I will find joy in raising and watching my kids grow and continue becoming their own person. Merrifield is only set to earn $14.5 million over the next three seasons, although that number could increase up to $18.5 million based on incentives. Join the Cubbies Crib team! I will focus on personal growth and charitable endeavors and become a better man, teammate, friend, and player. I will help other players with @patriotforward and @showandgo. Strumpf was considered one of the top prospects for the 2019 MLB draft. Julianna Zobrist’s court documents don’t disclose a reason for the divorce, but Ben Zobrist’s court filing is a little more specific about why the couple is splitting.

They have failed to produce at a mediocre level and for the cubs to turn this season around we need to see offensive production out of this spot. Lately, it's been Bote, as Russell has been dealing with a right hand injury he suffered on a slide last Tuesday. The 33-year-old is set to become a free agent at the end of the year and would provide the Cubs the player they hoped to get when they signed Daniel Descalso this past offseason, a versatile left-handed bat that can play a variety of infield positions. Strumpf attended JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California.
Sogard is having a career year for the Blue Jays, owning a slash line of .294/.364/.478 to go along with nine home runs and a 1.8 fWAR. Powered by Minute Media © 2020 All Rights Reserved. Lets take a look. By Alex Van Zante Jul 9, 2019, 9:00am CDT Share this story What kind of names could potentially fit the Cubs? Setting the off-field issues aside, Addison Russell has actually been fairly productive in his limited action, accumulating an fWAR of 0.6 in just 46 games, with most of that value coming from his glove. [3][4] He was not drafted out of high school in the 2016 MLB draft and thus enrolled at UCLA. [2] After his freshman year, he played on the USA Baseball 15U National Team, helping Team USA win a gold medal in Barranquilla, Colombia. Second base has been home to five players over the first 89 games this year. "Right now, you've seen primarily David and Addison," Joe Maddon said. Over 39 games between the three clubs, Strumpf slashed .244/.374/.400 with three home runs and 17 RBIs. ", "I don't want to overhaul [my swing] during the season, but just make some adjustments," he said. The 35-year old former all-star is batting .327/.378/.563 this year with 12 home runs and 47 runs batted in, good for a 139 wRC+ and an fWAR of 1.6. The trick is just finding somewhat consistent time for each guy to get out there and see regular at-bats. The Orioles are on pace to lose over 100 games so they will not need him either. Sogard offers positional flexibility too, having played second base, shortstop, third base, and right field for the Blue Jays this year. CHICAGO (CBS) — Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist and his wife Julianna Zobrist have filed for divorce from each other, court records show. Ben Zobrist, Chicago Cubs. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Chicago Cubs and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. We strive to win championships, but more often the process is the goal.

Chicago Cubs trade & free agent rumors and proposals, Marlins 5, Cubs 1: That’s not the way I’ve always heard it should be. He was one of the Cubs' best clutch hitters to begin the year, but since the calendar flipped to May, the 32-year-old veteran is slashing just .103/.209/.138 (.347 OPS) with only 1 extra-base hit and 3 RBI in 29 games. While league average doesn’t scream for a change, the front office has been hinting at a drastic change coming in the next few weeks, and this is the position that would make the most sense. CHICAGO (CBS) — Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist and his wife Julianna Zobrist have filed for divorce from each other, court records show. The first time All-Star led the Majors with 45 steals in 2018, and while he’s only stolen 13 bases this year, that would easily pace every player on the Cubs in that category.
21. ... Alberto was the fifth-most valuable defender among qualified second basemen in 2019. So as he's ready to roll, you'll probably see more of that and then Bote at third and pop [Kris Bryant] back in the outfield. Ryne Sandberg has the second-highest total overall; his nine awards, all won with the Chicago Cubs, are the most by a National League player. Even though Zobrist spent most of his time in the outfield in 2018, with the suspension of Addison Russell and his questionable future going forward with the Cubs it seems likely that Zobrist will at least open the season at second base if … He is.

It's a game of adjustments — they're gonna adjust to you and my job is to adjust back. For starters, play Bote at second.

Descalso, on the other hand, has been putrid this season, slashing .186/.285/.269 over 180 plate appearances, registering a wRC+ of 51. Second base is not typically known as a position that has a lot of power or big hitters but that too is starting to change, with some of the guys coming in being more than just quick defenders. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. But then Addison Russell returned from his suspension during the first week of May and Descalso started slumping right around the same time. "He started out well, then he hit a little bit of a skid, which was good because he had some problems at the major-league level early in the season and he's overcome that already," Maddon said. Simply put, it’s hard to get so little production out of so many different options at second. It’s unclear whether Zobrist’s leave of absence is connected to the divorce proceedings. But it was Bote again in the starting lineup for Sunday's homestand finale and delivered the game-winning hit in the fifth inning to break a 1-1 tie. 4 spot in the defensive alignment. Of the 46 second basemen that have registered at least 150 plate appearances this year, Descalso’s -0.6 fWAR ranks 44th. David Bote Among Fastest Cubs, Has More Speed Than Most Second Basemen. Zobrist hasn’t changed his Twitter bio, which says he’s the ‘husband to Julianna.’ Several photos of the couple still appear on her Instagram page. It's a topic we've seen pop up every now and then throughout the first couple months of the 2019 season and it's a fair question/debate, but it misses the big picture — the 2019 Cubs probably won't ever have an everyday second baseman. Over the Cubs' last 34 games, Descalso has only drawn 13 starts at second base, with Russell and David Bote essentially splitting time at the position in that span. Zobrist also missed some time with his team during spring training. That being said, the free agent market has some intriguing names at the second base position. This year, Merrifield is batting .306/.355/.495, good for a 121 wRC+ and a 2.3 fWAR. Descalso confirmed he is working on some specific mechanical changes right now, but said it's "nothing crazy. The kid showed promise as a 22-year-old rookie late this year, but he still has a lot of growing to do. Each game is a microcosm of life. FanGraphs Membership. That year, he set career-highs with 21 home runs and 95 RBI. Who should be the Cubs' everyday second baseman? But let’s not forget all the good that happened.

This game and this team gives us something to pass the time, to express our love and passion, to feel the joy of the wins and the pains of the losses, and it calls us to unity when we so easily can be divided about so many other things. My goodness, David's got a great head on his shoulders. Villar is not an All-Star talent, but with the Cubs’ farm system as weak as it is, the organization cannot afford to trade for a high-end player. I will travel and watch my wife crush her book tour. [9] He was named to the Pac-12 First Team for the second consecutive year,[10] and finished his junior year batting .279 with nine home runs and 44 RBIs in 63 games.[11].