willson contreras

Now that we’re a couple of months into the season, Jake and Jordan look back at the biggest off-season moves and determine which teams have come out winners, and which have come out losers. Then, Bobby Wagner is back for another edition of METSCON. How dire is the situation in Flushing Meadows? Bobby breaks it all down. Finally, the Jake and Jordan give their nominations for this weeks edition of The Good, The Bad, and the Uggla.

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Katie Woo, the Cardinals writer for The Athletic, joins Simon Hampton to discuss Willson Contreras being pulled from the catcher position, Nolan Arenado's early struggles and the possibility of a Jordan Montgomery extension.

Later, MLBTR's Darragh McDonald comes on to talk about what Max Fried's forearm strain means for the Braves, all five teams in the AL East being over .500, the state of the Astros and how the balanced schedule could affect the Wild Card picture.

In this episode CJ and Spilly dissect the Cardinals curious decision to move Willson Contreras off of catcher. They also talk about the injury issues with the Houston Astros, the great comebacks for the Rays and Dodgers and the emergence of James Outman. 

After signing as the marquee free agent of the Cardinals' off-season, Willson Contreras is now being utilized as a DH. How?? Jake and Jordan break down what happened, and what’s next for St Louis and Contreras. Then, the guys run through all the action from the weekend, touch on Liam Hendriks' rehab start in AAA, and celebrate the life of 6x All-Star Vida Blue, who passed away over the weekend.

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On this edition of the Cubs Weekly Podcast, Andy Martínez and Tim Stebbins react to reports that the Cubs are calling up Matt Mervis from Triple-A Iowa. The pair assess what he can bring up to the Cubs and what the news means for the roster.

Then, Dexter Fowler stops by the podcast to recap the first month-plus of the Cubs’ season and what he’s seen out of the team. Plus, Fowler shares how Cody Bellinger has been able to perform so strongly.

The group looks ahead to the Cubs' upcoming homestand, including former Cub Willson Contreras' return to Wrigley Field. Fowler shares some of his experiences of returning to the Friendly Confines with St. Louis.

Cubs news has been coming in fast and furious during the Winter Meetings in San Diego and our Cubs Weekly Podcast panel breaks it all down on location.

Ryan Dempster joins Tony Andracki and Andy Martinez to analyze all the craziness around MLB, the Cubs' reported signings of Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon, Pat Hughes' Hall of Fame call and Willson Contreras' rumored deal in St. Louis.

How much did the Cubs' roster improve just in the couple days in San Diego? What kind of upside do Taillon and Bellinger bring to the team and is there a trickle down effect on the rest of the roster?

Plus, which of the top 3 shortstops would be the best fit for the Cubs?

Andy Martinez and Tony Andracki discuss the Cubs' early-offseason roster decisions, which included outrighting 9 players to the minors and selecting the contract of 4 prospects to add to the 40-man roster.

Willson Contreras and Jason Heyward are officially gone and the Cubs also made a minor trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that could pay off huge dividends in the 2023 team.

Plus, Martinez analyzes the Cubs coaching moves and how the hitting infrastructure will be altered next season. MLB.com's JP Morosi also provides a very intriguing nugget about a high-profile free agent that may be motivated to sign with the Cubs.

MLB’s offseason kicked off in earnest this week with the annual General Managers Meetings at the Conrad at Resorts World in Las Vegas. Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins convened with the rest of their counterparts from across the league this week for meetings, breakout sessions and plenty more.

Taylor McGregor and Andy Martínez were in Las Vegas to recap the event and get a grasp for what the Cubs hope to accomplish during this pivotal offseason. The pair share their biggest takeaways, the Cubs’ plans for the offseason and share some fun from Scott Boras’ press conference.

Plus, the pair provide updates on Drew Smyly, Willson Contreras, Kyle Hendricks and much more.

Our Cubs Weekly panel of Andy Martinez and Tony Andracki answer reader questions ahead of a pivotal offseason.

From best free agent fits to offseason predictions, we attempt to answer every question fired our way - including some fun off-the-wall queries.

00:56 - Who are some Cubs players that you think will break out next season?

03:47 - Was Jar Jar secretly a dark lord of the Sith (the true ‘phantom menace’ within an abandoned storyline)?

04:48 - Which Cub had the best ULRAG of the year?

06:05 - If you could design a Cubs + Star Wars promo/gameday giveaway what would it be?

07:02 - Favorite Cubs moment of the 2022 season

09:15 - Using the 2022 Cubs final home game lineup, match each player with their Star Wars character.

15:37 - Will the Cubs try to get top free agents?

16:40 - Thoughts on the upcoming offseason

18:46 - Prediction for next season's record

20:05 - Do you think the Cubs will make the 2023 postseason?

21:13 - Do you foresee Morel retaining the multi-tool function next year or getting locked in at one spot?

24:05 - 2016 Cubs as MCU characters

26:55 - What's the 1B situation next year looking like? Would adding a 36-year-old player (like Jose Abreu) with positional limitations be wise?

29:24 - Why not extend Willson Contreras?

31:50 - Will the Cubs sign a FA SS or could they trade for one? Is Nico staying at SS or moving back to 2B?

33:58 - What are your projections for CF, SS, 1B, 2B, 3B starters in '23? FA's, prospects, names?

37:22 - Who is the Cubs' future?

39:24 - Favorite dance?

40:33 - If made available, would the Cubs be in on Rafael Devers or Mike Trout?

Bruce Levine, Andy Martinez and Tony Andracki dissect Jed Hoyer's end-of-season press conference and provide the main takeaways from the Cubs president of baseball operation's hour-long session with media.

Plus, the podcast panel provides predictions for the Cubs offseason, including the biggest areas of need on the roster and a bold prediction for the winter.

The trio also reflects on the 2022 season with the best moments, most important on-field developments, biggest surprises, MVPs, Cy Youngs, etc.

The MLB trade deadline came and went and there was no shortage of surprising moves - by the Cubs and around the league.

Juan Soto and Josh Hader are among the stars switching teams while the Cubs held on to a pair of stars of their own in Willson Contreras and Ian Happ.

Even one of the moves the Cubs did make - trading away young reliever Scott Effross - was surprising, though the trio of veterans shipped out was predictable.

Our panel of Elise Menaker, Andy Martinez and Tony Andracki break down all the deadline madness and how it affects the Cubs moving forward.

Full rundown:

00:35 - Trivia

03:10 - Reaction to Contreras/Happ remaining with Cubs

09:29 - How does this affect the final two months of the Cubs' season?

14:46 - Is Contreras now more likely to sign an extension with the Cubs?

18:22 - Jed Hoyer on the Cubs' deadline haul

20:29 - What stands out to you most about the Cubs' deals?

28:35 - Who needs to step up for the Cubs post-deadline?

33:41 - What surprised you most about the deadline?

37:25 - How did the Soto trade impact the market for the Cubs?

Cubs GM Carter Hawkins sits down with Cole Wright to discuss Willson Contreras' future, Nico Hoerner's emergence and more.

Plus, the Cubs Weekly panel of Elise Menaker, Andy Martinez and Tony Andracki recap the emotional series at Wrigley Field for Contreras and Ian Happ. The trio also previews the upcoming trade deadline and the stories they're following leading up to the busy day.

00:46 - Trivia

02:51 - Recapping emotional series at Wrigley Field for Contreras, Happ

07:34 - All eyes on the trade deadline

13:11 - Cole Wright sits down with Cubs GM Carter Hawkins

40:27 - Story of the week

Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo preview the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline on Episode 17 of The Mets Pod! The guys welcome SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino to the show, as they look ahead to what should be an active time for the Mets as the team seeks to upgrade the roster before the Aug. 2nd deadline. The crew covers Juan Soto, Willson Contreras, Trey Mancini, J.D. Martinez and all the options to upgrade the offense. Andy also sheds some light on the Mets’ strategy to improve the bullpen, potential deals including Dom Smith and J.D. Davis, and long-term plans for the starting rotation. Later in the show, Connor and Joe break down the Daniel Vogelbach trade, losing Colin Holderman, and some additional trade options for the Mets moving forward. Finally, the show wraps with the Mailbag, which brings questions about possible mid-tier prospects to trade and the current development status of top-level prospects Mark Vientos and Brett Baty.

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Elise Menaker, Andy Martinez and Tony Andracki chronicle the journey to the MLB All-Star game for a couple of Cubs - Ian Happ and Willson Contreras.

Plus: An All-Star themed trivia question, takeaways from the series with Baltimore and where the Orioles are at in their rebuild and how Kyle Hendricks' injury affects the rotation.

- (00:28) Trivia

- (02:45) Ian Happ's All-Star journey

- (10:03) Willson Contreras' path to L.A.

- (15:23) Takeaways from Cubs' series with Orioles

- (21:29) Kyle Hendricks' injury and how it impacts the rotation

- (26:59) HR Derby chatter

- (30:48) Story of the Week

The Cubs were forced to make a variety of tough pitching decisions this week, including optioning Adrian Sampson and top prospect Caleb Kilian down to the minors.

Elise Menaker, Taylor McGregor and Tony Andracki discuss why the Cubs made each move and what comes next for the team. Plus, an All-Star voting update brought about some surprises - and some very unsurprising developments.

The panel also provides injury updates and discusses how Nico Hoerner has proved all the doubters wrong.

Paul McAnulty - the hitting coach at Class-A South Bend in 2019 - joins the Cubs Weekly Podcast to discuss what Christopher Morel was like as a player coming up through the Cubs system and how the youngster morphed into a star rookie in the majors.

Plus, Elise Menaker, Tony Andracki and Andy Martinez chat about the state of the Cubs' rotation - including Kyle Hendricks' return to the mound, Justin Steele's development and Caleb Kilian's second stint in Chicago.

The panel also dissects Ian Happ's breakout season and how the 2022 Cubs are all about opportunity for players like Eric Stout.

Lance Brozdowski joins Elise Menaker and Tony Andracki on the Cubs Weekly Podcast. The trio discusses a host of young players in the organization, including Christopher Morel's breakout and Caleb Kilian's debut.

Plus, what prospects have taken a leap this season? And who are some young players we might see in Chicago later this year following in the footsteps of Morel and Kilian?

The panel also dissects Patrick Wisdom's adjustments at the plate and which Cubs players might be ticketed for the All-Star Game next month.

The Conductor himself, Dan Plesac, stops by the Cubs Weekly Podcast to chat with host Elise Menaker and Tony Andracki.

The trio discusses the Cubs' recent stretch of quality play, Christopher Morel's staying power, Frank Schwindel's resurgence and a return to health by Nico Hoerner and Willson Contreras.

Plus, who is next to get a statue outside Wrigley Field? And Plesac also weighs in on doubleheaders and his favorite Wrigley and Crosstown memories.

The Cubs split their road series with the Pirates and Rockies, with their offensive showings catching the eye of our panel — Elise Menaker and Andy Martínez. The pair discuss the hot start for the Cubs’ bats that ranks in the top 10 of baseball in many offensive categories and the showings of Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel.

Then, Menaker and Martínez breakdown Seiya Suzuki’s torrid start and what’s been most impressive so far. 

Menaker and Martínez discuss the Cubs’ rotation and how the pitching staff will look as they continue to get stretched out and into full game rhythm.

With the Cubs taking 2 of 3 from the Brewers in the first series of 2022, our panel (Elise Menaker, Tony Andracki and Lance Brozdowksi) discuss the top takeaways from the weekend. Topics include Seiya Suzuki's historic debut, the success of the rotation and surprising developments.

Then, Brozdowski takes the group through his latest Top 25 Cubs prospect rankings, explaining why players slot in at each spot.

Who made the biggest leap? Who is poised to shoot up the list in 2022 or beyond? Which players just missed the cut? Brozdowski answers these questions and more.