DJ Moore Signs A 4-Year Contract Extension

Good morning Chicago fans! With all of the GOATs showing off this week, I’m curious about your special skills. What are you the 🐐 at?

Whether it was Simone Biles winning gold in Paris, Devin Hester at his Hall of Fame induction, or Pedro Grifol losing his 20th game in a row, we are witnessing history. This is why we love sports!

RESULTS

L - Reds 7, Cubs 1: The roller coaster continues to start another week.

• Jameson Taillon did not have his best stuff (4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) as his name popped up in trade rumors

• Michael Busch’s solo HR in the 9th inning was the Cubs’ 3rd and final hit of the game

• Nate Pearson had a wild Cubs debut

  • 1-2-3 7th inning, then allowed a monster HR to old friend Jeimer Candelario in the 8th inning

  • He hit the next batter, Tyler Stephenson, in the head with a fastball and was ejected. Craig Counsell finally defended his player 🚨🚨🚨 and Counsell was also ejected

L - Reds 6, Cubs 3: Another disappointment on Trade Deadline day.

• The Reds scored 5 runs off Justin Steele (5 IP, 5 ER) in the first 2 innings

• Cody Bellinger hit a 2-R HR in his first game back from injury

• Isaac Paredes batted 5th and went 0-for-4 in his Cubs debut

W - Cubs 13, Reds 4: Offensive explosion! Can’t leave Cincy without a homer!

• The Cubs offense came to life: 13 runs, 17 hits, 9 doubles, 1 HR, 9-for-15 with RISP, every starter had a hit

• Craig Counsell utilized a new top of the order: Happ, Paredes, Suzuki, Bellinger

  • Those 4 hitters combined for 10 hits, 10 runs, and 7 RBI

W - Cubs 5, Cardinals 4: “Best win of the year!” - Jim Deshaies

• Mike Tauchman hit a walk-off double to cap off a 3-run 9th inning comeback!

  • Cody Bellinger hit a solo HR, Nico Hoerner hit a 2-out single and stole 2nd base, Dansby Swanson drove in the game-tying run with 2 strikes and 2 outs, then Tauchman won the game

• Seiya Suzuki hit a monster 459 ft. HR - longest by a Cub this season

W - Cubs 6, Cardinals 3: The Cubs keep it rolling!

• A 5-run 2nd inning against former White Sox starter Erick Fedde was enough for the win. Thanks, Sox!

• Christian Bethancourt added to his hot start as a Cub with a 3-R HR

• Julian Merryweather and Hector Neris combined to walk 5 Cardinals hitters in the 8th inning and walked in 2 runs

L - Cardinals 5, Cubs 4: The momentum always comes to a screeching halt.

• A disastrous defensive 8th inning plated 3 runs for the Cardinals to tie the game at 4-4

  • Isaac Paredes made an errant throw to 1B

  • Pete Crow-Armstrong misplayed a popup after calling off Nico Hoerner in short centerfield

• Jameson Taillon escaped a few jams and had a great outing (6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)

W - Cubs 6, Cardinals 2: That’s a series win against the Cards!

• Justin Steele bounced back to form (6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K)

• Mike Tauchman (who started for an injured Ian Happ), Miguel Amaya, and PCA all had 2 hits

WEEK RECORD: 4-3

SEASON RECORD: 55-59 (4th place, 8.5 GB)

⭐ STAR OF THE WEEK ⭐

Cody Bellinger

Impressive return from injury: 8-for-24 (.333), 5 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI, only 3 SO

🎥 PLAY OF THE WEEK 🎥

Mike Tauchman walk-off double

🚨 TRADES 🚨

Traded Mark Leiter Jr. to the New York Yankees for minor leaguers RHP Jack Neely and INF Ben Cowles

• Their only true “Sell” trade of the deadline

• On one hand, I like moving an older reliever at the top of his game. Relievers go through ups and downs so often, and the Cubs are hoping to build their future bullpen from within with their pitching infrastructure improvements. Leiter is also very splitter-reliant and has struggled when he loses his touch on the splitter.

• On the other hand, Leiter is one of the best relievers in baseball when he has his stuff. He’s 33, but he’s cost controlled for 2 more seasons and could have been a significant late-inning arm when the Cubs hope to win.

• Neely is a tall, hard-throwing righty who could theoretically replace Leiter as a younger setup man. He misses bats with a mid-to-high 90s fastball and elite slider. He reported to AAA Iowa and may get called up to the majors later in the year.

• Cowles’ season is actually over after getting hit by a pitch in the wrist. He was playing well in AA but most likely projects as a bench player who can play all around the infield. He has a solid offensive game, but none of his batted ball skills jump off the page.

ROSTER MOVES

Monday: Activated Cody Bellinger from the 10-day IL

Tuesday: Recalled Ethan Roberts from AAA, optioned Miles Mastrobuoni to AAA

Wednesday: Activated Caleb Killian from the 60-day IL and optioned him to AAA

Friday: Claimed RHP Trey Wingenter off of waivers from the Boston Red Sox and optioned him to AAA

NEWS & NOTES

Christopher Morel hit a HR in each of his first 2 games with the Rays 😂

Matt Shaw, James Triantos, and Kevin Alcantara are all moving up to AAA!

Baseball gives us something new every day:

Adbert Alzolay will have surgery on his forearm

C Tomas Nido had surgery on his right meniscus and is out for 4-6 weeks

If you turned the TV on this week, you may have noticed: Motorola is now the official jersey patch for the Cubs

Nico Hoerner is the Cubs’ nominee for the 2024 Heart and Hustle Award

TROPHY TRACKER (6/10 ➡ 🏆)

RESULTS (PRESEASON)

W - Bears 21, Texans 17: Hall of Fame Game victory!

• Severe weather forced the game to end early with 3:31 left in the 3rd quarter

• The starters and most key backups did not play

• QB Brett Rypien had a huge game after relieving Tyson Bagent (11/15, 166 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INT)

• WR Collin Johnson is fighting for a roster spot and played very well (3 receptions, 56 yards, 2 TDs)

  • Johnson spoke after the game about how difficult the last few years have been with injuries and setbacks. He shared how grateful he was for this game and how his faith in God kept him on the right path.

• This was every NFL fan’s first taste of the new kickoff format and let’s just say…it was clunky in Game 1. Hopefully teams learn on the fly and we see some big plays in the regular season.

NEWS & NOTES

Signed WR DJ Moore to a 4-year, $110M contract extension!

• My favorite Bear got paid 🤑🤑🤑🤑

• Moore has 2 years remaining on his current contract, so this locks him up for the next 6 seasons!

• I LOVE this move. DJ Moore quickly became my favorite Bears player after last year’s trade with the Panthers.

• He is coming off a career season (1,364 yards, 8 TDs) in an offense that struggled every single week. He’s an elite route runner, has a huge catch radius, and is one of the best playmakers in the league with the ball in his hands. His shiftiness is unexpected but impressive.

• Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus continue to praise his work ethic, leadership, and character as a representative of the Bears. Poles’ official statement about the extension called Moore a “cornerstone of our franchise.”

• This offense will be together for a LONG time.

  • DJ Moore: 6 years, Caleb Williams & Rome Odunze: 5 years (with the 5th year rookie options), Cole Kmet: 4 years

Check out DJ Moore’s press conference after signing his contract:

🥇 Devin Hester, Julius Peppers, and Steve McMichael were officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame

• Hester wore a GOAT chain around his neck and delivered a heartfelt speech thanking his family, coaches, and teammates for their support. He advocated for other returners to join the Hall of Fame and instructed kids to follow God’s calling after he accepted his role as a returner and became the best returner in NFL history. (YouTube)

• Peppers focused on the heart of a Hall of Famer and thanked so many people in his life. He also shouted out the other GOAT and fellow UNC Tar Heel, Michael Jordan, who was in attendance. Oh, and he gave one more “Bear down”! (YouTube)

• McMichael was joined by former Bears teammates in his home, and his sister Kathy gave his speech 😢 (YouTube)

Former Bear Tarik Cohen announced his retirement

TROPHY TRACKER (6/10 ➡ 🏆)

NEWS & NOTES

Re-signed D Isaak Phillips and D Louis Crevier to one-year, two-way contracts ($775K cap hit)

TROPHY TRACKER (2/10 ➡ 🏆)

NEWS & NOTES

No news this week!

TROPHY TRACKER (1/10 ➡ 🏆)

Shota Imanaga

Shota always orders iced lattes at Dunkin Donuts.

That’s how he got the name Mike Imanaga II, and it is the only reason he ever goes out.

This week, Shota brought an extra coffee for fan Sam Bernero who takes pictures of the players as they arrive at Wrigley Field.

Players are busy. They don’t have private lives. On game days, they are in the zone and ready for battle. It takes a special human being to not only acknowledge a fan but also bless them with a gift before a game.

Caleb Williams will outperform CJ Stroud’s rookie season.

“Stop using CJ Stroud as a measuring stick for Caleb.”

“Aren’t their rookie seasons two separate situations altogether?”

“Caleb will have a bigger learning curve coming out of USC.”

“What Stroud did last season was NOT the norm. One in a million.”

I’ve heard all of the discussion points on this topic ever since the Bears landed the #1 pick from the Panthers. The expectations for Caleb Williams were going to be huge, but were they fair?

Not only do I think we can compare his upcoming rookie season to CJ Stroud from last year, I think he will be better.

CJ Stroud (2023):

63.9 Cmp%, 4108 yards, 23 TDs, 5 INTs, 38 sacks, 167 rushing yards & 3 TDs

I expect the INT number to be higher. Limiting interceptions is even difficult for veteran QBs, and although Caleb only threw 4 or 5 INTs in all 3 of his college seasons, he seeks out the big play and wants to throw the ball downfield.

The counting stats are beatable. 23 TDs is only 1.35 TDs/game. He tied for 13th in the NFL.

Caleb will be in a pass-heavy offense with a Hall of Famer (Keenan Allen), superstar (DJ Moore), and promising 1st round rookie (Rome Odunze) at WR. This team better score more than 1.35 TDs/game through the air.

Geno Smith, in his last 2 seasons under OC Shane Waldron, averaged 3953 yards and 25 TDs. Nothing against Geno Smith, but…it’s Geno Smith.

Reports from training camp lead us to this conclusion: Caleb Williams has IT.

It sounds like he’s already understanding the offense and taking control. If he really gets it this quickly, he should be able to produce early and often at the NFL level.

This is not your parents’ Bears team anymore. This is a real offense that can air it out with an elite talent under center.

Sahadev Sharma - Guide to watch the Cubs in the final 2 months (The Athletic)

Gabby Hajduk - McCaskeys reflect on George Halas’ legacy (chicagobears.com)

Ben Pope - Inside Artyom Levshunov’s Journey (Chicago Sun-Times)

Green Light Podcast - DJ Moore interview (YouTube)

Patrick Mooney - How the Cubs and Rays Lined Up for a Trade (The Athletic)

Chicago Bears - Rookie Diaries: Austin Booker & Tory Taylor - Week 2 (chicagobears.com)

Patrick Mooney - Jameson Taillon on not getting traded (The Athletic)

NFL on ESPN - Caleb Williams interview with Courtney Cronin (YouTube)

Thanks for reading! Enjoy the Crosstown Classic where the Cubs could get to .500 and hand deliver the White Sox their record-breaking 24th straight loss!

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