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The Rundown: Cubs Mash in Cactus League Opener, Canario DFA’d, ESPN-MLB Sever Rights Agreement

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterFebruary 21, 2025

Baseball is back, and the Cubs beat the Dodgers 12-4 in their Cactus League opener. However, that wasn’t the big news of the day because Chicago officially signed Justin Turner while designating Alexander Canario in the corresponding move. The decision to cut Canario upset several fans, particularly those who view Vidal Bruján as this year’s version of Miles Mastrobuoni. Then again, Canario has been on the team’s 40-man roster since being acquired from the Giants and couldn’t unseat Mastrobuoni last season.

The arguments for keeping Canario are somewhat mind-boggling, at least to me. The Cubs have enviable depth in the outfield up and down their system, and Canario’s best shot to make the team was as a backup to Michael Busch at first base. Turner will handle those duties and, let’s face it, Canario isn’t a first baseman. If he wasn’t DFA’d yesterday, Canario would have had a helluva time finding a spot once Matt Shaw and/or James Triantos are added to the 40-man. Triantos or Gage Workman might end up beating out Bruján, who is also out of minor league options.

One would think Canario has trade value, so the Cubs might find a team interested in making a deal. Still, if something was there, Jed Hoyer would have pulled the trigger. I suppose anything is better than nothing, but not if the return is a player without options unless he has more value than Bruján. Caleb Kilian, Kevin Alcántara, and Pete Crow-Armstrong are the only remaining players from Hoyer’s deadline selloff in 2021, and you could say that is an indictment of the values of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Báez. The Cubs waited too long to sell high on those players and might have done the same with Canario.

A small possibility exists that Canario will go unclaimed, and he’d have a perfect opportunity to become a first baseman at Iowa. The Cubs don’t have the luxury of letting him learn on the job as part of the squad that breaks camp. This is a team built to win now, which sometimes means sacrificing guys who get squeezed positionally. As it is, Hoyer’s priority should be extending Kyle Tucker while readying Alcántara and Owen Caissie to be regulars next season in case Tucker leaves.

Cubs News & Notes

Odds & Sods

Shōta Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki had a little fun before yesterday’s game.

Central Intelligence

Spring Training News & Notes

The Yankees amended their longstanding facial grooming policy, announcing that players and coaches will be permitted to have “well-groomed” beards.

The policy change is eliciting several funny reactions from players across the sport.

ESPN and MLB will end their decades-long relationship after this season.

The MLB-ESPN standoff is mostly about local television rights.

Here’s everything you need to know about the ABS Challenge System.

Zach Maxwell is a 6-foot-6, 275-pound Reds pitching prospect who answers to the nickname “Big Sugar.”

Juan Soto gave Brett Baty a brand-new car in exchange for uniform number 22.

The Astros signed former top prospect Brendan Rodgers to a minor league deal.

Aaron Boone will manage the Yankees for at least two more years beyond this season after signing an extension.

The Rays open their Grapefruit League season today as a road team playing in the stadium they’ll call home for the entire 2025 season.

Extra Innings

The Cubs have a big hitter on their hands, and though he is not among their top prospects, he might remind you of Aaron Judge. His name is Ivan Brethowr, the perfect moniker to play the antagonist to Tony Stark in the MCU.

According to one scouting report, Brethowr already possesses 70-grade power. He’s fun to watch, even if he is a longshot to make the Majors.

They Said It

  • “Everything is positive with Nico, but we’re still in it. We’re still in a throwing program, part of the rehab. We’re gonna manage volume in the swings for the entire season.” – Counsell
  • “This is a better group than we assembled last year at this time. There’s always room to keep doing things and keep improving the roster. That’s a good spot. We’re in a good position from that perspective. Now, we’ve got to go compete.” – Counsell
  • “Winning cures everything. It always has and probably always will. So the more that you can get guys who have been there and done that, and done it on the highest stages, the biggest stages, and been a part of something that’s bigger than themselves, the better off you’re going to be. Because they understand what it takes.” – Dansby Swanson
  • “You watch playoff baseball, and it’s a different level of competition. Every pitch is that important. Every swing decision is that important. You always want to have guys who have been through that. I think about our team in 2015 and watching the anxiety on guys’ faces going into those games. And then watching how they reacted in ‘16. You grow from those experiences and you can’t speed that up. You win with young teams, for sure, but there are guys who have been through those at-bats over and over, and it helps to have some of that veteran know-how.” – Hoyer

Friday Walk-Up Song

Adios, Alexander.

 

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterFebruary 21, 2025
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