May 20th: A Castro in the Hand...

While the Cubs and Mets clashed in a four game set on the diamond, the front offices spent some time discussing assets and the possibility of a deal being struck. The Cubs are in need of pitching, with a few arms standing between them and a very deep playoff run. Meanwhile, the Mets believe they are a franchise shortstop away from creating a dynasty with dreams of October. Each team is strong in the others’ area of need, and it looks to be a perfect match to make something happen.

“We haven’t made a deal yet, but there’s been matches that made sense, and I’m sure we’ll talk to them in the future,” Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer said of the conversations with New York. “It’ll happen at some point.”

Today, Bleacher Report took the first crack at guessing what kind of pieces would be included in a blockbuster between the Cubs and Mets. The trade proposed was as follows:

Cubs get: SP Jacob DeGrom, RP Rafael Montero, and C Kevin Plawecki

Mets get: SS Starlin Castro, IF/OF Arismendy Alcantara, and 1B Dan Vogelbach

The argument for the deal is that it is a proven shortstop for a top young arm, with supporting cast members that fill other voids on each team respectively.

The Cubs need to be cautious, though, not to overestimate the value of the infield depth. By trading Castro and Alcantara, they would be losing two of the valuable pieces that contribute to the insane depth of the middle infield. Javier Baez is a valuable piece, but hasn’t proven to be a major contributor at the big league level. Meanwhile, Castro is a centerpiece for what the Cubs have done so far, and has a very team-friendly contract going forward for the next few years.

Right now, the Cubs look like they are about to get to clicking on all cylinders. The infield is a collection of big names, from Bryant to Castro to Russell to Rizzo. That has the makings of a historic squad that can lead the Cubs to a decade of success. To break that up would require an offer that would revolutionize a different facet of the game, and DeGrom just isn’t that.

Rather than using Castro, a veteran presence in the clubhouse, as trade bait, it might better serve the Cubs to use Baez as a high-ceiling gamble for a trade partner. Will this have an impact on the return? Certainly. But it is well worth it to maintain the services of one of the National League’s best shortstops, rather than betting on the development on an offensive monster with strikeout problems.

Another motivation to the trade proposed by BR is the need for the Cubs to find their “Catcher of the Future,” believing that Plawecki could be that backstop. The flaw in this notion is the assumption that Kyle Schwarber doesn’t have a future as a catcher in the league. As a hitter, Schwarber is already begging for his turn at the big league level. Defensively, it seems like the Cubs simply can’t make up their mind. Every few months there is a new article about the hard work he is putting in behind the dish, and how much progress he is making. Then, soon after, we hear that the Cubs are in need of an answer for the future. My money is on Schwarber as a central piece of the Cubs future, and willing to put in the work to make himself invaluable wherever he is needed. It is most certainly not worth it to part ways with Castro to add another name to the mix at a position with a variety of options.

The inclusion of Vogelbach is the one bright spot in this deal. Vogelbach is a strong prospect who has had years of success, but is stuck behind, debatably, the game’s best first baseman for the future. With no real ability to find a different position, the sooner the Cubs can get some return for the hefty first-sacker the better.

On the whole, the Cubs are in a holding pattern with a huge volume of talent at several positions. While they are in need of starting pitching, they should be very thoughtful about giving up a proven star with a team-friendly contract in favor of pitching that might come at too high a price. Waiting to see how the trade market develops in July could be huge for the Cubs to maintain their leadership core while also getting the veteran pitching that will throw them over the edge into a deep playoff threat.

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March 3rd: Black-eyed Blackhawks

On February 25th, the day after Patrick Kane went down with an injury, many wanted to declare the Blackhawks out of Stanley Cup contention. Sure, the pre-season Western Conference favorite had probably built up enough steam to limp into the playoffs, but without their top goal scorer, it would be an early exit for sure.

That is, of course, until you look at the rest of the Chicago lineup. With Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marrian Hossa, Brad Richards, Brandon Saad, and so many more studs on this team, there is plenty of firepower to keep the Hawks competitive. Plus, the trade deadline left even more room to patch up the fill the hole left by “Showtime”.

Antoine Vermette was the big catch for the Blackhawks at
the Trade Deadline.

The acquisitions of Antoine Vermette from the Coyotes and Kimmo Timonen from the Flyers fill two of the biggest needs left on the Chicago roster: a center who has a high face-off percentage and a veteran defender who has fresh legs. This works to add depth to a team already known for wave upon wave of skilled players.

What, during the offseason had been a terrible void has turned into a dominant strength, as the Blackhawks have strong talent on all four lines at center. With Toews, Vermette, Richards, and Kruger, there is a good chance Chicago will start every faceoff with the puck.

While this by no means makes the Blackhawks the unwavering favorites to win the Cup, it does keep them in contention long enough to potentially get Kane back for the second or third round of the playoffs. A team that includes all that talent, PLUS a fresh Patrick Kane should most certainly catch everyone’s attention.

Rather than attempting to find a single player to score the points left by Patrick Kane, the Blackhawks would benefit most by seeing a slight uptick in performance from all of their stars. That smallball philosophy (to share a term from baseball) is absolutely possible for a team who hasn’t gotten their money’s worth from Patrick Sharp in recent weeks, and who have the opportunity to increase scoring opportunities for their centerpiece, captain Jonathan Toews.

In their first game after the trade deadline, the Blackhawks did just that. A five goal flurry, led by three points by The Captain showed just how badly the Blackhawks want to stay competitive. With goals from four different Hawks, the team shared the star power and contributed big, making a statement for all of those who thought their dominance was over for the year.

For the remainder of the season, the Blackhawks will play 10 of their 18 games against teams outside of the playoff picture. That bodes well for a team trying to fight their way into the second seed in their division. Lucky for them, the Blues have also seen a flurry of defensive challenges, most recently a streak in which opponents have scored four or more goals in four of the last seven games.

More than any other skill, though, the Blackhawks have been there before. After coming a single shot away from the Stanley Cup Final last season, the Hawks core remains from not one, but two championship runs since 2010. You just can’t bet against a team that has the track record of the Blackhawks the last half decade.

November 20th: NFL Week 12

The ZP: Left Fielder has taken the last two weeks off from NFL predictions, which has left football unable to decide what to do. The Broncos lost to a (maybe-not-so) lowly Rams team, the Jets beat an all-over-the-place Steelers team, and the Chiefs win without a single wide-receiver based touchdown.

That being said, we’re ready to get back to the crystal ball and take a stab at the outcome of Week 12 in the NFL!

Chiefs at Raiders

I don’t see the Chiefs as a real powerhouse in the AFC, but they keep winning, and nobody is really sure why. At least this week, we’ll know exactly why.

Browns at Falcons

Would anyone have guessed that, at 4-6, the Falcons would be leading their division? Would anyone guess that the Browns would be near the top of theirs? With Josh Gordon coming back, the Browns might just be trustworthy.

Buccaneers at Bears

The first home win for the Bears last week was a huge sigh of relief. While there will be good feelings for Lovie Smith’s return to Soldier Field, the Bears are desperate to string some positivity together with another win.

Bengals at Texans

One week, the Bengals get blown out at home against the Browns. The next, they storm into the Superdome and steal one from the Saints. I’m going Bengals here, but only if they can contain J.J. Watt.

Jaguars at Colts

These Colts got embarrassed for the second time in three weeks. The Jaguars are a perfect opportunity to bounce back in a big way. I still think the Colts could be a power in the AFC, but only if they find help for Luck.

Packers at Vikings

The Packers are getting huge production out of their quarterback. Aaron Rodgers is looking like the full-package. I hate to say it, but the Packers look like one of the most complete teams in the league, especially against the weak Vikings.

Lions at Patriots

I so desperately want to pick the Lions, both because I like Detroit and because I think the Patriots are due to crash back to earth (or at least back to Kansas City). Alas, I don’t think New England will be the location for that fall.

Titans at Eagles

The Eagles come off a bad loss to the Packers. The Titans gave the Steelers a run for their money. The world will return to normal this week, with the Eagles flying high and the Titans losing in new and creative ways.

Dolphins at Broncos

What in the world happened to the Broncos? Peyton was downright bad, although the defense held the Rams to just field goals. Manning will not allow a losing streak, so the Dolphins should be very, very scared.

Rams at Chargers

Apparently, St. Louis is where good teams go to lose. The Chargers were everyone’s favorites to make a run this year. This week, though, I’m thinking we will see the teams we were expecting at the beginning of the year, with the Chargers taking down the Rams.

Cardinals at Seahawks

Everyone is fairly squarely on the Cardinals bandwagon, but, with a backup quarterback and the 12th man, I’m not nearly dumb enough to bet against the Seahawks. Plus, this is a team that will thrive as the “underdog,” if you can be an underdog as the defending champs.

Redskins at 49ers

Nobody is really sure what the hell is happening in Washington, although, at times, the same could be said for San Francisco. The 49ers will take merciless advantage of a team that they can embarrass.

Cowboys at Giants

This would be an awesome prime-time game, except that the Giants have no realistic chance at making it interesting. The Cowboys are coming off a bye, which should settle some of the subtle issues that were arising at the end of their streak of success.

Ravens at Saints

All of a sudden, the Saints can’t win at home, either. The Ravens are good, if not with a few holes. I think this might be the closest game out there, but it has the potential to dramatically change the playoff picture.

According to my predictions on ESPN’s Playoff Machine, the playoffs will be as follows:

AFC:

Seed 1 - Patriots

Seed 2 - Broncos

Seed 3 - Colts

Seed 4 - Steelers

Seed 5 - Ravens

Seed 6 - Chiefs

NFC:

Seed 1 - Cardinals

Seed 2 - Packers

Seed 3 - Eagles

Seed 4 - Panthers

Seed 5 - Lions

Seed 6 - Cowboys

November 18th: Cubs Staying the Course

Welcome to the Cubs bandwagon, baseball world. I’ve been here all along, but it’s nice to know that the sports writers across the country are now ready to realize just how good the Cubs could be next season and into the future.

There is plenty of work to be done, though. The starting pitching is weak, the position players are talented but very young and inexperienced, and the free agent market requires a smart mind, rather than a happy trigger finger. Throughout the whole Theo Epstein era, fans have been told that this is a long-term situation and that the Cubs are going to do what it takes to be contenders not for one year, but for many years to come.

Russell Martin just turned the free agency field upside down by forsaking the front-runner Cubs to go for a home-town contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, who were willing to massively overpay for a Canadian star. All of a sudden, a type of panic set in: maybe the Cubs won’t be as much of a player this year in free agency as we thought.

The Cubs did not get into this position as a young, exciting team by making rash decisions and overpaying veterans. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly the situation Theo inherited from a Jim Hendry team that tried to use one free agent signing to fix an overwhelmingly bad team (yes, I’m looking at you Alfonso). I know I’m going to get in trouble for making a Packers reference to Chicago fans, but everyone needs to listen to Aaron Rodgers and “R-E-L-A-X”. One catcher was not the thing standing between the Cubs and a World Series title.

The biggest area where Cubs fans and sports writers are working themselves into a tizzy is with Starlin Castro. The free agent market for shortstops is incredibly thin. The demand is extraordinarily high, though, meaning the Cubs, a team with a stockpile of young middle infielders, could be a huge player. Everyone wants to see Starlin traded for pitching, helping to ease the log-jam, while also adding to the weakest area on the Cubs.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though, folks. Castro is a three-time all-star, returning to form after having a very rough 2013. He is the longest tenured Cub, and has an incredibly team-friendly contract for the next 5 years. While he is a valuable trade chip, the Cubs just might get more value out of him on the team than they would getting rid of him. Castro has the opportunity to be a leader with Anthony Rizzo, the stable core of an otherwise very inexperienced roster. Even with Javier Baez already in the majors and Addison Russell not far behind, the Cubs would rather have a bird in the hand than two in the farm system (not exactly the saying, but ya know).

Another important piece of the puzzle is the possibility for a long-term outlook. If the Cubs can get a catcher, a stud pitcher, and/or a veteran outfielder, they should be in a pretty good place to get started for 2015. Now, if we were to only get one or two of those pieces, we could very well be in position to make a move at the trade deadline. Then, teams will be all the more desperate for a player like Castro, who could be the difference between a division winner and a October couch surfer. By holding on to Castro, the Cubs have the opportunity to see how he develops, and watch the teams line up, willing to blow good long-term talent for short-term wins.

The future looks bright for the Cubs, and it looks bright for many years to come. While some may be tempted to call for $300 million in free agent signings and four or five big trades this offseason, the Cubs need to stay the course. Patience and scouting got the Cubs to where they are now. It would be a terrible time to change the plan.

October 29th: NBA Preview

The NBA season is ready to kick off after one of the most exciting off-seasons in recent memory. LeBron has come home, the Clippers have new ownership, and the Bulls have a healthy Derrick Rose (we hope).

That being said, things are going to get exciting right off the bat. Here is the Zoot Perspective: Left Fielder’s NBA Preview for the 2014-2015 season:

MVP Award: LeBron James

Coming back home is going to be good for LeBron’s psyche. He will also have more help in Cleveland than he did in Miami, leaving him open to dominating at his game. There is nobody on this planet who balls better than LeBron, and he will regain his control over the MVP award fairly easily.

Rookie of the Year: Jabari Parker

My favorite player coming out of college this year, Parker is primed to have a monster rookie year. Playing for the Bucks will help, as they’ll take all the talent they can get. He can score, is growing as a defender, and will become an instant leader on a team with nowhere to go but up.

Surprise Team: Charlotte Hornets

The Bobcats finished their short-lived career with a playoff berth. Now, the Hornets are going to have a coming out party. The new logo and color scheme are awesome, and the team is ready to compete. Lance Stephenson is a huge addition, and the duo of former Hoosiers, Cody Zeller and Noah Vonleh, will both be big role-players as they develop (although I’m clearly biased). I expect this team to emerge as a md-level competitor in the East.

Disappointing Team: New York Knicks

The Knicks are excited about Phil Jackson, and thrilled that they were able to re-sign Carmelo Anthony. Other than that, there isn’t much to look forward to. They will have occasional bursts of scoring enthusiasm, but this team needs a whole lot more of a supporting cast than Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith can provide. I think this team will be competitive in 2016, but not this year.

Eastern Conference Playoff Picture:

1. Chicago Bulls - Derrick Rose is the key to this team. He doesn’t need to be an MVP, he just needs to stay healthy and produce.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers - This team is terrifying on paper, although a learning curve is to be expected.
3. Washington Wizards - The Wizards will have to answer to whether or not last year was the start of something or a fluke.
4. Charlotte Hornets - A surprise team to watch, the Hornets are young, can run the court, and look like a sleeper pick for the East.
5. Toronto Raptors - An overtime loss was all that stood between the Raptors and a deep run in the playoffs. This year they’ll look to get back there.
6. Miami Heat - Oh, how far they fall. The Heat got Luol Deng to replace LeBron, which will be good enough for the playoffs, but nowhere near championship level.
7. Brooklyn Nets - A lot has changed for the Nets, but I like their competitive edge. Lionel Hollins was huge for the Grizzlies, and will do great things for the Nets.
8. Detroit Pistons - This is another sleeper for a lower-level playoff team. The Pistons could be competitive in a powerful division.

Western Conference Playoff Picture:

1. San Antonio Spurs - The defending champs know how to get it done in the regular season. They will cruise to a top-seed finish.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder - The first few months without Durant will hurt, but this team is deep enough to overcome it and make a run.
3. Los Angeles Clippers - There might be some growing into new ownership, but this team will wind up even better than they were a year ago.
4. Dallas Mavericks - Dallas gave San Antonio a run for their money in last year’s postseason, and they’ve added the pieces to make it back there.
5. Portland Trail Blazers - Lillard is a beast, and Aldridge is a reliable star. This team will be fun to watch, although they are one star away from contending for the West.
6. Golden State Warriors - The Splash Brothers make the Warriors exciting, but, if you live and die by the hot hand, you aren’t destined for long playoff drives.
7. Houston Rockets - Everyone was singing the Rockets’ praises this time last year. Now, there are too many questions about their reliability. A low-seed playoff team is all you can expect.
8. New Orleans Pelicans - This isn’t so much picking the Pelicans as it is picking Anthony Davis. He will eat the rest of the league for breakfast.

Eastern Conference Finals: Chicago Bulls over Cleveland Cavaliers

A midwestern battle, this should be the best matchup all year. In the finals, the Bulls will have home-court advantage, and will use their experience and defense to beat the still-gelling Cavaliers in 6.

Western Conference FInals: Los Angeles Clippers over San Antonio Spurs

The Clippers were distracted during last year’s playoffs, no matter what anyone tells you. The Spurs are constantly finding ways to be there at the end. This will be an epic 7 gamer, but Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will lead the charge.

2015 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls over Los Angeles Clippers

Two major markets squaring off. This will be a showdown of two of the game’s best point guards and two of the game’s best big men. It’s nearly impossible to predict how things will go, but the Bulls have the championship pedigree to bring home the championship.

June 5th: Guess Who the White Sox are Playing?

Jose Quintana's defense couldn't play any better
than their broadcasters could call the game.

I know it’s a rough day at the gym when I’m so desperate for something to watch on TV that I actually turn to a White Sox game. This was the predicament I was in yesterday. To make matters worse, it wasn’t even a real White Sox game; it was a replay of a game played the day before.

It was the last 10 minutes on the elliptical, though, and I needed to keep my mind off of the burning in my legs, so I stuck with it. The Dodgers were having a big inning (I knew that before it happened, because I had seen the highlights that morning). Over the course of the ten batter inning, the White Sox committed four defensive blunders resulting in a 5 run rally by LA. Jose Quintana, the starter for the White Sox, just couldn’t catch a break.

As it turned out, neither could I. It dawned on me that, for the entirety of the 15 minutes I watched the game, the announcing team hadn’t once mentioned that there was another team on the field. The coverage was 80% discussing (or should I say lamenting) the play of the White Sox, and 20% telling me what was actually happening on the field. Of course, not that the Dodgers had just recorded a hit: the White Sox had let up the hit. If this had been a radio broadcast, I would have had no idea who the opponents were; they were never mentioned by name or by likeness.

As a baseball fan living outside of his home market, I saw a lot of baseball last year, some nationally televised, others on local broadcasts that I was able to find on MLB.com. Having heard plenty of announcing crews and their style of describing baseball, Ken “Hawk” Harrelson and Steve Stone must have been the worst I’ve ever experienced.

I know everything I say about the White Sox needs to be said with the caveat: I hate the Sox. I’m a true Cubs fan who can’t stand what they Sox stand for. But as a fan of the game of baseball, I’m objective enough to say things like “Jose Abreu is a monster,” and “Paul Konerko is a class act,” and “Chris Sale can flat out pitch.” In the same breath: The Sox TV crew suck.

Gordon Beckham's defensive struggles made for an LA
big inning. Not that you would have known it was LA...

I understand that Hawk is one of the most iconic announcers in the game. We’ve all come to know, if not love, his phrases, like “He gone,” for a strikeout, or a hearty “YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD!!! YES!!!” for a dinger. But being so narrow-minded that you don’t even acknowledge the other team on the field is a real disappointment for any fan trying to really take in a ballgame.

For any game, you want to hear a little bit about the other team. Who are their stars? How are they doing this year? What style do they play? This is even more magnified in the case of inter-league play. Sox fans don’t often get to see an NL West foe. None of that happened, though, as Hawk and Steve spent their entire air-time talking about their own team.

Good broadcasting is telling a story. A baseball story is not complete with only one side of the game, and while their paychecks are coming from the White Sox, they aren’t paid on commision for the number of times they mention the team name.