A Chicago Cubs Fan Community Since February 9, 2005
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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). […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
The Cubs were looking to bolster their starting rotation heading into next season, and they did so Wednesday, sending Owen Caissie, Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo De Leon to the Miami Marlins for a tantalizing starting pitcher: Edward Cabrera. Al covered the specifics yesterday, including the fun trade tree note that Cabrera basically closes out the […]
One thing I think everyone here agrees on — and we don’t all agree on much! — is that the Cubs ought to sign one of the top free-agent hitters this offseason. In my view, now that the team has traded for a cost-controlled starting pitcher — and potentially a very good one in Edward […]
The Cubs added to their starting rotation and relief corps, and left some question marks in the outfield, questions we hope to see answered in a short while. Bellinger, Bichette, Bregman, Tucker: All remain unsigned as of this writing. Cub Tracks still wouldn’t mind signing any or all of those soon-to-be-Dodgers, regardless of what anyone […]