BCB After Dark: Let’s try this again

Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the holiday spot for night owls, early-risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We so glad you could join us on this holiday eve. There’s no cover charge tonight. You can seat yourself as well. We hope you brought your own beverage. We’ll take your hat and coat. No tie required.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you how long the winter lockout was going to last and 34 percent of you felt that we will miss some Spring Training games, but that there would be settlement before Opening Day. Another 30 percent of you were more pessimistic, believing that the work stoppage would last into the regular season. In third place, 16 percent of you thought that the lockout would continue past the time pitchers and catchers are supposed to report, but would end before Spring Training games are cancelled.

Because of the holiday this week, we’ve got an abbreviated edition of BCB After Dark tonight. But I’ll give you some music to listen to anyway. And if you want some movie talk, go back and read my discussion of Laura on Monday night/Tuesday morning or further discussion of the making of Laura last night.

There just isn’t a lot of Thanksgiving music. So here’s the Vince Guaraldi Quintet with the soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. You are likely quite familiar with it and you’ve probably heard it many times over the years. But take a listen and bring back some childhood memories. Or maybe discover it for the first time.

On Monday, I asked you about free agent left-handed pitcher Steven Matz and whether the Cubs should and will sign him. We now know that Matz is going to be a Cardinal next season, although the Cubs did make an offer.

So let’s try this again. The Cubs are reportedly one of six teams bidding on free agent right-handed pitcher Marcus Stroman. The other five are the Red Sox, Giants, Mariners, Angels and his most-recent team, the Mets.

So I’m going to ask you the same two questions about Stroman as I did about Matz. Should the Cubs sign Stroman and will the Cubs sign Stroman?

Rather than me going over all the plusses and minuses on Stroman, I’ll just point you to this article by Nick Aguilera which does all that for me. I will point out that Stroman does not have a qualifying offer, having already accepted one after the 2020 season.

Stroman will probably also command much more money than the four years and $44 million contract that Steven Matz. It also sounds likely that Stroman will make up his mind by early next week as he wants a new team before the lockout.

So quickly: Should the Cubs sign Marcus Stroman?

And will the Cubs sign Marcus Stroman?

Thanks again for stopping by on this holiday eve. We’ll get your hat and coat. Please have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday today. Unless you are Canadian, in which case I regret to inform you that you’ve already missed Thanksgiving this year. Please stop by again next week for another edition of BCB After Dark.