https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/168/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-fixed-julian-merryweather-slider/On January 17th, 2023, the Chicago Cubs claimed Julian Merryweather on waivers after he was designated for assignment by the Toronto Blue Jays. Despite showing upper 90's velocity, the then-31-year-old-reliever had been, at best, tepid, posting a 5.63 ERA to go along with 4.13 xFIP and being wor...544Sat, 13 Jan 2024 13:13:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/arbitration-salaries-steele-merryweather-alzolay-tauchman-madrigal-leiter/The deadline to settle arbitration deals this offseason passed on Thursday night, and the Cubs avoided arbitration with all of their eligible players. Let's take a look at the terms, and consider the implications. For context: if the arbitration deadline passes without the player and team re...549Fri, 12 Jan 2024 17:17:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/michael-busch-scouting-report-pitch-recognition-velocity-issue-milb-data/In a shocking trade, the Cubs dealt top-10 prospect Jackson Ferris and 2023 draft pick Zyhir Hope to the Dodgers for Yency Almonte and Michael Busch. On the surface, Busch struggled in his first attempt at the major leagues. With a deep dive, however, how much should you worry about the long-ter...547Fri, 12 Jan 2024 12:21:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/michael-busch-first-base-third-base-defense-metrics-scouting-reports/The Cubs made a crucial upgrade in their lineup with a trade Thursday, adding left-handed thump. The question is what, exactly, they just did to their defense. Within the same calendar day on which their deal with Shōta Imanaga was announced, the Chicago Cubs swung a major trade, too. In thi...546Thu, 11 Jan 2024 22:06:14 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/destination-the-show-episode-19-r543/Draft tandem JD Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard team up for a new podcast to discuss prospects on their way to the big leagues. In this episode, we break down the ins and outs of the international signing window, which opens on January 15th. In this episode, Jeremy and Jamie discuss the ins and o...543Thu, 11 Jan 2024 20:33:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-acquire-michael-busch-yency-almonte-dodgers-pitcher-scouting-report/The Cubs suddenly can't stop adding players to their 40-man roster. This time, it's a sweeper monster of a relief pitcher, with two remaining years of team control. The Cubs are set to acquire right-handed reliever Yency Almonte from the Dodgers. First on the news was Juan Toribio, a veteran...545Thu, 11 Jan 2024 18:07:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/shota-imanaga-signed-cody-bellinger-josh-hader-rhys-hoskins-matt-chapman/Like a confident chess player who wants to survey the whole board before making a move, the Cubs waited until the second week of January before signing their first major-league free agent. It’s a solid opening move for Jed Hoyer, but how will he follow it up? Let’s check in on who is still avail...542Thu, 11 Jan 2024 12:52:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/shota-imanaga-contract-details-shoulder-injury-incentives-opt-outs/The Cubs have made a major addition to their 2024 roster, but there are serious questions about the health of the player they're bringing in—enough of them to compel the two sides to cobble together a complicated contract. Late Tuesday night, Jon Heyman tweeted a sketch of the details on the...541Wed, 10 Jan 2024 10:49:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/nico-hoerner-fastball-vaa-exit-velocity-approach-second-half-obp/The Cubs need at least one bat to bolster their lineup for 2024, and ideally, it would be someone who hits for power. Because of that, though, there's real risk of overlooking the upside of their current lineup, including a locked-in leadoff hitter extraordinaire. There was nothing quiet, ex...539Tue, 09 Jan 2024 16:31:29 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/hayden-wesneski-pitch-mix-sweeper-sinker-slider-movement-pitch-design/As the Cubs ponder ways to make external upgrades to the pitching staff, let's look at one important young pitcher already on the team who might have another level of performance within reach. Last week at Baseball Prospectus, the excellent Mario Delgado Genzor wrote an insightful piece abou...537Mon, 08 Jan 2024 20:20:40 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/do-we-need-more-irrationality-on-the-diamond-r536/Not all efficiency is desirable. Sometimes, if you want a sport to feel substantial and valuable, there needs to be human error—and lots of it. Have you ever looked at the leaderboard for career double plays turned by outfielders? I have. I do it probably once a month, not because it changes...536Sun, 07 Jan 2024 13:25:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/connect-four-the-best-remaining-free-agent-fits-for-the-cubs-r534/The slow-moving market means that, despite the Cubs' inactivity, there are several remaining free agents whom the team could profitably target. Let's break down the market and identify the best candidates in each segment thereof. Yesterday, I wrote a short blog post highlighting something th...534Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:52:01 +0000