BCB After Dark: When you’re Smyly, the whole world smiles with you

It’s another night here at BCB After Dark: the happening for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cub fans abroad. It’s been a quiet night around here, so if you need respite from the world, come on in and join us. Please come in out of the cold. We can check your coat for you. There are still good tables available. The show will start shortly. 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.

Last night, I asked you what you would have thought about a Willson Contreras-for-Jose-Urquidy deal, had it actually been completed last August. We go to Steve Kornacki with the results, and he tells us that 42 percent went to “Yay” and 27 percent said “Nay!” We still don’t know how the 32 percent who chose “meh” are going to fall.

On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I don’t do a movie essay. However, Steve Kornacki now projects Call Northside 777 as the winner of our movie poll. So I plan to write about that film tomorrow evening. That actually makes me happy, as I just watched that film this past weekend.

But I always have time for jazz, so those of you who skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.

I don’t know for sure if it’s true or not, but I feel like there’s a more positive response to my jazz selections when it’s a cover of a popular pop song. So here’s bassist Marcus Miller at a jazz festival in Belgium earlier this year doing “Come Together” by a couple of songwriters you may have heard of.

Welcome back to everyone who skips The Beatles.

Left-hander Drew Smyly declined the mutual contract option and became a free agent today. The 33-year-old Smyly was a pleasant surprise in the Cubs’ rotation this past season, going 7-8 with a 3.47 ERA over 106 ¹⁄₃ innings and 22 starts.

Smyly has stated that he would like to return to the Cubs next year, but clearly a one-year, $10 million deal would have been significantly less than he could get on the open market.

So tonight I’m going to ask you what it would take for Smyly to return to the Cubs. From what I understand, Smyly is looking more for stability than money. He wants a multi-year deal, perhaps the final one of his career.

So here’s my proposal, and I’m going to borrow Al’s system for asking poll questions. If I’m Jed Hoyer, I offer Smyly a two-year/$24 million deal with a team option for $12 million for 2025 that becomes guaranteed if Smyly makes 25 starts in 2024. That gives the Cubs some protection if he gets hurt.

That’s a slight raise for Smyly and he will know where he’s going to be for the next two years. Or even the next three years if he can stay healthy. By that time, he’ll be pushing 37 and will likely be looking at retirement.

On the other hand, Smyly does turn 34 next June (he was a “young” 33 this year) and his results did outperform his peripherals last year. (His xFIP was 4.18) He’s also had a lot of trouble staying healthy throughout his career, so perhaps you don’t want to give him a multiyear deal.

So will Drew Smyly return to the Cubs in 2023 at the contract that I propose?

Thank you so very much for stopping by. We hope you’ve been able to relax and enjoy yourself for a spell. If you checked your coat, let us get it for you. Stay warm this evening. Get home safely. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for another edition of BCB After Dark.