%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201090.6%20200%22%20style%3D%22enable-background%3Anew%200%200%201090.6%20200%3B%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text%2Fcss%22%3E%0A%09.st0%7Bfill%3A%23231F20%3B%7D%0A%09.st1%7Bfill%3A%23293576%3B%7D%0A%09.st2%7Bfill%3A%23C82C2D%3B%7D%0A%09.st3%7Bfill%3A%23FFFFFF%3B%7D%0A%3C%2Fstyle%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Template%22%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Layer_2%22%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%2254.8%2C78.5%2071.1%2C78.5%2083.5%2C78.5%2083.5%2C36.3%2083.5%2C0%2066.8%2C0%2062.9%2C6.2%2061.3%2C8.7%2050%2C0%2023.5%2C0%2019.8%2C3.8%20%0A%09%090%2C23.8%200%2C176.2%2023%2C200%2059.5%2C200%2083.5%2C176.2%2083.5%2C121.5%2054.8%2C121.5%2054.8%2C176.2%2037.5%2C176.2%2037.5%2C32.4%2037.5%2C23.8%2054.8%2C23.8%2054.8%2C57.2%20%0A%09%09%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%22141.9%2C104.2%20141.9%2C48.1%20141.9%2C24.2%20150.1%2C24.2%20151.1%2C24.2%20151.1%2C0%20150.1%2C0%20104.7%2C0%2091.9%2C0%2091.9%2C24.2%20%0A%09%09104.6%2C24.2%20104.6%2C63.4%20104.6%2C116.9%20104.6%2C175.8%20128.4%2C200%20167.1%2C200%20180.9%2C184.8%20189.1%2C175.8%20189.1%2C146.2%20189.1%2C96.1%20189.1%2C24.2%20%0A%09%09199.4%2C24.2%20199.4%2C0%20161.7%2C0%20156.6%2C0%20156.6%2C24.2%20161.7%2C24.2%20167.1%2C24.2%20167.1%2C75.2%20167.1%2C127.8%20167.1%2C174.1%20167.1%2C175.8%20%0A%09%09141.9%2C175.8%20141.9%2C152.9%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st3%22%20d%3D%22M218.2%2C168v8.3h-10.5V200h62.1h12.7l28.5-23.8v-66l-5.2-5.1l-7.8-7.6l7.8-7.8l2.5-2.5V60V25.7%0A%09%09c0%2C0.7-8.6-7.9-25.7-25.7h-43h-11.6h-20.2v23.8h10.5v96.7V168z%20M255.5%2C23.8h22.2v60.5h-22.2V23.8z%20M255.5%2C110.3h22.2v50.2v15.8%0A%09%09h-22.2v-29.4V110.3z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st3%22%20d%3D%22M329.9%2C176.2h-10.5v6V200h42.8h21.4h10.5l1-0.9l27.4-22.9v-56.9v-9.1l-13-12.8l10.3-10.2V25.7%0A%09%09c0%2C0.7-8.6-7.9-25.7-25.7h-74.8v23.8h10.5V45V176.2z%20M389.4%2C176.2h-5.8h-16.5v-66h22.2v17.9V176.2z%20M367.1%2C23.8h22.2v60.5H374h-6.9%0A%09%09v-5.6V23.8z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%22441.2%2C175.8%20431%2C175.8%20431%2C200%20461.4%2C200%20473%2C200%20487.5%2C200%20487.5%2C175.8%20478%2C175.8%20478%2C147.6%20%0A%09%09478%2C25.5%20487.5%2C25.5%20487.5%2C0%20431%2C0%20431%2C25.5%20441.2%2C25.5%20441.2%2C130.4%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%22503.6%2C175.8%20495.9%2C175.8%20495.9%2C200%20539.3%2C200%20550.8%2C200%20581.6%2C200%20593.1%2C187.7%20593.1%2C153.9%20%0A%09%09593.1%2C140.7%20564.9%2C140.7%20564.9%2C159.5%20564.9%2C175.8%20540.6%2C175.8%20540.6%2C160.5%20540.6%2C115.8%20554.6%2C115.8%20554.6%2C133%20578.1%2C133%20%0A%09%09578.1%2C67.7%20554.6%2C67.7%20554.6%2C85%20540.6%2C85%20540.6%2C25.5%20564.9%2C25.5%20564.9%2C60.8%20593.1%2C60.8%20593.1%2C0%20495.9%2C0%20495.9%2C25.5%20503.6%2C25.5%20%0A%09%09503.6%2C155.6%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st3%22%20points%3D%22680.7%2C73.5%20680.7%2C0%20667.5%2C0%20656.9%2C5.5%20650.7%2C0%20625.3%2C0%20601.5%2C24.2%20601.5%2C91.7%20626.1%2C116.2%20%0A%09%09652.2%2C116.2%20652.2%2C128.5%20652.2%2C176.2%20628.7%2C176.2%20628.7%2C140.6%20628.7%2C128.7%20602.5%2C128.7%20602.5%2C151%20602.5%2C200%20617.1%2C200%20623%2C200%20%0A%09%09627.7%2C195.2%20628.7%2C195.9%20635%2C200%20664.2%2C200%20685.5%2C176.2%20685.5%2C107.3%20685.5%2C106.8%20665%2C83%20633.5%2C83%20633.5%2C24.2%20654.7%2C24.2%20%0A%09%09654.7%2C73.5%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st2%22%20points%3D%22772%2C78.5%20772.8%2C78.5%20784.3%2C78.5%20800.8%2C78.5%20800.8%2C0.7%20800.8%2C0%20784%2C0%20778.5%2C8.7%20767.2%2C0%20740.8%2C0%20%0A%09%09717.2%2C23.8%20717.2%2C83.3%20717.2%2C176.2%20737%2C196.6%20740.2%2C200%20776.8%2C200%20800.8%2C176.2%20800.8%2C167%20800.8%2C121.5%20784.3%2C121.5%20772.8%2C121.5%20%0A%09%09772%2C121.5%20772%2C176.2%20754.7%2C176.2%20754.7%2C50.3%20754.7%2C23.8%20772%2C23.8%20772%2C33.1%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M819.4%2C176.2h-10.2V200h11.2h45.8v-23.8h-6.5h-3v-65h5.5h11.7v7.6v47.7v9.7l14.7%2C23.3l0.3%2C0.4h25.2v-19v-4.8%0A%09%09h-5.5V140v-25.6l-13.3-13.3l-0.2-0.2l2.2-1.5l11.3-7.8v-2.5V24.2L880.4%2C0h-18.2h-11.6h-41.5v24.2h10.2v132.1V176.2z%20M856.6%2C24.2%0A%09%09h5.5h12.5V87h-12.5h-5.5V24.2z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st2%22%20points%3D%22932.7%2C166.2%20932.7%2C175.8%20922.5%2C175.8%20922.5%2C200%20979%2C200%20979%2C175.8%20969.5%2C175.8%20969.5%2C133.1%20%0A%09%09969.5%2C81.9%20969.5%2C25.5%20979%2C25.5%20979%2C9.1%20979%2C0%20940%2C0%20928.4%2C0%20922.5%2C0%20922.5%2C25.5%20928.4%2C25.5%20932.7%2C25.5%20932.7%2C119%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1087.9%2C87.2V25.7c0%2C0.6-6.4-5.8-19.3-19c-2-2.1-4.2-4.3-6.5-6.7h-31h-43.7v23.8h10.5v24.2v55.5v72.8h-10.5%0A%09%09V200h74.8l28.5-23.8v-66l-13-12.8L1087.9%2C87.2z%20M1057.4%2C176.2h-22.3v-66h22.3V176.2z%20M1057.4%2C84.2h-22.3V57.5V23.8h22.3V25V84.2z%22%0A%09%09%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
Chicago Cubs, Yu Darvish rumors running rampant after latest signing
By Jake Misener
Chicago Cubs doing all they can to land their man
David Ross brought more than his play on the field to the Chicago Cubs. Chris Gimenez is cut from the same cloth – and, in fact, put up eerily similar numbers behind the plate.
Davis Ross 2016: 326 wOBA, 100 wRC+, top 30 percent in framing, 14.6 % BB%, 26.3% K%, 205 PA
— Brendan Miller (@brendan_cubs) January 23, 2018
Chris Gimenez 2017: 326 wOBA, 100 wRC+, top 27 percent in framing, 14.7% BB%, 26.7% K%, 225 PA
And old. And revered by teammates. And personal catchers to aces. Weird.
As happy as I am with the Cubs signing Gimenez, there’s another element to this. He spent last year in Minnesota. The Twins have reportedly pushed hard to land Darvish – and their not bringing back a guy he’s so intimately comfortable throwing to bodes well for Chicago.
A career .218 hitter, this guy isn’t going to tremendously improve the Cubs offense by any stretch. But as Willson Contreras continues to improve defensively, Gimenez offers a lot to the young stud. And that rings true whether or not Chicago lands Arrieta, Cobb or Darvish.
Next: Is a discount deal in the cards for Jay?
In the end, the last 24 hours reinforce something we’ve all come to know. Epstein and Hoyer leave no stone unturned – and, if they want their man, they’re ready and willing to pull out all the stops to get it done.