitting off Chris Bryant here now it's it's really interesting and I know you have feelings about it with Scott um and while I like these these contracts that Cubs and Giants have gotten for both sides like I think it's a win-win for both sides yeah um it's still yearly you you you I think we've heard a lot the last like two weeks is Scott borers might have lost his fast ball that's the thing I was thinking a lot about that over the weekend and I told you I can't wait to record on Monday so we can or Sunday so we can talk about that but the more I sit here and think about it I don't know what the player would want in that situation of those two you can have the security but potentially the the regret I guess of a cur Bryant situation or you can have what Bellinger and Chapman are having which is yeah very friendly for you but it could all go way downhill if they get back into an injury pass I mean it is a little bit risky for Cody Bellinger to be continuing on with these contracts but he's betting on himself and it's working out the whole thing with Scott Boris though for as long as we can remember is that it's not who he is it's the big money get yourself your decade long yeah hundred million doll bajillion dollar contract is it roasting Scott Boris no but is it a shift uh to say he lost his fastball sure it's more of a breaking pitch these days I think he's shifting I don't think he's upset I mean at least out publicly of course he's going to saay face I don't think he's upset that his clients are signing these deals now but I don't know what a player would want out of those two options of course they have to be the deciding factor so it's it's an interesting topic I think the Cody one is a really good contract for both sides I think that was done even though he probably wanted to get Cody that long-term flexibility $30 million a year is no joke no no doubt this Chapman one is where it because we started the off season where Chapman was looking for $150 million contract then it got brought down like a month later and he was like okay maybe a hundred million now it's at 54 and that is just kind of crazy for a player of his capability and that he's basically as much as Cody Bellinger doing approv it year again we said it $30 million a year is no joke Matt Chapman was supposed to land that that final contract of his career this year for a player that is one of the best defensive third baseman in baseball that I think I would pay $54 million just for that glove and a a very capable hitter he he's very streaky but we but the glove just provides so much that it it almost replaces for the the the bad the the sometimes bad things that come with the bat so that's where I'm really really really excited to see as we continue this conversation not just you and me but the entire baseball Community this this whole entire Scott border situation I'm really excited to see what kind of contracts Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell and get because Blake Snell turned down 168 for four from the Yankees in December and he might get significantly less than that which would be a big time L for Scott Boris it's funny to bring that up because to remind and reiterate on something you mentioned there at the start of that statement um Chapman supposed turned out a100 million contract from Toronto oh really yeah there is there's there's stuff about it on Twitter um I mean no one knows for sure the blue JS are not going to come out with a press release and say yeah we gave him a contract no no and they shouldn't I mean it save space no one will ever do that but the the rumor has it in a similar fashion to the Blake Snell Yankees rumors that Chapman did have a Goliath offer from the Blue Jays that he did not think was fit enough or he did not want to return to Toronto yeah I don't I don't don't think he was worth over a 100 million and if he was getting 100 million from the Blue Jays like that would have been awesome for him um but I think 54 is way lower than anyone expected I was more thinking in like the 7090 range before we round up with some Cubs talk some local Cubs talk let's let's cap this with this and this is a random question I'm thinking of live on the show we're going to do this call this a preview of our season preview because in the coming weeks to do our season preview where we go team by team and talk about our opinions and everything yeah let's talk about the Blue Jays for a second I keep seeing angry Blue Jays fans comments and never another player gets signed they went from thinking that Robert HC was on a private jet uh with and it was sh Otani to uh the sky high expectations to just watching each and every one of these players that they had their Mind Set On just slip from their fingers if you're a Toronto Blue Jays fan or their organization where are you feeling right now they have a phenomenal pitching staff that might get a big boost this year if Alec Manoa finds it again their offense 1 through nine is all names that you know and that's including the players that they were potentially going to get and they missed out on they just cannot hit in big spots the Blue Jays have it all there we me and you talked about the Blue Jays last year I was so high on them going into last season and I just it's not even like vlat and bobash shett we talked about earlier in the off season and um who else am I missing like Kevin bigio and and George Springer it's not like they have disappointing Seasons it's just for some reason when it's time to like Pony up and and put put it all together they just can't they just can't hit in big spots and that's what's just kind of haunted them these last couple of seasons is because I mean we were talking about them like they were going to win the next five of the 10 next World Series based on how that farm system went and it's just it just does not it did not come together well they obviously got Justin Turner which will be a big boost for them um even though they lost Brandon Belt so it'll be I think it's this season is truly like they need to make the postseason or else they might need significant changes because something's not working there sharp left turn into some fun trivia I was talking to Friend of the Pod Nick Alonzo former cross town classic trivia contestant Nick Alonzo this morning or this afternoon points in his I said he had zero points in his match he was blanked he was no hit and then his I never actually watched that one but I heard about it and it was I heard it was a skunk show who did he lose to again Big John yeah Big John um I can't really talk I ended up going on a l well I actually played my second round yeah you a good show but speaking of which I was talking to Nick this afternoon and the Cubs beat Cleveland um when Cleveland was leading 3-1 they came back and won uh with a David bod home run which has sparked some Twitter fun and I was like H it's it's spring training I get it but I feel like in the regular season we've kind of had Cleveland's numbers since the World Series so I looked it up online like matchup history and I was wrong it's like almost exactly split it's like eight and six I think or like seven and six I think since the World Series in regular season match from 2017 to last season we've played them that many times since yeah I'm trying to okay I know we played them last year at Wrigley the first time after the World Series would have been 2018 2018 okay I remember 20120 I remember like one the first series of the year they were in Cleveland don't know why I remember that I remember them being for three game set at Wrigley this year and they I think the Cubs dro Dro two of three there was that crazy Sunday game that like went to Extra Innings they came back like four down Cody had a sack fly if you remember that but that's crazy I I never I don't I I just remember them dropping two of three this year but uh it's definitely interesting to think that you thought that they had their number like since the World Series well here's why because I remember specifically the co here because and I ended up looking into it okay and get this no one talks about this because it was over the course of two out of three seasons two years after the World Series and it's a baseless dumb trivia that no one will ever consider but for all the 3-1 memes that have ever existed on Twitter since the Cubs and guardians or Indians sto or have been playing since the World Series in 2018 the Cubs were one and3 against them so the Indians did go up 3-1 in 2018 and then in 2020 when they got another chance the Cubs W four in a row so we 3-1 them twice is all I'm talking about we hit him twice no one no one talks about that the seven games after the seven game series went almost identically Indians SLU Guardians went up 3-1 and the Cubs won the next three and then they they won a essential game eight but since then the Guardians have had our number one and three and one and two are the Cubs records in the last two two seasons playing them it's been every other year Ben since 2016 1820 no excuse me 180 21 and 23 so almost every other year dude that's absurd the fact that you like looked into that and it all came up just like that it's it's beautiful I can't get it to focus phone screen yeah wait oh there we go there we go I have the log here that's hilarious clev Cleveland BW a three 3-1 lead once again the first time they ever played was 1997 really one and one and two that year for the Cubs they uh they didn't have a winning record against Cleveland in a season until 06 10 years before some mildly important games against him true yeah mhm so that is today's random trivia speaking of which okay that means it's been a really boring week if I'm G to talk about that what could we talk about down at the farm or I guess down in the desert is there there too much to talk about is is David bod making his way to a roster spot I don't think so I don't want to talk I'm so done talking about David bod like every time that we mention on this podcast like I get like a twitch I'm like just please I you bring up he doesn't bring up bad memories it's just like I'm done I'm done bro yeah uh but yeah he's he's having a nice spring once again why wouldn't he um yeah we could go through some headlines we'll start I think with the rookie not really a rookie but kind of a rookie Shoto Shota imaga at his first Major League start I guess you could say and one mistake gave up three runs gave up a a three-run homer and two in a third inning of work but he did strike out five batters of on the Dodgers so um one little mistake you can't blame him too much for it I you're going to see some of that happen I think this year with him but um yeah I think the strikeouts is going to be a big thing that the Cubs are GNA want to rely on with this guy and um I'm excited for shoda I'm excited for shoda yeah I think we can expect there to be some good starts at the beginning and then potentially a bit of a lull I don't think he's looking at it sub two ER season but I think he could be really strong um and I think who knows maybe he could shock us especially in year two maybe I think that's coming up kind of thinking about how any every Japanese player or every International player when they come over there's kind of a grace period and then there's kind of an adjustment period think about SE happens yeah exactly SE hit the ground running was an MVP candidate his first three weeks and then he kind of went into a lull for a year and a half before he came became one of the best players in baseball the last three mon fil and data grow fil the first that's for but you you you put it there perfectly with sha um it's not going to be there will be some points where it's not it's not going to be easy but with the contract we're paying him we're asking him to be a a formidable three or four yeah yeah yeah and if he could be anything more than that then you couldn't what else could you ask for like that's awesome permittable three with a high ceiling that's for exactly exactly other headline Mike talkman the summer of Mike Topman extends to a season two I feel like Mike talkman is just like you and I like if Mike talkman gets dropped by the Cubs we might have to drop 120 it's the summer of Mike talkman and the podcast just grows he he was the reason this podcast kind of grew right yeah we we were getting really down and out about it and then Mike talkman kind of turned it around yeah Mike talkman is the best I have that sign bat by him now too um yeah he I if anyone's complaining about this you're crazy like he is a perfect fourth out fielder for this team and I know people want the prospects up I I get it they're going to come they're going to be there don't worry Mike talkman did you see what he did for you last year as your starting center fielder for majority of games down that stretch he was really good for us and he does not have to be in a big position this year with Cody and PCA and Michael Bush whatever it might be so Mike talkman is a perfect bench option for this team and I'm happy that Craig counil has that faith in him as well that he guaranteed be him a roster spot yep that is the headline at the end there I was waiting to read out the exact headline but Ben hit the nail on the head Bruce Levine reported CRA Council confirmed to Mike talkman reportedly that he will be on the opening day roster and the Tweet replies are as similar as you would think there're people saying the summer of Mike talkman continues how did you get those signed bats again you got to finish out with that um we so my grandpa his brother is best friends with Mike tockman's dad so your great uncle is best friends with Mr talkman correct look at that I know it's a small world um the briide and joy of poror well palatin but then Bradley Hall of Famer now we've been talking about this guy for years like even before he was on the Cubs my Grandpa would always be like oh yeah like one of my but because he's he's also like friends with my grandpa as well he like one of my buddies got uh his son's on the Yankees I'm like oh yeah what's his name tman I'm like okay and then uh they're just they just keep going then he's like he's on the Rockies now and then I when he signed with the Cubs last spring training I think I sent my grandpa text immediately I'm like hey look at this and uh it was a lot of fun watching games with with my grandpa this summer because we were just kind of uh cheering on Mike and it was a lot of fun so who let's end with this who is now the chopping block is it still Patrick wisdom now I have no idea I really don't I think they have to work a trade out with someone because you can't just DFA wisdom or Master bony because Master bony's having a pretty nice spring too um or magical uh I don't know unless they're they don't plan on having any of the prospects on the team come opening day which I think would be a mistake to not have at least one of them I don't think they'd be afraid to do that though but still I don't think either but I think PCA should be on the opening day roster um I don't know it's going to be uh there's a lot of it's a good problem to have we talked about it last week there's a lot of flexibility with this team and there's a not many spots so um I think they can do something with magical potentially I know he still has options and I think that's it I think Master bony and wisdom are both out of options so that could be the only move if they're not going to work a trade if not I think a trade needs to be worked out with yeah one of the three guys I just mentioned well next week we'll come back we'll talk some more baseball some more Cubs a couple weeks from now we'll get our season preview going but this time next week we'll see some at bats some live batting from Cody Bellinger we'll have to have to talk about that 24 days till opening day 24 folks 24 days we're almost there4 days until the Chicago Cubs are playing The Prime Time national game mm going to Texas for the ring ceremony we're gonna play upset there I love it I love it have the Cubs I don't think the Cubs have played in that Stadium yet have they no no this will be the first now it's everybody Play Everybody remember when we open our season against them in 19 I want to say the old stadium yeah that was the old stadium I think I'm pretty sure zunes was in right field if I'm not mistaken that was so random and there was that was that was kind of a random Rangers team too uh what who ended up being four years four years separated no I'm just saying four years separated from winning the World Series but that team was like one of the worst teams with baseball though that Rangers team but I remember that was a fun that was a fun opening weekend if I'm not mistaken I remember jav bayas went crazy I think he had like three home runs that weekend so yeah that was that was fun that was that was the that was the m P or bayas I think or he didn't win he was you know yeah considered the last full season of baseball for all those guys too because they ended up getting traded in 21 they ended up having the shorten season in 20 2019 was like the last year where like drama wasn't in the way and they're like hey you know this team is still good they could win the World Series and then they just didn't they choked away a yeah the Wild Card Cubs Legend Daniel Murphy no was that was that 18 or 19 ctios was 19 right ctios was 19 they didn't even make the playoffs in 19 right no I know but was Murphy also 19 no Murphy was 18 when they lost to the Rock card yeah ter ter bats in a playoff game Jesus hey he was our only run he was the only run he was he was he was what a that everyone thought it when that happened it was and jav hit it to the Gap it was like Dave Roberts moment we were going to win Another World Series ah God you know we can never have a game on Station 3 again right at least under the new CBA until they until they change so that's true it almost came down to it last year it almost came down so we would never have to deal with that again it would just be a tiebreaker so the first time that hits the fan on either side National League or American League whether it's this year or next people are the Cubs would end up getting screwed over if it went to a tiebreaker if I'm not remember we talked about it yeah with the Marlins because with the everyone play everyone remember we talked about it a lot in the fall you you don't play you don't play people again like you play them in like May and then you don't see them again like the Marlins and Diamond Back which the Diamondbacks kind of put the the knife in our in our chest anyways to end our season so we probably deserved it but and they end up being the eventual National League champions but um the Diamondbacks the Marlins um I think we owned the everyone had us in the tiebreaker besides the Giants but the Giants were just plummeting at the end of the season the Giants started plummeting after we beat them to start September that was last good series the Cubs played it kind of stinks because I just want to mention this really quick which I think we could wrap it up the Giants might be pretty sneaky good this year they always are I know but like they got significantly better this off season with Jung hoi Matt Chapman and jge so there that's some pretty good additions and they Dro Rand Crawford yeah they didn't DFA him I'm just saying they literally dropped weight right and Luciano's coming up now he'll be their full-time Short Stop Pat Bailey their catcher is a stud um they might be pretty good you already know Brandon Crawford's going to be a Cubs killer as a cardinal no way no way that retirement home team dude no way I'm not saying they're gonna be good I'm saying I because I've always like liked Brandon Crawford so I already know in his like last year of his career last two years of career when he's playing it out with the Cardinals he's gonna somehow find a way to rake against the Cubs we're gonna yeah honest okay I don't disagree with you it's going to be like freaking Ryan or not Ryan Brown it's going to be Brandon Crawford becomes a Cubs killer or oldest trapman will will never get a hit off him this season on the Pittsburgh Pirates um what are some other random Frankie mon Frankie mon is gonna turn into a Sai Young candidate again for the Reds um but Ellie will still strike out four times don't worry Reese Hoskins becomes a Cubs killer because we didn't sign him yeah all the above it doesn't matter it doesn't matter it'll all it'll all be fine because at the end of the day they're going to win more ball games than all the teams listed and they're going to win the National League central boom B it boom all right thank you for listening another episode 120 Go Cubs