Relative to their market size and generalized revenue opportunity, the Chicago Cubs are a financially conservative franchise. To be fair, they would tell you that “every” dollar that comes into the organization is turned back around and spent on the organization in one way or another. But that has always rung a little hollow to me.
Given how much more other teams are spending on their payrolls, the Ricketts are either not counting all of their broader organizational revenue as “team” reve...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Every Monday is an off-day in the Arizona Fall League, so it’s an excellent time to check in on how the Cubs Boys of Autumn are doing out in the desert with the Mesa Solar Sox. The Solar Sox had their best week of the season so far, going 5-1 and currently sport a four-game […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
The big league Chicago Cubs won an MLB-leading three Gold Gloves last night, with each of Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Ian Happ taking home the deserved honors .
But they are not this year’s only Gold Glove winners in the Cubs organization!
On the minor league side, Rawlings hands out one Gold Glove at each position for all of the minor leagues , and what do you know, a Cubs prospect nabbed the honor at third base. Congrats to Pedro Ramirez:
Pedro Ramirez has been name...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
I’m going to preface this by saying that you know it as well as I do: The Cubs aren’t going to retain Kyle Tucker. That seems completely obvious to anyone who’s followed Tucker’s saga from being traded to the Cubs last winter, to becoming a free agent the day after the World Series ended. Why […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Please tell me you watched the Bears game yesterday. That was UNREAL . One of the wildest games in years, with the Bears blowing a huge lead late – in large part because of a brutally bogus call on a should-have-been-game-ending-pick-6 – and then somehow summoning the moxy to turn it right back around into a last-minute win.
The MLB offseason has officially arrived, and this is the slate of dates and deadlines if you missed it or want to brush up. The first wave of deadlines comes on Th...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
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. Today in baseball history: Cubs Birthdays: Jim McCormick, Ed Lennox, Bob Fisher, Fred Richards, Ken Holtzman, Danny Young, Jonathan Herrera, Ryan […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
The Rawlings Gold Glove Awards were announced this evening and three Cubs players, second baseman Nico Hoerner, center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and left fielder Ian Happ, all won Gold Gloves at their respective positions. Crow-Armstrong was a human highlight reel in center field this past year, making plays that almost no other center fielder would […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
The Chicago Cubs deployed one of the best defenses in baseball this season, and thus showed up all over the list of Gold Glove finalists: Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Matt Shaw, Ian Happ, Matthew Boyd, and Carson Kelly.
The winners were announced tonight, and the Cubs took home three Gold Gloves:
Your 2025 Rawlings Gold Glove Award Winner – NL Second Base – Nico Hoerner #RawlingsGoldGloveAwards pic.twitter.com/zY0KaZHwjB — Rawlings Baseball (@RawlingsSports) November 3, 2...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Nine years ago tonight, I was happy. Unthinkingly happy. Unconsciously happy. It was a haze of bliss then. It’s still a warm feeling now. Nine year ago tonight, the Chicago Cubs finally did it.
Perhaps someday, when November 2 rolls around and I think about the anniversary it marks, I might be filled with more sadness than happiness. There would come a point – some year in the future, couldn’t say yet exactly how long it would take – when the distance from November 2, 2016 will feel so va...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
The World Series ended, it was really exciting, boo the Dodgers , blah blah blah. THE OFFSEASON IS OFFICIALLY HERE! That’s what we’re really on about today, eh? Now it’s time for clubs to start their march toward the 2026 season, reconstructing or supplementing their rosters, and working on their organizations.
For the Chicago Cubs, coming off of a well-earned 92-win season, the needs on the big league roster are relatively specific. There will be bench and bullpen work as always, but thi...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 2 reads
The time change is helping this morning, because I was up way too late watching that game …
There’s just no way around it: that was one of the most incredible Game Sevens in a very long time. Yes, 2016 tops it in my completely biased opinion, but this is right up there just behind it. Some tremendous individual performances. Huge game swings. Close calls. Eye-popping defense in big spots. A game-tying 9th inning home run. Extra innings. And then a game-winner in the 11th:
WILL SM...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 2 reads
We cover the coverage like PCA covers center field. Something happened on this day in 2016. It hadn’t happened in a while. You probably know what I’m talking about. The 2026 team has a ways to go, but that’s the objective, or should be, when the real games begin today. *means autoplay on, (directions to remove […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 2 reads
The Bulls won AGAIN . That’s 5-0 to start the season. Are they just, like, a good basketball team? Should I be paying more attention to them?
If the Dodgers go on to win this World Series, that 9th inning from Game Six is going to haunt Blue Jays fans forever. Two freak plays – flukes, mistakes, whatever you want to call them – turned what could’ve been a suddenly tie game into a loss. One, not the Blue Jays fault and couldn’t have been avoided. One that certainly could have. Both worki...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
We cover the coverage like PCA covers center field. Greetings and solicitations. Welcome to more words about Bryce Harper’s dog’s name and other great hits. The silly season before the offseason is upon us, the Great Pumpkin is behind us, and we’re headed for the cranberry bogs before minter sets in. Boswell has it that […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Braves Franchise History 1999 – Braves coach Don Baylor is named as the new manager of the Chicago Cubs. MLB History 1894 – Charlie Sweeney, who pitched for the Providence Grays, St. Louis Maroons and Cleveland Blues is convicted of manslaughter in San Francisco, California. 1909 – The Boston Red Sox hire former Senators skipper […]
From Talking Chop
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Earlier this week, I asked you via the SB Nation Reacts survey which long-time Cubs player you would most like to see get a contract extension. The result really was no surprise at all: Nico Hoerner’s age, defensive ability and offensive consistency do call for the Cubs to keep him for a few more years. […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 5 reads
The Chicago Cubs have a whole lot of turnover coming for their roster this offseason, but they nevertheless have a core that could compete just as well as the 2025 squad, if not better. You know, depending on what they do this offseason …
To that end, it’s time to lay out the roadmap for the offseason, giving you the dates and deadlines ahead. Get your calendar handy, because here are your MLB dates and deadlines …
This Weekend – The day after the World Series ends – so, either Satur...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
I like Seiya Suzuki and what he’s brought to the Cubs. He’s been worth 11.1 bWAR in his four years with the team, about 3 WAR per season. He will hit his 100th home run as a Cub next year, most likely (almost certainly, as he’s averaged 22 per season). The Cubs have wanted to […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
It absolutely sucks that my son has a peanut allergy. No question about it. However, there is one small side benefit after he complete trick or treat: I made out like a bandit last night. Reese and Butterfinger and Snickers everywhere, and I * have to * take them. For safety.
The Cubs have yet to lose bench coach Ryan Flaherty to an open managerial gig, but they are indeed losing a coach off the staff:
From @PJ_Mooney and @sahadevsharma : Cubs coach Alex Smith is leaving to becom...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a light-hearted, 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 HALLOWE’EN! Today in baseball history: The story of Hall-of-Famer Burleigh Grimes: “I used to […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Episode 36 of the Bleacher Nation Cubs Podcast is officially live!
In this week’s episode, Brett and I talk about the guy having the postseason Cade Horton was SUPPOSED to have. We talk about whether or not the Cubs are already World Series contenders. And we talk about the deal the Cubs would NOT make Shohei Ohtani (for reasons unknown and frustrating).
After the break, in our transaction corner, we focus our attention on Dylan Cease, who has blossomed into the first Cubs rumor of t...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
The players each year vote in a handful of awards for their peers in the Major League Baseball Players Association. No active Chicago Cubs were honored this time around, but I still wanted to share the results, which did include a couple former players with Cubs ties:
The MLBPAA honors the late Scott Sanderson and Don Baylor as recipients of the 2025 @MLBPA Curt Flood Award! An award presented by the Major League Baseball Players Association to honor former Players who, like Flood, showed...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Finally, I think I’ve got one here that all of us can agree on. Nico Hoerner was one of the top players in the National League this year. He might have received an All-Star nod if he’d hit somewhat better in the first half. Overall his year was worth 6.1 bWAR, which ranked tied for […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
We cover the coverage like PCA covers center field. The Cubs have things to do. I’ve no doubt that the current scarcity of Cub coverage is only due to the ongoing finale to the season, a dramatic World Series between the mighty Dodgers and ineffable Blue Jays, who seek to cast a fog upon LA. […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest after-party for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. The dress code is casual. We can check your coat for you. We still have […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read