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Blogs from our Community

Management Topics

Assad's Camp Injury: A Blessing in Disguise?

Hello Cubs world,  like everyone else, I'm curious how this final roster shapes up. Given the short amount of time remaining to make deals before the season starts, I'll just wait and react rather than make any more predictions or analysis of the roster composition.  Assad and Birdsell Injury News Fans were a bit surprised to hear about these two injuries at this exact moment, given that the action is pretty light in early February. Javier Assad is facing an oblique injury and Bir
ryanrc

ryanrc in Management Topics

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Parody

A Cubs Parody, Recorded

Hey everyone, so I recently wrote a parody which probably could use some improvement, but I also wanted to see if I could do some fun stuff in Audacity to record it. Please forgive my terrible singing voice (it hasn't been the same since I had a bad cold a decade or so ago, but before then I rocked karaoke), but enjoy!  
Rice Cube

Rice Cube in Parody

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Transactions and Roster Construction

Cubs Land Ryan Brasier: Why I love this move

Hello Cubs World, WELL ISNT THIS CONVENIENT!!! Jed's Dead with Delight Man, did this play right into Jed Hoyer's hand. You couldn't author a better situation for his brand of dealmaking = more importantly, it is a great fit for our swiss army knife approach to the bullpen. He wasn't even the worst 26th man on the Dodgers roster, just the odd man out for Kirby Yates by a small margin. Three lesser pitchers have Dodger jobs simply for role reasons, and the rest are projected to vie
Transactions and Roster Construction

PECOTA and MOJO : why my Cubs projections are slightly higher

Hey Cubs world,  I was happy to see the PECOTA projections, like most everyone else. The Cubs were ranked 3rd in the National League at 90.6 wins. However, I'm not a huge fan of PECOTA because it is a conservative projection system. I'll get into the simplest differences between mine and theirs.  Only 3 GREAT teams this year? Hmm. Nope.  PECOTA averages are....too averaged... because they are based too heavily on individual players as opposed to the special correlative effects bet
Bricks Behind The Ivy

Inside Pitching Development with Ben Brewster & Tyler Zombro | Bricks Behind the Ivy | S2 E4

Pitching development is evolving fast, and we’ve got two of the best minds in the game to break it all down! In this episode of Bricks Behind the Ivy, we’re joined by Ben Brewster of ‪@treadathletics‬ and Tyler Zombro, the brand-new Special Assistant for the Chicago Cubs, to discuss: ⚾ The latest trends in pitching development 💪 How biomechanics & data are shaping the future of pitching 🧠 Mental and physical challenges pitchers face 🔵 Tyler Zombro’s new role with the
Transactions and Roster Construction

Assembling a Great Bullpen: Some Basics

Hey Cubs world,  I've spent my initial time blogging here about the Cubs moves for 2025. However, sometimes its good to pause and reflect on general principles of baseball and how to build winning teams.  In this post, I discuss a few basics of bullpen construction that fans often overlook.  Beating Rival Teams: Targeted Bullpen Design Wins Above Replacement is a generic approach to roster construction, and for that reason, can't be precise. If this were all that was necessar
Transactions and Roster Construction

Is Ryan Pressly Enough to Tip the Scales?

Howdy Cubs World- let's talk Pressly. [ Uh huh huh. ]  (Oh by the way- paid writers are mostly paid to edit. Unpaid writers give you a good enough draft.) Ok, first, the good news. we DID get a GOOD closer/setup veteran with a couple of elite pitches. Facts. And, he's got a resume of incredible work under pressure. He's a guy with a baller resume that you're glad to have in a post-season run.   The bad news: He's almost as risky as Hector Neris Last Year.  I hate to be a down
Transactions and Roster Construction

What stat is the Cubs' biggest need for improvement in 2025?

Hello Cubs world,  in prior posts, I've made the argument that our pitching is gonna be fine, so long as we land another serious closer/setup player to split duties with Hodge. The Cubs were 10th in starter ERA, and 6th after the All-Star Break. Their bullpen was stellar in August and September as well.  Long story short, this team needs to slug.  It can't play with the big boys without big bats. Let's take at look at last year's team slugging rankings. You will notice a clear pattern
Transactions and Roster Construction

How's Jon Berti as a Cub?

Hey folks,  let me clear my desk of the Tanner Scott issue first.  I'm none-too-happy about missing on Tanner Scott (and Kirby Yates, btw), but at least we "tried". I Think the Dodgers paid the right price. I had Scott as a 65 MM player on 3 years or 75 MM on four years (when you're in the bullpen, that extra guarantee is well worth a lower AAV). Dodgers went 4 years, 72 MM. Let' keep in mind, on a 4 year bullpen contract, you're paying for 1 year of injury time, whereas on a 3 year, y
Podcast

Cubs Con Recap: Tom Ricketts’ Budget Comments & Offseason Moves | Bricks Behind the Ivy | S2 E2

In this live episode of Bricks Behind the Ivy, special guest Pat Eriksen joins us to recap Cubs Convention, analyze Tom Ricketts’ comments on the team’s budget, and break down what the Cubs need to accomplish this offseason to build a championship-caliber team. Don’t miss our deep dive into the latest developments and what’s next for the North Siders! Catch all the action and subscribe for more Cubs insights!
CandidCubs

CandidCubs in Podcast

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Transactions and Roster Construction

Finishing the roster: The Ideal Cubs for 2025/2026

Okay folks, we're closing in on a finished roster. This article effectively ties together and concludes my first 4 blogposts here at northsidebaseball.com. Here I'll sum up my ideal roster moves remaining for Jed Hoyer, and how/why it leads to sustained dominance for 2026 and perhaps 2027.   First, Let's summarize the remaining contracts that I endorse to maximize the WAR of the 2025 Cubs.  1)  Sign Tanner Scott, LH Closer, 3/5 year contract, somewhat backloaded... 20 mil in 2025.
Transactions and Roster Construction

How Good is Michael Busch?

I'm taking a sidestep from the roster construction discussion for a moment to reflect on the upside potential of the dynamic duo of Pete-Crow Armstrong and Michael Busch.  Although the media has fallen in love with PCA already, they have been strangely silent about Busch.  Well, there's at least one clear reason for it: baseball media has greatly devalued the first base position in recent years. I mean, look at Pete Alonso's struggle to land a 30 million dollar year. Advanced statistics rea
Off-season Improvements

No Roki Sasaki, Now What?

According to Jeff Passan, Roki Sasaki is deciding between the Dodgers, Padres, and Blue Jays. Missing from that list, the Chicago Cubs. For an organization that refuses to spend top dollar on players, acquiring cost effective players with elite talent, like Sasaki, is a must. The Cubs did not even make the final three on Sasaki's list. So, what's next?  Fangraphs reports the Cubs are still approximately $43 million under the first luxury tax threshold. This team still needs significant upgr
Podcast

Are the Brewers STILL better than the Cubs? | With Jake Mckibbin, ‪@BrewerFanatic‬ | BBTI S2 E1S

Kicking off Season 2 of Bricks Behind the Ivy! Jake McKibbin (@thebrewerblogs), writer for Brewer Fanatic, joins the show to discuss the Cubs from a Brewers fan’s perspective. Are the Cubs as far behind the Brewers as Craig Counsell suggested? Plus, insights into the differences between Pat Murphy and Craig Counsell. Don’t miss this deep dive into Cubs-Brewers rivalry and what lies ahead in 2025! Subscribe to your YouTube Channel -    / @bbti_pod   Shop at our new BBTI Pod Store! - h
CandidCubs

CandidCubs in Podcast

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Transactions and Roster Construction

Here's a Fun Topic: Who Should Replace Canario?

Hey all!  I appreciate all the readers of my first blogpost. I won't typically post twice in two days. I figured I'd keep this new blog momentum rolling, though, with a fun topic. In my first post I argued that Paul Dejong would be the best 1 year sub at 3B because of his combination of glove and power. In this Scenario, Shaw starts at Second for Hoerner and then slides into a platoon at 3rd with DeJong. We still haven't sorted out the other two bench spots: 1) The 5th outfielder; 2) The le
Dreamcast

World Series Dreaming

Hi everyone, I'm a bit unemployed still at the moment, but Brock said I should probably share our little hobby podcast that I did when we still had the World Series Dreaming blog active. Right now the Podbean for our Dreamcast is still active and you can skim through the archives over the years, and the new version I've been doing with the Obstructed View guys for a bit. The latest one is the 100th-ish of this iteration of the Dreamcast and also the first of 2025, where we discussed Kyle Tu
Rice Cube

Rice Cube in Dreamcast

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Transactions and Roster Construction

Matt Boyd, now Colin Rea: What is This Strategy Anyway? 

Matt Boyd, now Colin Rea: What is This Strategy Anyway?  Let's get right into it, shall we? Many fans were disappointed by this dual signing of backend starters. Fans ALWAYS want to fill from the top of the depth chart - they wanted a new #1 or #2 (Max Fried, Garret Crochet) or at least a #3 to leapfrog Taillon (Walker Buehler, Luis Castillo). But there's more reasons to NOT do this than to do this - especially given the organization's strategy to cap salary at the tax line. Let's reflect o
Random

No Dogs Allowed...

I got to hang out with my dog a bit today (much to his chagrin) because the wife and kid went to Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza, and puppy needed a human to be with him. As we walked around the neighborhood, I reflected to how I haven't been back to Wrigley Field since before the pandemic, though I did go to a few games at Oracle Park and the Oakland Coliseum when the Cubs were in town while we lived back in California. I knew that at least half the ballparks in MLB allowed a pet day (specific
Rice Cube

Rice Cube in Random

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What Will Trading Cody Bellinger Mean For the Cubs?

What Will Trading Cody Bellinger Mean For the Cubs?

This offseason has been heavily centered on Cody Bellinger for the Chicago Cubs. The offseason began with a bit of a disappointment when Bellinger opted into his $27.5 million option late in offseason last year, just before Spring Training began. The offseason following the 2023 season had Cody Bollinger as one of the most coveted free agents, this landed him into one of the most important groups by the end of the offseason, "The Boras Four". This group consisted of 2023 Cy Young Awards Winner B
Bricks Behind The Ivy

Cole Wright on Cubs' Future, Craig Counsell, & His Tommy LaSorda Story 🎙️⚾ Bricks Behind the Ivy

In this special episode of Bricks Behind the Ivy, Cole Wright from Marquee Network shares his incredible Cubs journey, his most star-struck moment interviewing Tommy LaSorda, and his take on the Cubs' needs to compete in 2025. We also dive into the differences between Craig Counsell and David Ross and discuss the most exciting minor league player to watch in 2025. This is a must-watch for all Cubs fans! 👉 Subscribe for more exclusive Cubs content! 💙 Support us on Patreon for early access and spe
Bricks Behind The Ivy

Cubs Minor League Report Card 2024: Offense, Pitching & Best Storylines | Bricks Behind the Ivy

In this special episode of Bricks Behind the Ivy, host Jeffrey Ragauskis is joined by Bryan Smith of North Side Bound and the Cubs On Deck Podcast to break down the 2024 Cubs Minor League system. We provide in-depth grades on offense (18:44) and pitching (6:30), highlight the best storylines (27:00), and give an overall minor league grade (33:00). Don't miss insights, key performances, and potential future stars in the Cubs' pipeline. Tune in for exclusive analysis and expert opinions! Join
North Side Baseball Features

It's The Offseason So That Means "You're The Cubs GM!"; The 2025 Payroll Blueprint Tool Has Released

Every offseason, we offer our You’re The GM! tool (formerly the Payroll Blueprint) to build your ideal Cubs roster. This year, we’ve updated and streamlined the tool a bit to improve the experience. The idea behind this feature is to give fans a chance to play the role of General Manager (or CBO or PoBO… you get the idea) for their favorite team, the Chicago Cubs. It’s meant to give fans the opportunity to discuss (and, let’s be honest, argue) how they would approach the long, dark MLB offs
North Side Baseball Features

Introducing The Chicago Cubs Players Project!

North Side Baseball is proud to announce the release of the Chicago Cubs Players Project! This project endeavors to collect as much information about past and present Cubs as possible, giving fans a repository of high-quality data about their favorite players. This isn't meant to replicate the great work done at more staid publications like Wikipedia or Sabr. This project is meant to be by Cubs fans for Cubs fans. Have fun with it! This is a public, community-driven project… which mean
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