https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/128/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/crafting-the-perfect-lineup-optimizing-the-chicago-cubs-batting-order-against-lhp-r671/671Sun, 24 Mar 2024 13:14:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/infield-defense-shift-ban-left-side-stats-dansby-swanson-christopher-morel/One of my predictions about the new rules that took effect last season was that we would see more hits than in previous years, not just on scalded line drives off the bats of left-handed hitters, but from righties, too. I expected that, with second basemen unable to swing to the left side of sec...674Sun, 24 Mar 2024 11:19:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-26-man-roster-starting-to-take-shape-as-dominic-smith-and-carl-edwards-jr-opt-out-r673/The Cubs invited Dominic Smith to attend Spring Training as a non-roster invitee, and it certainly seemed like he was making the most of it, hitting .346 with a .909 OPS and one home run. He was brought in before the Cubs re-signed Cody Bellinger, so there was always that lingering feeling that...673Sat, 23 Mar 2024 18:21:22 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/alzolay-neris-merryweather-leiter-bullpen-depth-chart-save-chances/Like the starting rotation, the relief corps for the Chicago Cubs saw only light turnover this winter. Of the 10 arms who logged the most innings out of the bullpen in 2023, only Michael Fulmer and Michael Rucker did not return. Otherwise, it’s a host of re-tooled veterans and high-upside arms c...672Sat, 23 Mar 2024 15:21:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/crafting-the-perfect-lineup-optimizing-the-chicago-cubs-batting-order-against-rhp-r670/The Chicago Cubs' regular lineup is firmly established, leaving Craig Counsell to determine the optimal batting order. This decision sparks heated debates among baseball fans, but several key data points and variables can guide Counsell in crafting the 2024 Chicago Cubs' lineup. Let's delve into...670Sat, 23 Mar 2024 13:15:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/assad-jordan-montgomery-free-agency-2024-projections/Every team hopes to develop and retain a pitcher like Javier Assad. In his first 147 big-league innings, Assad has a 3.06 ERA, working in every role the modern game has dreamt up. Without elite stuff, he's generated tremendous results so far, including the ninth-best ERA among the 127 pitchers w...669Fri, 22 Mar 2024 11:05:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/behind-enemy-lines-previewing-the-2024-cincinnati-reds-r668/668Thu, 21 Mar 2024 17:28:59 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/destination-the-show-episode-29-r666/In episode 29 of Destination: The Show, Jeremy and JD review the inaugural spring breakout games for the Twins and Brewers. The guys then complete a 16 pick mock MLB draft, alternating picks to help listeners get familiar with the top of the class before ending with listener questions.  ...666Thu, 21 Mar 2024 15:10:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/free-agency-grades-cody-bellinger-shota-imanaga-michael-busch/Things didn't start slowly. On the contrary, the Cubs made huge news almost immediately after the end of the World Series. Craig Counsell: 5 years, $40 Million We know that Jed Hoyer does deals in the dark, and lets minimal information leak before an agreement is made. While he showed thi...665Thu, 21 Mar 2024 15:10:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/what-kyle-hendricks-worked-on-on-tuesday-night-and-where-he-stands-for-2024-r664/It was pretty clear that Kyle Hendricks's priority Tuesday night was sharpening certain pitches and experimenting with some uncomfortable sequences, rather than getting out the Arizona Diamondbacks. Still, he looked terrific over the first four innings. Using his curveball much more often than h...664Wed, 20 Mar 2024 11:12:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/ian-happ-splits-heat-maps-raking-behind-in-count/Of the 218 hitters who saw at least 1,500 pitches last year, Ian Happ was just south of average in the percentage of pitches seen in pitcher-friendly counts (0-1, 0-2, 1-2, and 2-2), at 36.7 percent. He's a patient and intelligent hitter, and he worked hard to get ahead, knowing the benefits of...663Tue, 19 Mar 2024 15:39:19 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-cubs-the-nature-of-pitching-depth-and-the-long-season-ahead-r661/We’ve all likely heard this news by now: Jameson Taillon’s back acted up on him just prior to his first scheduled spring training appearance, and as of this writing, he has still yet to throw a Cactus League inning. According to Bruce Levine, the veteran righthander’s back has responded well to...661Mon, 18 Mar 2024 15:39:52 +0000