https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/158/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-cubs-should-target-these-3-left-handed-relievers-at-the-mlb-trade-deadline-r207/Even in the process of winning five of their last six, the Cubs showed the vulnerability of their bullpen. Julian Merryweather and Mark Leiter Jr. look much less reliable lately than they did a month ago, and the underbelly of that relief corps has always been a problem. Since it became clear th...207Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:21:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/this-is-not-a-rebuild-episode-39-the-infamous-live-episode-r206/This is the long-awaited special episode, recorded from the unofficial podcast headquarters in bucolic Homewood, Ill. It's a late-nighter, and it shows. Let's get weird. Together in one room for the first time in the podcast's short history, the four co-hosts discuss whether Marcus St...206Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:47:13 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/could-the-return-of-drew-smylys-third-pitch-augur-well-for-his-stretch-run-r204/With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning Saturday, Drew Smyly started his showdown against the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker with two straight cutters on the inside part of the plate. Walker fouled off both pitches, and just like that, Smyly was ahead in the count 0-2. ...204Mon, 24 Jul 2023 15:14:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/3-up-3-down-belli-bombs-r205/That is too existential for my taste, regardless of how great and reflective the Barbie Movie was.  Let’s set the scene for the week heading into the trade deadline… Record 48-51 6.5 GB in the NLC 5.5 GB of the Wild Card (Honestly, I didn’t expect the Wild Card to be that close...205Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:39:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/a-trade-a-day-ok-lets-talk-about-jeimer-candelario-r203/Cody Bellinger hit so well over the last week and a half that he has simultaneously cemented himself as the best impending free-agent hitter who could be traded at this deadline, and decreased the likelihood that he actually will be. If we nix Bellinger (at least for the purposes of this discuss...203Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:29:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/hayden-wesneski-should-take-drew-smylys-next-turn-in-the-rotation-r202/It's been a steady but inexorable tumble for Drew Smyly, since his strong start to the season. His seasonal ERA is up to 4.69, but that doesn't even begin to tell the full tale of his woes. Over his last 10 appearances, he's thrown 48 1/3 innings, with an ERA of 7.08. Opposing hitters are hittin...202Sun, 23 Jul 2023 15:18:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/a-trade-a-day-trying-to-save-a-lost-pitching-soul-from-the-royals-r201/Whether the Cubs trade one of their veteran starters this month or not, they need to keep in mind the need for more rotation help going into 2024. Though their starters have been their most vaunted and hyped position group this year, they've been merely average in that department over the last t...201Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:07:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/a-trade-a-day-packaging-yan-gomes-and-marcus-stroman-could-unlock-top-talent-for-cubs-r200/We already know that Marcus Stroman has drawn interest from the Rays this month. He'd be a good fit, because despite being famous for their pitching depth, the Rays have suffered so many injuries that they need more help in the starting rotation. The Rays are an extremely rational buyer in trade...200Sat, 22 Jul 2023 12:28:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/a-trade-a-day-one-good-home-for-michael-fulmer-r199/It's been an up-and-down season for Michael Fulmer, but from the perspective of a team trying to get a little bit of value for him in a trade, it's taken the right shape. After a brutal start, Fulmer has been brilliant since the start of June. He's made 17 appearances in the last month and a hal...199Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:57:16 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/could-nick-madrigal-yet-turn-out-to-be-part-of-the-cubs-core-r198/Earlier this month, we discussed the concept of the current “core” of the Chicago Cubs. The results, alas, were inconclusive. The discussion did feature the notion of locks within the group, including Ian Happ, Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner, and Justin Steele. It also dealt heavily with players o...198Thu, 20 Jul 2023 12:22:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/a-trade-a-day-how-the-cubs-could-buy-big-for-2024-in-2023-r197/  One year ago, the San Diego Padres beat the rest of the market and hauled in Juan Soto from the sinking ship of the post-2019 Washington Nationals. Soto was in the midst of an off year, but it was broadly understood that he was still one of the game's three or four most brilliant young hi...197Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:24:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/a-trade-a-day-is-there-a-faster-track-iteration-of-the-pca-trade-to-be-made-r196/Already, we've heard that the Dodgers have interest in Marcus Stroman. That makes sense. Despite their very impressive depth and seeming ability to turn fifth-rounders into mid-rotation guys at will, the Dodgers always seem to be wrestling with the injury bear, and they're losing that fight this...196Tue, 18 Jul 2023 12:28:01 +0000