https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/163/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-quips-contract-extensions-adbert-alzolay-and-the-mike-tauchman-fan-club-r259/Lock them up! Lock them up! Jed! Since you’ve so wisely decided to be a buyer as the Cubs inexorably march toward the playoffs, now is the time to sign Cody Bellinger and Marcus Stroman to contract extensions. Cody’s a mere lad of 28, and his National League July player of the month statu...259Fri, 11 Aug 2023 16:14:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/is-2023-a-success-even-if-the-cubs-miss-the-playoffs-r254/The Cubs are, as of this writing prior to the games of August 9, in possession of the third Wild Card in the National League (by percentage points over the Reds) and just a game and a half back of the Brewers for first in the division. Had you told that to any Cubs fan on Opening Day of the seas...254Thu, 10 Aug 2023 18:08:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/i-am-begging-david-ross-to-just-steal-the-bases-next-time-r256/It would have been unreasonable to hope for the Cubs to win every series for the rest of this season. Losing a set to a strip-mined, understaffed, half-interested Mets team stings, though, and the final frame of Wednesday's loss was especially frustrating. Trailing by two runs to start the ninth...256Thu, 10 Aug 2023 12:39:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/adbert-alzolay-and-the-bolivar-slider-are-impervious-to-pressure-r253/The maturation and evolution of Adbert Alzolay over the course of this season have been stunning. Two years ago, he was a half-successful starting pitcher, but he got hurt, and when he came back at the end of 2022, it was only in a long relief role, which still afforded him ample rest between ou...253Wed, 09 Aug 2023 12:27:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/why-doesnt-hack-get-any-love-r248/Considering my vast statistical bent, I’m a sucker for any column with a headline that starts something like, “The 20 most unbreakable sports records.” Not only is it perpetually fascinating to get someone else’s take on those possibilities, but it inevitably leads to an email to the author expl...248Tue, 08 Aug 2023 16:18:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/is-2023-the-new-2015-for-the-chicago-cubs-r250/Back in 2015, the Chicago Cubs were on the upswing, in Year Four of then-President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein’s master five-year plan. Their treasure trove of top prospects–from eventual Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant to the electric Javier Baez–were up in the big leagues and producing...250Tue, 08 Aug 2023 14:04:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/what-do-the-cubs-do-with-seiya-suzuki-r251/Of the seven starting lineups David Ross has drawn up since the arrival of Jeimer Candelario, only two have included Seiya Suzuki. The Cubs' incumbent right fielder has lost his regular gig, at least for the time being. Mike Tauchman has started the other five games in right, with Cody Bellinger...251Tue, 08 Aug 2023 12:23:13 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/why-caleb-kilian-might-actually-work-this-time-r245/After the front office elected not to pony up for a left-handed reliever last week, it seemed like they intended to place a bit more trust in southpaw Anthony Kay, the only lefty in their bullpen at the time. Kay has minor-league options, though, and after he had a couple of tough, draining outi...245Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:51:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/3-up-3-down-reds-in-the-ledger-putting-on-a-braves-face-r246/If you are reading this blog, before 2016, magic was tied to every playoff run, as they were as rare as gemstones. Each moment magnified while sitting on the edge of our seats. 2016 replaced scapegoats and real goats with rain delays and parades. I took the years after for granted, as they felt...246Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:18:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-cubs-and-pete-crow-armstrong-might-be-facing-a-good-dilemma-r244/Pete Crow-Armstrong is the top prospect in the Chicago Cubs’ farm system, and a consensus top-10 prospect in all of baseball. He’s the most highly-regarded prospect the Cubs have had since the days of Kris Bryant and Javier Baez (for whom he was acquired), and seems destined to be the man who pa...244Sun, 06 Aug 2023 12:53:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-hitter-of-the-month-july-2023-r241/July has been a fun month for the Chicago Cubs, with the heavy cloud of a will they/won’t they deadline more intriguing than Jim and Pam. Or Ross and Rachel for another Generation. Or Sam and Diane? Lucy and Dezi?   You get the point.  Among that noise emerged a team with 15-10 record...241Fri, 04 Aug 2023 13:52:10 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/how-the-cubs-can-survive-marcus-stromans-injured-list-stint-r240/Back in April, the narrative held that starting pitching was the strength of this team, and it was half-true. Justin Steele and Marcus Stroman had such tremendous months to open the season that it felt almost like an automatic win each time either of them took the mound. For most of April and Ma...240Fri, 04 Aug 2023 12:44:00 +0000