Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- With two weeks of the MLB season in the books, questions swirl around the Cubs, Red Sox, and Giants.
- Key decisions loom for each franchise regarding internal options, managerial strategies, and potential mid-season adjustments to improve their standings.
- MLB insider Robert Murray is here to answer all these burning questions and more in a mailbag.
The first two weeks of the Major League Baseball season are (almost) over and the hot takes are already flying. Should the Cubs chase a starting pitcher? What about the Blue Jays and Red Sox amid their struggles? Don't worry, I'm here to answer all your burning questions.
My Twitter is filled with people calling for managers to be fired, players to be traded and folks asking why their teams didn’t sign [insert player]. Let’s calm down a bit. There’s 150+ games to go. But let’s dive into some early season questions, with these four being prominently asked on The Baseball Insiders podcast and Discord.
Do the Cubs pursue Lucas Giolito?
The initial thought is most likely not and that the Cubs roll with internal options in the meantime. Losing Cade Horton for the season is a huge blow. They were expecting big things from the young right-hander, and that will be an extremely difficult player to replace.
Internally, however, the Cubs are confident in what they have. Justin Steele should return in late May or early June. Matthew Boyd will return from the Injured List. Ben Brown can be stretched as a starting pitcher. The options go on and on.
The Cubs can stick with the internal options and if they do not prove adequate, then making addition(s) at the deadline will be a priority. That’s what I expect them to do unless they can get Giolito at a team-friendly rate. And considering that the right-hander is still unsigned, I can’t imagine that’s too likely.
Am I concerned about the Red Sox and Blue Jays?
Right now, no. But the Red Sox’s slow start underscores a problem that I had throughout the winter. Even after trading Rafael Devers, and saving almost $300 million, the team did not re-sign Alex Bregman. They had strong interest in Bo Bichette, but did not sign the star infielder. They didn’t sign Kyle Schwarber. Instead, they ended up with Willson Contreras, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin. Things will get better – their pitching raises their floor – but I’m just not sure how high their ceiling is.
The Jays, meanwhile, have been absolutely bitten by the injury bug. They’ll get healthy and bounce back. I’m not concerned. But if the injuries keep piling up and linger … then it might be time to raise some red flags. I’m just not there yet.
Concern about the Giants and Tony Vitello’s slow start?
We have to give Vitello more than two weeks before determining how he’ll fare as a major-league manager. But the early results are not good. There’s no doubting that.
They’re 5-8 and in last place in the National League West. They already have a run differential of -16, third-worst in baseball. Vitello has caught the attention of many with his comments in the media and his lack of filter (me: I find it refreshing that he’s himself). It was not a good look, however, being caught on camera saying “Worst ball boy I’ve ever seen. F*** me.” in response to an older gentleman running after a foul ball.
He will adapt. Having Ron Washington and Jayce Tinger, two former major-league managers on staff, will help. But it needs to get better, and fast, otherwise the fanbase's frustrations will only grow louder.
Could James Tibbs III be a trade chip once again?
After the Giants traded Tibbs III to the Red Sox as part of the Rafael Devers trade, two prominent industry sources told me he was a candidate to get moved again. He did, to the Los Angeles Dodgers, for right-hander Dustin May.
Since then, Tibbs III has been incredible in the Dodgers’ system. He’s hit .413/.481/1.000 with seven home runs and 13 RBI. He’s put himself firmly in the conversation to contribute in the majors this season. I have heard little about him possibly being a trade candidate at the deadline, my assumption is the Dodgers would like to keep him and have a young, emerging and also inexpensive talent on the roster – similar to Andy Pages – considering how expensive the overall roster is in Los Angeles.
There’s no denying it, though. That trade was a massive win for the Dodgers.