https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/25/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/moises-ballesteros-swing-path-x-factor-2026-nl-central/In his second game of the Cactus League season, Moisés Ballesteros collected two hits on hard-hit balls to left field. Admittedly, the first—a two-run first-inning double hit on a line toward flummoxed left fielder Will Benson—should have been caught, but even if it had been, one would have been...2581Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:52:06 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/dont-assume-edward-cabreras-fastball-usage-in-his-cubs-debut-was-just-about-getting-work-in-r2579/When the Cubs traded for Edward Cabrera in January, many assumed the team would continue the work Cabrera began in Miami last year, under former Cubs assistant pitching coach Daniel Moskos: ratcheting down the usage of his four-seam fastball. For most of his career, despite being thrown nearly 1...2579Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:10:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/michael-confortos-advanced-metrics-and-how-he-can-help-the-cubs-without-saving-them-r2573/The Chicago Cubs added veteran outfielder Michael Conforto on a minor-league deal on Monday, and made it official Thursday, after Conforto passed a physical. On the surface, it’s the kind of move that barely nudges the offseason needle. Dig a little deeper, though, and you can see the outline of...2573Fri, 27 Feb 2026 16:10:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-spring-training-news-roundup-with-austin-out-club-entertains-viable-bench-options-at-first-r2574/Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Chicago Cubs are once again battling the injury bug. Earlier this week, news broke from the club's spring training home in Mesa, Arizona, that the squad's newly acquired backup first baseman, Tyler Austin, suffered an injury to his knee. The injur...2574Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:10:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-reintroduction-of-justin-steele-r2572/When Craig Counsell's squad lost Justin Steele to elbow surgery last April, the North Siders found ways to get by. The ascensions of veteran Matthew Boyd and then rookie Cade Horton to All-Star/Cy Young-caliber levels rescued the team's season. While Steele was forced to spend much of the season...2572Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:07:03 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/shota-imanagas-arm-angle-is-back-up-along-with-his-velocity-r2569/Shota Imanaga averaged 93 miles per hour on his four-seam fastball in his first outing of Cactus League play Tuesday. That was eye-opening for many, because Imanaga often struggled just to crack 90 MPH late last season. In most of his second-half starts, he averaged north of that number, but not...2569Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:08:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/tyler-austin-out-months-following-knee-surgery-shaking-up-cubs-bench-plans-r2570/First baseman and designated hitter Tyler Austin will be out for a prolonged period after a debridement procedure on his knee, the Cubs announced Wednesday. Austin, 34, had been the prospective bench player with the clearest role, outside whichever catcher one cares to count as the backup, and t...2570Wed, 25 Feb 2026 18:41:22 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-cubs-are-already-over-the-luxury-tax-and-should-act-like-it-r2568/If you merely consult a spreadsheet that shows the guaranteed dollars for which the Chicago Cubs are on the hook, you might think that they've walked right up to the competitive-balance tax threshold, but declined to step over the line. If that were true, it would be a complication for them, as...2568Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:57:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/which-reserve-outfielder-option-best-fits-the-2026-cubs-r2567/With the spring exhibition season underway, there isn't a ton for the Chicago Cubs to figure out—at least when it comes to their regulars. Their lineup is largely set and, with the exception of the Alex Bregman signing, really has been all winter. Instead, the positional focus this spring is on...2567Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:11:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/spring-temperature-check-whos-hot-and-whos-cold-in-cubs-camp-feb-20-23-r2566/Spring training 2026 is officially underway. Even fanbases of teams that lost 100+ games last season have a reason for their blind optimism: it's a new calendar year, and every team has the same record. One thing to remember is that spring training means virtually nothing, and success does not t...2566Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:37:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/buy-stock-in-cubs-reliever-ryan-rolison-while-you-still-can-r2565/When Brad Keller toed the rubber for the Cubs last spring and started touching 98 miles per hour with his fastball, I didn't believe it. Hot radar guns aren't much of a problem in the modern game; Statcast is much less vulnerable to either error or manipulation than old-fashioned stadium or broa...2565Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:53:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/helloooo-ben-brown-sinker-r2564/In his first action of the 2026 Cactus League season, Ben Brown needed just 30 pitches to get through two breezy, scoreless innings. He held the Royals to two hits and didn't issue a walk, while striking out three. That's just part of the story, though. For Brown, the bigger questions were bound...2564Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:03:02 +0000