Latest news and updates about the Cubs
It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the swinging-est afterparty for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come in out of the cold. We’ve got a fire going in here. There is no cover charge. We still have a couple of tables […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 4 reads
The Winter Meetings, broadly speaking, were a bust. The Chicago Cubs were far from the only club that didn’t complete any deals, and even today’s massive Pete Alonso signing by the Orioles wasn’t quite enough to salvage the week. There’s still a whole lot left of this baseball offseason, and it might be a while before it all shakes out for the Cubs and for most other teams. There was one spicy report that dropped at the end of the day, though, and it was about that Alonso signing. Jo...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 2 reads
2025 MLB Rule 5 Draft Primer / Preview 12/10 UPDATE : PLAYERS SELECTED BY CUBS IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE OF 2025 RULE 5 DRAFT : NONE CUBS MINOR LEAGUERS SELECTED IN MAJOR LEAGUE PHASE OF 2025 RULE 5 DRAFT : NONE PLAYERS SELECTED BY CUBS IN AAA PHASE OF 2025 RULE 5 DRAFT : Adam Stone , RHP (selected for AAA Iowa from New York Yankees Lo-A Tampa roster) Zane Mill s, RHP (selected for AAA Iowa from St. Louis Cardinals AA Springfield roster) Devin Ortiz , INF (se...
From The Cub Reporter (TCR) | A Chicago Cubs Blog | 3 months ago | 7 reads
It’s been a very quiet Winter Meetings for the Chicago Cubs, and that mostly carried right on through the MLB Rule 5 Draft today. In a relative surprise, the Cubs did not take anyone in the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Normally, a team passing in the Rule 5 is almost definitionally not a surprise. But with nine(!!!) open spots on the 40-man roster and a desperate need to start adding potential relievers, I’d assumed the Cubs would grab a flier to compete in Spring Training for ...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 2 reads
The Cubs made news in this year’s Rule 5 Draft by not doing very much at all. This year, I was reasonably certain the Cubs would select someone to add to their major league roster in this annual draft. They’ve got plenty of room on the 40-man roster, which contains only 31 players right now. […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 5 reads
MLB’s top brass are meeting in Orlando this week and that generally sets the stage for getting at least a few deals done. This year’s Winter Meetings have not disappointed, with closer Edwin Díaz switching teams and coasts as he signed a three-year deal with the Dodgers and slugger Kyle Schwarber resigning an even larger contract […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 7 reads
It’s the last day of MLB’s Winter Meetings, and that means the Rule 5 Draft. Last week, I wrote about some guys the Cubs might take in that draft. Given that there are only 31 players currently on the Cubs’ 40-man roster, I do expect them to take someone. They’ve done so in other years […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 6 reads
We all love Michael Soroka. We’re all sad his career has gone the way it has, right? Well, Soroka had his second-best season last year, putting up 1.1 fWAR for the Nationals and Cubs. He actually had 1.2 fWAR for the Nationals in 16 starts, but then kind of imploded while barely pitching for the […]
From Talking Chop | 3 months ago | 4 reads
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths. “Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire. Happy birthday, Paul Assenmacher*, the death of the spitball, and other stories. Today in baseball […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 3 reads
It’s Tuesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by this evening. Please come in out of the cold. There’s no cover charge. We can check your coat. There’s still one table left by the […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 4 reads
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell certainly fulfills his duty as a “coach” as well as anyone in the game, but part of his unique value is his involvement in some of the more executive-y facets of an organization. He participates at all levels, including player targeting and acquisition. It’s unsurprising, then, that he’s at the Winter Meetings, undoubtedly helping Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins where they need it. Being that he is there in Orland, Counsell spoke with the media in a few hi...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 2 reads
The MLB Draft Lottery was held earlier today and the results were recently revealed on MLB Network. The Cubs were not part of the lottery, as only the 18 teams that did not make the postseason were eligible for the lottery. That’s good, right? Anyway, the Cubs will pick 23rd in the first round of […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 6 reads
Cubs President Jed Hoyer spoke with the media from the Winter Meetings, some of which we discussed last night . Some of the media session is available via Marquee, and I’ll embed it here so you can watch for yourself: As I said, I got into a lot of the meat last night, but there was one snippet at The Athletic that I thought deserved a call out today: “We’re definitely looking for another starter,” said Hoyer, who also sounded open to adding another swingman to go between ...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 2 reads
The Winter Meetings so far are notable for one thing: The lack of major signings. The “biggest” thing that’s happened so far is Steven Matz, formerly of the Cardinals, signing a two-year deal with the Rays. Meanwhile, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer talked relief pitching: After signing veteran reliever Phil Maton, team president […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 6 reads
The Winter Meetings are underway. Nothing under our collective tree yet. Ryne Stanek is a name in the wind, Michael King still draws interest, Zac Gallen is probably still a thing, and MacKenzie Gore’s name is out there. *means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 6 reads
Welcome back to another week here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We can check your coat for you, gratis. We still have a couple of tables available. There’s no cover charge. Bring your own beverage. […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 4 reads
A funny (and charmingly classic Bob Nightengale) story gets even funnier tonight. On Friday afternoon, Mark Feinsand reported that the Chicago Cubs have been “looking at” free agent starting pitcher Zac Gallen, a reasonable (and subsequently confirmed) baseball rumor ahead of the Winter Meetings. But 24 hours after that, all hell broke loose when Nightengale reported that the Cubs had landed their man: “The Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing an agreement with free-agent starter Zac Gall...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 2 reads
It’s not a new rumor to say the Chicago Cubs are interested in Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai. They have been connected in multiple reports , and the fit is otherwise quite obvious. You have a Japanese star (Cubs are strong in that area, though have two Japanese players hitting free agency after next season) coming over at age 27 (Cubs, like everyone, prefer pitcher youth if possible), who cannot be attached to draft pick compensation, and you have a club with a need in the front half of their rota...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 3 reads
When it comes to any Cubs relief rumors this offseason — like the one we’re about to discuss involving free agent closer Robert Suarez — two caveats apply: (1) Historically speaking, the Chicago Cubs have come across as borderline allergic to multi-year, big-money deals for free agent relievers, electing instead to build their bullpens on the cheap using internal pitchers, one-year signings, and/or “project/reclamation” arms. And to be fair, it’s mostly worked out for them. However … thin...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 2 reads
As the Washington Nationals continue to reorganize under new baseball president Paul Toboni, we’re increasingly seeing evidence that the team will genuinely consider trading lefty MacKenzie Gore this offseason. Now or at the 2026 Trade Deadline seems likely either way, and since no one knows what might happen to the first part of the 2027 season – the last year Gore would be under control – it’s possible Gore has significantly more value right now than he will in July. Plus, if the Nationals w...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 3 reads
The Cubs have just 31 players currently on the 40-man roster. Thus, it seems quite likely that they will select someone in the Rule 5 Draft, which comes up on Wednesday. That’s especially true given the fact that they have made Rule 5 selections in past years when they didn’t really have room, or a […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue | 3 months ago | 2 reads
The Mets have reportedly made their first move of the Winter Meetings, signing reliever Carl Edwards Jr. to a minor league deal Tuesday morning, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon. A lanky right-hander with an over-the-top delivery, Edwards Jr. began his big league career with the Cubs, winning a World Series ring as a 24-year-old […]
From Amazin' Avenue | 3 months ago | 3 reads
MLB RUMORS — We made it to the start of the Winter Meetings. May the rumors be exciting and may the transaction be plentiful. Let’s jump right in, because it’s only Monday and there are a lot of table-setting storylines to enjoy. Kyle Schwarber: Pirates, Reds, Timeline, More Ken Rosenthal got the MLB Rumors started last night , with the most surprising rumor of the winter so far: The Pittsburgh Pirates have made free-agent designated hitter Kyle Schwarber a four-year offer, ac...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 5 reads
When I saw something a few days ago, I parked it in a tab because it seemed so unlikely to impact the Cubs. After all, there hadn’t been any sourced connections between the Cubs and Munetaka Murakami, and the fit was very difficult to see if Murakami wasn’t a true third baseman. But then Bruce Levine wrote that the Cubs could in fact be considering Murakami as an option at third base, so I think there’s good reason to share that something I had parked. It’s Kiley McDaniel’s take at E...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 0 reads
Michael Soroka, we hardly knew ye. Acquired by the Cubs at the Trade Deadline and then injured immediately thereafter, Soroka didn’t get much of a chance to make an impression on us. Still, from what I saw of the stuff, it was really easy to dream. And really easy to want to see the Cubs take a flier on bringing back such a live arm, with the flexibility to pitch out of the rotation or the bullpen. But it’s not happening, as Soroka, who is still only 28, is signing another one-year d...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession | 3 months ago | 3 reads