Milner Joins Pen | The Williams & Alonso Pitch | Cubs Baseball Rumors

Milner Joins Pen | The Williams & Alonso Pitch | Cubs Baseball Rumors

Winter meetings are in the books and a couple of players that signed elsewhere met with the Cubs. One guy said that he wanted to play for the Cubs, but he didn’t get the deal he wanted. We’re going to get into that. Devin Williams ended up signing with the Mets, but could have been a Cub. Pete Alonzo, a former Met, signed with Baltimore, but met with the Cubs. And the Cubs ended up signing Colin Snyder on a minor league deal. Oh, how about left-hander Hobie Milner? They did get him on a big league deal. We’ll get into all that right here on the Cubs baseball channel. Lot going on in the world of rumors and Cubs baseball. Thank you guys for being here. Like, subscribe, thumbs up. Let’s go. [Music] [Applause] [Music] What do you say everybody? Mick Gillespie, Cubs Baseball Channel coming at you today. Great to talk to you guys and um talk Cubs baseball. We do that on the Cubs baseball channel every day. And you want one of these right here? I got you. Just join Avenue D. That’s our web three home. The QR code’s right there. We pick games. We give away weekly prizes. And uh I want to see you guys all outfitted in one of these uh Cubs baseball channel hats. All right, let’s get into the news of the day. And I don’t know, like I guess the Cubs signing left-hander Hobie Milner is the top news, right? And you’re saying now, what do we know about Milner? Well, he is a reliable sidearm left-handed reliever who induces a lot of weak contact and ground balls, which is something that the Cubs like. He’s got an unconventional delivery. You remember him when he was in Milwaukee. He was a player for Craig Council and he has like a sinker slider. Um his uh unique sidearm slot makes it tough for batters to kind of especially lefties to figure out what he’s doing. And he gets a lot of weak contact. He’s he’s like a great side armor would. Um throws the sweeper 30% of the time. That averages about 78 miles an hour, a little higher. the sinker 33% of the time. That’s 87.5 miles an hour. That’s like his fast ball. Change up comes in at 81 17% of the time he throws that. And then he’s got a four seam fast ball which is uh right there with the sinker. So I guess that’s also his fast ball. So sinker is 33% of the time. Four seamers 15% of the time. 2023 he was really good. You guys remember that he had a 182 erra. uh 2024 struggled a little bit more with a 473 earn run average and then came back last year with the Texas Rangers through 73 games those side arr go and go and go. He’s kind of a very reliable middle relief type guy and had a 384 erra. So fantastic year. So the Cubs go and they sign him and um you know you’re like okay well you know what what does that mean? Uh it means that the Cubs are really trying to strengthen their bullpen, you know, and the and and the question is like how does this affect the the other guys, the Caleb Theobbarss, the Drew Pomearance lefties in the bullpen. I don’t know. I think that it means that the Cubs could, you know, could sign them as well. Um but, you know, this 34 year old is really good. Uh he got a one-year $3.75 million contract and I think that the Cubs would love to have as many good arms as they could get. Right. And and that goes back to what Craig Council said. He was like, “The bullpen wasn’t what we thought we had at the beginning of the year. It was other guys that stepped up and made the bullpen good, but it wasn’t the guys that they thought that they were going to have.” So now if you could get a whole good bullpen, the guys you thought were going to be good and maybe the guys you develop or maybe you just think everybody’s going to be good and they are, then I think that would uh really help the Cubs at the beginning of the season when they’re trying to adjust to probably not having Kyle Tucker and figure out how they’re going to attack. Now, one guy that they didn’t get is Devin Williams. And according to reports, Devin Williams, who was with the Yankees last year, really wanted to be a Cub. Like, it was his top choice. You remember him from Milwaukee. He was great in Milwaukee. Um, but the Cubs couldn’t match the offer, which was $51 million that Williams got in a deal. um you know and and so okay um that’s what the Mets gave him. The Mets had to have a closer because the Dodgers took Edwin Diaz. So you know what I mean I don’t know that’s a bad split, right? I mean you save a little cash, you get a good closer. Um but you know how close were the Cubs to paying that and and is he you know is it worth it? I don’t know. I mean, I think we all would love to have knocked down a closer like Williams, but I just don’t know what the value is. I mean, I can’t sit here and tell you that it would be the right move or not. I don’t know. I think he would be a good a good, you know, back-end guy, but I guess we’re going to have to see what the Cubs have in mind as far as someone. And then Suarez signed, so he’s off the table now. So, a lot of these like really high lever closers are being picked up. And when we started this, I wasn’t thinking, okay, well, the big move is going to be signing Milner. No, I didn’t think that. I don’t think you guys did either. But there’s still a long way to go before, you know, all of this stuff is over when it comes to free agency. Now, this one was interesting to me. Uh, I didn’t get into it on yesterday’s show. Baltimore signed the polar bear Pete Alonzo to try to help them. They they were right on the cusp of making a run and then they had a huge drop off the uh the next year, right? So now here we are again and it’s like Baltimore is like we got to get some star players and they they did. This is a you know it’s a guy that’s going to hit you a bunch of home runs, going to strike out a lot. He’s going to help give you a little bit of attitude. But the Cubs actually met with him. And I, this is so curious to me because he got about the same contract that Kyle Schwarber got. Um, you know, $155 million, same same neighborhood as Schwarbs. It’s a it’s a power guy. Well, were you going to sign him to be a DH? And I mean, I don’t think that the Cubs were ever going to sign him. I think that it was probably just trying to figure out what the market was. I think it was a strategic thing. 5 years, 155, 5 years, 150. Cadet Schwarbs. I I look, Baltimore struck out on Schwarber and they got Alonzo. Um, and I I would have been more comfortable taking Schwarbs just because of if I was the Cubs, I would think I can do a lot with this guy and make money outside of just winning baseball games and hitting home runs. But, uh, where where would he have played? Like I I just was kind of like where like what if if Alonzo was gonna come to the Cubs? Where would you put him? Because he’s not playing first base cuz B Michael Bush has got that locked down. So maybe DH, you know, maybe and and if you did that then I don’t know. I just I mean I hear these reports and I’m not denying that it probably happened because I think it did. But I just don’t see the fit there with um with Pete Alonzo. And it was kind of surprising to me, but remember when he was apparently for the last couple of years like possible deadline deal, uh the Cubs kind of came up a few times as maybe potential destination to trade for him. Didn’t happen and then they met with him, but you know, it didn’t happen either. I don’t know. I I just don’t know where the fit would have been. But you guys tell me, get in the comments section. I I don’t know like maybe DH I heard Craig Council talking about Seiya Suzuki and you know kind of how Seiya had last year go and it makes you feel comfortable because he was really excited about the way he played in the postseason. All of us were too. We saw it. The way that the season started last year then there was that kind of gap in the middle. I thought he played really good defense down the stretch. I hope that continues because I like the combination of him and Owen Casey if you don’t have Kyle Tucker. So, uh, final thing on the show today, Colin Snyder lands a minor league deal with the Cubs. Uh, Snyder, you know, not a household name, but he’s been part of that Mariners bullpen, kind of the taxi squad back and forth between Triple A and the big leagues. And that’s where the Cubs got Drew Pomearance in Seattle, known for having a great bullpen. And so, you know, here’s a guy who is going to come in on a minor league deal, but hope to make the team. and he’s look the guys you’ve known him with the Mariners, you know him with the Royals, lifetime 128 big league appearances, 448 RA, and he’s uh struck out 104 batters in 112 innings plus, right? So, you know, you’ll see if if the Cubs can, you know, can kind of turn this guy into something that’s a little more consistent. But this, look, Pomerance last year. Who would have thought Pomearance pulling him out of Tacoma was going to end up being one of the best lefties in baseball. So this is what your scouts are doing constantly just looking seeing where they can, hey, find a guy, find a guy here, there, whatever. So maybe this is one of those guys that they’ll be able to land. So that’s where we are right now. Uh, want to tell you guys again to please like and subscribe, share with your Cubs friends, help build this channel. You guys watch all the time and I appreciate it so much. Can’t tell you that enough. Thank you. And now we just got to keep on getting that subscriber base up. We’re trying to get to 10,000 subscribers. Have a great day. Weekend’s here, right? Got to thank God it’s Friday and uh we’ll we’ll do it again tomorrow. But uh great to see you and uh again brought to you by our friends in the Smoky Mountains where a lot of you like to go on vacation from Chicagoland. Christmas lights are up. Great place to go hang out whether it be now or in spring or in the summer. Uh but when you’re there, don’t forget about Sevirville and visit Seirville on your way to Pigeon Forge in Gatlinburg. When you head to the Smoky Mountains, it’s only natural to visit Survivirville. Even we had to check it out. And we’ve been here our whole lives. Experience the adventure of a lifetime. I’m king of the world. Even you can get a bird’s eye view of the Smokies. You’re going down, Billy. [Applause] Wa! Your smokers start here. [Music]

The Cubs Baseball Channel proud to partner with AveD! Follow the link to join Mick Nation. This includes interactive games, contacts and prizes!
https://www.aved.ai/mick-nation

This Episode:
– Cubs Were Devin Williams’ Top Choice
– Chicago Cubs Sign LHP Hoby Milner
– Collin Snider lands minor-league deal with Cubs
– Reportedly The Cubs Met with Pete Alonso

If you’re new to the Cubs Baseball Channel don’t miss anything and join! Like and subscribe here! https://www.youtube.com/@cubsbaseballchannel

Mick Gillispie has covered the Chicago Cubs since 2007 and has been a fan of the team since the 1984 season. He has broadcasted spring training games or been heard on Cubs.com, MLB.com, 670 The Score, WGN, CSN-Chicago and Marquee Sports Network. He is an award winning play-by-play voice for the Tennessee Smokies Cubs Double-A Affiliate. He has also hosted many forums over the years at Cubs Convention including Down on The Farm