MLB 2026 Spring Training

Innovative idea.  I like it!

Well I'm glad my Cubs picked up a 60 year old washed-up Cole Hamels and yet another mediocre reliever in Brandon Kinztler.  Meanwhile every other contender in the NL went and got All-Stars.  And Jacob deGrom is still in a Mets uniform.  Good job, Jed.

With Yu Darvish being a complete $180million headcase (who didn't see that disaster coming?!), Byrant & Rizzo not doing jack shit all season, Brandon Morrow not being able to stay off the DL (who didn't see that coming?!), and Maddon's completely baffling, almost-daily preference for Ian "0-5 w/ 4K" Happ over Albert Almora Jr... this team may as well book their vacations in October because the playoffs aren't happening.  If they do, it will be an early exit.

They fall behind EVERY game and fall behind EVERY series and have to play catch up.  60% of their wins are of the "come-from-behind" fashion.  And while that's great they've been able to pull it off up 'til now, you can't expect to do it that consistently against playoff caliber teams. Law of averages is bound to set in at some point and we're starting to see that now.  You can't give up runs in the first inning every game, never have your bats come alive until the 6th or 7th, lose game 1 of every series, and expect to accomplish much.

It seems like many of these guys' heads blew up after winning it all and just don't feel the need to perform at the levels they're well capable of.  If anyone, I would've thought Baez would be the biggest culprit of inflated ego, but it turns out he is one of the few that have elevated their level of play to MVP status (I'm talking team MVP, not league, although he certainly could be in that discussion).  He, Almora, Heyward (!!), & Lester are the only ones who seem to go out there and perform at their absolute best every day.  When a 37 y/o Ben Zobrist who doesn't even play daily is your 4th best offensive output player of the season, you've got problems that need to be addressed with urgency.

How about that performance by Jake Arrieta last night?!  Fuck you, Scott Boras!  That man would still be in a Cubs uniform if not for his greedy, arrogant ass!