👋 Good morning!
It’s like Christmas morning for kids on the naughty list.
Dread it, run from it; destiny arrives all the same. Just what everybody (with the last name Reinsdorf and Karnisovas) wanted: another win-or-go home between the Bulls and Heat.
The More You Know:
2023 Play-In: Bulls def. Raptors » Heat def. Bulls.
2024 Play-In: Bulls def. Hawks » Heat def. Bulls.
2025 Play-In: Bulls vs. Heat » Winner vs…. Hawks.
It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later.
Despite committing to Matt Shaw as the Opening Day third baseman, the Cubs have sent their top prospect back to Triple-A to find his game after a rough start to his major league career.
Sent Down: Shaw isn’t the only Opening Day roster member headed to Iowa. RHP Nate Pearson, who’s sporting a 10.38 ERA in 8.2 IP this season, will join the third baseman in Des Moines (where only the S’s are silent).
Called Up: LHP Luke Little and RHP Daniel Palencia rejoined the Cubs on Tuesday.
Palencia pitched a scoreless 6th inning in Chicago’s late-night extra-innings 2-1 win in San Diego. Little, 24, was a big piece of manager Craig Counsell’s bullpen last season before a strained left lat ended his season in July.
Injured List: RHP Eli Morgan heads to the 10-day IL one day after allowing four earned runs in Monday’s 10-4 loss to the Padres. IF Vidal Brujan was activated from the 10-day IL, where he began the season with an elbow issue, and joins the club as a bench utility option.
If all goes well and Shaw finds his groove in the minors, I expect to see him back with the big league club before the All-Star break — probably sometime in June.
Shaw’s defense was far improved, his baserunning was solid, and he had no issue taking walks. But his bat is what advanced him to the majors so quickly, and without it, the Cubs aren’t receiving the value they need.
However, his replacement options aren’t much better right now. Justin Turner could see a little more time at the hot corner, but it was Rule-5 pick Gage Workman who drew the start at third in the club’s first game without Shaw.
Jon Berti finished the game for Workman, entering the win as a pinch hitter in the 8th inning. Brujan, who the Cubs acquired over the offseason for 1B Matt Mervis, can also play the position.
So, there are options, but nothing nearly as long-term as Shaw.
On Shaw, Counsell told reporters ahead of Tuesday night’s game: “We just thought we saw enough, where we needed to take a break from this level and get some at-bats in Triple-A. The goal is to bring him back here and have him be the third baseman, but as the player who we think Matt Shaw is.”
In 18 games, Shaw slashed .172/.294/.241 with 18 strikeouts and 10 walks in 68 plate appearances.
The Bears officially announced the three-year extension for defensive back Kyler Gordon on Tuesday. In addition to a press release from GM Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson, Gordon spoke to members of the media yesterday afternoon:
Poles: “We are excited to have Kyler remain a member of the Chicago Bears for years to come. Kyler will be a big part of our defense, and we look forward to his continued ascension on our team.”
Johnson: “We are fired up to secure Kyler as a mainstay on our defense and a dependable component of our team. Our staff cannot wait to get to work with Kyler.”
Gordon: “I feel like every year, you still have to do what's ahead of you. It's not like the next three years are all said and done. In my head, I'm still earning every penny every day that I play.”
Locking down Gordon through 2028 is a big win for a Bears defense that promises to look very different under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen.
I wrote about what the extension means for the team in Monday’s newsletter, so I won’t double dip — but Johnson’s statement on Tuesday echoed what he said shortly after being introduced as head coach in January: Gordon is “a phenomenal nickel.”
The $40 million just drives the point home. It’s obvious how the Bears feel about the 25-year-old, and it has to feel nice for Poles to extend his first draft choice.
I did find it interesting when Gordon mentioned in the presser that he was not present for last week’s voluntary offseason program while his reps and the team hammered out the details of his extension.
Then again, it was voluntary, and Gordon later added that he has since met the staff and described them as having “good energy.”
Quick Hits
The Party’s Over: Nothing like an overtime winner to finish a season. This wasn’t quite like the OT GWG to end the 2010 season, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Frank Nazar, who got a lot of love in yesterday’s email, ripped a wrister to give the Blackhawks their 25th and final win of the year. Connor Bedard also tallied two goals. Onto the offseason!
Fact Check: I put together a nugget the other day that a Bears GM’s first pick hadn’t received a second contract since John Allred, who was drafted in 1997 by Mark Hatley, received a one-year extension in 2000. However, Hatley wasn’t brought over from Kansas City until three weeks after the 1997 draft.
So, the stat is actually worse. As pointed out by Mark Potash on X yesterday, Kyler Gordon, who was Ryan Poles’ first pick in 2022, is the first since…the Rod Graves/Dave Wannstedt brain trust selected Curtis Conway in 1993 and extended him in 1996.
Quick Reminder: I’ll be posting one final pre-draft CHGO Bears mailbag this Friday! Have any questions for me? Reply to this email or hit me up on Twitter.
There is a catch. Anybody can ask a question, but this mailbag will only be accessible to CHGO Diehards when it’s published.
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