Brandon Glick

Naturally, old enemy Adrian Houser is now pitching like a freaking stud on the South Side (1.89 ERA in 62 innings).

Pretty funny to think that this is Seth Lugo's audition for the Cubs before the trade deadline.

Ahead of a key 2025 trade deadline, North Side Baseball reflects on some of the best swaps in Cubs history. View full video

The man, the myth, the legend. Dick Mountain triumphantly returns to Wrigley Field 20 years later. This will be fun.

You have no idea. @Brock Beauchamp may keep me locked away in a room with one typewriter and 100 monkeys, but at least he's always improving the user experience.

Alec Mills is a former MLB pitcher who spent seven years in the big leagues, including parts of five seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Mills had a crazy baseball journey on his way to the big leagues, originally appearing in college baseball as a walk-on at the University of Tennessee at Martin. He was a disaster as a reliever in his freshman (8.51 ERA) and sophomore (6.82 ERA) seasons, though a conversion to the rotation in his junior campaign immediately yielded better results (3.94 ERA). The Kansas City Royals thought enough of his junior year leap to draft him in the 22nd round of the 2012 MLB Draft, and he would spend the next four years in their system (and make his MLB debut in 2016) before getting DFA'd in February 2017. The Cubs, fresh off a World Series championship, acquired Mills for prospect Donnie Dewees in what was seen as a big overpay at the time. However, the Cubs, having just lost Jason Hammel to the Royals in free agency, needed more starting pitching depth ahead of their title defense. The trade worked out for Chicago, as Dewees never lived up to his prospect billing, failing to reach the majors and eventually returning to the Cubs' system after being released by the Royals a few years later. Mills was shuttled between Triple-A Iowa and Chicago for the first few years of his Cubs tenure, though in 2020 he began the year in the rotation as José Quintana dealt with injuries after the pandemic-delayed season began. He proved to be a serviceable back-end rotation arm, pitching to a 4.48 ERA in 62 1/3 innings that season. But, on one special afternoon on September 13, 2020, Mills made history, authoring the 16th no-hitter in Chicago Cubs franchise history. Since then, the Cubs have thrown two team no-hitters, one started by Zach Davies in 2021 against the Dodgers, and one started in 2024 by Shota Imanaga against the Mets. It was the first Cubs no-hitter since the second of Jake Arrieta's no-no bids in 2016, and the latest complete game no-hitter by a Cubs pitcher as of this writing in July 2025. Thanks to his success in 2020, Mills got a full-time gig in the Cubs' rotation again in 2021, pitching to a 5.07 ERA in 119 innings. Injuries and underperformance limited his time on the big league roster afterward, and he would eventually be let go from the organization following the 2022 season. In 253 innings with the Cubs, Mills pitched to the tune of a 4.84 ERA (4.79 FIP) across 66 appearances (39 starts). Following his time in Chicago, Mills made one appearance with the Reds in 2023. He is currently an MLB free agent and has not pitched professionally in two years. View full player

The Cubs could receive some huge reinforcements in August from the injured list. View full video

Nothing like a bullpen game to kick off a crucial three-game series. This will be fun, I'm sure.

What a series to begin the second half. The hottest team in baseball at Wrigley Field to face the NL Central-leading Cubs.

The Cubs and Red Sox have similar trade deadline needs in the rotation, but can the two franchises agree to a deal that pulls from both rosters' strengths? View full video

Image courtesy of © Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images On Day One of the 2025 MLB Draft, the Chicago Cubs selected three players: outfielders Ethan Conrad and Kane Kepley, and pitcher Dominick Reid. There was an obvious theme there: all three are polished college players with the potential to rise through the system quickly, and they should all sign for under-slot signing bonuses. As you might expect, the Cubs took advantage of those bonus pool savings early on Day Two, drafting Kaleb Wing and Kade Snell in the fourth and fifth round, respectively. You can find our write-ups of Wing and Snell here, and in the rumors and notes section of the site. In the "middle" rounds of the second day of the draft, the Cubs opted to go for a high-upside high school hitter before turning their attention back to the college ranks. You can find analyses of each of their five picks from Rounds 6-10 below. And, as a reminder, you can find the full list of Cubs picks, signing status, and bios right here on our Cubs draft tracker. Round 6, Pick 181: Josiah Hartshorn, OF (Orange Lutheran HS) From our in-house draft expert, Jamie Cameron: "Hartshorn is a prep outfield prospect out of Southern California currently committed to Texas A&M. It's a profile buoyed by a solid hit/power combo. Hartshorn is a switch hitter who has been limited to long stretches of hitting exclusively left-handed or right-handed due to various nagging injuries to his back and elbow. The right-handed swing is currently more polished, and Hartshorn could end up with an above average hit and power combo if his development goes well. There's a good arm here too (he's been up to 94 mph on the mound) with the run and field tools grading out as solid average, too." Overall, this is one of the highest-upside swings we've seen the Cubs take in quite some time in the draft, as he's got prodigious power for a young kid with a history of injury issues. They'll have to pry him out of his commitment to Texas A&M, but that's what those early-round slot savings are for. Round 7, Pick 211: Pierce Coppola, LHP (Florida) The Cubs have effectively decided that their Moneyball tactic is going to be having the best medical scouting department in the world, apparently. Another big talent who fell due to injury issues — he made just one start in his first two collegiate seasons due to back and leg injuries — Coppola posted an 8.75 ERA in eight starts (23 2/3 innings) in 2024. He shook the rust off this year, though, authoring a 2.53 ERA in seven starts (21 1/3 innings). He did miss two months with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Ultimately, this is just a bet on their ability to evaluate medical records. He threw less than 50 innings in college. As a 6'8" lefty, they may be thinking they can turn him into their next Luke Little. Round 8, Pick 241: Jake Knapp, RHP (UNC) Don't say Jed Hoyer doesn't have a type. Another big (6'5") starter with a serious injury history (he underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2024 season), Knapp won National Pitcher of the Year this season at UNC. A consensus All-American in 2025, Knapp logged a 14-0 record, as North Carolina won each of his 15 starts. He posted a 2.02 ERA (fourth-best in the country) in 102 1/3 frames. He also struck out 88 hitters while allowing just 16 walks, showing an unusual amount of polish for a college pitcher with a Tommy John surgery on his résumé. One more fun tidbit from this pick: he'll join Tar Heels teammate Kane Kepley (second-round pick) in the Cubs organization, assuming both players sign. Round 9, Pick 271: Colton Book, LHP (Saint Joseph's) Oh wow, another big college lefty (6'4") who thrived in his final collegiate season after earlier struggles? Color me shocked. In all seriousness, Book converted to being a full-time starter at Saint Joseph's this year after bouncing between the rotation and bullpen earlier in his college career. In a career-high 86 2/3 innings, he posted a 3.53 ERA and huge 35% strikeout rate, all while walking just 20 batters. He really did struggle prior to 2025, though, allowing 59 earned runs in 76 innings at Stony Brook. This is a bet on a projectable, big frame with rapidly improving talent, and the Cubs' recent history with getting the most out of college pitchers should have fans more excited than nervous with Book. Round 10, Pick 301: Justin Stransky, C (Fresno State) After nine rounds of nothing but pitchers and outfielders, the Chicago Cubs have made the daring decision to draft... a catcher. Stransky played 91 games at the position in college, with all nine of his other appearances coming at designated hitter. In those 100 games at Fresno State, he slashed .312/.400/.501 with 15 home runs, 12 of which came during the 2015 season. As a pure catching prospect and semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award (best D1 catcher in the country), he's got a pretty well-rounded offensive profile, walking 41 times compared to just 32 strikeouts with Fresno State. He's got limited upside, but it's hard not to like a strong glove behind the plate with a good eye and history of offensive success. As 10th-round picks go, he's a solid one. What do you think of the Cubs' first batch of selections from Day Two of the 2025 MLB Draft? Let us know in the comments! View full article

Image courtesy of © Brett Davis-Imagn Images The 2025 MLB Draft will again feature just 20 rounds, but there has been a format change. After downsizing from a two-day, 40-round draft to a three-day, 20-round draft, Major League Baseball has now gone to a two-day, 20-round draft. The final 17 rounds (from Rounds 4-20) will happen later today, beginning at 11:30am EST. You can catch it live on MLB Network and MLB.com. The Destination: The Show crew would like to invite you to join us live as we cover the final rounds of the draft There hasn't been a 17-round draft day in a while, but rest assured — there used to be 20-round days, so North Side Baseball will have the capacity to cover the duration. After selecting three players on Sunday during the first day of the draft, the Cubs will make 17 picks on Monday: 121st Overall (Round 4) 151st Overall (Round 5) 181st Overall (Round 6) Following Round 5, the Cubs will pick 16th in every round for the remainder of the draft. Thus, their draft position is as follows: 181, 211, 241, 271, etc. The Red Sox will have the 13th-largest bonus pool ($12,409,300) in baseball. As a reminder from Baseball America: "In the MLB draft, each pick inside the first 10 rounds comes with assigned slot values. The sum of those slot values creates each team’s bonus pool. From rounds 11-20, players can sign for up to $150,000 without counting towards the bonus pool. Anything beyond that value does count towards the pool." It's also important to remember that teams can exceed their bonus pool allotment by up to five percent before incurring any future pick penalties. No team in bonus pool era has ever exceeded that additional five percent threshold. Once again, North Side Baseball will feature the Cubs Draft Tracker, which will be kept up-to-date not only during the draft but through the entire signing period. So keep coming back for updates! View full article

Image courtesy of © Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images The Cubs wrapped up an interesting first day of the 2025 MLB Draft with three (seemingly) under-slot reaches. That strategy mostly lines up with their previous drafts, where they saved some money on safer picks in early rounds before going for broke on high-upside players in later rounds that may require larger signing bonuses to bring in. Below, you'll find a recap of the Cubs' three picks in full. Here is the results from Day One: Round 1 (17th overall): Ethan Conrad, OF Player Bio: https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-draft-picks/2025/ethan-conrad-r1/ Draft Pick Article: https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs-draft-picks/chicago-cubs-select-ethan-conrad-with-17th-overall-pick-in-2025-mlb-draft-r1961/ Round 2 (56th overall): Kane Kepley, OF Player Bio: https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-draft-picks/2025/kane-kepley-r2/ Draft Pick Article: https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs-draft-picks/chicago-cubs-select-kane-kepley-with-the-56th-pick-in-the-2025-mlb-draft-r1963/ Round 3 (90th overall): Dominick Reid, RHP Player Bio: https://northsidebaseball.com/chicago-cubs-draft-picks/2025/dominick-reid-r3/ Draft Pick Article: https://northsidebaseball.com/news-rumors/chicago-cubs-draft-picks/cubs-select-dominick-reid-at-90-in-the-2025-mlb-draft-r1964/ Day One Recap: With plenty of solid college arms still on the board, the Cubs surprised a lot of people and went with Ethan Conrad, an outfielder from Wake Forest, with their first pick. He very much fits the Cam Smith and Matt Shaw mold of a polished college who should rise through the system extremely quickly. He doesn't have quite the immediate upside as those two, but as far as first-round picks go, this very much fits the mold of what the team has done in recent seasons. The team went back to the same well with their next pick in Round 2, taking UNC outfielder Kane Kepley. He's a very high-floor pick, with a ton of solid tools and no real great ones. He's advanced like Conrad is, though his ceiling is lower. My best current-Cub comparison would be Nico Hoerner, with a slightly worse glove and a little more pop. Finally, the team took their college arm in Dominick Reid in the third round. He was a huge reach, but man his changeup is special. He has a Jordan Wicks-esque vibe to him, as he works quickly and builds his entire arsenal around his primary off-speed offering. If his control remains solid as he adds a few ticks to his velocity in the Cubs' pitching development lab, the Cubs may prove the industry wrong with this pick. Day Two of the 2025 MLB Draft will continue later today! The Cubs should have plenty of signing bonus pool space to work with. How do you think the Cubs fared on Day One of the draft? Let us know in the comments! View full article

The Cubs will send three representatives to Atlanta for the 2025 Midsummer Classic, though fans have a right to gripe about a few players who didn't get the call. View full video

Great episode as always, guys! They're looking pretty solid heading into the All-Star break.

Hoping for a strong push in the final series against the Yanks. Big trade deadline coming up, and then it's nothing but the stretch run!