The Rundown: Family Matters, Taillon to Start ST Opener, Meyer Elected MLBPA Boss, Swanson Making Tweaks
Have you ever had a situation where you were trying to decide what to do and the universe stepped in to make the choice for you? I had been looking at whether and how to get out to Mesa for spring training for a while, and had just about figured out when I’d be able to go. Then I got a jury duty summons for Monday, March 2, so my window got pushed forward. Not a big deal, still plenty of options to swing a quick trip.
Then came word that my aunt, who lives in Hawaii, has arrived at the final stages of a long battle with dementia. Knowing I’d need to get out there again at some point spurred me to apply for an American Airlines MasterCard a couple years ago just to get the free miles, and it looks like I’ll be using them soon. I may still be able to swing a game or two since Phoenix will be a stopover for at least half of the round trip, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
If you’ll bear with my mushiness for just a bit longer, I’ve got to commit a few thoughts to the page before moving on. I last saw my aunt a little over six years ago, at which point she was clearly slipping mentally. Still, she was able to get around and do most things, and she looked like herself. That is no longer the case, so I’m glad I got there when I did. What makes things tougher is that this is similar to the decline her mother, my paternal grandmother, experienced a few decades ago.
I’m the only one of my siblings who remembers our grandmother when she had all her faculties, and seeing her in the nursing home for several years took a toll on me. Many of you would probably be able to handle it a little better than me, but it was a struggle for me to go back in that building even after she had long since passed on. My mom ended up working there as an administrator, and I dreaded visiting her there. Going to see my Grandpap in the nursing home was likewise so difficult that I had to take my daughter as a buffer.
Thanks for bearing with me on that extreme downer of an intro. I really appreciate getting the time to vent, and I feel a little lighter as a result. We’re just going straight to bullets from here so I can avoid accidentally rambling any further.
- Jameson Taillon will start the Cubs’ Cactus League opener against the White Sox tomorrow at 2:05pm CT on Marquee and 104.3 The Score.
- We should have a lineup preview for you, though the starters obviously won’t be in for long.
- Moises Ballesteros came in at No. 15 among Jim Bowden’s list of 20 impact rookies.
- Dansby Swanson hopes to have more of an offensive impact this season after consecutive campaigns of sub-100 wRC+ production. Though the shortstop declined to share exactly what he’s changing with Sahadev Sharma, hitting coach Dustin Kelly said it’s more about leaning into his athleticism and making “a little setup change” to promote better posture and a slightly flatter bat path. It’s more about avoiding prolonged slumps than making some big leap forward.
- Former MLBPA deputy director Bruce Meyer was unanimously elected interim executive director, taking over for the disgraced Tony Clark. Meyer had been the obvious choice all along, though reports surfaced on Wednesday that former Cub Daniel Murphy was in the running. That never seemed to make much sense, and the unanimous vote says as much.
- It’s a little odd that Meyer has that interim designation, especially with the looming labor battle for which he’ll be the union’s chief negotiator. That’s a helluva litmus test for his fitness to continue leading the union through 2027 and beyond.
- Clark was the first former player to be named executive director, and his leadership had its share of follies even before he decided to cuckold his own brother. The 2017-21 CBA wasn’t great for the players, which is why Meyer was brought in as lead negotiator in 2018. And while the subsequent agreement was a little better, the growing wealth gap between the top and bottom of the sport has seen roughly two-thirds of the league earning minimum salaries while mega-deals continue to increase.
- Then there was the attempted “coup” two years ago in which a group of players attempted to convince Clark to replace Meyer with Harry Marino, the lawyer who helped to pull minor leaguers under the MLBPA umbrella. That mutiny attempt failed, and the players who pushed for it were bounced from the executive subcomittee following December.
- Ian Happ was among those who were ousted, along with Lucas Giolito and Jack Flaherty.
- Meyer met with Cubs players on Wednesday, after which he told reporters that “A lockout is all but guaranteed at the end of the agreement.”
- Former Cubs great Yency Almonte, who came over from the Dodgers with Michael Busch in 2024, has re-joined LA on a minor league deal.
- The Tigers have unveiled two alternate uniforms: orange jerseys with white pants for select home games and navy tops with gray trousers on the road.
- Mets owner Steve Cohen earned $3.4 billion last year as a hedge fund manager, edging out Panthers owner David Tepper ($3.2 billion) for the top spot. If only those guys knew how lucrative the blogging industry was.
- This double play by SIU Edwardsville against Illinois State might be the wildest you’ll ever see. A comebacker bounced off the pitcher’s back and the base ump’s knee before hopping to the second baseman, who tags the bag and relays to first to end the inning.
They say you’ll likely see something new every day at the ballpark. Can’t say that I’ve seen a double play quite like this one turned by @SIUEBaseball against @RedbirdBaseball yesterday.
On @ESPNPlus with @TTLCasts pic.twitter.com/giqhUyR1P9— Joe Pott (@JoePottOnAir) February 18, 2026
Trailer Time
After sharing the trailer for How to Make a Killing yesterday, I figured I’d go back to the well of action comedy thrillers with Over Your Dead Body. Starring Jason Segel and the striking Samara Weaving, the plot revolves around an unhappily married couple that heads to a secluded cabin under the auspices of repairing their relationship, except that each is secretly planning to kill the other. It appears as though their respective plans go awry, and I’m guessing they end up reconciling as they bond over what appears to be an even bigger threat from a supporting cast that includes Timothy Olyphant and Juliette Lewis.
This film is based on the 2021 Norwegian film The Trip, starring Aksel Hennie and Noomi Rapace, the plot summary for which indicates that I nailed the plot twist. Not that it was particularly difficult to suss out. Looks fun, and I’m a fan of all the individual actors involved.
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