https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/152/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/amid-bullpen-chaos-is-it-time-to-declare-mark-leiter-jr-the-closer-r786/After Friday afternoon’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, I thought this season’s iteration of the Chicago Cubs could only seem to lose incredibly frustratingly. Sure enough, heading into Sunday afternoon’s contest, the Cubs had lost 14 games. Half those losses were games in which the Cubs either...786Tue, 07 May 2024 13:18:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/christopher-morel-offensive-profile-approach-changes/At the moment, the most talented hitter in the Cubs lineup is also one of their most volatile. After a rough patch in the middle of April, though, he's gotten on track recently. Let's examine how. Christopher Morel's defensive evolution at third base has been one of the most consistently dis...788Tue, 07 May 2024 12:18:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/dealing-with-the-whatever-three-things-true-in-cubs-woeful-bullpen-showing-monday-r789/The Chicago Cubs' offense remains inconsistent, and its failure to fire at all over the first five innings of Monday's loss to the San Diego Padres was a key factor in that defeat. Another, though, was the latest in a chain of bullpen meltdowns that has to stop. What's the secret? Some fans...789Tue, 07 May 2024 11:10:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/how-the-cubs-less-heralded-starting-pitchers-shut-down-their-top-rivals-r787/The Chicago Cubs' rotation didn't line up the way they might have preferred for this weekend's first showdown with the team with whom they're tussling for early control of the NL Central. It didn't matter. The Chicago Cubs pitching staff has had a rather cumbersome past couple of weeks. Alre...787Mon, 06 May 2024 16:26:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/monday-morning-north-sider-beating-the-brewers-closer-shenanigans-cade-horton-and-more-r785/The Cubs posted yet another winning record this week, going 4-3 against the Mets and Brewers. The team remains afloat, despite a swath of injuries and a revolving door of closer options in the ninth inning. Cade Horton also made his debut at Triple-A Iowa this weekend. All that and more in this...785Mon, 06 May 2024 14:11:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/how-much-of-a-two-pitch-pitcher-is-justin-steele-exactly-r784/The ace of the 2023 Chicago Cubs makes just his second start of 2024 (and, hopefully, his first full one) Monday night. Will we see him use his full arsenal? And what, exactly, does answering that question entail? By and large, Justin Steele is a two-pitch pitcher. He has a fastball (a cutte...784Mon, 06 May 2024 12:24:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cade-horton-might-very-well-be-a-right-handed-justin-steele-r783/The top pitching prospect in the Cubs organization made his Triple-A debut Saturday, giving us a first glimpse at hard data on his pitch mix. As it turns out, it looks a lot (and maybe more than you'd have guessed) like the team's incumbent ace. The results were mixed in Cade Horton's first...783Sun, 05 May 2024 17:01:12 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/chicago-cubs-hitter-of-the-month-april-2024-r782/Despite dealing with mounting injuries, the Chicago Cubs went 18-12 over the first month of the season. Which hitters are most responsible for the team’s hot start to the season? Thirty games is quite a lot of data to analyze, especially given that the MLB season used to start during the sec...782Sun, 05 May 2024 12:15:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/unlocking-baseball-team-expansion-realignment-playoff-overhaul-r773/Get ready for a baseball revolution! Major League Baseball is on the brink of a seismic transformation, with plans for team expansion, geographic realignment, and a thrilling playoff overhaul. Brace yourself for a new era of competition, rivalry, and drama as MLB unveils its bold vision for the...773Sat, 04 May 2024 12:10:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/threading-the-needle-at-99-miles-per-hour-with-ben-brown-r780/A very good start went suddenly and (eventually) fatally bad for Ben Brown Thursday. It's a pattern we've seen from his before, and a reminder that he's still more clay than sculpture. About two-thirds of the way through his second pass through the Mets batting order, Ben Brown hit a speed b...780Fri, 03 May 2024 14:16:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/should-nick-madrigal-still-be-the-backup-third-baseman-r779/Despite a huge play Wednesday night that briefly rescued him from the bad books of Cubs fans, the team's backup third baseman is becoming almost unplayable. Is that role also becoming less important, anyway? If you’ve followed this space for any length of time, you know the Chicago Cubs’ thi...779Fri, 03 May 2024 12:10:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-mlb-pitcher-april-2024-shot-imanaga-javier-assad-mark-leiter/The Cubs pitching depth has been put to the ultimate test this season, and we’re only one month in. Somehow, the team is still doing very well, thanks to a few pitchers who have exceeded expectations in order to keep the Cubs in strong contention for the NL Central crown.  The Cubs pitching...777Thu, 02 May 2024 14:19:01 +0000