BCB After Dark: How do you see Seiya?

Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the swingin’ spot for night owls, early-risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but it’s blistering hot out here. So come on in for the air conditioning. Let’s hope the power stays on. There’s no cover charge tonight. No dress code either, although you do have to wear clothes. I know you might be tempted otherwise on a night like tonight. Grab a table near the front. Someone will be by shortly to take your order. 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.

The Cubs beat the Reds tonight 9-3 in what is going to be known as the “Hayden Wesneski Game” as Wesneski was brilliant in getting the win with five scoreless innings in his major league debut. I also liked how Wesneski said after the game that “I didn’t think Chicago on a Tuesday would get this loud.”

Last time I asked you if you thought that DH Franmil Reyes will be a part of the “next great Cubs team,” as team president Jed Hoyer likes to call it. There was a good response to this and by a margin of 52 percent to 48 percent, you said “no.” But that’s really close.

On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning I don’t do a film essay. But I always have time for some jazz, so those of you who want to skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.

Tonight we have the great jazz songstress Cassandra Wilson and her band performing at a festival in Spain in 2008. The song is “Caravan,” which is an old Duke Ellington jazz standard, although the lyrics are rarely sung like they are here.

I’m going to say this is a bit of fusion because there’s a long electric guitar solo in here by Marvin Sewell.

You may also recognize the guy on piano. It’s a 21-year-old prodigy who was fairly unknown a the time outside of jazz circles by the name of Jon Batiste. He was not a complete unknown in 2008—after all, he’s touring with Cassandra Wilson—but he’s unknown enough that this video manages to misspell his name. He was certainly a long way from an Oscar and multiple Grammys.

Also in this video are Reginald Veal on double bass, Lekan Babalola on percussion and Herlin Riley on drums.

Welcome back to those of you who skip all that jazz.

Tonight I’m going to ask you to grade the five-year, $85 million contract the Cubs gave outfielder Seiya Suzuki this past off-season. Yes, it’s not fair to grade a five-year deal after a little less than one year, but that’s never stopped fans before.

Suzuki was the Cubs big free agent purchase this winter, Yes, Marcus Stroman is making more money per season, but he’s only on a three-year deal that he can opt-out of after two years. Suzuki is here for a good five years and for $85 million. That doesn’t include the $14 million and change the Cubs had to send to Hiroshima to sign him.

I don’t think I have to tell you how Suzuki’s season has gone. He came out on fire in April and then the league adjusted to him in May and he struggled badly. He was injured all of June. Since coming off the injured list, Suzuki was solid but unspectacular in July and August. He’s been quite good in a small sample in September. Overall, Suzuki is hitting .261/.336/.425 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI over 95 games. Again, that’s solid, but is it something you play almost $100 million for?

So grade the Suzuki contract. If you think that his struggles early in the season were just an adjustment issue and that the Suzuki we’ve seen in April and September is the real Seiya that we’ll see going forward, give it an “A.” If you think the overall stat line that Suzuki has put over the course of the season, then that’s a “C” or maybe a “B” if you’re generous. If you think hard times are coming for Seiya in future years of the deal as he ages, then grade accordingly.

So what grade would you give the Suzuki signing, almost a year into it?

Thank you all so very much for stopping by. If you could help us by busing your own table tonight, that would be a big favor. Stay cool the rest of this evening. If you need us to call a ride for you, let us know. Please tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for another edition of BCB After Dark.