https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/54/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/does-cubs-reliever-ryan-pressly-have-a-path-back-to-the-closers-job-r1808/When the Chicago Cubs traded for relief pitcher Ryan Pressly in January, there was an agreement in place that Pressly was coming over to be the closer. It was a risk on Chicago's end, in a sense, because Pressly hadn't closed since 2023 and his numbers in 2024 indicated a reliever who could be o...1808Fri, 23 May 2025 11:50:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/drop-down-back-it-up-slide-it-in-matthew-boyd-keeps-baffling-batters-with-his-breaking-ball-r1809/How many times have you heard a color commentator say it, over the years? It was a favorite saw of Steve Stone at the peak of his considerable powers, and the holster is always unfastened so that Jim Deshaies can whip it out when needed, too, so if you're a Cubs fan of almost any recent vintage,...1809Thu, 22 May 2025 22:05:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/chicago-cubs-reportedly-interested-in-rockies-third-baseman-ryan-mcmahon-r1799/The Cubs had a questionable approach to third base this spring, when they decided to hand the job to 2023 first-round pick Matt Shaw. Shaw “earned” the job after going 5-24 in Spring Training, but this seemed like a decision that was made over the offseason, when the team lost the Alex Bregman s...1799Thu, 22 May 2025 18:06:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/appreciate-the-chicago-cubs-catchers-theyre-doing-something-special-r1802/Mike Piazza. Ivan Rodriguez. Johnny Bench. Carguel Kellaya. Apologies for the Harry Caray-esque name combination, but it seemed the most efficient way to capture the shared brilliance of Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly. Those two have been, while not as significant as the Pete...1802Wed, 21 May 2025 22:07:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/miguel-amaya-is-now-officially-a-swing-changer%E2%80%94and-its-working-r1800/Although his new colleague has caught more headlines early this season, Miguel Amaya has been phenomenal at the plate. Carson Kelly is still slowly coming down from his extraordinarily hot start, but even as he does, Amaya is emerging as the backstop with the higher long-term offensive upside. L...1800Wed, 21 May 2025 11:23:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-get-ian-happ-back-but-lose-porter-hodge-to-an-oblique-strain-of-his-own-r1797/You had to figure something was up. Porter Hodge hadn't pitched Sunday, and in fact, he'd only gone once since last Wednesday. If he were fully healthy, Daniel Palencia would not have been on the mound for the ninth inning Monday night in Miami, when the Cuibs had a chance to secure a one-run wi...1797Tue, 20 May 2025 19:45:56 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/pete-crow-armstrong-adjusting-to-pitchers-approaches-when-he-falls-behind-r1794/If you can count on Pete Crow-Armstrong to do one thing, it's this: he's going to swing. It was the prevailing concern coming into his first full season at the major-league level. Could he tamp down the aggressiveness, in order to realize his offensive upside? And if he couldn't, how long could...1794Tue, 20 May 2025 17:38:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/the-crosstown-classic-a-toast-r1787/In 2023, in front of a customarily thunderous crowd at Wrigley Field, former Cub Christopher Morel hammered a walkoff home run into the bleachers in right-center field, sending an already rocking ballpark into complete delirium. A year later, Palatine, Ill. native Mike Tauchman delivered a simil...1787Tue, 20 May 2025 15:11:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/trusting-his-offense-and-shielding-his-weak-bullpen-craig-counsell-continues-using-slow-hook-r1796/Ben Brown was in trouble from the moment he picked up the ball and climbed the mound Monday night. The Marlins had just seen him a week earlier, and they laid in wait for him. As our Randy Holt detailed earlier Monday, Brown must work ahead in the count, and he fell behind on each of the first t...1796Tue, 20 May 2025 11:53:11 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/chasing-history-90-feet-at-a-time-nico-hoerners-unique-role-and-skillset-in-cubs-offense-r1795/As you might have noticed, Nico Hoerner doesn't have a home run yet in 2025. In fact, he hasn't come especially close. He's only hit one ball more than 370 feet in the air this season, and that was to dead center at Wrigley Field last week—aided by a wind gusting out to center field. It didn't t...1795Mon, 19 May 2025 22:22:29 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/matt-shaw-to-join-chicago-cubs-again-this-week-nicky-lopez-departs-r1791/Yes, Matt Shaw hit four home runs in two games over the weekend. No, that is not why Shaw is coming back to the Cubs. Yes, he made some subtle but important mechanical adjustments during a one-month stint with Triple-A Iowa, during which he hit .286/.409/.560. No, that's not why Shaw is coming b...1791Mon, 19 May 2025 15:14:14 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/ben-brown-is-improving-in-one-key-area-but-must-maintain-it-to-be-an-effective-starter-r1790/Ben Brown will take the ball for the Chicago Cubs on Monday night in Miami for his ninth start of the year. He's up to 16 starts, 24 total apppearances, and 97 innings in the majors, going back to last year, but it doesn't feel like we're all that close to feeling certain about a long-term role...1790Mon, 19 May 2025 14:08:02 +0000