https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/page/151/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/will-it-soon-be-mason-miller-time-on-the-north-side-r814/Is Mason Miller a player the Cubs should target at the trade deadline in 2024? I have some thoughts, along with some emotional fan reaction.  In 2016, the Chicago Cubs assembled a team that could do it all. Was this the team that would do “the thing?” Eight years later, we all know the answe...814Tue, 21 May 2024 11:55:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/what-changes-are-on-the-horizon-for-the-cubs-starting-rotation-r812/As the Cubs' starting rotation inches back toward full strength, the team could face a dilemma. What changes will they make to accommodate their returning southpaw, and the potential arrival of an elite prospect? With Jordan Wicks beginning his rehab assignment this week, some interesting qu...812Mon, 20 May 2024 16:11:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/luis-vazquez-call-up-brennen-davis-breakout-cubs-rotation-schedule/The Cubs had their first bad week of the season, losing both series against the Braves and Pirates. At least things are going well down on the farm. The Cubs are really starting to feel the effects of their injuries, losing two of three to the powerful Atlanta Braves before being stumped by...811Mon, 20 May 2024 12:12:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/the-cubs-lineup-has-been-decimated-by-injuries-but-thats-not-all-r810/The Chicago Cubs have faced mounting injury trouble all spring, and it's taken a heavy toll on their offense during a season already unfriendly to offense league-wide. Will a return to full strength this week be enough to turn things around? On any list of the Cubs' best hitters, Cody Bellin...810Mon, 20 May 2024 11:24:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/hector-neris-is-walking-a-tightrope-r809/So much has been made about the Chicago Cubs’ bullpen in the 2024 season. As a matter of fact, this is the third straight week that I have written about them. And can you blame me? The group, as a whole, is now 21st in baseball with a 4.33 ERA, according to FanGraphs.  We’ve suffered through...809Sun, 19 May 2024 16:15:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/a-check-in-on-the-progress-and-profile-of-michael-busch-r808/The Chicago Cubs made a big commitment this winter, to a player they hope will be their first baseman of the future. There's a lot of noise mingled with signal so far, so let's try to pin down where things stand for him. Earlier this week, I saw a couple of comments in our forums espousing u...808Sun, 19 May 2024 14:08:13 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/the-invaluable-miles-mastrobuoni-r807/Little though he might match anyone's idea of a star-caliber player, the Cubs' 26th man keeps finding new ways to prove unexpectedly irreplaceable. On a team centered on defense, his glove and its ability to travel around the diamond make him worth keeping around. My viewing relationship wit...807Fri, 17 May 2024 11:15:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/how-long-can-javier-assad-be-this-good-and-this-underestimated-r806/The Chicago Cubs' stocky Mexican righthander is now 195 innings, 50 total appearances, and 27 starts into his MLB career, with a 2.67 ERA. It's time we all reckon with our doubts about him.   In technology, there's a commonly used term for what's happened to pitching analysis since the...806Thu, 16 May 2024 11:55:40 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/how-much-should-patrick-wisdom-be-written-into-struggling-cubs-lineup-r804/What if I told you that there is a Chicago Cubs player on the current roster slashing .310/.429/.655, walking at a 17-percent clip, with an ISO of .345 and a wRC+ of 212? And what if I told you that Craig Counsell isn’t putting said player on his lineup card every day?  In that instance, my...804Wed, 15 May 2024 15:46:45 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/miguel-amaya-has-to-rediscover-his-plate-discipline-r803/The Chicago Cubs have had to thrust their young catcher into a truly primary role a bit sooner than they expected or preferred. So far, he's responded by pressing at the plate, but plenty of promise remains. After an uneven but interesting rookie season in 2023, Miguel Amaya came to camp thi...803Wed, 15 May 2024 11:14:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/cubs-specific-insights-from-new-bat-tracking-statcast-data-r802/Thanks to the tech whizzes inside MLB's official stat site, we have access to a whole new box of analytical toys this week. Let's get familiar with them, and hone in on the Cubs. Over the weekend, Statcast brought us to a new frontier in the advancement of knowledge about baseball via data:...802Tue, 14 May 2024 14:17:19 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-news/cubs/lets-talk-about-ben-browns-latest-performance-r800/It was only one outing, but we need to talk about Ben Brown’s performance on Friday night in the Cubs’ win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The rookie right-hander earned the win after entering a tied ball game in the bottom of the fifth inning. He finished with a box score line of 3 ⅔ innings p...800Tue, 14 May 2024 11:12:01 +0000