Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, young parents and Boys Fans abroad. Come by and cool off with us. There is no admission charge tonight. We are all in a good mood. There are still a few tables free. Bring your own drink.
BCB after dark is the place to talk about baseball, music, movies, or anything else you want to get off your chest, as long as it follows the site’s rules. The night owls are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in the next morning and afternoon.
Tonight, the Cubs beat the Pirates 9-5 thanks to home runs from Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson. Miguel Amaya had two more hits as he has been on a tear since the Cubs changed his swing. With this win, the Cubs are over .500 for the first time since May 28th with a 67-66 record. And since I promised the Cubs would get over .500, here’s Judy:
Judy hasn’t been in demand much this season. I’m glad to see her back.
I think the Cubs need to hit .700 the rest of the season to make the playoffs. That’s nearly impossible over the course of a full season, but over the course of 29 games? Pretty unlikely. Still, it gives us reason to be hopeful.
Last night I asked you to choose a cap from the Cubs minor league affiliates’ replacement caps. Coming in first place with 26 percent of the vote were the Myrtle Beach Pirate Pelicans caps. Coming in second place with 19 percent were the South Bend Cabritos Maldichos caps and the Myrtle Beach Palmetto cap received 16 percent of the vote.
I don’t usually write a film review on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, but I always have time for Jazz, so those of you who skip that can do so now.
Tonight we present pianist Keith Jarrett and the Keith Jarrett Trio live in Tokyo in 1996. Gary Peacock plays bass and Jack DeJohnette drums.
This is “It could happen to you.”
Welcome back to all those who forgo all that stuff.
I’ve heard a few rumors here and there that the Cubs may, possibly, maybe have interest in Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander, who will be a free agent at the end of the season. This article by Sahadev Sharma (The athlete sub. req.) mentions it.
Santander is a 30-year-old switch-hitter outfielder who played his entire major league career in Baltimore after being drafted in the Rule 5 Draft before the 2017 season. He was a backup player until the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he broke out with 11 home runs in just 37 games played.
That would be Santander’s main appeal to the Cubs – power. This year, he’s second in the American League with 38 home runs. That’s a total that would normally have him leading the league in home runs at this point in the season, but of course Aaron Judge is doing Aaron Judge things. Santander will have to settle for no more than second on the AL home run list, which is where he currently stands.
Those home run numbers earned Santander his first All-Star Game appearance this summer. Before today’s game, Santander had a batting average of .235/.302/.519. That batting average is a little concerning, but that can be attributed in part to his career-low .219 in balls in play. Still, his career batting average is .246, so he’s not that far off from his expected numbers.
Defensively, he plays almost exclusively in right field, where he has a good arm and below-average range. He probably wouldn’t be an improvement over Seiya Suzuki in right field, but he wouldn’t be a huge downgrade either. The two would likely split their time between right wing and DH.
The other downside to signing Santander is that he could potentially lock up some minor league outfielders next season, like Owen Caissie or Kevin Alcántara. But it’s widely believed that Santander would agree to a three-year contract with an opt-out clause, like the one Cody Bellinger signed before this season. If Santander is looking for a four- or five-year deal, the Cubs are probably out. Then again, I’m not sure any other MLB team would offer Santander a four-year deal.
Of course, the Cubs probably wouldn’t be interested in Santander unless Cody Bellinger opts out of his contract at the end of the season. That question depends on whether Bellinger opts out and goes to another team.
So what would you think if the Cubs signed Anthony Santander as a free agent, assuming Bellinger opts out and Santander agrees to a short-term contract with opt-out options? Do you like his potential to hit both feet? Or do you think his cons outweigh his pros and that the money could be better spent elsewhere?
Opinion poll
What would you think if the Cubs signed free agent Anthony Santander?
Thank you for visiting. We know you have many options online for late night visits and we are glad you chose us. Please come home safe. Recycle all cans and bottles. Tip your server. And come back next week for more. BCB after dark.
