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It’s another week here BCB After Dark: the perfect place for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad.<\/em> We are open for business again. We are so glad you decided to stop by. Get in the cold. We can test your coat for you. The host will seat you now. Bring your own drink.<\/p>\n BCB After Dark<\/em> a place to talk about baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it’s within the site’s rules. Latecomers are encouraged to start the event, but everyone is invited to join in as it wakes up the next morning and afternoon.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Last week I asked you if, after the trade of Edward Cabrera and the signing of Alex Bregman, the Cubs were still the team to beat in the National League Central. Seventy-two percent of you agreed that the Cubs are now favorites in the Central. Another 27 percent went with the defending champions, the Brewers. The Reds managed to get one percent of the vote, which was more than the Pirates and Cardinals.<\/p>\n Here is the part where we listen to music and talk about movies. I BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic<\/em> it’s ongoing, but you’re still free to join the fun. But you are also free to skip that. You will not hurt me.<\/p>\n Tonight we feature the Charles Mingus Sextet in Norway in 1964 playing the Billy Strayhorn song made famous by Duke Ellington, “Take ‘A’ Train.”<\/p>\n Mingus is the bass player, of course, and Eric Dolphy plays the bass clarinet. Jake Byard plays piano, Clifford Jordan on tenor sax, Johnny Coles on trumpet and Danny Richmond on drums.<\/p>\n Voted on BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic<\/em> in the middle star Wars<\/em> again Alien<\/em> again Alien<\/em> let out anger. A minor annoyance, sure, but an annoyance nonetheless. I called it the “Star Wars bracket” after that. I wonder if star Wars<\/em>‘ reputation is bad because of the uneven quality of all recent intellectual property acquisitions. I’ve seen a few of them and haven’t considered myself a “Star Wars fan” since I was about 14 years old. But I know there are millions out there who still respect it. But the same is true Alien<\/em>I guess.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Tonight we have the second “Star Wars” semifinal in the bracket between the first seeds Blade Runner<\/em> again Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.<\/em><\/p>\n Blade Runner<\/strong> (1982). Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer and Sean Young.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Here is what I wrote about last time Blade Runner.<\/em><\/p>\n Blade Runner<\/em> it is one of the most talked about movies as an alternative 2001: A Space Odyssey<\/em> when critics named it the greatest science fiction film of all time. I guess Stalker<\/em> again The city<\/em> a few more may be mentioned, but those two, it seems to me, are mentioned most often. It’s not hard to see why. Both are science fiction films ambition.<\/em> Both try to transcend the genre and elevate it at the same time.<\/p>\n Here is the opening scene Blade Runner<\/em>. I thought about giving you the famous “tears in the rain” speech as a clip, but since that ruins the end of the movie, I thought it best to avoid giving it to those of you who haven’t seen it. But those of you who are already familiar with it can click on the link above if you want to relive it.<\/p>\n 5. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan<\/strong> (1982) Directed by Nicholas Meyer. Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Ricardo Montalban.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Here is what I wrote about last time Wrath of Khan.<\/em><\/p>\n It’s entirely possible that I saw it Wrath of Khan<\/em> more than any other film. I don’t really follow the track so I don’t know, but I’ve seen a lot. If I’m looking for a movie of pure entertainment value, there is none better Wrath of Khan.<\/em> There’s a saying that these kinds of films are only like their villain, and it doesn’t get any better than Montalban playing Khan here. But the film also takes advantage of our familiarity with the corporate team and lets them play to their strengths again. There’s also a video online where director Meyer explains how he made Shatner take after take to get him tired and get a tired and world-weary Kirk. That explains the good job Shatner has done here as well.<\/p>\n The scene where Khan reveals himself to Ceti Alpha Five.<\/p>\n Now it’s time to vote.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n You have until Wednesday to vote. Next, Brazil <\/em>(1985) continues Terminator II: Judgment Day<\/em> (1991).<\/p>\n Welcome back to everyone who skips music and movies.<\/p>\n In the time between the Cubs failing to sign NPB-import Tatsuya Imai and the Cubs trading for Edward Cabrera, there was a lot of talk about the Cubs turning to free agent Zac Gallen to bolster their starting rotation. There was also a lot of talk about the Cubs’ interest in Zac Gallen earlier as Bob Nightengale mistakenly reported, as Bob is wont to do, that the Cubs had accepted Gallen. Nightengale may have been wrong about the signing, but other writers confirmed that the Cubs were interested in the former Diamondbacks right-hander.<\/p>\n It appeared that the Cubs’ interest in Gallen had ended after the latest move. First, trading Cabrera reduces the need for a starting pitcher in the Cubs. Second, the signing of Alex Bregman puts the Cubs well against the luxury tax cap and it’s widely believed that even if the Cubs were willing to go a little over that, they wouldn’t go far enough to sign a big free agent.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n But the market for Gallen, 30, hasn’t developed as much as he and his agent Scott Boras would have liked. There are several reasons for that. The first is that Gallen, ace in 2022 and 2023 and not too bad in 2024, had a bad season in 2025. We’ll get into that later. Another reason is that Gallen turned down a reasonable offer from the Diamondbacks and teams are reluctant to give up a draft pick to pay a lot of money for a non-elite player. As long as you base it on his 2025 season, Gallen is no longer an elite pitcher. So it seems that Boras is using his usual tactic in such situations\u2014getting the player to sign a short-term deal that will put him back on the market for a big payday while he’s still young.<\/p>\n So, Bruce Levine dropped a bit over the weekend when he reported that the Cubs and Boras are still talking about a deal that would bring Gallen to Chicago on a short-term deal. Such a deal would put the Cubs way over the luxury tax threshold they’ve been reluctant to cross in recent years, but it’s also not something ownership can’t afford, for all we know.<\/p>\n So why would the Cubs spend the budget and lose a draft pick on Zac Gallen? The Cubs starting rotation currently looks like this:<\/p>\n Matthew Boyd<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Late Horton<\/p>\n Shoot Imanaga<\/p>\n Jameson Taillon<\/p>\n Edward Cabrera<\/p>\n There is also Justin Steele, who will return from elbow surgery sometime this year. Let’s pencil him in for June. The Cubs top pitching prospect, Jaxon Wiggins, could be ready for the majors by midseason or so.<\/p>\n There are also Colin Rea and Javier Assad who could join the rotation or out of the bullpen.<\/p>\n So if the Cubs already have 5 starters, two reserves and two who could join the team during the season, why would they want Gallen so much that they are willing to break the budget?<\/p>\n For one thing, the Cubs can hope that Gallen will be better than one of the five pitchers currently in the rotation. If you have the opportunity to improve your team, you should. Yes, Gallen had a poor year last year with a 4.83 ERA. He had a career-low hitting percentage. But he improved a lot at the end of the season. In the final two months of the year, Gallen made 11 starts and posted a 3.32 ERA. His strikeout rate rebounded back to what it was from 2021 to 2024, when Gallen was good. If you think Gallen figured out what was wrong from March to July, then Gallen is the closest pitcher you can get for the price of a solid middle guy and a few more years.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n But the main reason to do so is to add depth to the rotation. We all know that in the National League Division Series, due to Horton’s injury and Imanaga’s inactivity, the Cubs ran out of bowls. Horton has dealt with injuries throughout his career. So is Cabrera. Truth be told, Boyd is not ruled out for Tommy John surgery in 2023. While the Cubs hope Steele will be back soon, there is no guarantee of that.<\/p>\n In addition, Boyd, Imanaga, Taillon and Rea are all free agents after this upcoming season. The Cubs will have to find other pitchers for 2027 and beyond.<\/p>\n The main reason not to sign Gallen is that, if you look at his total for the 2025 season, he is a down-and-out guy who just turned 30. I don’t think 30 is as old for a pitcher as it is for a position player, but Gallen has a lot of innings under his arm. If you don’t think Gallen’s last two months really represent a return to form, you probably don’t want to sign Gallen at any price, considering the loss of the attached draft pick.<\/p>\n Another reason is that because Gallen declined the eligibility offer, the Cubs would lose their second-round draft pick by signing him. The good news is that the Cubs got a pick after the second round by losing Tucker. It’s better to have two draft picks than one here, but at least the Cubs will be going down a bit if they just re-sign Tucker and don’t sign anyone who got an offer.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Al wrote a piece earlier this winter about the Cubs’ interest in Gallen. It is worth revisiting, even if circumstances have changed.<\/p>\n I’m going to suggest that the Cubs give Gallen a two-year contract worth $40 million, and a third-year option for another $20 million. If the Cubs decline the option, there is a $4 million buyout. If Gallen refuses, there is no penalty. Either way, Gallen could be back on the market in two years and if he plays well, he’ll get the last big deal. If he doesn’t perform well, he’s guaranteed at least $44 million.<\/p>\n So should the Cubs offer this deal?<\/p>\n Thanks for stopping by tonight. Always good to see you. Please come home safe. Stay warm there. Tell your friends about us. Recycle any cans and bottles. Ask for your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It’s another week here BCB After Dark: the perfect place for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We are open for business again. We are so glad you decided to stop by. Get in the cold. We can test your coat for you. The host will seat you now. 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