The Chicago Cubs picked up former first-round pick Danny Hultzen in hopes he could make a comeback after several injuries have derailed him.
The Chicago Cubs‘ Theo Epstein has gotten good at deals like this. Picking up a former top-prospect and getting the most out of him. And if you don’t hear about it? It’s because you shouldn’t have. If this doesn’t work out, it’ll cost the Cubs almost nothing. But Danny Hultzen is worth the gamble when you look at his numbers. He dominated in college with a 32-5 record, and he carried that into the minors. The problem has been health. The Cubs have given him another shot at the majors. Will he be able to take advantage of it?
Former Cubs’ starter Jake Arrieta is in a holding pattern. While many of the free agents have gone off the market, Arrieta remains. The question is will he get the upper hand by waiting it out? Of course, Arrieta would rather sign sooner than later. But if he does hold out, might he be able to sign for close to what he thinks he’s worth? Especially if one of the key arms in a rotation goes down? It’s a bold play, but it might just work out.
One of the few battles in spring training was for the backup catcher role for the Cubs. Victor Caratini and Chris Gimenez looked to go toe-to-toe for the spot, and Gimenez is holding his own. The Cubs would like to see Caratini develop in the majors, but Gimenez is making that a tough decision for the Cubs. Backup catchers aren’t always known for their bat, but Gimenez has been hitting it well this spring. Could he sneak on to the roster? Or might the Cubs carry three catchers again?
These and other stories you might have missed:
‘Former top-prospect Hultzen looks for second chance’ – Cubbies Crib
‘Is Arrieta building value in waiting?’ – Cubbies Crib
‘Gimenez making a good impression’ – Cubbies Crib
‘Top 10 farm systems in MLB’ – MLB.com
‘Former Cubs pitcher Wood has torn ACL, meniscus’ – ESPN
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