BCB After Dark: Should Franmil Reyes return?

Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the swingin’ spot for night owls, early-risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the November chill. We’ve even got a table waiting for you. If you need us to check your coat, we can do that. No cover charge tonight. Two drink minimum, but you have to bring your own beverage.

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.

For only the second-time in World Series history, we had a no-hitter tonight. You probably heard about it already. I’ll admit that a combined no-hitter doesn’t equal Don Larsen’s perfect game, but it was still pretty darn cool to see that. Even if you’re cheering for the Phillies, you can admire it and correctly point out that it doesn’t count any more than any other loss. The World Series is now tied at two wins each. It’s anyone’s Series.

Of course, it was only the third no-hitter in playoff history. As they noted on the broadcast, the other one was Doc Halladay’s 2010 no-hitter in the same park, against the Cincinnati Reds, managed by Dusty Baker.

Last night I asked you if the Cubs signing free agent center fielder Brandon Nimmo was a good idea. There was a lot of good discussion in the comments, but the overwhelming majority of you, 72 percent, said “No.” So let’s not speak of it again. Unless the Cubs actually do sign Nimmo. Then we’ll talk.

Here’s the part where I talk about movies and jazz. You’re free to skip ahead to the baseball question at the end. You won’t hurt my feelings.

Tonight I’ve got a performance of three songs by the Roy Hargrove Quintet from 2009. It’s another one of those performances from KNKX Public Radio in Seattle which I’ve featured before. It features Hargrove on trumpet, Justin Robinson on saxophone, Ameen Saleem on bass, Montez Coleman on drums and some kid named Jon Batiste on piano. He sounds pretty good. I wonder what ever happened to him?

It’s now November, which means it’s time for Christmas stuff. I’m going to ignore that for now. As the meme says, the War on Christmas will continue until its illegal occupation of October and November ends.

It would be easy for me to ask about the best Christmas movies. I think I did it last year. But we’re fighting to free the month of November from the clutches of that holiday, so let’s talk about your favorite Thanksgiving movies.

Let’s see. There’s Planes, Trains and Automobiles. And of course, there’s . . .cripes I’m stumped. Help me out here. Are they any other good Thanksgiving movies worth recommending?

That’s not a rhetorical question. That’s your discussion question of the day.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

Tonight’s question is about Cubs designated hitter Franmil Reyes. Should the Cubs offer him arbitration this winter or let him leave?

The Cubs acquired Reyes last August after the Guardians placed him on waivers. After hitting .254 with a .324 on-base percentage and 30 home runs in only 115 games in 2021, the Guardians placed him on waivers after he hit just .213/.254/.350 with nine home runs over 70 games this past season.

At first, it looked like the Cubs had made a brilliant move by picking up Reyes. Serving as the team’s primary DH, Reyes hit .278/.323/.470 with four home runs over his first 30 games with the North Siders. But Reyes came back to earth in the final 18 games, hitting just .150/.261/.233 with one home run over that stretch. That brought his 2022 season line with the Cubs down to .234/.301/.389, or not much better than what he was hitting with the Guardians when they placed him on waivers.

Reyes is eligible for arbitration, and MLB Trade Rumors estimates that he’ll receive a $6 million contract for next season. That’s hardly going to break the bank, but it’s also a lot more than you want to pay for a DH who doesn’t hit. Reyes has almost no defensive value as he played just six innings in the field with the Cubs last year. One of those innings was as a pitcher.

But $6 million would be a bargain if Reyes returns to anything close to what he hit before last season.

There is another consideration here and that’s the 40-man roster crunch. By declining to offer Reyes arbitration, the Cubs open up a spot to protect a prospect who might otherwise get taken in the Rule 5 Draft.

There is another option, which is to decline to offer Reyes a deal and then try to sign him back as a free agent. The problem with that is that Reyes would have to agree to it and I’m not sure why he would, unless he had no other options.

So should the Cubs keep Franmil Reyes around? Or should they shake his hand, wish him well and send him on his way?

Thanks to everyone who stopped by this week. I hope we’ve helped you get through the week and that we’ve made your evenings a little more pleasant. Please recycle any cans or bottles you might have. Tip your waitstaff. If you checked anything, let us get it for you now. Get home safely. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.