Seth Stohs

As the clock approached 11:30 pm in the Central time zone Wednesday night, the news came out via Jon Heyman that the Cubs have acquired reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Baltimore Orioles. A former All-Star with the Rays, Kittredge is on a one-year contract for $10 million with the O's, but it includes a team option for $9 million for 2026. Kirttredge, 35, ranked 54th on Matthew Trueblood's list of trade candidates who would have the greatest impact on the chances of winning in 2025 when he drew up that list last week. The Cubs had interest in Kittredge over the winter, before Baltimore outbid them. In 31 games and 31 1/3 innings for the Orioles, Kittredge posted a 3.45 ERA. He struck out 25.2% of opposing batters and walked just 6.5%, which is typical for him. Mostly a sinker-slider (or really, a slider-sinker) guy, he's thrived with that approach for several years now. He has an 86 career DRA-, according to Baseball Prospectus, where 100 is average and lower is better. Though he's a bit aged and doesn't have a squeaky-clean injury record, Kittredge fits neatly into the team's bullpen picture for the stretch run. He's an easy upgrade over fringe arms like Brooks Kriske, Gavin Hollowell and Ethan Roberts, and at this time of year, contending teams have the luxury of simply aiming for an upgrade by acquiring any pitcher clearly better than their worst incumbent. Kittredge clears the bar. The fascinating questions, of course, are what it will cost the Cubs, and how Kittredge's acquisition gels with that of Michael Soroka earlier Wednesday night. Looking at the two moves together can give us a clearer picture of what the team might hope to accomplish Thursday. The best way to look at the Kittredge move is as a standard-issue, one-for-one strengthening of the middle relief corps, but that leaves one fewer flexible spot in the team's bullpen. That makes it tougher to use a hurler like Soroka (or even Colin Rea) as a long reliever, the way the team used Chris Flexen during his time with the team. It's perfectly possible, though, that at least one of Ryan Pressly, Ryan Brasier and Drew Pomeranz will be jettisoned to free up the needed roster spots. Kittredge is, at this stage of their respective careers, better than Pressly, so that would make sense in a vacuum. Soroka's flexibility as a swingman isn't compromised, then. He can still work in that role, or start regularly for the team down the stretch. More to come, as we ascertain the return in this deal.

Have you wondered where the Cubs' minor league teams play? Who their coaches are? Where to find their schedule and rosters? We have the guide for you. First and foremost, one of the goals at North Side Baseball is to become a one-stop spot for Cubs minor-league content. The hope is to provide a daily minor league report with the day’s game scores and highlights, transactions, media, and much more. We will hand out “awards” for minor league hitter, starting pitcher, and relief pitcher of the month with profiles on several players who had strong performances. We will also have year-end reports, top prospect rankings, and features throughout the year on Cubs minor leaguers. In 2021, a new minor-league alignment created several changes. Some minor-league teams were shut down. Others were able to align themselves with new major-league clubs. Upon agreements, the Cubs (and all other clubs) signed 10-year Player Development Agreements with their affiliates. Here are the current Cubs affiliates. List Of Cubs Affiliate Teams (click to jump to section) Iowa Cubs - AAA Knoxville Smokies - AA South Bend Cubs - High A Myrtle Beach Pelicans - Low A Arizona Complex League Cubs Dominican Summer League Cubs Triple A: Iowa Cubs League: International League Stadium: Principal Park One Line Drive Des Moines, IA 50309 Phone: (512) 243-6111 Website: https://www.milb.com/iowa/ (or iowacubs.com) How long have they been the affiliate? Des Moines has been the Triple-A home of the Chicago Cubs going back to 1981. They have played in the American Association and the Pacific Coast League. Then in 2021, they moved to the International League. In 12 seasons before joining the Cubs, they were affiliated with the White Sox (twice), the Astros and the A’s when they were called the Iowa Oaks. 2025 Coaching Staff Manager: Marty Pevey Pitching Coach: Tony Cougoule Hitting Coach: Rick Strickland Bench Coach: Eric Patterson Development Coach: Andrew Betcher, Taylor Fortney Radio Voice: Alex Cohen 2025 Iowa Cubs Roster 2025 Iowa Cubs Schedule Double A: Knoxville Smokies League: Southern League Stadium: Covenant Health Park (capacity: 7,500) (Brand New in 2025!) 601 E Jackson Avenue Knoxville, TN 37915 Phone: (865) 286-2300 Website: https://www.milb.com/knoxville/ (or, www.smokiesbaseball.com) How long have they been the affiliate? Baseball has a long history in Knoxville (Kodak is a suburb), going all the way back to 1896. In those early years, they switched leagues and affiliations often, and they have played under several different names. However, the team has been a Double-A affiliate since 1963. They have been the Tennessee Smokies since 2000, and changed their name to Knoxville in 2025. Prior to the Cubs, the club has played under 11 big-league clubs. They became the Cubs affiliate starting in 2007. In April of 2023, the Smokies owner (Randy Boyd) and Knoxville authorities) signed the agreement to start building a new $114 million multi-purpose stadium. The team will start playing in Covenant Health Park in the 2025 season. The team will move from Kodak to Knoxville and the name will return to the Knoxville Smokies. The stadium will also be used by One Knoxville SC (USL League One). 2025 Coaching Staff Manager: Lance Rymel Assistant Coach: Marco Romero Pitching Coach: Jamie Vermilyea Assistant Pitching Coach: Henry Haack Hitting Coach: Rachel Folden Development Coach: Derron Davis Radio Voice: Mick Gillispie 2025 Knoxville Smokies Roster 2025 Knoxville Smokies Schedule High A: South Bend Cubs League: Midwest League Stadium: Four Winds Field 501 W. South Street South Bend, IN 46601 Phone: (574) 235-9988 Website: https://www.milb.com/south-bend (or, www.southbendcubs.com) How long have they been the affiliate? In 1988, South Bend became a minor-league affiliate in the Midwest League. They were an affiliate of the White Sox for 10 seasons. Starting in 1998, the South Bend “Silver Hawks” became an affiliate of the Diamondbacks, a relationship that lasted through the 2014 season. In 2015, the team became known as the South Bend Cubs, appropriate because they became the Low-A, Midwest League affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. With the 2021 minor-league realignment, the Midwest League became a High-A league. 2025 Coaching Staff Manager: Nick Lovullo Pitching Coach: Bruce Billings Hitting Coaches: Nate Spears Bench Coach: Kyle Moore Development Coaches: Andrew Reuter, Collin Andrews Radio Voice: Brendan King, Max Thoma 2025 South Bend Cubs Roster 2025 South Bend Cubs Schedule Low A: Myrtle Beach Pelicans League: Carolina League Stadium: Pelicans Ballpark (Capacity: 4,800; 6,599 with standing room only) 1251 21st Avenue North Myrtle Beach, SC 29577 Phone: (843) 918-6000 Website: https://www.milb.com/myrtle-beach/ How long have they been the affiliate? Once upon a time, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans were the Durham Bulls. However, in 1997, the International League (AAA) expanded to Durham and the “Bulls” transferred to Myrtle Beach and became the Pelicans. They were still a Braves affiliate. The Pelicans were an affiliate of the Rangers for four seasons. Since 2015, the Pelicans have been an affiliate of the Cubs. In 2020, it was announced that the team (and the Carolina League) would move from High-A to Low-A. 2024 Coaching Staff Manager: Buddy Bailey Pitching Coach: George Thanopoulos Assistant Pitching Coach: Armando Gabino Hitting Coach: Roberto Vaz Bench Coach: D’Angelo Jimenez Development Coach: Daniel Wasinger Radio Voice: Sam Weiderhaft 2025 Myrtle Beach Pelicans Roster 2025 Myrtle Beach Pelicans Schedule Complex League: Arizona Complex League (ACL) Cubs League: Arizona Complex League Stadium: Nike Performance Center/Sloan Park (Capacity: 15,000) 2330 West Rio Salado Parkway Mesa, AZ 85201 How long have they been the affiliate? The first ACL Cubs team played in 1997 and have remained in the league since then. Twice they have had two teams competing in the league. 2025 Coaching Staff Manager: Corey Ray Pitching Coaches: Jose Zapata Hitting Coaches: Yovanny Cuevas, Chris Pieters Bench Coach: Kyle Sutherland Development Coaches: Andrew Craig 2025 ACL Cubs Roster 2025 ACL Cubs Schedule Dominican Summer League: Dominican Summer League (DSL) Cubs League: Dominican Summer League How long have they been the affiliate? The Cubs first season in the DSL was 1991 when they split a team with the Royals. In 1992, they added the Rockies to the roster. In 1993, they teamed with the Rangers, and then had a joint affiliation with the Padres from 1994-1996. In 1997, the Cubs had an affiliate to call their own. At various times since 2008 they have had one or two affiliates in the DL. DSL Cubs Blue 2024 Coaching Staff Manager: Enrique Wilson Pitching Coaches: Luis Hernandez Assistant Pitching Coaches: JC Bonilla Hitting Coaches: Raymond Pena Development Coach: Chase Colding 2025 DSL Cubs Blue Roster 2025 DSL Cubs Blue Schedule DSL Cubs Red 2024 Coaching Staff Manager: Carlos Ramirez Hitting Coach: Johnny Bethencourt Pitching Coach: Jordal Williams Coach: Jovanny Rosario 2025 DSL Cubs Red Roster 2025 DSL Cubs Read Schedule Additional Player Development Staff and Coordinators Player Development Staff Jason Kanzler: Director of Player Development Ryan Otero: Director of Pitching Coordinators Kevin Graber: Minor League Field Coordinator Mark Johnson: Assistant Field Coordinator Dave Keller: Minor League Roving Instructor Dai Dai Otaka: Infield Coordinator Doug Dascenzo: Outfield Coordinator Casey Jacobson: Minor League Senior Coordinator James Ogden: Coordinator of Pitching Performance Carlos Chantres: Assistant Coordinator, Pitching Matt Hinkley: Arizona Pitching Coordinator & Rehab Coordinator Rachel Folden: Hitting Coordinator (and AA Hitting Coach) Steven Pollakov: Hitting Coordinator Greg Brown: Hitting Coordinator/Special Assistant to GM Desi Wilson: Position Player Rehab/Development List Coordinator Miles Between Stadiums Wrigley Field Principal Park Smokies Stadium Four Winds Field Pelicans Ballpark Sloan Park in Mesa Wrigley Field X 338.7 565.8 96.5 925.7 1747.5 Principal Park 338.7 X 849.9 407.0 1,239.9 1391.7 Smokies Stadium 565.8 849.9 X 512.6 391.6 1820.9 Four Winds Field 96.5 407.0 512.6 X 839.9 1801.5 Pelicans Ballpark 925.7 1239.9 391.6 839.9 X 2163.7 Sloan Park in Mesa 1747.5 1391.7 1820.9 1801.5 2163.7 X Cubs Top Prospect Rankings North Side Baseball Top 20

The Cubs have a ton of top prospects. Then at the draft, they made third baseman Cam Smith their first-round pick. Weeks later, they traded Christopher Morel for Isaac Paredes. This offseason, the Cubs traded Paredes and Smith to the Astros (with Hayden Wesneski) in exchange for Kyle Tucker. So much can happen so fast in the baseball world. Those three moves all happened without five months. With this series, we'll look at the full year. Lots happened. Which articles grabbed your attention? We jump into the Top 20 most-viewed articles of 2024. #20: Cubs will Focus on Draft This Week but Then Spotlight Swings to Two Trade Candidates Matthew Trueblood July 8 July has always been a busy month of the baseball season. The All-Star game is in the middle of the month, and the month ends with the trade deadline. The past few years, MLB moved their draft from early June to July. Following the draft, the teams only have a couple of weeks to sign the draft picks. Of course, by month's end, there is the trade deadline. That's why GMs get a ton of credit, but he must be able to delegate very well to make sure all goals are accomplished. #19: Chicago Cubs Top Prospect Rankings, 2024 Preseason: #1-5 2/22: Jason Ross February 22 We all love prospect rankings, and the Cubs organization has been loaded with top-end prospect talent. Jason and Josh went back-and-forth, comparing their top prospects coming into the 2024 season. The Cubs had a few strong performances by rookies in 2024, but they have a lot more elite talent still awaiting their opportunity. Several will contribute in 2025. #18: Is Yoan Moncada the Perfect Chicago Cubs Fit as an Insurance Policy and Upside Play at Third Base? Randy Holt December 16 With the trade of Isaac Paredes to the Astros, the Cubs have a question mark at third base. Are they ready to simply hand the job to top prospect Matt Shaw? How much can or should they rely on Gage Workman, their Rule 5 selection earlier this month? Or, should they consider long-time White Sox infielder Yoan Moncada as insurance at third base? At times, Moncada has been very good, but he has been hurt a lot the last few years. If healthy, maybe you catch lightning in a bottle for the year. If not, he could move into a utility role when Shaw is deemed ready. #17: With Pressure On, Jed Hoyer Is Moving up Some Timelines Matthew Trueblood July 29 The Cubs try to talk like a mid-market team, but obviously Chicago is a huge market with a huge budget. Expectations are that the team will be a contender, and quickly. Last offseason, he was aggressive in adding Michael Busch from the Dodgers, giving up a couple of exciting, very young prospects. He didn’t wait until the trade deadline to make deals. He added Nate Pearson from the Jays and Isaac Paredes from the Rays several days ahead of the deadline. This article was written before the July deadline, but you could argue that the Cubs (meaning Jed Hoyer) has continued that trend by being very active this offseason. #16: Pete Crow-Armstrong is Fast but How Fast is He Compared to an Olympian? Matt Ostrowski August 4 While watching the summer Olympics, Matt decided to do some really deep, critical thinking. We all know that Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of the fastest players in professional baseball. But if he were to line up next to Olympian Noah Lyles - who has run the 100 meters in 9.81 seconds before - could he keep it fairly close over that short distance? Which of these articles do you recall? What were your favorite topics from the year of 2024?