A Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005
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 […]
about 8 hours ago | 0 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 […]
about 10 hours ago | 0 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. […]
about 19 hours ago | 0 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 […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma posted an article in The Athletic Sunday that began with this intriguing comment: The Chicago Cubs are targeting a higher level of the free-agent market and signaling an openness to spending for certain players, according to team and league sources briefed on the club’s deliberations. Well. I suspect many of […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
Happy Monday, everyone, and happy start of Winter Meetings. There’s certain to be plenty of news (and plenty of outrageous Scott Boras quotes) to keep us occupied this week, but before things get underway, we will check in on what to expect and what storylines to watch. In addition, we’ll take a look at the […]
1 day ago | 0 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, Reed Johnson*! And other stories. Today in baseball history: Cubs Birthdays: Kid Camp, Reed Johnson*. […]
1 day ago | 0 reads
Here’s another photo from BCB reader Clark Addison. It is, quite clearly, a play at the plate. There are enough letters on the back of the runner’s jersey to identify him: That’s Jason Marquis. Here’s the full photo: Marquis pitched for the Cubs for two seasons, 2007 and 2008. The catcher’s uniform doesn’t show a […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
Major League Baseball’s annual Winter Meetings are taking place this week at the Marriott Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida. Here are some of the events going on this week and what to look for from a Cubs point of view. First, there was a report by Bob Nightengale of USA Today early […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
We cover the coverage like PCA covers center field. We catch everything but we throw a lot back. ‘Insider’ Bob Nightengale’s dispatches aren’t often found here. He’s on the same level as ‘Insider’ Jim Bowden as far as I’m concerned. Zac Gallen is still on the market. *means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
Here we have three easily recognizable Cubs: Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez and Jacque Jones. It appears to be (and I found that it was) after the fourth player, the only one whose face we can see, has hit a grand slam at Wrigley Field. Here’s the full photo, another one sent to me by BCB […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
We cover the coverage like PCA covers center field. Monday might be a day of infamy or a beggar’s banquet for the Cubs. They’re unlikely to dine at the head table and figure to be offering a goodly percentage of one-year deals, preferring, seemingly, to keep all of their ducats in a row preparatory to […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is another repost of the game recap from a walkoff home run, this one from Chicago-area native Mike Tauchman, who grew up a Cubs fan. Once again, there will be an epilogue after the lightly-edited recap repost. This concludes this offseason series about Cubs walkoff heroes. Mike Tauchman grew up in the […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
Last offseason, the Cubs were reportedly “in” on free agent third baseman Alex Bregman. They got outbid by the Red Sox. A couple of weeks ago, I posted this article regarding Bregman’s free agency this offseason after he opted out of his deal in Boston. Now, per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma in The Athletic, […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
To the surprise of many in baseball, Luis Severino left New York, where he’d pitched for both the Yankees and Mets, and signed a three-year, $67 million deal with the Athletics before the 2025 season. It wasn’t long before Severino complained about the conditions at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. And it’s no wonder — […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
Good morning.
4 days ago | 0 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 to Cliff Floyd* and other former Cubs. Today in baseball history: Cubs Birthdays: […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
The offseason is in full swing and the stove is hot. We’ve already seen a big trade with Brandon Nimmo heading from the Mets to the Rangers for Marcus Semien. We’ve already seen a huge signing with Dylan Cease landing a seven year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. But the biggest story of this […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
EDITOR’S NOTE: Once again, this is a repost of the game recap from this exciting walkoff homer that Michael Busch hit against the Padres. Busch, of course, had a breakout season in 2025 and hopefully will be a 30-homer man for the Cubs for several more seasons. Busch’s home run was hit just as it […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
So if you didn’t like yesterday’s idea for the Cubs to trade for Sandy Alcanatara, perhaps you’d like his teammate Edward Cabrera better. Like Alcantara, Cabrera was the subject of trade rumors at the deadline last July. And like all the useful starters around then, none was traded because the asking prices were too high. […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
We cover the coverage like PCA covers center field. Scott Kingery is the newest Cub, signed to a minor-league deal. Likely that puts Willi Castro in the rearview as they’re at least superficially the same kind of player. Nicky Lopez is reportedly a Rockie. Anthony Kay is a White Sock. The Winter Meetings are almost […]
5 days ago | 0 reads
We’re so glad to see you here at BCB After Dark: the hippest afterparty 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. Please tell us if you need anything. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own […]
6 days ago | 0 reads
EDITOR’S NOTE: With these walkoff homers getting more recent, you likely remember them well. So again, I present to you the BCB recap of Christopher Morel’s exciting walkoff homer against the White Sox. The recap is lightly edited, and there’s an epilogue about Morel that follows. As baseball fans, each and every one of us […]
6 days ago | 1 read
You all know the story of Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara. He had several good seasons in Miami, including winning the Cy Young Award in 2022 at age 26. It looked like he was headed for a good-to-great career, until Tommy John surgery cost him the entire 2024 season. Returning in 2025, he had a typical […]
6 days ago | 0 reads
When the Cubs announced that they were starting their own regional sports network, to take over broadcasts beginning after 2019, the idea was to bring “wheelbarrows of cash” (as Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney once put it) to the baseball ops team and let them spend it on top players. Well. Marquee Sports […]
6 days ago | 2 reads