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New News on Tyson Ross is There’s No New News on Tyson Ross (Plus a Conspiracy Theory!)
No news, as they say, is good news. Well, they obviously never operated a Cubs blog in January. Being that I am not they, my sincere hope is that someone feeds Tyson Ross‘s decision some Turbo-Lax so we can have something to report. Wow, what selfish is you, buddy?
We’ve been following the unexpected saga of the former Padres All-Star since he was released back in early December, all the while harboring at least a passing assumption that he’d end up in Chicago. And while recent reports had the Rangers on the verge of signing him, Ross has continued to use the same methodical approach we were told he would.
As I’ve discussed in previous posts (here and here, to name a couple), this isn’t solely about who’s going to pay more. I mean, that’s part of it. The actual structure of the contract is going to have to be such that it allows both Ross and his new team to take advantage of a full return to health while also insulating said team against his inability to do so. That’s not necessarily an easy balance to strike.
And when you’re talking about a pitcher trying to return from shoulder surgery, particularly the type of procedure that has ruined other talented arms, he’s going to need to have a great deal of faith in the training and coaching staffs of his new team. I’m sure the Cubs’ state-of-the-art clubhouse, complete with a fully appointed physical therapy suite, factors in that decision.
Then you’ve got the weather in Chicago, which is a far cry from that in San Diego. Then again, what weather isn’t. Ross might not like the cold, but the sweltering heat of the North Texas summer isn’t exactly great for a pitcher’s stamina. Besides, it’s easy to throw on a coat or sidle up next to the radiant warmth of Davey Martinez’s swarthy masculinity if you get a little chilly.
Ken Rosenthal cites all these things as reasons for a delay in the pitcher’s decision, but I’ve got a fun little conspiracy theory to toss into the mix too. What if, and understand that this is a little far-fetched, Ross has actually already made his choice and is holding off for the sake of the Cubs Convention? This front office is known to have a flair for the dramatic, so maybe they clued him in to the deal and he thought it sounded fun.
Though I’m sure they’d never jeopardize an opportunity to improve the team just for the sake of a splash, it’d be pretty cool to introduce such a big addition on the main stage during Friday’s opening ceremonies. Too bad it won’t happen. Or will it?