A Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005
The Cubs added a spare-part outfielder, Justin Dean, on a waiver claim from the Giants today. Dean is 29 and made his major league debut last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and appeared in 18 games, recording one stolen base and going 0-for-2 in his only plate appearances of the season. As part of […]
2 months ago | 8 reads
The Cubs added a spare-part outfielder, Justin Dean, on a waiver claim from the Giants today. Dean is 29 and made his major league debut last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers and appeared in 18 games, recording one stolen base and going 0-for-2 in his only plate appearances of the season. As part of […]
2 months ago | 10 reads
In our last installment, we talked about Anthony Rizzo’s appearance against the Braves April 28, 2021, and his famous strikeout of Freddie Freeman. He wasn’t the only Cubs position player to pitch in that game. After Rizzo’s K of “Frederick” (as Rizzo once called him during a rundown on the bases when he, Rizzo, was […]
2 months ago | 8 reads
Just last week, I took a “way too early” look at a possible Cubs Opening Day roster. Today, we stand 72 days from that (hopefully not too cold) Opening Day game Thursday, March 26 against the Nationals at Wrigley Field — and two significant changes have happened since then. So let’s take another look at […]
2 months ago | 6 reads
Sources say the Cubs are stockpiling Quad-A type pitchers. Corbin Martin and Tyler Beede are reportedly in the organization now. Cub Tracks is happy to mea culpa after the big-boy signings last week. The position here was never that the Cubs were ‘cheap’ — indeed, it was that they didn’t want to win as badly […]
2 months ago | 3 reads
It’s a new week here at BCB After Dark, the grooviest gathering of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We’ve got a fire going in here. There’s no cover charge. We can check your coat for you. The hostess will seat you now. Bring […]
2 months ago | 4 reads
We’re just four days from Cubs Convention in downtown Chicago and the Cubs have a lot to celebrate. They signed Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million deal this weekend and traded for starting pitcher Edward Cabrera a few days before that. It’s also the 10th anniversary of the 2016 Cubs World Series championship team, […]
2 months ago | 6 reads
The annual Cubs Convention will be held his weekend, Friday through Sunday, Jan. 16-18, at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. Hopefully, the Cubs will have announced the Alex Bregman signing by then and he’ll make his first appearance as a Cub. Beyond that, at this year’s convention many events will be focused on the club’s 150th […]
2 months ago | 5 reads
With the signing of Alex Bregman by the Cubs to a five-year, $175 million deal, reported Saturday though not yet officially announced by the team, I thought it was time to take another look at the team’s payroll and luxury tax figures for the upcoming season. Based on reporting on Bregman’s deal, this is not […]
2 months ago | 3 reads
Good morning. You already know the big news of the weekend and we’ll deal with Alex Bregman with the Cubs on the front page and in Cub Tracks. But there are ripple effects from Bregman signing with the Cubs that land on other teams.
2 months ago | 2 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 Bill Madlock*, it’s drafty in here, and other stories for the discerning […]
2 months ago | 3 reads
BCB reader Joe Coney sent me a number of photos to sleuth and I decided to start with this one, a great look at the board from the 1970s. So what are we looking at here? The Cubs are, obviously, playing the Expos. It’s the top of the seventh inning — in fact, that half-inning […]
2 months ago | 1 read
First, I want to thank Josh for taking care of posting about the late night Saturday news of Alex Bregman’s signing with the Cubs while I had a rare Saturday evening out. Now, on to this signing and what it means. First, it was just last week that I asked you in the SB Nation […]
2 months ago | 1 read
As you have likely heard, the Cubs signed Alex Bregman late last night. There will be much more on this here later today. Here is the list of Cubs Convention attendees, which is apparently still in flux. David Ross may or may not appear. Several scheduled guests have withdrawn. Maybe we’ll get an update. If […]
2 months ago | 1 read
After trading for right-hander Edward Cabrera earlier this week, many observers said it was time for the Cubs to open up their wallet and sign an impact bat. Many of you have been screaming for owner Tom Ricketts to open up his wallet. That’s exactly what the Cubs did tonight. The Cubs have pursued Bregman […]
2 months ago | 7 reads
I am posting this one not because I know the date, because I don’t. It’s impossible to figure out the date this photo was taken because there aren’t enough clues. I know, I know, usually I can find a clue that isn’t totally obvious, but this time… nope. All we know is this: The photo […]
2 months ago | 2 reads
I think this headline already won 2026. Talk about clickbait! Useful information, to be sure, but wtf, NBC/Peacock? Edward Cabrera is still relevant — most of Friday’s news was about the trade, and we have reactions from plenty of ‘insiders,’ plus whatever else we could find. Ian Happ talks about how major-leaguers prepare for Spring […]
2 months ago | 0 reads
MLB’s new media landscape has brought NBC back to baseball broadcasting in 2026, and part of that is taking over the Sunday Night Baseball franchise that’s been carried by ESPN for the last 35 years. Friday, NBC announced their entire Sunday night schedule (and some of these games are afternoon contests, as you will see). […]
2 months ago | 5 reads
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Now that the Cubs have signed a cost-controlled starting pitcher in Edward Cabrera, who will make just $4.45 […]
2 months ago | 3 reads
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has had many ideas to shake up the game in his 11-year tenure leading the sport. Some of them have been good, like the pitch timer, larger bases and restrictions on defensive shifts. Others, like the placed runner (or, as it’s often called, the “Manfred Man”) have not been well-received by […]
2 months ago | 1 read
Happy Friday, everyone. It’s been an exciting week for the Cubs, but what else is going on around baseball that’s worth mentioning? Well, the arbitration deadline was last night, and it seems likely we’ll be seeing some hearings come out of it. We’ve got discussions about the Hall of Fame, and if those who participate […]
2 months ago | 2 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 Joe Wallis* (who spoiled Tom Seaver’s no-hit bid), The first episode of Home […]
2 months ago | 4 reads
After trading for right-hander Edward Cabrera yesterday, the first order of business for the Cubs and their new pitcher was deciding how much he was going to earn this upcoming season. Just before the deadline to exchange arbitration contract figures today, the Cubs and Cabrera agreed to a $4.45 million deal for 2026. Cabrera made […]
2 months ago | 4 reads
There were only two Cubs who were arbitration-eligible, Justin Steele and Javier Assad, before today’s deadline for players and teams to avoid having to exchange figures for an arb hearing. The trade for Edward Cabrera adds one more player to that list. One of the three has now avoided arbitration: Steele made $6.55 million in […]
2 months ago | 6 reads
The last entry in this series was about Ben Zobrist, who pitched in the final game — in fact, the last inning — of the Cubs’ disastrous 2019 season. No Cubs position players pitched in the abbreviated 2020 season. And that had nothing to do with the length of the season — there were 35 […]
2 months ago | 3 reads