00:00The day after they lost that series, I came in here and I said,
00:03if they had Alex Bregman, did they win that playoff series?
00:06Because they wanted Bregman last year, and they didn't bid enough,
00:10and he went to Boston on a one-year prove-it deal,
00:12and then they went and got him.
00:13He didn't like it there, and he didn't like where things were going,
00:17and he had that opt, and he was like, I'm out of here.
00:19And then the Cubs were like, hey, remember us?
00:21Now we've got that money that you're talking about.
00:23And they stepped up, and that dude is here in his 10th postseason
00:27in 10 career seasons in MLB.
00:30And that dude, who is kind of a Wolverine,
00:33has found his way back to the field.
00:34He missed four games after getting multiple fractures in his face.
00:38Had one game where he went 0 for 4 and said,
00:40eh, it felt good, though.
00:41It's just a timing thing.
00:42And the next day, he goes 4 for 4 with two home runs.
00:45That dude is back.
00:47And so here I stand, and here's what I see.
00:49I see a team that is statistically the best offensive team in baseball
00:54by runs scored and OPS.
00:56And the best defensive.
00:57The best defensive team in baseball by a mile, by any of the metrics.
01:02Defensive, run saved, fielding, run value, whatever you want.
01:05So their best offensive baseball, the best defense in baseball.
01:09And now they have Kevin Gossman and Clay Holmes as those added starters and bulk guys.
01:17And maybe David Peterson or Shota Imanagu has been a little better.
01:20But do they have enough in the bullpen?
01:23And I believe that this week, and that's all it takes, they have found what they need,
01:29which is Ryan Zephyr John over the hump of being in the new place and being trusted and showing up.
01:36And Palencia.
01:37And the best version of Daniel Palencia all season long.
01:40Palencia arriving means you now have two legit back-end righties that you can count on.
01:47Ryan Rolison is the lefty you'll count on among all of them.
01:51And then they need another righty.
01:52Who's it going to be?
01:53It could be Jacob Webb, who's found himself a little bit again.
01:55Could be Clay Holmes, who might not be a starter in the first two games.
01:58There could be some other dudes.
02:00But I think they have enough in terms of the bulk pitching with Gossman and Holmes here
02:05and with the bullpen guys in Zephyr John and Palencia to augment the best defense in the game
02:11and the best offense in the game.
02:13So why not the Cubs to win 13 and make a run?
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