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Giants Reportedly Interested In White Sox Pitcher

ChiSoxFanMike
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Giants Reportedly Interested In White Sox Pitcher

We are only in mid-April, yet the trade rumors surrounding White Sox players have already begun. That usually ends up being the case when a team starts the season 3-15. In a recent report, several teams have already expressed interest in trading for White Sox starting pitcher Erick Fedde ahead of the upcoming trade deadline, with the San Francisco Giants leading the charge.

Fedde’s Resume

Fedde signed a two-year/$15 million contract with the White Sox this past offseason after a fantastic 2023 season in Korea. The early return on the White Sox investment has been promising, as Fedde has pitched to a 3.10 ERA in four starts while striking out 19 hitters in 20.1 innings. He has already given up five home runs, but has fared well otherwise. 

Giants Rotation Situation

San Francisco’s interest in Fedde is surprising on the surface. After all, they have star pitcher Logan Webb headlining their rotation. The Giants also brought in two-time Cy Young award winner Blake Snell and talented pitcher Jordan Hicks on significant free-agent contracts this offseason. In addition, they have gifted young pitchers Kyle Harrison and Keaton Winn currently in their rotation. The Giants’ rotation seems pretty good, yet their record is just 9-11. They also play in a highly competitive division and will need as much pitching as possible to counter the dynamic offenses of the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Padres.

The adage that a team can never have enough pitching will always stand true. San Francisco’s interest in Fedde confirms that. It is also worth noting that Fedde is making just $7.5 million this season and another $7.5 million in 2025. His contract is very team-friendly for a productive pitcher. Oracle Park, the home of the Giants, is also notoriously pitcher-friendly, so Fedde could improve even more pitching in an environment that would limit his tendency of giving up home runs.

Logical Move For White Sox

From the White Sox perspective, trading Fedde at some point makes sense. The team is not winning anything this year, and Fedde is only under contract for this season and next. He is also 31 and unlikely to be on the next good White Sox team. The rapid progress of pitching prospects like Nick Nastrini, Jonathan Cannon, and Drew Thorpe are also factors in the equation, as they will likely all occupy long-term rotation spots. Fedde is more of a bandaid than anything else for the White Sox, so cashing in and dealing him for prospects sooner rather than later for the right offer is a logical route. 

Final Word

The Giants linked to Fedde is just the beginning of many trade rumors surrounding the White Sox over the next few months. The team will likely trade several other players, including Steven Wilson, Michael Kopech, and John Brebbia. Perhaps even Yoán Moncada and Eloy Jiménez will be on the move if they can get back on track. Virtually any veteran with any semblance of trade value not named Luis Robert Jr. will be traded at this deadline. It will be interesting to see where all these players ultimately end up.

Caleb Williams Opens Up About The Day The Bears Traded Justin Fields

Dave
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Caleb Williams Opens Up About The Day The Bears Traded Justin Fields

The NFL was stunned when Chicago Bears’ GM Ryan Poles traded quarterback Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a sixth-round pick. This trade, which took place just over a month ago, remains a hot topic. In a recent episode of The Pivot Podcast, guest Caleb Williams discussed the trade when asked by host Ryan Clark. Williams provided intriguing details, revealing how committed Poles was to selecting him.

“Welp, we know where their mind and heart is at in this instance.. in that moment it was kind of like wow. I didn’t do my top-30 visit yet, they didn’t have my medicals.. they have it all now though.”

The Bears not having Caleb Williams’ medical records or completing his top-30 visit indicates their view of him as a prospect. Many, from normal fans to NFL draft analysts, consider Williams one of the best quarterback prospects in years. While Caleb’s points may have surprised some people, it appears the Bears were locked in on selecting the USC superstar from the beginning. If you’d like to watch the full interview, you can find it on YouTube. It offers a different perspective on Caleb Williams and is definitely worth watching.

Scheduling Alignment Is More Important Than Strength of Schedule For The Chicago Bears In 2024

Steve Pusch
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Scheduling Alignment Is More Important Than Strength of Schedule For The Chicago Bears In 2024

The 2024 NFL Draft is one week away for the Chicago Bears, as it is expected to be a franchise-altering weekend with the team having two top-ten selections in the first round. Earlier this week it was revealed that the Bears are expected to have the third easiest schedule among NFL teams in 2024. Although the strength of schedule is a significant factor, the layout of the schedule and when Chicago will play their opponents is more vital to how the team will perform.

Scheduling Layout Will Be Interesting for the Bears 2024 Season

The 2024 schedule will be released sometime in mid-May and will take place almost three weeks after the NFL Draft. The Bears already know which opponents they will host at home at Soldier Field and who they will go on the road to face, while also having a home game designated to be played in the United Kingdom. Chicago will host teams including their divisional rivals, the Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Carolina Panthers, while playing on the road against the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans.

Despite having to play multiple playoff teams from last season, including the reigning NFC champions and the runner up in the 49ers and Lions, the Bears still have a favorable schedule. Although some of Chicago’s opponents appear tough, it all depends on what dates and times the specific games are scheduled to be played. For example, it may be extremely beneficial if the Bears play the Indianapolis Colts in the first few weeks of the season due to Indianapolis having their starting quarterback Anthony Richardson returning from a season-ending shoulder injury and could be rusty in his first few games back.

Another key element to why games against certain teams take place is how one team can either improve or regress from one season to the next, but won’t figure it out until midway through the season. Two franchises that were expected to be terrible heading into the 2023 season were the Bears and Texans, as both teams started the year off with two losses. Despite the poor start for each team, Chicago and Houston played extremely well towards the end of the year, as one team made the playoffs and another missed the post season by just a few losses.

Although injuries are not predictable, opponents losing players to injuries prove to be a lucky omen depending on when two teams will play one another on the schedule. In 2020, the Bears started the year winning four of their first five games, featuring wins over the New York Giants, Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Carolina Panthers. In those four wins, several of those teams were without their best offensive player which included Saquan Barkley, Julio Jones, and Christian McCaffrey.

When the Bears have their bye week, along with when and how many nationally televised primetime games they have will be a significant factor in how friendly their 2024 schedule is. Chicago finished the 2023 season as one of the best defensive units in the league, recording the most interceptions with 22. Paired with the team likely taking Caleb Williams first overall, the Bears will probably have several games on Sunday Night, Monday Night, Thursday Night, and potentially Thanksgiving. The potential of having ten days off compared to four days to prepare for certain opponents could contribute to a potential win or loss.

Scheduling Matters For the Quarterback The Bears Select First Overall In The Draft

With the Bears holding the first overall selection, whoever they select will be the team’s starting signal-caller at the start of the 2024 season. If the Bears select Williams with the first pick in the draft, it is likely that the team will have the maximum amount of primetime games. Additionally, it might be beneficial if Chicago didn’t play certain teams at the beginning of the season in September.

It may not be best for Williams to play his first few games against playoff teams or divisional rivals, especially the Green Bay Packers. The pressure and scrutiny the first overall selection would be facing if the Bears opened their 2024 season against the Packers could be too much for a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start. Additionally, making a debut against the San Francisco 49ers or Houston Texans would be a difficult time from a media standpoint for a prospect like Williams.

Former Bears’ starting quarterback Justin Fields dealt with an unfortunate scheduling alignment during his rookie season in 2021. Fields played against three future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in a four-week span, with two games being nationally televised. Chicago’s rookie signal-caller faced Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Ben Rothlisberger, as the rookie’s play was scrutinized significantly while playing against generational talents at the position. Fields and the Bears lost all three games, with the first-year quarterback only playing well in one contest.

The 2024 NFL Draft and who the Bears select will have an influence on the alignment of their schedule when it is announced several weeks later. If Williams is Chicago’s starting quarterback in Week 1, there will be several marquee games in primetime against prominent opponents. The who and when they play certain teams will matter the most, regardless of whether a potential strength of schedule is in their favor at the moment.

Uh Oh, Cubs Might Have Another All-Star Player Injured

Aldo Soto
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Uh Oh, Cubs Might Have Another All-Star Player Injured

Well, this looked not great. The Chicago Cubs were cruising against the woeful Miami Marlins, but during the series opener on Friday Ian Happ was seen talking with the team trainer and manager Craig Counsell in the dugout and was then replaced by rookie Alexander Canario in left field to begin the seventh inning.

Happ, who was an All-Star in 2022 and has won two consecutive gold gloves, has been a steady hitter for the Cubs and has settled into the leadoff role this year. There wasn’t anything that stood out that points to an obvious injury and the Cubs were comfortably ahead when Happ was lifted, but the outfielder did miss time in spring training with a hamstring issue, so this is something you’ll want to keep your eye on.

The switch-hitter was 0-for-2 with a walk and two strikeouts on Friday, lowering Happ’s season slash line to .240/.352/.360. Happ did get off to a scorching start in 2024, going 14-for-40 in his first 10 games. He also had a 13-game on-base streak to begin the season, which was snapped last Saturday against the Seattle Mariners.

Whether it’s the hamstring or something else, it does seem like Happ is dealing with something. Including Friday’s game, Happ is now 4 for his last 25 at the plate with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Happ has started in all 18 games so far in 2024, but Counsell has given the outfielder a few days off from the field, starting Happ as the DH four times.

The Marlins should have a few more left-handed pitchers starting this weekend against the Cubs, so Happ may have gotten a day off anyway, with Canario stepping in like he did Friday afternoon. Hopefully it’s nothing serious going on with Happ because the Cubs are already without Seiya Suzuki, who alongside Michael Busch, was the best hitter on the team through two weeks.

Besides Suzuki, the Cubs have also been faced with pitching injuries. Justin Steele has been sidelined since Opening Day, Julian Merryweather has a shoulder strain and was recently placed on the 60-day injured list, while Jameson Taillon barely made his season debut Friday, missing the first three weeks as he was coming back from a back strain.

But hey, credit to the team because despite the major injuries so far in 2024, they keep winning, upping their record to 12-7 following Friday’s 8-3 victory over the Marlins.

From Franchise Face To Free Agent: Tim Anderson Reflects On White Sox Tenure

Mitchell Kaminski
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From Franchise Face To Free Agent: Tim Anderson Reflects On White Sox Tenure

Tim Anderson wanted to be the face of baseball. By the end of his White Sox tenure, he could no longer handle being the face of the franchise. 

Love him or hate him you will be hard-pressed to find a more polarizing player in White Sox history than TA.  The 2024 season marks the first time in eight years that the White Sox won’t have Anderson roaming the infield. Yesterday the 30-year-old shortstop returned to Chicago and spoke to the media for the first time since the White Sox cut ties with him in free agency. 

Anderson acknowledged he knew his time on the South Side was coming to an end. According to White Sox beat writer James Fegan, Anderson asked for an extension “year after year.” When no extension came he sensed his time on the White Sox would end. He added that he is okay with being free of the pressure of ‘As TA goes, so go the White Sox’ because as Anderson put “it takes a whole team.” 

It was an interesting response from a player who was seemingly the center of attention from 2019-2021. But when you take a step back the sentiment makes sense. Anderson was always more of a quiet player who kept to himself. His play on the field was always louder than his comments off of it. As his fame grew he slowly began to come out of his shell. However, he also grew a target on his back.  

Anderson helped put the White Sox back on the map. He blossomed from an athletic rookie with potential to a two-time All-Star and batting champion.  His bat-flipping antics and confidence on the field made it fun to be a White Sox fan. His walk-off home run at the first-ever Field of Dreams Game made many proud to be a White Sox fan. Each year he seemed to do something worth coming to the ballpark to see. 

As Anderson’s confidence grew the White Sox began to focus a marketing campaign around him. Anderson was leading the charge of trying to make the game fun. He compared himself to Jackie Robinson, something that rubbed many people the wrong way, as a pioneer for the game. All of this talk was backed up by his play on the field. 

In 2019 he led the major leagues with a .335 batting average joining Luke Appling and Frank Thomas as the only players in franchise history to win an AL batting title. His nine hits over his first three postseason games in 2020 are the most in MLB history. 

In 2021 he was named the cover athlete of R.B.I Baseball becoming the first White Sox player to be featured on the cover of a video game. He followed that up by batting over .300 for the third consecutive season. He also hit five home runs from the leadoff spot, giving him 13 total in his career, which was good enough for the second most in franchise history. 

As Anderson got better the White Sox got better. But when his production began to slip in 2022 things got ugly fast. Injuries and off-field drama quickly derailed his White Sox career. Last season he had an OPS+ of 61, which marked a new career low as an affair with an Instagram model and an alleged altercation with Yasmani Grandal dominated the headlines. Suddenly the weight of being the face of a franchise began much heavier as criticism mounted. 

According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Anderson was asked why things did not work out.  “A lot of my decisions off the field kind of interrupted a lot of things,” Anderson said. “We understood that. It’s hard to win when you don’t have the right guys to go out and compete. And want to win it.” 

Credit to Anderson for his honesty. This is not the first time he has owned up to some of his missteps off the field. There is also some truth to what he said. By all accounts, the end of the White Sox so-called “contention window” had a clubhouse that lacked leadership and accountability. It was evident by their play on the field that it was a team that was not dedicated to winning baseball games. 

While the ultimate goal of winning a World Series never materialized, Anderson was one of the primary reasons the White Sox were fun again for a few brief seasons. His highs in a White Sox uniform far outweighed the lows and fans should not hold any animosity toward him because of it.

Evidence Surfaces That Miami Has Already Planned For Matchup With Celtics

Ryan Dauterive
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Evidence Surfaces That Miami Has Already Planned For Matchup With Celtics

Tonight at 6:00 CST in Miami, the Heat will host the Chicago Bulls with the final spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs on the line. This will punch the victor’s ticket to visit the number one seed beginning Sunday afternoon in Boston, where the 64-18 top-seeded Celtics will host the start of a seven-game series. This morning, a local radio host in South Florida leaked some information about the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls that could incriminate each team’s plans after tonight’s win-or-go-home scenario. Without Jimmy Butler, this contest has become a much tighter debate, and in the rematch from a year ago, much of Chicago’s roster could play their final game in the red and black.

Miami Has Booked A Flight To Boston

While it is not uncommon for teams to book flights before the game’s results in a precautionary fashion, this seems a bit presumptuous for the Heat. Coming off a game where they blew a double-digit lead in the second half, now without their six-time NBA All-Star leader in clutch scoring who dragged them to the NBA Finals a year ago, the odds have gotten slim. While they are still the favorites by sportsbooks, they have decreased considerably since Butler’s announced absence.

If nothing else, hopefully, this news has snuck into Chicago’s locker room for extra bulletin board material. Fresh off handily defeating the Atlanta Hawks behind a career-high 42 points from Coby White, they’re as confident as possible for a do-or-die situation. Last season, this matchup ended in a scoring barrage from Max Strus, who is no longer with the Heat, and a late surge by Butler, who combined 62 of Miami’s 102 points in the victory. They’d continue to tear through the entire Eastern Conference on their way to an NBA Finals loss to the back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic and company.

Chicago’s Keys To Victory

The Bulls have been given a bit of relief for tonight’s clash in Miami, seeing as the Heat don’t have their best player and arguably the most clutch player of the last few years in situations like tonight. If they’re going to advance into the NBA Playoffs for the second time in seven seasons, here’s a few things that need to happen for Chicago.

  1. Containing Tyler Herro – Herro is practically Miami’s only potent scoring option left. He’s got a career-high of 41, has scored 20 or more points per game for three consecutive seasons, and his near 40% career three-point percentage makes him a threat from range in bunches. Ayo Dosunmu will likely get the starting nod and draw Herro’s assignment if Caruso cannot go (game-time decision).
  2. Man In The Middle – Bam Adebayo is Miami’s most underutilized and inconsistent threat on a nightly basis. He took just nine shots in their loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday night, but without Butler, look for that number to be closer to 15 or 20 tonight. If Nikola Vucevic and Andre Drummond own the glass and contain Adebayo, Chicago’s chances of victory skyrocket.
  3. DeMar-velous DeRozan – Expecting another 42-point outing from Coby White is unrealistic, but needing clutch buckets out of their veteran leader is not. DeRozan will be tasked with carrying the Bulls in the fourth quarter and will need to take and make clutch shots down the stretch if Chicago wants to will their way into the playoffs.

The season series was split 2-2, and tonight’s rubber match will give one team their entry into the postseason and send one team to an early exit into the offseason. Can Chicago pull off the road victory and keep their season alive?

NFL Coach Reveals What Caleb Williams Has That Justin Fields Lacked

Erik Lambert
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NFL Coach Reveals What Caleb Williams Has That Justin Fields Lacked

Some people still aren’t over the fact that the Chicago Bears willingly traded away Justin Fields, paving the way for Caleb Williams to become their #1 overall pick. Many see the exact same player: an athletic kid with outstanding mobility, a strong arm, and a tendency to play too much hero ball. If the Bears already had somebody like that, somebody the locker room seemed to love, then why make a change? Some argue it’s the contract issue. Fields would’ve cost a lot more after this season. Williams will be on a rookie deal for the next four years.

However, all of that talk isn’t addressing the primary difference between the two. Albert Breer of the MMQB spoke to multiple people inside the NFL about Williams. One offensive coordinator sees a key trait that separates him from Fields.

“The first thing that sticks out is just how many different throws he has, even touch throws to the back underneath—it’s a special arm,” says an NFC OC. “The Mahomes comparison in terms of what he can do with it, I think that’s very real. The next thing is the instincts. You can see, obviously, he’s got wide field vision. He’s got great instincts. The playmaking ability stands on its own. Those are the main things when you just look at it. It’s arm, instincts, vision, playmaking, just checks the box on all those things.”

One of Fields’ biggest criticisms was his tendency to hold the ball. Many experts believe this stemmed from what they called “delayed vision.” In other words, he wasn’t seeing plays fast enough, which led to being late on throws, resulting in incompletions or turnovers. Williams doesn’t have that problem. While he does hold the ball at times, there are lots of instances where he’s made quick reads inside the play structure.

Caleb Williams has already proven he can do more with less.

Fields had outstanding success in college. Much of that was due to his own talent, but there was also the fact he was surrounded by outstanding talent. Across two years as a starter, Fields played with seven teammates who were eventual 1st round picks, including three wide receivers. Williams played with one. That was wide receiver Jordan Addison. Yet he still managed to go 18-7 as a starter for the Trojans and win the Heisman trophy. They say good quarterbacks elevate the players around him. It is clear that is what Williams did.

More than one reason went into the Bears’ decision to move on from Fields. Part of it was the contract. It was also the realization that his current style of play was unsustainable. Poles admitted he feared injuries would eventually catch up to the quarterback. That, along with Caleb Williams’ obvious talent, made the decision an easy one. There is no telling how far the future #1 pick will go in Chicago. Still, if he lives up to these assessments from actual NFL people, the Bears are in good hands.

Andrew Vaughn Getting Sent Down Might Be Necessary

ChiSoxFanMike
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Andrew Vaughn Getting Sent Down Might Be Necessary

The extent of Andrew Vaughn’s early season struggles has caused some White Sox fans to consider extreme measures to get him back on track. Some have suggested moving him down in the lineup, others have suggested benching him, and a few have even suggested sending him to AAA for a hard reset. On the surface, sending a 26-year-old former third overall pick in his fourth MLB season down to AAA seems harsh. But given Vaughn’s circumstances and immense struggles, it makes more sense than one would think. 

Vaughn’s Tough Development Path

The White Sox did not do Vaughn any favors regarding his development as a young player. Let’s not get that twisted. After being selected with the third overall pick in the 2019 draft, Vaughn played just 55 minor league games before getting promoted to the majors. To make matters more difficult for him, none of those 55 games were above the High-A level. He also did not play during the 2020 COVID season, which could have impacted his development.

The makeup of the White Sox roster at the time also forced Vaughn to simultaneously learn a new defensive position. José Abreu was locked in at first base, so Vaughn had to play in the outfield to crack the lineup. His lack of minor-league development and having to learn a new defensive position as a rookie are less-than-ideal circumstances for any young player to endure.

Vaughn’s Terrible 2024

However, all those excuses one could have made for Vaughn early in his career are now gone. Abreu departed for Houston after the 2022 season, and Vaughn now has parts of four MLB seasons and over 1,700 career MLB plate appearances to his name. He has also been playing his natural position of first base since the start of the 2023 season. And yet, Vaughn has been worse this season than ever before. While it is a small sample size, he is hitting .167 with three extra-base hits in 72 plate appearances this season. Vaughn is 68% worse than league average offensively per OPS+ and a below-average player in every category across the board, per Baseball Savant.

Taking a deeper dive into the numbers, Vaughn is currently producing career lows in several offensive categories in key areas such as barrel %, exit velocity, hard hit %, and pull %, all while striking out at a higher rate than ever. In simple terms, Vaughn is just not hitting the ball as consistently hard as he has in the past.

2024 is the worst Vaughn has looked at the MLB level since making his debut. That is simply a fact. He is now at the peak of his career and should be getting better, but the opposite has happened. His struggles are further amplified by the fact that he consistently hits at the top of the White Sox lineup.

Reset Is Needed

Vaughn might just be who he is at this point. He is not particularly young anymore, and he only has two years of team control remaining after this season. It is not like one can continue arguing that he is inexperienced at the MLB level because he is not. But continuing to trot him out daily in the majors is not accomplishing anything. He simply is not performing, and his immense struggles could kill whatever confidence he has left. Sending him back to AAA for a hard reset might be what he needs to get back on track.

Cubs Fans Are Starting to Turn on Craig Counsell?

Aldo Soto
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Cubs Fans Are Starting to Turn on Craig Counsell?

The Chicago Cubs are back home after a 5-4 road trip and despite some major injuries and a woeful bullpen Craig Counsell his has squad at 11-7. But baseball fans are gonna baseball fan. Who doesn’t love a good ole lineup debate.

Is this Craig Counsell or David Ross filling out the lineup card because for some reason rookie outfielder Alexander Canario cannot get playing time.

Canario’s lack of starts last September were a main focus from Cubs fans when criticizing Ross and now that the outfielder was called up following Seiya Suzuki’s oblique injury, Counsell isn’t exactly thrusting the right-handed hitter into games.

The Cubs are scheduled to face a trio of left-handed starters this weekend against the Miami Marlins and that includes Friday’s series opener, when A.J. Puk will start. Patrick Wisdom is back from the injured list and because of a career .815 OPS vs. lefties he’s starting, but curiously it’s in right field. Garrett Cooper, who crushed lefties last year and has good numbers against them throughout his career is at first base, giving rookie Michael Busch a day off.

So, you’d think that the DH spot would be open for Canario against a left-handed pitcher, but instead Counsell is going with Nick Madrigal at third base, which means Christopher Morel is pushed to the designated hitter position.

Veteran starter Jameson Taillon is also back from the injured list and although he does give up more contact it’s not like he’s a ground ball pitcher. In 2023, Taillon had a 37.9% ground ball rate and it’s at 42.7% for his career. We know that Madrigal is in there because of his defense, but is Taillon even going to induce that many balls to the infielders?

I had to look it up and maybe this is why Madrigal is starting. The Marlins offense is horrible and will you look at that, they have a 51.8% ground ball rate, which is the highest in MLB. So, maybe the Cubs are anticipating more action for the left side of the infield and want a steady Madrigal at the hot corner. While Morel has looked better defensively you also don’t want a potential miscue to lead to more pitches from Taillon, who is making his season debut and will be on a pitch limit.

Oh and Madrigal is 2-for-2 in his career vs. Puk. So, there’s that.

That being said, I’m not gonna lie, I do find it a bit annoying that Canario has only started one game since this week’s call up, while Miles Mastrobuoni and Madrigal get starts in back-to-back games. In the game Canario did start, he went 1-for-2, with an RBI-double and a run scored.

However, I’m not coming for Counsell’s head because of these types of decisions just yet. Now, if the weekend ends with Canario not getting more playing time, then yeah, that’s a problem.

Bears’ Pro Bowler Labeled One of Off-season’s Worst Signings

Dave
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Bears’ Pro Bowler Labeled One of Off-season’s Worst Signings

The Chicago Bears have been quite active this off-season. While many of their moves have received positive praise, Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report criticized one of their free-agent signings, calling it one of the “worst free-agent signings” of the off-season so far. Ryan is referring to the Bears’ first signing during the opening hour of free agency. The deal was with former Lions and Eagles running back D’Andre Swift for a three-year contract worth $24 million. The deal included a $4 million signing bonus and guaranteed Swift $15.3 million. Ryan commented on the signing, stating Chicago did not need to invest at the running back position.

With Khalil Herbert already in town along with Roschon Johnson — whom the team spent early Day 3 draft capital on last spring — there wasn’t a glaring need for another running back in Chicago.

Everyone has their own opinions, but I believe Ryan might not have watched many Bears games last season. Apart from Justin Fields, the Bears lacked a dynamic runner. Swift adds a level of speed and burst that Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert don’t have in their game. He reminds me of a bit of Tarik Cohen but Swift is a more consistent runner and a lot more physical between the tackles. With the running back market heating up this off-season, Swift was among the top available players. Providing Caleb Williams with another weapon is extremely important. It’s nice to see that the Bears are doing everything possible to support their rookie quarterback and set him up for success. Time will tell with this signing but I think it will bode well for the Bears and most importantly Caleb Williams.

A Different Side To Caleb Williams No One Knows About..

To hear the full conversation with Tahj Washington, you can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform. Additionally, the show is available on YouTube, where you can watch the video included below. In the podcast, Tahj shares even more details and stories about Caleb and we learn more about his football journey, the 2024 NFL Draft process, and so much more.

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