https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/page/97/?d=7enhttps://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/can-ben-brown-reach-the-next-level-in-his-development-without-a-third-pitch-r1602/The skyscraping righthander's 2024 debut was a success, but how he succeeded left some to wonder whether his ceiling is lower than his velocity (or height) would suggest. This spring, he's inspiring hope that that ceiling can be raised. In his rookie campaign, Ben Brown flashed a high-octane...1602Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:13:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-player-height-adjustments-nico-hoerner-pete-crow-armstrong-matt-shaw/Six-foot-one, my ass. When big-leaguers reported to spring training in mid-February, they all went through a new ritual that (presumably) will become a part of the annual routine, along with posing for a few dozen photos and meeting with developers of MLB: The Show. League officials rolled i...1607Wed, 19 Mar 2025 09:13:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/3-key-takeaways-from-cubs-opening-day-loss-to-dodgers-r1605/The home nine (playing about as far from home as one can) couldn't get the job done on Tuesday, as the Cubs lost their season opener to the defending World Series champions. A few revealing and intriguing things did happen along the way, though. Every baseball game has little clues within it...1605Tue, 18 Mar 2025 15:08:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/happy-opening-day-cubs-dodgers-tokyo-series-lineups-roster-stuff-matt-shaw-keegan-thompson-brad-keller-and-more-r1604/WAKE UP! It's a beautiful day for a ball game, from Tokyo. The Cubs and Dodgers have set their rosters for this delightfully bizarre, meaningful-yet-preposterous two-game series, kicking off the 2025 season. A few interesting tidbits await. It's hard to surprise anyone with decisions about t...1604Tue, 18 Mar 2025 06:48:25 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/could-cubs-opponents-dictate-how-they-divvy-up-playing-time-at-catcher-r1598/They say you have to bat in more than you let in. At catcher, you also have to get to second more often than you let the other team take it. Midway through February, we took a look at the Chicago Cubs' potential distribution of playing time for their two catchers. As we prepare for the seaso...1598Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:33:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/week-in-review-cubs-arrive-in-japan-with-their-work-cut-out-for-them-r1597/The Cubs arrived in Japan just days ago and it already seems like the party could go on for months. If that's to be the case, the Cubs had better find a rhythm fast. After an early start but (still) an abbreviated buildup to regular-season baseball in their respective spring training camps,...1597Sun, 16 Mar 2025 22:08:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/jed-hoyer-and-failure-to-work-effectively-in-the-margins-r1590/It's been well chronicled that Jed Hoyer might be on his last gasp as a Cub after 13 seasons of gainful employment. While he was tasked with an unpopular teardown and complete rebuild, the results have not been there. Even if the team makes the playoffs as a division champion, there are little m...1590Sun, 16 Mar 2025 12:16:00 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/gage-workman-is-the-superior-option-to-vidal-bruj%C3%A1n-versatility-be-damned-r1593/The Cubs' Rule 5 draft pick is establishing himself as a keeper in spring training. How far should the team be willing to go to keep him on the roster? The Chicago Cubs entered the spring exhibition slate with a steady backlog of bench options. This jam was the result not of legitimate optio...1593Sat, 15 Mar 2025 11:56:01 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/2025-nl-central-preview-st-louis-cardinals-r1594/Historically speaking, the St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most successful teams in major league history, having won 11 World Series in 19 tries, second only to the 27 titles of the New York Yankees. However, while the Cards played in the postseason each year from 2019-2022, they've come up s...1594Fri, 14 Mar 2025 17:03:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/pete-crow-armstrong-will-break-out-in-2025-regardless-of-the-naysayers-r1592/The Cubs' young center fielder has impressed thus far in spring training, attracting his fair share of critics. Will he defy their expectations and become the team's next superstar? Pete Crow-Armstrong may never be the Chicago Cubs’ “best” player. But it probably doesn’t matter. In his...1592Fri, 14 Mar 2025 11:56:02 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/cubs-have-had-recent-contact-with-lance-lynn-but-deal-not-imminent-r1591/The burly righthander would be added depth for a pitching staff facing the unique challenge of being ready for a season by mid-March and trying to play until the end of October—but he's unlikely to be more than a transitory part of that long journey.   Right-handed pitcher Lance Lynn an...1591Thu, 13 Mar 2025 19:07:09 +0000https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs/2025-nl-central-preview-pittsburgh-pirates-r1588/The Pittsburgh Pirates have not had a .500 season since 2018 and haven’t made a playoff appearance since 2015. The 1979 ‘We Are Family’ Pirates, led by Willie “Pops” Stargell, Dave “Cobra” Parker, and John “Candy Man” Candelaria won their last World Series. Can new stars like Paul Skenes, Bryan...1588Thu, 13 Mar 2025 17:05:01 +0000