Chris Nunn Signs Deal with Rangers after Viral Video Blows Up

Remember the movie The Rookie starring Dennis Quaid made in the early 2000’s? This story isn’t exactly the same but there are parts that are very similar. A pitcher with a great amount of potential who never quite got it right; a last ditch effort to realize a life-long dream; and a triumph that no one saw coming. Chris Nunn signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers just one day after his mother underwent her first chemotherapy session for breast cancer. And he achieved all of this from a video that was posted on the internet.

Although this is a crazy story, it is not entirely impossible to see it coming. Nunn was a 24th round pick of the Padres in 2012 out of Lipscomb University. He was a moderate success throughout his first 3 years in the system and was even getting looks from the Padres in ’14 but never quite made the jump. The next year was not as kind to Nunn as hip problems plagued him and resulted in a 7.03 ERA over 47 games. The Padres didn’t see enough promise from Nunn and ultimately cut him at the end of the season. Disappointed, Nunn returned to Nashville to further his education.

Nunn continued to work out with his pitching coach in case a call from a club came at some point. And a call did come in 2017 when the Brewers gave him a chance from the recommendation from his old Minor League coach Pat Murphy. The deal was not up to his standards though when he found out they wouldn’t offer him anything before than a Class A assignment. The stop for Nunn came when the Chicago Cubs plucked him off of an Independent League roster and assigned him to Double A. Next up was a stop in the Houston Astros farm system where he had a stop on their Double A system for a while.

Nunn has been bouncing around the Minor and Independent leagues for a few years now so thoughts of doubt had now began. Was he ever going to make it to the Majors? Was he good enough? Should he just go get a degree and focus on his future career? These are questions that almost any athlete has to ask themselves in their career. Not all of us are blessed with Major League talent like Nunn so he kept going and kept looking for a another way in. That route stunningly came through something called the PitchingNinja and the Flatgtound app.

These apps showed clubs that he was still there and ready to help them immediately. In a day and age where society that social media and the internet do so much harm, here is an example of where it can do a lot of good.

As a result of visiting a physical therapist and improving the muscles surrounding his ailing hip, Nunn was no sporting a blistering fastball hovering around 97-99 MPH. The video from the app blew up and it soon racked up somewhere around a million views and spurred newfound interest from MLB clubs. The Texas Rangers sent scouts down to watch Nunn and soon enough he was back in the MLB.

This is a story of perseverance if I’ve ever seen one. How Minor League players can bounce around from place to place and soon get lost in the system and out of the league just like that. It’s also an example of some of the good that the internet can do for an individual that just needs one more shot.

Dave Cook – Contributor – WTF Sports

Indians Still Looking to Deal Kluber or Bauer

One of the off-season headlines that isn’t getting much attention is the Indians shopping of both of their aces. They are looking to trade either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer and still remain competitive. Yes, you read that right. After three straight division titles, it seems some of the teams in their division have made the steps to become bigger threats. So then why are the Indians looking to deal at least one of their Cy Young candidates?

The Indians have a great core of position players with Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez leading the charge. The return of Carlos Santana and addition of Jake Bauers should give the lineup a boost this season. That said, the tribe are losing quality players heading into 2019. That list includes Brantley, Encarnacion, Donaldson, Alonso and Melky Cabrera. 

These subtractions open up multiple holes in the lineup. Trading for above-average bats would be logical. They recently re-signed Carlos Carrasco who can resemble an ace when healthy. He could dampen the impact of a Kluber or Bauer trade.

Pitching is a huge factor in the playoffs and playing well into October. They could still be well equipped with arms heading into 2019, even with a blockbuster trade. Since their loss in Game 7 to the Cubs, the Indians haven’t even sniffed a bid to the fall classic. Maybe shaking things up and rolling the dice could improve things and make them more formidable.

Dave Cook – Contributor – WTF Sports

Scott Neville – Editor – WTF Sports

Could Harper and Machado be on the same team?

As the MLB hot stove continues on throughout the beginning of winter, two of the biggest dominoes have yet to fall. Former MVP Bryce Harper and perennial All-Star Manny Machado have yet to choose their new teams for the foreseeable future. It seems that literally any team in the league would jump at the chance to have even one of these amazing players on their rosters. But could they both possibly land on the same team?

Rumors have been flying that the Chicago White Sox could potentially try to acquire both Harper and Machado. When I first heard this I honestly thought there was no chance that could happen. Why would two players in their primes go to such a terrible team? Well, money always plays a big factor in these type of situations and that is what the White Sox have. Harper and Machado have potentially both been looking for deals in the 10 year, $200-300 million range, so this seems like a long shot the White Sox could pull that off and get both of them.

If I had to take a guess, I truly believe Machado will become a Yankee. He’s made it known he wants to be one and he would fit well into their infield. He just seems like the type of player that was born to be a Yankee. The real question is where Harper will land because he’s been tied to numerous clubs during the offseason such as the Cubs, Phillies, Nationals, White Sox, Dodgers and Yankees. The final team that could emerge and acquire them both is the Yankees. Why? Because they’re the Yankees and always have the money and appeal for the biggest stars in the league.

Wherever each of these two massive assets land could really shake up the league this year. Machado was a huge factor in the Dodgers late run to the World Series and Harper is always a threat to pop off at any time. As the stove warms up we will just have to wait and see what happens.

Dave Cook – Contributor