Brock Beauchamp

The Cubs pulled off their big improvement to the lineup via the Kyle Tucker trade with the Houston Astros. Now it's time to turn their attention to the pitching staff, the rotation in particular. Ryan Divish and Adam Jude of The Seattle Times wrote a round-up of Castillo rumors, mentioning that the Cubs have shown interest. In return, the Mariners have been interested in second baseman Nico Hoerner, so much so that the Cubs and Mariners were nearing a three-team deal with Hoerner going to Seattle while the Cubs acquired Garrett Crochet from the White Sox. The Mariners have quietly spread rumors that 32-year-old Luis Castillo might be available in trade. He could likely be had for a reasonable prospect return due to the fact he is owed roughly $24 million per season through 2027 with a $25 million vesting option in 2028 but had roughly league-average performance in 2024. Any acquiring team would be betting on Castillo returning to previous form, where he was a well above-average starting pitcher most teams would be thrilled to have in a playoff rotation. View full rumor

The last couple of years of Red Sox baseball were not very exciting, I agree. I'm still getting a feel for New Englanders and how they approach baseball. It's very different than the Midwest mindset I've experienced thus far with the Twins, Brewers, and Cubs.

I guess my issue is that I expect the Cubs to be neck-deep with those coastal elite teams and they're just not. We fired up a Red Sox site several months ago and the difference between the Sox and Cubs news cycle is enormous. My opinion is that this ownership/front office is cautious to a fault. They should be wading into deeper waters, playing with the big boys and they just won't do it. It doesn't mean they're badly run or incompetent... it's just not very exciting to follow on a daily basis. Now don't get me wrong, if you want truly boring, I also work within the Twins sphere, where the word I would use to describe the past six months is "comatose".

As everyone here is aware, I'm relatively new to being embedded with Cubs news. After 18-ish months, I'm continually surprised by how boring they are.

Alex Speier of The Boston Globe mentioned in a recent write-up that the Seattle Mariners are listening when opposing GMs come calling for Luis Castillo. Castillo turns 32 in a few days. A reliable frontline starter for several years, the righty's ERA took a step backward in 2024 but most of his peripherals suggest the situation is far from dire. He lost roughly half a mile per hour on his pitches but metrics such as Stuff+ and Statcast are conflicted on whether the quality of his pitches changed significantly enough to warrant his ERA dropping to roughly league-average. Castillo is signed for a little over $24 million per season through 2027 and has a vesting option for 2028 at $25 million. The Mariners have one of the best rotations in baseball but spend every season trying to scrape together enough runs to reach meaningful October baseball. There is a good chance they end up dealing some of that pitching for long-term lineup help. View full rumor

Interesting. I think I'd make that trade, probably from both sides. But it's less of an automatic "yes" from the Cubs side, I think.

When it comes to starting pitching and given the Cubs' overall depth, I like an upside play and Boyd is a pretty decent upside play at those dollars. Of course, I also believe the Cubs should be playing in much deeper waters than they do, which is why I couched my statement with that.

Going hard after ex-Brewers, eh? This would be a successful offseason, I think. I have doubts about Burnes, though. I just haven't liked how his peripherals keep ticking downward, though he's still very successful doing it.

MLB Trade Rumors recently wrote up a nice comprehensive list of teams that might be interested in trading for Cody Bellinger. They eliminated all teams operating under financial constraints (unfortunately, a significant portion of the league right now) and then looked for good on-field fits. Let's look at three teams that intrigued me: Toronto Blue Jays: With the big-budget Jays so often taking the role of bridesmaid in the pursuit of high-end free agents, it feels like they're destined to be scrambling for help after Juan Soto signs elsewhere. Their competitive window is likely going to close soon as some of their high-profile hitters enter free agency. Bellinger's short-term contract (one year, two at most) could fit well with a last-ditch attempt at competition. Los Angeles Angels: Every offseason, the Angels think they can compete. Every season, they fail to do so. While they're under new management now, ownership is the same and Arte Moreno loves to meddle in baseball affairs. Their farm system is bare but it won't take a haul to land Bellinger if the acquiring team takes on all the money. The Angels, as always, are unpredictable. New York Yankees: This is a very good fit if they don't re-sign Soto. It feels like any chance of a Bellinger trade rises significantly after Soto signs. If Soto signs next week, we could see Bellinger move quickly afterward. If Soto and agent Scott Boras decide to press the market, we could see Bellinger trade talks remain quiet into 2025. View full rumor

Putting aside any grumbling about the Cubs' (and Hoyer's) refusal to buy into the top-end of the market, this is a good signing, IMO.

I know... We were part way through the process and realized that it was coming in a different form that would not only undo our work but potentially screw up the native system. So. we stopped.

Welcome to North Side Baseball!

It's actually coming in a core software update some time in the next... whenever... so I'm not sure when it's coming but it *is* coming. But it's still likely a long ways off, unfortunately.

At one point, Jerome Walton was the next great Cubs outfielder. Born in 1965 in Newnan, Georgia, Walton was drafted in the second round by the Cubs out of Newnan High School. Walton shot up through the Cubs' farm system. He posted a .795 OPS in Rookie ball in 1986, a .926 OPS in A-ball the following year, and an .822 OPS in Double-A Pittsfield in 1988. This rapid path through the minors caused the Cubs to open the 1989 season with Walton on the roster as their everyday starting centerfielder. Walton, known for his speed and toolsy nature, did not disappoint. After an early acclimation period when he saw his batting average drop under .250 in April, Walton started heating up in July and saw his batting average flirt with the .300 mark for much of the second half of the season. Fans, quickly becoming enamored of the young outfielder, started the "Jerome-O-Meter", which tracked his batting average as he looked to hit over .300 in his rookie campaign. Ultimately, Walton fell just short of .300, finishing the 1989 season with a .293 average. Still, this was enough for him to cruise to the NL Rookie of the Year award, finishing ahead of his teammate Dwight Smith. Walton was the first Cub to win Rookie of the Year since 1962. Unfortunately, this was the peak of Walton's career. He struggled badly in the 1990 season, posting an 83 OPS+ in only 101 games played. He continued his downward slide in the following two seasons, posting a 67 and 25 OPS+, respectively. Following the 1992 season, Walton became a free agent and left Wrigley for the California Angels. Walton bounced around baseball for a few more years, playing in Cincinnati, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay. His final MLB season was 1998. In the end, he finished with a 92 OPS+ and 3.7 WAR in 1,761 plate appearances. View full player

The penalty side of the Qualifying Offer needs to go away in a big way. Teams losing good players to free agency should get a pick. There should be no penalty for signing that player. It's salary suppression.

That's the big difference for me. I don't need to be in an ideological bubble, I just want a reprieve from the worst horsefeathers humans on the planet spouting absolute nonsense at me. And then there's the third-tier advertising that's just engagement farming, bots with half-naked avatars pestering everyone, etc...

While there is a small contingent of fans who *love* Rays-style baseball, I'm not one of them and I suspect most fans feel the same. As someone who was recently immersed in the Red Sox, watching them get back to their spending ways and get into the mix on literally every good free agent this winter is pretty damned fun.

This is disappointing news but hardly surprising to Cubs fans. Bob Nightengale of USA Today mentioned that Jed Hoyer and the Cubs are "probably out" on the top end of the free agent market this season. That means no to Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, or Blake Snell donning Cubs blue in 2025. Coupled with rumors of the Cubs slightly scaling back payroll and Cubs fans could be in for a long, dark winter after yet another mediocre 83-79 finish to the 2024 season. View full rumor

The embeds are now cleaner, they work just like Twitter.

Oh hell yes, give him to the Angels. The baseball gods almost demand it.