BCB After Dark: Extensions

Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the cool club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. So glad you could stop in this evening. We’re all in a good mood and we’re in an even better mood now that you’re here. The dress code is casual. Let us show you to a table. 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 scored 11 runs in the final four innings in Cincinnati to blow out the Reds, 12-5. I think we’re all in a better mood after that one.

Last night, I asked you which Iowa Cub should be the first one to get called up to Chicago this season. With 34 percent of the vote, you thought Christopher Morel should get the call. In second place was Jeremiah Estrada with 16 percent and David Bote finished third with 13 percent.

If you’re wondering why there was no Iowa Cubs recap tonight, they were postponed because of weather in St. Paul.

On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I don’t do any movie talk. But there’s always room for some music, so those of you who skip the jazz can do so now.

Tonight we have a lovely tune from the Christian McBride Trio in 2015. This is “I Guess I’ll Have to Forget,” recorded live is studio at Seattle public radio KNKX. This features McBride on bass, Christian Sands on piano and Ulysses Owens Jr. on drums.

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

The Cubs got a contract extension done with Nico Hoerner before the season started and while I know that some of you were underwhelmed by that deal, it does buy out all of Hoerner’s remaining arbitration years and one year of free agency. And it does not preclude a second extension later on.

Ian Happ did not sign an extension. While neither the Cubs nor Happ ruled out coming to a deal later in the season, Hoyer did acknowledge the difficulties in negotiating during the regular season. In all likelihood, Happ is gone to free agency after the season, if not sooner.

But even if the Cubs are unlikely to sign Happ to an extension, they are going to sign someone else to an extension. I promise. So tonight I’m going to ask you “Who should the Cubs try to sign to an extension next?”

I’m going to leave Pete Crow-Armstrong out of this because I think he’d win the poll going away. Also, he’s still in Double-A and I don’t know of any precedent to signing a player to an extension sho has never played above Double-A before. (He hasn’t even played a game in Double-A yet, although that will be remedied on Thursday night.)

So I’m limiting this to players who are either on the major league roster or in the case of Christopher Morel, who have already made their major-league debut. So tell us, which of these players should the Cubs try first to sign to a long-term deal?

This poll features both young players like Hoerner and veterans whose contracts run out at the end of the season such as Cody Bellinger. I’m also including Marcus Stroman, since he can opt out of his deal at the end of this year. As always, you can tell us about your vote in the comments.

Thank you so very much for stopping by this evening. I hope we’ve made your evening a little more pleasant. Please get home safely. If you need us to call a ride for you, let us know. Be sure to tip the waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.