Bleacher Bums Forum

I feel about the same way Cerami does:

https://www.bleachernation.com/cubs/2024/12/02/new-cubs-rumor/

So Allen for Buffalo has a rushing TD, passing TD and receiving TD (which he "threw" to himself) but no catches (because of the pitch back) in the same game. Wierd stuff indeed....

You guys will hate this, but I actually have interest in Jack Flaherty.  And kinda think he's got some of the profile that Hoyer gravitates towards.  He's on the younger end, 29 for a FA isn't bad.  He's >10K/9 career, and K/BB is 3.2, both good profiles.  Career WHIP <1.2.  I think Hoyer has tended to gravitate toward high-HR/low-walk profile with starters, and that's Flaherty.  (1.4HR/9, that's bad.).   But yeah, a strike-throwing guy in his 20's would seem interesting.  I admit part of that view is probably victim-of-former-thought perspective.  Back in 2018-19, I thought he was going to become a big star.  Kinda went down after that. 

He might be a guy who remembers wrigley from contending era, so might perhaps have some good vibes for the Wrigley experience, and what winning in Chicago might feel like? 

Obviously he's not viewed in the same level as Snell/Burnes/Fried.  But probably even Flaherty is too good for Hoyer?  Being 29, and coming off a pretty good season, this is his shot to get a secure long-term contract.  So he's probably in a spot where a 2- or 3-year deal with Hoyer makes no sense.  So, probably outside Hoyer's "intelligent-spending" anti-length model. 

Buehler might be more likely to take the short-term prove-it deal that Hoyer might prefer? 

Speaks to the pitching market that a 34-year-old pitcher like Boyd with 4.85 career ERA, 1.6HR/9, and no >15 game season in the last 5 years, that he's still getting $29/2. 

Lots of competition for FA pitchers, that's for sure. 

Over his 908-inning big-league career, 168 starts, only 14 relief appearances.  10 relief appearances with Seattle in 2022, a several at start of career, but other than Seattle he's been a starter.  However, hasn't had a lots-of-starts-lots-of-innings season since 2019.  (185 innings, 32 starts). 

Will be interesting to see what Hawkins, Hoyer, Counsell say about projected opportunity.  Planned into rotation?  Or maybe a bit Smyly-like?  Might start, might relieve, we'll see how the competition shakes out and let performance guide the usage?  Has pretty good splits versus lefties, career-wise, so might perhaps end up being a useful bullpen guy?  $14.5/year suggests more than bullpen plan, though. 

Career-wise, 4.85 ERA, not impressive.  Primary vulnerability has been the HR-ball, so seems kinda like the profile that Hoyer gravitates towards, other than Stroman he's usually trended towards strike-throwing gopher guys.  1.6HR/9 over career.  That's with lots of his career innings pitched for Detroit, which is not HR-inflation stadium.  Perhaps a hope is that with Wrigley as a power-suppression park, that HR's won't kill? 

Looking at career profiles, of course, is of mixed value.  With all of the modern pitch optimization, I have no idea what his pitch-mix profile looks like today versus in earlier years.