Despite dealing Darvish, Cubs expect to compete
Jed Hoyer insists this time won’t be like 2011 for the Chicago Cubs.
The team’s new president of baseball operations said Wednesday that Chicago plans to retool rather than bring out the wrecking ball the way it did nine years ago.
Still, this one will leave a mark. In his first major deal since replacing friend Theo Epstein, Hoyer sent NL Cy Young Award runner-up Yu Darvish and catcher Victor Caratini to the San Diego Padres for pitcher Zach Davies and four young minor leaguers Tuesday night.
On deck: Willson Contreras? Maybe Kris Bryant, Javier Báez or Anthony Rizzo?
Nothing is off the table, though Hoyer was adamant: The Cubs aren’t following the 2011 plan. That was the year they hired Epstein and Hoyer, and the pair set the long-suffering franchise on a championship course by overhauling the farm system and revamping the front office. Along the way, Cubs fans endured a painful rebuild that included a 101-loss 2012 season.
“I’m not going to run the same playbook that we ran in 2011 and 2012,” said Hoyer, who was promoted from general manager when Epstein resigned in November. “I think that would be foolish. That playbook’s been copied so many times, it doesn’t work anymore.”
He said he’s trying to keep “one eye on the future” while remaining competitive in the NL Central. The Cubs won the World Series in 2016, ending a drought that dated to 1908, but they haven’t advanced in the postseason since the 2017 team lost in the NLCS.
Still led by the 2016 core of Rizzo, Bryant, Baez and others, Chicago won the division in a pandemic-shortened 2020 season but was swept by Miami in the first round of the playoffs.
Another potential trade target could be Contreras. Hoyer called reports that the Cubs are shopping the two-time All-Star catcher “fictional.” WHITE SOX, ENGEL AGREE TO ONEYEAR DEAL >> The Chicago White Sox and outfielder Adam Engel agreed to a one-year, $1.375 million contract, avoiding arbitration, the team announced. Engel played in 36 games for the White Sox in 2020 and hit .295 with three home runs and 12 RBIs.
Hockey
LONGTIME BRUINS CAPTAIN CHARA JOINS WASHINGTON CAPITALS >> Longtime Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara signed with the Washington Capitals, a stunning move less than a week before most NHL teams open training camp. Chara agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $795,000. He had been Boston’s captain since 2006.
AHL SET FOR FEB. 5 RETURN >> The American Hockey League’s board of governors announced it has approved the “structural framework” to play a season that will begin Feb. 5. The San Jose Barracuda are the Sharks’ AHL affiliate.
“Details are still being worked out, but this step allows our teams and their National Hockey League partners to better determine their plans for the coming season,” AHL president Scott Howson said in a statement. “We look forward to dropping the puck on Feb. 5.”
Soccer
EPL POSTPONES ANOTHER GAME BUT
DOESN’T WANT TO PAUSE SEASON >> The Premier League made it clear it doesn’t intend to suspend the competition despite being forced to call off a second game this week amid concerns across England about a fastspreading new variant of the coronavirus.
Fulham’s game at Tottenham had to be postponed on Wednesday, while the government’s tightening of coronavirus restrictions meant no Premier League stadiums will be allowed to have fans going forward.
But the league is resisting calls, including those from West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce, to suspend the competition for a second time during the pandemic. It was halted for 100 days from March to June last season during the first infection wave.
“The Premier League has not discussed pausing the season and has no plans to do so,” the league said. “The league continues to have confidence in its COVID-19 protocols to enable fixtures to be played as scheduled, and these protocols continue to have the full backing of government.”
More than 50,000 cases were reported across England in a single day for the first time on Tuesday, and the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has surpassed the first peak of the outbreak in April.
Horse racing
BELMONT WINNER TIZ THE LAW RETIRED ON VET’S ADVICE >> Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law has been suddenly retired on the advice of a veterinarian after an X-ray revealed bone bruising in the colt’s front leg.
Jack Knowlton of Sackatoga Stable tweeted: “We are beyond grateful for the time we had with him.” The New York state ownership group had been expecting to race the colt as a 4-year-old next year. But a series of Xrays revealed “severe” bone bruising to the bottom of the front leg bone.
Tiz the Law had six wins in nine career starts and earnings of $2,735,300, according to Equibase. He finished second in the Kentucky Derby.
He retired on the same day his trainer, Barclay Tagg, turned 83.