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  • Major League Notes

    Notes about the team are posted here.

    40 rumors in this category

      Matthew Lenz

      The Chicago Cubs have been busy in the first four-plus days of the offseason, with moves painting a picture of what might come over the next four months. They declined Shota Imanaga's option, extended Colin Rea, and now have lost an infielder.

      Via an official announcement from the MLBPA, Justin Turner has become a free agent. It's unclear which side declined the option, though it was nearly a given that the Cubs would be the party to do so. They will pay him a $2 million buyout instead of a $10 million salary in 2026.

      The 41-year-old struggled mightily in 2025, posting a .602 OPS with three home runs and two stolen bases. That production, or lack thereof, resulted in a .268 wOBA and 71 wRC+ across 191 plate appearances. Given his age and the 2025 season, he will likely hope for a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training if he doesn't choose to retire.

      Between this move and Imanaga's, the Cubs are opening up the budget for this offseason. Do you anticipate them spending? If so, where? Let us know in the comments!

       

       

      Brock Beauchamp

      Kyle Tucker has earned his fourth All‑Star nod—but this time as a National League starter, joining the Cubs after a blockbuster offseason trade. This season he’s slashing an impressive .290/.393/.533, with 17 homers, 20 steals, and a .923 OPS. Although Tucker has been one of the best players in the game for years, this marks his first All‑Star start, coming after three previous reserve selections with Houston.

      Pete Crow‑Armstrong, the 23‑year‑old Cubs center fielder, has turned heads this season and is the first All‑Star selection as an NL starting outfielder. Offensively, he’s recording a .265/.301/.537 line with 21 home runs and 25 steals, ranking first in NL bWAR (4.5) and second in fWAR (4.0). His defense has been equally elite, leading NL outfielders in defensive runs saved. Crow-Armstrong has quickly become a fan favorite, and this is the first time he has been voted into the starting lineup for the All‑Star Game.

      Matthew Lenz

      Major League Baseball announced the National League Silver Slugger winners, and one Chicago Cubs player will need to make room in his trophy case.

      Outfielder Kyle Tucker won his first career Silver Slugger in his first (and maybe only) season with the Cubs. He joins his outfield counterparts in bringing home some hardware (Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong won Gold Gloves).

      Tucker slashed .266/.377/.464 (.841 OPS) with 22 home runs and 22 stolen bases. It was his third 20-20 season in four years. He was most effective with runners on base, posting a .908 OPS, including a .865 OPS with runners in scoring position and 28 extra base hits. On another note, the Cubs tendered a qualifying offer to Tucker, and he could return if he agrees to a one-year, $22.025 million pact.

      The Silver Slugger Award is an award that recognizes the best offensive player at each position in both leagues. It is voted on by managers and coaches around baseball.

      Will he be back with the club in 2026? Let us know what you think in the comments!

      Matthew Lenz

      Following the acquisition of superstar third baseman Alex Bregman, rumors have been swirling about the Chicago Cubs and two of their utility infielders regarding their roles with the team. While it seems unlikely that Nico Horner ends up being traded, Matt Shaw seems like a more likely candidate. Or, maybe they'll just turn him into a super utility…

      John Antonoff shared a video via his X account of Chicago Cubs infielder Matt Shaw taking reps in the outfield. However, how deep we can look at that remains to be unclear.

      On one hand, they could be getting shot reps so that he can play either corner outfield spot when Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki needs a rest. While both players are strong, offensively, they are both average, two slightly below average, defenders at their respective positions. Shaw's experience in the outfield is extremely limited, while he doesn't have any professional experience, he did appear and left and right field a total of 40 times as an amateur. Depending on how quickly he can pick up outfield defense, he may not be much of a downgrade when half or Suzuki need a day off.

      On the other hand, the Cubs could be using this time as an opportunity for teams to see that Shaw in the outfield is within the realm of possibility. 

      Do you think the Cubs end up hanging onto Shaw? Let us know in the comments!

      Brandon Glick

      When it rains, it pours. Less than two days after Cade Horton was placed on the injured list with a forearm strain, Opening Day starter Matthew Boyd has joined him there with a bicep strain.

      Boyd hasn't had the best start to the 2026 season, though he's looked downright filthy at times while flashing a 45.9% strikeout rate. In his stead, swingman Javier Assad will return from Triple-A Iowa to take his place back in the rotation. Colin Rea will replace Horton.

      Including Justin Steele, who is still recovering from elbow surgery, and Jordan Wicks, who has been dealing with elbow inflammation since the start of camp, the Cubs are now down four starting pitchers. The next man up would be Ben Brown, perhaps followed by top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins.

      Alexis Farinacci

      Major League Baseball on Wednesday announced and informed teams of the updated slot values and bonus pools for the 2026 MLB Draft taking place in Philadelphia, July 11-13.

      All pick values saw a 2.5 percent increase from 2025, which comes from the overall growth in MLB’s revenue year to year. Coming into the 2026 draft, per Jim Callis of MLB.com, the Chicago Cubs have an $9,644,100 bonus pool. That ranks 20th among all 30 teams this year. The Cubs have the 23rd pick in the first round of the draft. Slotted at No. 23 in round one, they have a slot value of $3,947,600. Because they were a playoff team in 2025, they were ineligible to move up in the lottery since their team was not impacted by other teams. Moving down to No. 25 from No. 17 in 2025, their slot value is $803,200 less than in 2025 for that round one pick.

      In 2025, the Cubs selected outfielder Ethan Conrad with their 17th overall pick. Conrad was drafted out of Wake Forest and still had a high upside despite dealing with a shoulder injury.

      Moving on to the second round, the Cubs’ No. 62 pick has a slot value of $1,487,200. They will then select at No. 75 with a free-agent compensation pick. That pick is worth $1,120,900 and is in exchange for Kyle Tucker, whom the Dodgers signed in January to a four-year, $240 million deal. 

      The Cubs will select at No. 98 in round three, which has a slot value of $800,000. In round four, they will select at No. 126, with a slot value of $609,200.

      Round five, their slot value for pick No. 159 drops to $441,300, with round six (pick No. 188) at $344,400. As the draft continues, pick No. 217 in round seven has a value of $272,000, and round eight decreases to $224,100 for pick No. 247, followed by round nine (Pick No. 277) at $204,100, and pick No. 307 (tenth and final round) at $193,300 as they round out their draft.
      Because the Cubs have a lower pick, it is likely they will spend more than teams with higher picks and higher slot values.

      Heading into the draft, the Cubs are predicted to have an offensive-heavy draft, targeting college-level athletes. Prospects they’re said to be targeting include middle infielder Eric Becker out of Virginia, Zion Rose out of Louisville, and second baseman Chris Rembert from Auburn.

      Becker is a player with fast bat speed and great instincts at the plate. Rose is a physical, plus-hitter with a lot of power. A Chicago native, Rose would be right at home in Chicago.

      Rembert out of Auburn is another target of Chicago’s. He’s a pure hitter with great ability.

      The Chicago White Sox have the No.1 pick and will be on the clock on July 11 when the MLB draft begins. They have a slot value of $11,350,600.

      Matthew Lenz

      The Chicago Cubs have recalled Nate Pearson from Triple-A Iowa. The right-handed reliever will likely cover low- to medium-leverage situations out of the Cubs' bullpen.

      This is Pearson's second stint with the big-league club. After producing a 10.38 ERA in his first eight appearances, he was optioned to Iowa in mid-April.

      In 24 1/3 innings for the Iowa Cubs, Pearson carried an impressive 2.22 ERA, 3.94 FIP, though with an extremely high walk rate. Control was something he has always struggled with and has been the reason he hasn't been able to reach his ceiling as an effective high-leverage reliever.

      Do you think the Cubs should address the bullpen at the trade deadline?

      Matthew Lenz

      The New York Mets have poached a Minor League Hitting Coach from the Chicago Cubs organization to fill the same role in their organization.

      Mike Puma of the NY Post is reporting that the Mets have hired Rachel Folden, who was the Iowa Cubs Hitting Coach in 2025, as their Double-A Binghamton Hitting Coach.

      Folden, a four-time All-American softball player at Marshall University and a five-year professional catcher in National Pro Fastpitch (NPF), was with the Cubs organization for six seasons. She was the first female coach in the organization's history when hired in 2019. Folden coached three different levels in her tenure with the Cubs, as well as serving as the organization's Minor League Hitting Coordinator in 2023.

      In an article by Jordan Bastian of MLB.com before the 2025 season, multiple top prospects had glowing remarks about Folden. Owen Caissie was quoted as saying, "She knows her stuff...and there’s no nonsense with her. She just calls it the way it is..." Moises Ballesteros had similarly positive remarks, saying, "She’s really good. I liked to hear she’ll be together with me at Triple-A. She’ll be working with me every single day. That made me happy."

      Now, she'll be looking to help one of baseball's best farm systems develop its top prospects. The New York Mets are expected to have multiple top-20 organizational hitting prospects at Double-A Binghamton in 2026. She is the first female coach in the history of the Mets organization.

      How do you think this will impact the Cubs' minor league hitting development at Iowa? Let us know in the comments!

       

      Matthew Trueblood

      Let's be honest here. Maybe Vidal Bruján is a trifle more broadly talented than Emmanuel Rivera, but in practice, he's a worse player—especially for the current Chicago Cubs. The Cubs need a righty batter who can occasionally work their way on base without being deployed as a pinch-runner, and one who can capably handle the hot corner with the glove. Much though all Cubs fans wish that either Bruján or Jon Berti met those descriptions, right now, they don't.

      Emmanuel Rivera does, though. Rivera, who turns 29 at the end of this month, has hit just .232/.302/.275 for the Orioles this season, so it's hard to fault them for designating him for assignment. However, that's against a career line of .243/.306/.363—no star slugger's line, but a fine one for a solid defensive infielder off the bench. That's precisely what Rivera is. He's been worth 5 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) even in very limited action for the Orioles at third this year. He can also play some first base. Against lefties, he's a career .254/.318/.381 hitter, much better than what Bruján can offer as a backup to Matt Shaw at third base.

      Rivera is a good floor to reset for third base. The Cubs should be able to acquire him for cash, and if the front office is smart, they'll place a quick call to Mike Elias in the wake of this news.

      CBT847

      For the first time in his career, Owen Caissie has been named International League Player of the Week following an absolutely dominant series against the Omaha Storm Chasers last week.

      Caissie slashed an incredible .476/.560/1.143 hitting two doubles, four home runs and tallying six RBIs, while also scoring nine runs and drawing four walks.

      The Cubs' No. 1 prospect (MLB.com) started the series against the Storm Chasers with an 0-for at the dish before ripping off four straight multi-hit performances, which included three-hit games on Friday and Sunday.

      Caissie also launched two-homer games in consecutive contests on Thursday and Saturday, bringing his season total to 16, just six shy of his career-best mark of 22, which he set in 2023 at Double-A Tennessee.

      His torrid start to July comes on the heels of a monster June, where he slashed .316/.435/.605 with five home runs and 13 RBIs in 22 games.

      The headlining prospect return piece as part of the Yu Darvish trade with the Padres in the winter of 2020, his peak is coming at the perfect time for the Cubs, who might want to use the 2025 MLB All-Star Futures Game participant to headline a trade package for a top-of-the-rotation arm at the deadline.

      Steve Drumwright

       

      After a rough medical start to the season, the Chicago Cubs are starting to get some of their arms back.

      The latest is right-handed reliever Phil Maton, who was activated Monday off the 15-day injured list. Left-handed reliever Charlie Barnes, who was called up Sunday, was sent back to Triple-A Iowa.

      Today's roster moves presented by @NuveenInv:

      [image or embed]

      — Chicago Cubs (@cubsbot.bsky.social) April 27, 2026 at 3:10 PM

      Maton is a welcome veteran addition to the Cubs' bullpen. He has been on the IL since April 10 with tendinitis in his right knee and threw one scoreless inning Friday for Iowa. He was not off to a great start after signing as a free agent in November. In four innings over five appearances before going on the IL, Maton had a 13.50 ERA, allowing six runs on six hits, including a homer, with four walks and five strikeouts and two hit batters.

      Maton made his MLB debut in 2017 and has a 4.06 ERA. He started 2025 with the St. Louis Cardinals, then was dealt to the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline. He had a combined 2.79 ERA in 63 games and 61⅓ innings.

      Barnes did not pitch Sunday and has one three-inning appearance in his two call-ups this season.

       

      Brandon Glick

      The one thing the Cubs successfully did at the trade deadline was address their porous bench, adding utility man Willi Castro just before the final buzzer sounded. Now, Castro hasn't been great in Chicago (.433 OPS), but his defensive versatility has been huge for a lineup that was overplaying its regulars.

      Now, the team is adding more depth to the bench, as they appear close to signing Carlos Santana, just days after the Guardians released him:

      I did a full write-up of Santana a few weeks ago prior to the trade deadline (in regard to his fit with the Red Sox, but the analysis still applies), so to paraphrase myself: he's a 39-year-old former catcher playing in his 16th MLB season. Offensively, Santana isn't quite the voracious slugger he once was, but he's still capable of producing when it counts. Through 116 games (455 plate appearances this season), the veteran is slashing .225/.316/.333, good for an 86 wRC+. His ISO (.109) is down at career-low levels, but his walk (11.4%) and strikeout rates (18.9%) remain positively elite.

      Santana has become a great defender at first base in recent years, and he's on pace for perhaps his best season with the glove yet. His seven Outs Above Average are in line with the 14 he gave Minnesota in 2024, and his 11 DRS tie his best mark (set in 2023).

      Cubs fans will remember him best from the 2016 World Series, when he tormented Cubs pitching to the tune of a .771 OPS. Hopefully, he can provide the kind of veteran leadership this club needs to make a deep run in the playoffs.

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The Vince Velasquez feel-good comeback story lasted one game.

      Velasquez, a right-handed pitcher, on Sunday was designated for assignment by the Chicago Cubs. But there was more bad news from the Cubs as left-hander Riley Martin went on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his left elbow.

      Left-hander Charlie Barnes and right-hander Yacksel Rios were called up from Triple-A Iowa. Rios was not on the 40-man roster, thus the need to DFA Velasquez. Martin makes it 11 pitchers currently on the IL for the Cubs.

      Velasquez pitched in Saturday's 12-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 2⅓ shutout inxnings with one hit and no walks while striking out one. He now hits the waiver wire. If Velasquez goes unclaimed or isn't traded, it is possible he returns to the organization.

      Martin was called up April 5 to make his MLB debut and appeared in eight games, posting a 2.16 ERA, walking two and striking out 10 in 8⅓ innings.

      Barnes is back after a brief call-up in which he appeared in one game, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks with one strikeout in three innings on April 13 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

      Rios is a 32-year-old who made his MLB debut in 2017 with the Philadelphia Phillies. He has appeared in 92 games, all in relief, and has a 6.32 ERA. He lasted appeared in the majors in 2023 with the Oakland A's, pitching in three games and allowing seven runs in 1⅔ innings.

       

      Matthew Lenz

      It sounds like the back-and-forth between the Chicago Cubs and starting pitcher Shota Imanaga will continue. After the team declined their option to extend Imanaga for a fifth year, he declined the player's option that was triggered afterward. While most thought that was the end of it, it was somewhat surprising to learn that the Cubs then tendered him a qualifying offer. 

      Now, Jon Heyman of the NY Post is reporting that Shota Imanaga is expected to decline that qualifying offer. However, all is not lost, according to 670 The Score's Bruce Levine. Despite the back-and-forth that has resulted in Imanaga becoming a free agent, he cites the president of baseball operations, Jed Hoyer, in saying that there is no disconnect between the two sides. He adds that "a two-year deal of some kind could be worked out."

      Limited to 25 starts in 2025, Imanaga posted a 3.73 ERA (4.86 FIP) and a 16.% K-BB rate due to a low strikeout rate. He walked opposing hitters at an impressive 4.6% clip. His fastball accrued a Run Value (RV) of -10 in 2025, after an RV of +4 in 2024. While opponents hit just .227 off the pitch, they slugged .567 and had a .356 wOBA against the offering, including an astonishing 24 home runs. This was coupled with less effective secondary offerings, particularly his split finger, whose RV was cut in half from 2024 to 2025. MLBTR predicts Imanaga to get $45 million over three years.

      Do you think the Cubs should look to bring him back or pursue a higher-end starter? Let us know your comments!

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Vince Velasquez's comeback has reached the majors. Again.

      The Chicago Cubs called up the right-handed starter, who hasn't appeared in an MLB game since 2023, from Triple-A Iowa on Friday. He replaces left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar, who sustained a strained left hamstring in Thursday's 8-7 walk-off win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cubs also called up from Triple-A infielder Nicky Lopez, acquired via trade Thursday from the Colorado Rockies.

      To clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Velasquez and Lopez, infielder Scott Kingery was designated for assignment and right-handed reliever Porter Hodge was transferred from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.

      Velasquez is the latest addition to a beleaguered pitching staff. He last pitched in the majors in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, before undergoing Tommy John surgery on his 31st birthday in June of that year. He latched on with the Cleveland Guardians in 2024, signing a minor-league contract and even got a call-up last year for a couple days in May, but did not pitch.

      He figures to get a chance to pitch for the Cubs, who have 10 pitchers on the IL, including four who are now on the 60-day IL. Velasquez had made four appearances, all but one a start, for Iowa this season, with a 3.71 ERA, walking  nine and striking out 17 in 17 innings.

      Lopez had a slash line of .333/.387/.519 with one homer and eight RBIs in 15 games for the Rockies' Triple-A team before being acquired for cash Thursday.

      Kingery made the Cubs' Opening Day roster, but appeared in just eight games, going 1-for-4.

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