#chicago-cubs

#chicago-cubs

In his latest piece about the Pirates trading away Johan Oviedo, Ken Rosenthal reported that the Pirates are open to trading another starting pitcher not named Paul Skenes. So while it still feels like it's only a matter of time before that domino falls and Skenes gets shippied out of Pittsburgh, it isn't likely to happen this season. Despite having perhaps the best pitcher in baseball, the Pirates finished in last place in the NL Central with just 71 wins.

If recent predictions from ESPN's top baseball writers carry any weight, it doesn't look like the Cubs are expected to do much on the trade front. Though Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel listed as many as eight team fits for each of their top 25 trade candidates this offseason, the Cubs did not appear a single time. Not for Tarik Skubal (No. 1), not for Byron Buxton (5), not for Joe Ryan (6),

Evan Phillips, for example, became a free agent when the Los Angeles Dodgers declined to offer him a contract through the arbitration system. The right-handed reliever is recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in June, a timeline that could put him back in action around the time that playoff contenders are searching for bullpen help at the trade deadline,

Reese McGuire filled in admirably for the injured Miguel Amaya, hitting a career-high nine home runs over 140 plate appearances as Carson Kelly 's backup. That wasn't nearly enough to entice the Cubs to tender him a contract at anything approaching his $1.9 million projection, so they told him to beat it. Or, more accurately, they simply chose not to tender him a contract for the 2026 season.

Morel finished the 2024 season with a 50 OPS+ in 49 games with the Rays, hitting three home runs and driving in only nine runs. For the season, he slashed .196/.288/.346 with an 81 wRC+ and -1.0 fWAR.

The GM meetings are taking place in Las Vegas this week, which will lead to a plethora of rumors and reports over the coming days. Free agency being wide open now means teams can talk with players and their representatives, although it's still too early for any big names to come off the board. One of those is star infielder Bo Bichette, who Jon Morosi reported on Tuesday is drawing interest as either a second or third baseman from multiple teams with established shortstops.

While getting Naylor might have worked out well, they sure dodged a bullet by failing to pull off a deal for the reliever. It sure doesn't look like either pitcher involved in the scandal will play in MLB again, and jail time is a distinct possibility. Luis Ortiz might end up getting the worst of it because Emmanuel may be able to plead his felony down to a Clase misdemeanor.

We knew the Cubs' defense was good, but now we have proof. This is the second time the Cubs have won the award, which was established in 2020.

Bowden forecasts Schwarber's contract to be five years at $160 million, good for an average annual value of $32 million. That's a solid deal for Schwarber's level, whose lack of defensive versatility - or any defense at all, really - hurts him when it comes to earning a monster contract. But he's still one of the best power hitters in baseball, and that's what teams want him for.

Those Cubs were led by a core that included Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Báez. The supporting cast featured the likes of Dexter Fowler and Ben Zobrist, plus unsung heroes Jason Hammel, Miguel Montero, David Ross, and Willson Contreras. They won 103 regular-season games with one tie, and beat the Giants, Dodgers, and Indians in the playoffs to end a 108-year championship drought.

The young center fielder seemed to launch himself into superstardom in the first half this year, with 20 doubles, 21 homers, and 25 steals through the end of June. That worked out to a .263/.299/.537 slash line, good for a 128 wRC+ with elite defense in center field that made him an early rival for Shohei Ohtani in this year's MVP race.

The World Series starts tonight, but for Cubs fans, it's merely an impediment between this chilly Midwest morning and the official start of hot stove season. Most of us would love a sweep, though few outside of Los Angeles will root for the Dodgers as a prohibitive favorite. I can't help but dream of the time that Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were linked to the Cubs in trade rumors. Oh, what might have been!

The 2025 Fielding Bible Awards gave even more credit to the Cubs. Sports Info Solutions (SIS), the company that developed Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), honors the best defenders each year. It is the 20th season of the awards, although some recent changes have been made. Patrick Bailey of the San Francisco Giants won the third annual Defensive Player of the Year Award, while the Cubs were named the Defensive Team of the Year.

The back-and-forth between Brewers and Cubs fans has quickly become tiresome - and it's even more prosaic when White Sox fans get involved - but it shouldn't absolve Jed Hoyer. Analytics and voodoo magic aside, Chicago's North Side Baseballers have finished behind Milwaukee in the NL Central in every season since the 2018 tiebreaker game. That has to change. Hoyer may have to re-blueprint his roster as well. The potential loss of Kyle Tucker means finding left-handed power to replace him,

Looks like Jed Hoyer isn't the only one who's going to have something cooking this offseason. Had things gone according to plan, the Cubs would actually be preparing to play in LA with Cade Horton on the mound for Game 1 of the NLCS. As it is, they're back at Wrigley to put a bow on things before heading to wherever they call home in the winter.

Jared Wyllys, from CHGO, joins Jeremy & Pat this week.

For those of you who didn't watch Saturday's game, the Cubs won the series against the Cardinals and by doing so, have clinched the top wild card in the National League. As of now, based on the standings this time of year, the Cubs will host the San Diego Padres at Wrigley Field for all three games (if necessary) of the wild card series.