Miscellaneous spring training: Arrieta back in blue and Schooling Alzolay, Lester now in red, Watch your speed, more

Miscellaneous spring training: Arrieta back in blue and Schooling Alzolay, Lester now in red, Watch your speed, more

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Cubs pitchers and catchers are in full swing at Mesa, starting their bullpen progressions and preparing for the game’s initial action in March.

With the media restrictions this year because of the pandemic, I suspect that our visual resources will be limited for a time. But the Cubs sent some today, and my dopamine receptors are going to get them:

David Ross is understandably happy to have Jake Arrieta at home:

Adbert Alzolay getting a little bit with Arrieta? Yes, you love to see this:

The extremely diverse pitch mix is ​​actually quite a strong overlap for the two: two-seamer, four-seamer, changeup, curveball, slider. It is what Arrieta launched a long time ago, and it is what Alzolay has been playing since last year. So for the two of you to have time together it’s potentially particularly useful and obviously is a small part of why you crave a guy like Arrieta in a free agency in the first place. Maybe he’ll add a crop layer to Alzolay’s slider … (Missed note if you missed: Alzolay will really have an additional option this year.)

We have (?) To see Yu Darvish in his new clothes today, and here’s Jon Lester in his:

Is it at least behind and a half at a distance? It doesn’t seem so final yet for that reason. Yes, I am a stranger.

One more look at Darvish, as well as Victor Caratini, in his new equipment:

Good reminder here from an old friend:

Sometimes, when guys show up with HUGE speed since the jump in Spring Training, it’s worth commenting as a curiosity (because it can mean off-season earnings and more to come; or it can mean that a guy is just particularly advanced in construction upward progression, which can be good or complicated). But, yes, be worried about Velo in the first bullpen? That would be a fun situation.

Spring training setback:

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