https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/page/114/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/heres-to-a-2025-without-the-cop-out-reactionary-nonsense-hbp-rules-proposed-by-whit-merrifield-r1361/It's been a quiet four months since we first heard tell of this possible rule change. Let's try to go another four decades without hearing any more of it. I should be clear, though: I don't think we'll be so lucky. Back in the latter part of the 2024 regular season, Whit Merrifield was hit i...1361Tue, 31 Dec 2024 17:14:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/free-agent-first-baseman-connor-joe-mark-canha/Jed Hoyer traded his would-be second option at first base as part of the multi-piece maneuver that gave the team its new superstar outfielder. Now, he has to bolster the bench with someone who can cover the cold corner in a pinch. Michael Busch played 152 games in 2024, starting 135 of them....1360Tue, 31 Dec 2024 14:34:06 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/hey-fun-cubs-sign-ben-heller-one-of-our-offseason-handbook-minor-league-free-agent-targets-r1359/Way back in early November, we published our Offseason Handbook for the Cubs' 2024-25 hot stove campaign. Included was a piece recommending six minor-league free-agent pitchers the Cubs could scoop up as depth options. Monday, they signed one of those six. In our Caretakers-exclusive look at...1359Mon, 30 Dec 2024 19:54:42 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/why-tanner-scott-might-be-the-exception-to-jed-hoyers-rule-about-long-term-big-money-reliever-deals-r1358/The Cubs' chief decision-maker doesn't do big multi-year deals for relievers, even elite ones. Then again, he doesn't trade for superstars one year before they'll reach free agency, either. At his end-of-season press conference, Jed Hoyer admitted that the strategy he pursued to build a viab...1358Mon, 30 Dec 2024 17:04:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/the-key-to-understanding-sammy-sosas-career-lies-in-remembering-his-1996-season-r1356/The most important year to properly understand the career of the Cubs' greatest slugger is one many Cubs fans have forgotten. It's understandable, but it's a shame, because once you remember it, everything about his career looks different. The 1996 Cubs season began with a lot of hope. They...1356Mon, 30 Dec 2024 12:46:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/cubs-week-in-review-corbin-burnes-joins-snakes-matt-mervis-dealt-to-the-marlins-r1355/The Cubs did end up making a deal with the Miami Marlins, but not the one we might have expected a couple weeks ago, when Santa had yet to slide down our chimneys.  Were the Cubs not to make one move more this offseason, the acquisition of thrilling outfielder Kyle Tucker would still push th...1355Sun, 29 Dec 2024 23:39:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/trade-analysis-vidal-brujan-matt-mervis/It seemed inevitable that the briefly intriguing first base prospect would depart the organization this winter. Now, he's netted them a player who seems like a good fit for their thin bench. After non-tendering Mike Tauchman, Patrick Wisdom, and Nick Madrigal and trading Cody Bellinger and I...1353Sun, 29 Dec 2024 18:49:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/top-25-most-viewed-north-side-baseball-articles-of-2024-part-2-16-20-r1352/We continue to look at the most-viewed articles at North Side Baseball in 2024. Today, we jump into the Top 20.  The Cubs have a ton of top prospects. Then at the draft, they made third baseman Cam Smith their first-round pick. Weeks later, they traded Christopher Morel for Isaac Paredes. Th...1352Sat, 28 Dec 2024 22:48:22 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/top-25-most-viewed-north-side-baseball-articles-of-2024-part-1-21-25-r1351/Chicago Cubs 2024. Let's take a look at the most-viewed articles of 2024, starting with those at 21-25.  2024 began with a lot of hopes and expectations. Along with the return of Cody Bellinger, rookies like Michael Busch and eventually Pete Crow-Armstrong stepped up and contributed to the b...1351Fri, 27 Dec 2024 20:26:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/cody-bellinger-starlin-castro-comparing-two-yankees-cubs-trades-a-decade-apart-r1350/Cody Bellinger is with the Yankees now, and the Cubs’ decision to salary dump him is ominously similar to their handling of Starlin Castro one decade ago. The Cubs’ outfield has received a makeover this offseason, notably highlighted by the Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger trades. While they p...1350Fri, 27 Dec 2024 12:57:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/finally-acknowledging-joy-the-restoration-of-sammy-sosa-to-cubdom-is-a-good-thing-r1349/After 20 years of weirdly pretending that one of the best players in franchise history doesn’t exist, it’s about time the Chicago Cubs, and Sammy Sosa, begin to right this wrong.  In case you missed it, Sammy Sosa issued a public apology for his steroid use last week. In response, team Chair...1349Thu, 26 Dec 2024 12:52:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/remember-some-cubs-jason-heyward-the-current-record-holder-of-the-biggest-contract-in-cubs-history-r1327/While technically still an active player, Heyward gave the prime of his career to the Cubs, and in exchange they gave him the largest contract in franchise history. Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of Jason Heyward’s time with the Cubs, I want to note that this article (and others like i...1327Wed, 25 Dec 2024 23:11:02 +0000