Latest news and updates about the Cubs
Fifth in the series. Today we look at the Cubs’ newly-anointed utility man. Matt Shaw is a controversial figure in Cubdom right now. Not for his political beliefs (at this time), but because the signing of Alex Bregman necessarily leads to a change of position for the young man, and because it looks a bit like […]
We’ve spent a lot of the last week discussing, describing, and unpacking the state of the Chicago Cubs’ outfield depth. Recently, the Cubs claimed a speed and defense guy for depth in Justin Dean , and signed two bounce-back types in Chas McCormick and Dylan Carlson . Add them together with Kevin Alcantara, and you have a reasonably decent mix of guys to compete for the 4th outfielder job in Spring Training, plus a good chance at keeping a few of them around at Iowa as depth for the year ahead...
Spring Training is just around the corner and so is the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which will begin March 4 in Tokyo and March 6 in San Juan, Miami and Houston. A number of Cubs have already committed to play in the WBC, and there could be others going forward — not all the rosters […]
Michael Cerami, Published Children’s Author. He wrote a kids Cubs book! So freaking cool. If you missed the particulars, see here . And you can get your copy at Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Bookshop.org . Very proud of you, Michael. People probably don’t realize how much work goes into a book like that, and how hard it is to get from conception to publishing. It’s a lot, and you deserve some celebration (including a TV hit last night !). If you were curious about the World Baseball...
We’re here to talk about the one thing on everybody’s minds: who is going to be the Milwaukee Brewers’ backup catcher when the 2026 season starts? There was a bit of news on this front on Tuesday, when the Brewers — after rumors swirled for some time — signed the Chicago Cubs’ 2025 backup, Reese […]
There are a few more signing rumors out there, but we’ll wait for confirmation. The Dylan Carlson deal is done. More pitching and infield help (Gabe Klobosits, Karson Simas) may be on the way. We, um, await developments. *means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on […]
It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the most happening hangout 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 can check your coat for you. We’ve got a fire going and the show will start soon. […]
Just a day after I wrote about the Brewers notably inviting two catchers to spring training, they’ve tacked on another catcher to that group. Veteran catcher Reese McGuire, who spent last season with the Cubs, has agreed to a minor league deal with Milwaukee with an invite to major league spring training, per Curt Hogg. […]
The nature of the offseason in the last five, ten years is such that so much of it bleeds into January that the advent of Spring Training feels a little less like this desperately-long-anticipated, far-off event, and more like the next phase of the offseason. Here we are, on the doorstep of February, and the Chicago Cubs are still popping up in fairly significant free agent rumors ( Zac Gallen today, for example ). That is not to say we don’t eagerly greet the arrival of Spring Training a...
Cubs President Jed Hoyer is not someone we hear from as much as we’d like. Sure, he’s around at CubsCon and will occasionally do shorter media interviews on the radio or at the Winter Meetings or a new player press conference, etc. But rarely does he sit down for an hour like he just did with David Kaplan and Gordon Wittenmyer on The Cubs REKAP Podcast . So I was very excited to see Kap reel him in again. You can find the full video at the bottom of this post, but I’m going to drop a few ...
David Bote was once thought of as a versatile enough player to keep around on a long-term deal given him by Theo Epstein, a five-year deal that didn’t end until a buyout last year. And, you know, it might have worked until Bote suffered a serious shoulder injury in May 2021 that kept him out […]
Newly-signed outfielder Dylan Carlson ‘s deal with the Cubs is of the minor league variety, but it comes with a very healthy big league rate if he makes the team – $2 million, per Jon Heyman , plus another $1 million in possible incentives. It’s not a big deal – literally or figuratively – but that structure tells us a few things, and it got me thinking about the Cubs’ bench competition (specifically the 4th outfielder gig). So I’m just gonna flow through some thoughts. At a minimum,...
You guys. I have been waiting for this moment for over a year. I almost can’t believe it’s finally here. Deep breath, and here it goes: I WROTE A CHILDREN’S BOOK FOR CUBS FANS! My first book ever. It’s called “My First Trip to the Bleachers: Big Feelings at the Cubs Game.” And it’s finally available for pre-sale. You can get your copy at Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Bookshop.org . I really hope you like it. And I really hope you pre-order a copy! Pre-Order Right Here! My Firs...
Fifth in the series. Today we look at the Cubs’ new third baseman. Alex Bregman should need no introduction. The Cubs wanted to sign him last year but were unable to close the deal. They made up for it this year, signing the free agent to a massive five-year, $175 million contract. Bregman has won two World […]
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. Kiki Cuyler* makes the Hall, and other stories. Today in baseball history: Cubs Birthdays: Bob […]
Fun video today from Eric Sim, a former Giants minor leaguer who has since made a name for himself in the baseball-connected content world. For example, Sim put together a video on what it’s like to train with new Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman for a day. Surprise! Bregman works really hard on his training every day! Primarily, it’s just entertaining to watch, but it does also give you a little behind-the-scenes look at what someone like Alex Bregman is doing to stay in top baseball...
The Cubs signed Tucker Barnhart to a two-year, $6.5 million contract before the 2023 season to be the backup catcher to Yan Gomes. This was another miscalculation by Jed Hoyer, as Barnhart was released before the ‘23 season ended after batting just .202/.285/.257 and throwing out only 18.9 percent of runners trying to steal. And […]
Although Keith Law’s pre-season top-100 prospect list had a totally different look as far as Chicago Cubs prospects go, we’re back to the version we’ve now see a couple times before already ( MLB Pipeline and Baseball America ). This time, it’s ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel who ranks just two Cubs prospects in the top-100, and they’re the two you’d most expect: 51. Moises Ballesteros, C 83. Jaxon Wiggins, RHP And that’s it. You already know the story by now with Ballesteros, who’d ...
The Chicago Cubs have once again built up an impressive stable of reclamation arms to work with this spring, but they are never satisfied on that front. If there’s a guy they like out there and he wants to come work at the Cubs’ Pitch Lab, well, doggone it, the Cubs will find room at the inn. The latest signing is big righty Gabe Klobosits, who has pitched the last couple years in independent ball (mostly dominating): Sources: RHP Gabe Klobosits and the #Cubs have agreed to a minor l...
Fourth in the series. Today we look at the Cubs’ recently-acquired backup DH/First Baseman. Tyler Austin is a 34-year-old journeyman, drafted by the Yankees in the third round of the 2010 MLB Draft. His lifetime 0.9 bWAR is inflated by his reasonable 2018-2019 seasons. After 2019, he journeyed to NPB, where he did well for six […]
When MLB Network unveiled its top-100 players “right now” list, there was really only one thing that stood out to me, and any other Cubs-adjacent person with a functioning brain. We looked and looked and looked and could not find a bizarrely missing name: Nico Hoerner was inexplicably not on there. Four Cubs in MLB Network’s Top 💯 Right Now 🔥 pic.twitter.com/1mHhGBVKnK — Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) January 27, 2026 Instinctively, we know that Nico Hoerner is one of t...
I know not everywhere got dumped on by 21 inches of snow like we did, and then immediately followed by sub-zero temperatures, but I am going stir-crazy. The kids are all home, we can’t really go anywhere, and I think we could all use some fresh air. Worse, the brutal cold isn’t turned for, at a minimum, another 10 days apparently. I’m grateful our furnace is working, but I would also be grateful for enough of a break in the roads/temps that everyone can safely go back to school … The Fr...
There are bound to be some events of note at some point. Perhaps not today. But we remain vigilant. Pitchers and catchers are due to report in two weeks. We do have a nice The Compound Podcast if you have time, and several shorter stories, both on video and via text. Randy Holt has a […]
Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We so glad you braved the weather to visit us. Please come in out of the cold. It’s plenty warm in here. We can check your coat. There’s no cover charge. Bring your own beverage. […]
I know that the big league moves draw most of the attention – and, for good reason, since they are designed to generate most of the big league impact – but I have been very pleased by the Chicago Cubs’ front office continuing to supplement deeper within the organization throughout December and January. Plenty of reclamation pitching signings , as always, and a number of more development-inclined pitcher signings, too. There was also the Scott Kingery signing late last year as Triple-A dep...