Brandon Glick

After failing to reel in the former Houston Astros star, the Cubs settled for veteran Justin Turner on a one-year deal. How smart of a backup plan is the 40-year-old? View full video

A former top prospect in the Cubs’ system, the southpaw armed with an elite changeup needs to produce a strong 2025 campaign in order to remain relevant in the organization. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / © Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK Jordan Wicks has long been a favorite of mine, as he's steadily climbed the minor-league ranks since being picked 21st overall in the 2021 MLB Draft. I was extremely encouraged by his 2023 debut, before things came crashing down last year. The relatively soft-tossing lefty has a devastating changeup-curveball combination that enabled him to fill in admirably down the stretch (during a playoff push) that first year, and his six-pitch repertoire produced three pitches with an expected batting average below .225: the changeup (.212 xBA), the sinker (.224) and the curveball (.106). In that September cup of coffee, Wicks’s opponents' average exit velocity (88.1 mph), walk rate (7.5%), barrel percentage (6.3%), hard-hit percentage (33%), and groundball rate (50%) all would have been well above average, had he faced enough batters to qualify. Of course, 2024 was a different story, as Wicks pitched to a 5.48 ERA (5.32 FIP) in 46 innings. He dealt with numerous recurring injuries, and when he was healthy, he spent most of his time at Triple-A trying to correct issues that presented themselves over his first (roughly) 80 major-league frames. Now 25 years old and two years away from his first trip through arbitration, Wicks needs to figure out what kind of pitcher he will be in 2025. What Went Wrong In 2024? Mostly, injuries. He had three separate Injured List stints last year: one early in the season for his forearm issues that never totally went away, and two back-to-back oblique injuries throughout the summer and stretch run. As aforementioned, that severely limited his time on the mound last year, in what was supposed to be a crucial developmental year as he got lots of reps in the big leagues. Instead, he spent most of the campaign learning how to be efficient in his rehab without pushing too hard. Valuable skills for a pitcher, to be sure, but not exactly the kind of lessons the Cubs were hoping the 25-year-old was going to learn. Beyond that, Wicks simply never found a secondary offering beyond his profile-defining changeup, as outlined brilliantly by Matt Trueblood. He toyed with a few different versions of a slider that he simply didn’t get enough chances to throw to lefties last year, and he’s still trying to find out how to fool opposing right-handed hitters with his sinker-curveball mix. If the plan is for him to stick as a starter going forward — and by all accounts, it is — he has to develop another plus-offering behind his gradually-improving fastball and excellent changeup, lest he turn into another one-pitch-short reliever like Hayden Wesneski. What Can Go Right In 2025? While Wicks still hasn’t found that third “trust pitch” in his repertoire, his fastball and changeup are a pretty darn good foundation. Despite the incessant injury troubles, Wicks actually found an extra half-tick on his fastball in 2024 compared to his initial call-up in 2023. He threw 273 of them to righties last year (109 to lefties), generating a .328 wOBA (.391) and .335 xwOBA (.333). Compare that to 2023, when his fastball surrendered a ridiculous .470 wOBA/.406 xwOBA to righties and more reasonable .232 wOBA/.240 xwOBA to lefties. With a larger sample size, the hope is that his improvements when facing opposite-handed hitters can continue; his success against lefties with the fastball will likely be dependent on his ability to find the right version of his slider. His changeup needs no introduction. He threw it just 20 times to opposing lefties last year (7.1% of his total offerings to left-handed hitters), but it generated an impossible .000 wOBA. Righties actually made contact against it, but only barely. They had a .268 wOBA/.291 xwOBA and a laughable 42.1% whiff rate against the pitch in 200 attempts in 2024. The best-case scenario is Wicks finding a slider to throw against lefties and a curveball for righties, and becoming a key member of the rotation. Even if he doesn’t, though, a trip to the bullpen as a long-reliever/opener could make sense as the Cubs only have offseason addition Caleb Thielbar (and maybe Luke Little) in terms of southpaw bullpen options. How Will This Impact The Cubs in 2025? The Cubs spent the whole offseason adding depth on top of depth to their starting rotation. While many, including yours truly, clamored for them to add another ace, the team stayed true to their top three of Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, and Jameson Taillon. Instead, they added Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea, and Cody Poteet to a back-end group that already included Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Brandon Birdsell, Caleb Kilian , Cade Horton, and Wicks. It would be an amazing story if Wicks developed into a surefire No. 4 starter, though that’s probably his ceiling given what we’ve seen from him so far. A world exists where he turns into a Keegan Thompson-esque swingman from the left side, dominating hitters from both sides of the plate with his two-pitch mix. Or, perhaps he’ll linger in Triple-A refining his arsenal, serving as “next man up” depth for whatever five starters Craig Counsell chooses on Opening Day. The Cubs did a good job this offseason ensuring their 2025 season doesn’t hinge on the development and health of guys like Wicks and Brown. It would just make their outlook a lot rosier — and their hopes of making the playoffs again a lot more likely — if Wicks can rediscover his top prospect form. View full article

Hee-Seop Choi is a former professional first baseman, having starred in both the KBO and MLB, including two seasons with the Chicago Cubs. Choi was a member of South Korea's second-place team at the 1998 Baseball World Cup. He signed with the Cubs shortly after in 1999. After four seasons of raking in the minor leagues, including 45 homers in 810 Triple-A at-bats, Baseball America named him the Cubs’ top prospect in 2003, while ranking him as the 22nd best prospect overall. Finally, on September 3, 2002, Choi made his Major League debut against the Milwaukee Brewers and became the first Korean-born position player to play in the major leagues. He was unimpressive in that initial debut, posting just a .601 OPS in 57 at-bats. Nevertheless, he was the Opening Day starter at first base for the Cubs in 2003, and he slashed .244/.389/.496 with seven homers through early June. He looked to be the team's cold corner star of the future, but a collision with Kerry Wood on a Jason Giambi pop fly on June 7 brought ambulances to Wrigley Field as Choi suffered a serious concussion. He was never the same after that collision, hitting just .164/.263/.269 in 77 plate appearances for the remainder of the season. "Big Choi", as manager Dusty Baker called him, was traded that offseason to the then-Florida Marlins for Derrek Lee. Of course, that deal worked out mostly in the Cubs favor as Lee made first base his home in Chicago for the next six years, but it was also ironic since Leon Lee, Derrek's father, was the scout who originally signed Choi with the Cubs. Choi was excellent for the Marlins in his lone half-season in Florida, hitting .270/.388/.495 with 15 homers. He didn't last long there, though, as he was the centerpiece in the deal that brought Brad Penny to Miami at the 2004 trade deadline. After initially struggling with the Dodgers, Choi thrived in Los Angeles in 2005, hitting another 15 home runs while posting a .789 OPS in 320 at-bats. He also made an appearance in the 2005 Home Run Derby, getting knocked out in the first round. With top prospect James Loney on the way and free agent addition Nomar Garciaparra taking over first base, Choi was once again ousted by a team he had success with, getting non-tendered following the 2005 season. Choi spent the 2006 season with the Boston Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate. He moved on to Tampa Bay the following spring training, though he elected to return to Korea after losing out on the starting first base job to Carlos Pena. He signed with the Kia Tigers of the KBO and starred with them from 2007-13, eventually retiring after a knee surgery. View full player

Pitchers and catchers have reported to 2025 camp, and spring training is on the horizon. Which trio of youngsters offer breakout potential for the Cubs this year? View full video

The first pitcher injury of 2025 has struck the Cubs, with Javier Assad nursing a mild oblique strain. Have the Cubs added enough depth over the winter to weather a potential injury storm? View full video

Hey all, I wanted to officially introduce myself to those who don't know me, especially in the forums part of the site. My name is Brandon Glick, and I've been writing Front Page articles for North Side Baseball for almost two years. I do lots of sports work for other outlets too, including FanSided, Pro Football Network, GiveMeSport, Yardbarker, and more. If you've ever taken a look at the site's Players Project, that's a part of the site I'm already co-managing with Brock. Now, I'm taking on a bit more responsibility to help Brock out as he tries to manage five sites under our banner (NSBB, Twins Daily, Brewer Fanatic, Jays Centre and Talk Sox). I've been reading the forums and blogs ever since I got here, but I haven't been much of an active participant in the comments. I wanted to gather advice from the community on the best places to frequent so that 1) I can participate more actively in the salient conversations going on around here and 2) I can be a bit of a mediator should any issues arise between users (or between a user and the site). Brock is obviously still around to do all the things he normally does, but I'd like to get more involved in 2025 as I step into a role beyond just being a content creator. Please let me know your thoughts on this stuff. My DMs are always open, too, if you'd like to strike up a conversation on the side. Thanks all!

Carlos Manuel Villanueva Paulino played professional baseball for 11 seasons, spending eight years in the NL Central with the Chicago Cubs and their biggest rivals. Originally signed as an international free agent by the San Francisco Giants in 2002, Villanueva was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2004. After getting an initial call-up in 2006, the big right-hander spent five seasons with the Brew Crew, compiling a 4.34 ERA (4.43 FIP) over 230 games (425.0 IP), 27 of which were starts. Despite his value as a jack-of-all-trades swingman — he performed every role for the Brewers' pitching staff, from starter to middle relief to fill-in closer — Milwaukee dumped him onto the Toronto Blue Jays following the 2010 season. He spent the next two years in Canada, appearing in 71 games and making 29 starts while honing his role as do-everything pitcher. Finally hitting free agency following the 2012 season, Villanueva signed with the Cubs on a two-year, $10 million contract. He initially won the fifth starter job out of camp that spring as Jake Arrieta (acquired at the 2012 trade deadline) was dealing with shoulder stiffness. That 2013 Opening Day rotation shook out as thus: Jeff Samardzija Travis Wood Edwin Jackson Jason Hammel Carlos Villanueva Not exactly a group of world-beaters, but each of those players contributed in some way to the 2016 core, whether they were traded for key pieces of that team or they actually won a ring with the curse-busting squad. Each of them also have write-ups currently on the Players Project, save for Jackson (who will get his own "Remember Some Cubs" article in due time). Over two seasons with the Cubs, Villanueva would go on to make 20 starts (15 in 2013) while appearing in 69 additional games out of the bullpen, running up a 4.27 ERA (3.59 FIP) and 175 strikeouts in 206 1/3 innings. He was frequently found in trade rumors during the 2014 season, but the Cubs peculiarly held onto him through the end of his contract, even as they wrapped up that campaign with a 73-89 record, good for dead last in the NL Central. Despite some relative success with in his tenure with the Cubs, Villanueva found a frigid winter market, eventually settling for a minor league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals deep into the offseason. Of course, the team applied some of its patented Devil Magic and turned Villanueva into the best version of himself, as the starter-reliever hybrid dominated out of the Cardinals' bullpen in 2015, posting a 2.95 ERA (3.74) FIP in 35 appearances as a set-up man. All's well that ends well, though, as the Cubs beat Villanueva and the Cardinals in the NLDS, though the right-hander did at least throw two scoreless innings in his only appearance in the series. Villanueva wrapped up his career with the San Diego Padres (in 2016) and Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League (in 2017). He retired following his short stint in the KBO. He now serves as a Special Assistant to the General Manager/Player Development Team for the Brewers. View full player

Ryan Dempster had a long, winding road in professional baseball before arriving in Chicago prior to the start of the 2004 season. Initially drafted by the Texas Rangers in the third round of the 1995 MLB Draft, Dempster was traded to the then-Florida Marlins in 1996 before making his big league debut. That would come a couple of years later, though he was shelled by the Cubs in first career start for five runs in 1 1/3 innings on June 1, 1998. After making the 2000 MLB All-Star Game, Dempster was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2002, though he pitched to a ghastly 6.39 ERA in 204 1/3 innings prior to needed Tommy John surgery in August 2003. Unwilling to wait out his recovery in the hopes of aiding the big righty in recapturing his former glory, the Reds released Dempster in the 2003-04 offseason. The Cubs swooped in quickly and brought the 27-year-old pitcher in, understanding that he wouldn't be ready until deep into the following season. Once he was ready to pitch again, the Cubs asked him to do something he had only done five times in his career up to that point: enter games out of the bullpen. That experiment worked wonders, as Dempster recorded 87 saves and a 4.10 ERA out of the 'pen from 2004-07. He took over as the team's full-time closer in 2005 as veteran LaTroy Hawkins faltered in the role. He is the only Cub and one of just three players ever to both start a game and collect 30 saves in the same season. In 2008, Dempster was moved into the starting rotation as Kerry Wood was moved to the closer gig in an attempt to prolong his career, and both players responded with an All-Star campaign. Dempster ultimately pitched to a 2.96 ERA (3.41 FIP) and 187 strikeouts in 206 2/3 innings, finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting that season. From 2008-11, Dempster effectively had a second career with the Cubs as a starter, throwing at least 200.0 innings in every season while racking up a 3.81 ERA (3.80 FIP) and 13.8 bWAR. One of my favorite things about Dempster was his bizarre glove-wiggle during his wind-up. It was a move he claimed was done in order to prevent tipping opposing batters to his pitches, though I thought it was simply designed to throw hitters' timing off. Either way, it was a big reason in why his starts were always appointment viewing for me as a kid, especially during that absurd 2008 season. Dempster was involved in a ridiculous trade deadline saga in 2012 that involved a deal to the Braves that he effectively blocked as he sought out a future in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. In the end, Dempster was dealt to the Texas Rangers, the team that originally drafted him, later that July. In return, the Cubs received fringe top-100 prospect Christian Villanueva and a little-known minor-league pitcher by the name of Kyle Hendricks. Dempster struggled with the Rangers before departing for the Boston Red Sox in free agency. Similar to his frequent dust-ups with Ryan Braun during his time in the NL Central, Dempster became something of public enemy No. 1 in New York when he purposefully hit Alex Rodriguez after the star third baseman had been caught using steroids. Nevertheless, he finally won a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2013, which led to him sitting out the 2014 season to spend time with family. The 16-year veteran ultimately retired on October 8, 2014. He was also the Chicago Cubs’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for community service in 2006 and 2008. Dempster remains actively involved with the franchise, having served as a special assistant to Theo Epstein after his retirement, and the former pitcher now works as an on-air talent on Marquee Sports Network. View full player

In the mid 2000s, the Cubs needed stability at the back-end of their bullpen. They found it in a former starting pitcher... who would go on to be one of the team's most reliable starters years later. Image courtesy of Chris Graythen/Getty Images Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of Ryan Dempster's time with the Cubs, I want to note that this article (and others like it) is done in conjunction with North Side Baseball’s Chicago Cubs Players Project. It’s a wiki-style project that anyone—including you, dear reader—can contribute to. There, we’re chronicling the careers of every player who’s ever put on a Cubs uniform (including, for example, So Taguchi), and adding any personal memories or particularly favorite experiences fans have from that player’s tenure. It’s a community project, and we hope you’ll contribute to it. Ryan Dempster had a long, winding road in professional baseball before arriving in Chicago prior to the start of the 2004 season. Initially drafted by the Texas Rangers in the third round of the 1995 MLB Draft, Dempster was traded to the then-Florida Marlins in 1996 before making his big league debut. That would come a couple of years later, though he was shelled by the Cubs in first career start for five runs in 1 1/3 innings on June 1, 1998. After making the 2000 MLB All-Star Game, Dempster was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2002, though he pitched to a ghastly 6.39 ERA in 204 1/3 innings prior to needed Tommy John surgery in August 2003. Unwilling to wait out his recovery in the hopes of aiding the big righty in recapturing his former glory, the Reds released Dempster in the 2003-04 offseason. The Cubs swooped in quickly and brought the 27-year-old pitcher in, understanding that he wouldn't be ready until deep into the following season. Once he was ready to pitch again, the Cubs asked him to do something he had only done five times in his career up to that point: enter games out of the bullpen. That experiment worked wonders, as Dempster recorded 87 saves and a 4.10 ERA out of the 'pen from 2004-07. He took over as the team's full-time closer in 2005 as veteran LaTroy Hawkins faltered in the role. He is the only Cub and one of just three players ever to both start a game and collect 30 saves in the same season. In 2008, Dempster was moved into the starting rotation as Kerry Wood was moved to the closer gig in an attempt to prolong his career, and both players responded with an All-Star campaign. Dempster ultimately pitched to a 2.96 ERA (3.41 FIP) and 187 strikeouts in 206 2/3 innings, finishing sixth in NL Cy Young voting that season. From 2008-11, Dempster effectively had a second career with the Cubs as a starter, throwing at least 200.0 innings in every season while racking up a 3.81 ERA (3.80 FIP) and 13.8 bWAR. One of my favorite things about Dempster was his bizarre glove-wiggle during his wind-up. It was a move he claimed was done in order to prevent tipping opposing batters to his pitches, though I thought it was simply designed to throw hitters' timing off. Either way, it was a big reason in why his starts were always appointment viewing for me as a kid, especially during that absurd 2008 season. Nick Markakis 8/20/12" width="200"> Dempster was involved in a ridiculous trade deadline saga in 2012 that involved a deal to the Braves that he effectively blocked as he sought out a future in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. In the end, Dempster was dealt to the Texas Rangers, the team that originally drafted him, later that July. In return, the Cubs received fringe top-100 prospect Christian Villanueva and a little-known minor-league pitcher by the name of Kyle Hendricks. Dempster struggled with the Rangers before departing for the Boston Red Sox in free agency. Similar to his frequent dust-ups with Ryan Braun during his time in the NL Central, Dempster became something of public enemy No. 1 in New York when he purposefully hit Alex Rodriguez after the star third baseman had been caught using steroids. Nevertheless, he finally won a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2013, which led to him sitting out the 2014 season to spend time with family. The 16-year veteran ultimately retired on October 8, 2014. He was also the Chicago Cubs’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award for community service in 2006 and 2008. Dempster remains actively involved with the franchise, having served as a special assistant to Theo Epstein after his retirement, and the former pitcher now works as an on-air talent on Marquee Sports Network. View full article

The trade for Ryan Brassier gives the Cubs their set-up man for recently-acquired closer Ryan Pressly. Brandon and Ethan discuss the latest move by Chicago's front office. View full video

The Chicago Cubs Players Project continues to receive various updates, including some notable players who spent their prime years with the Cubs' biggest rival. What is the Players Project? It's a community-driven, wiki-style project focusing on Cubs players of all stripes. It's open to all North Side Baseball users, and we've had contributions from current players, past players, and players who never even made the major leagues but played in the Cubs’ farm system. Create your favorite player today! Welcome back to our Players Project updates, everyone! The database continues to be filled with notable Cubs players, whether they played their prime years in Chicago or came to Wrigley Field to ride off into the sunset before retirement. This edition of the Players Project round up features a couple of outfielders more known for their exploits with the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as the reliever who served as the main compensation for the Cubs' acquisition of Theo Epstein. We also ask that members of the community who are interested in the project join us in the forums to discuss what the future of it should look like! So Taguchi played professional baseball for 20 seasons, splitting that time between the NPB (12 years) and MLB (eight years). He spent six games of that long career with the Chicago Cubs. Following World Series victories with the Cardinals (2006) and Philadelphia Phillies (2008), The Cubs signed Taguchi as a reserve outfielder, replacing Jim Edmonds' spot on the roster in an effort to give Kosuke Fukodome a teammate he could communicate with more easily. Taguchi slashed .273/.333/.364 (79 OPS+) in 12 plate appearances with the Cubs, becoming only the second player in franchise history to wear No. 99. Speaking of Jim Edmonds, the longtime Cardinals center fielder spent one season with the Cubs in 2008. He produced a 1.1 WAR, .937 OPS half-season in Chicago, even starting in all three of their postseason games in the NLDS where they were swept by the Dodgers. It remains incredibly odd to see him in a Cubs uniform in photos, as he spent most of his career terrorizing Cubs faithful (.930 OPS in 452 career at-bats against the Cubs). We'll wrap up with Chris Carpenter, not to be confused with the starting pitcher Chris Carpenter, yet another Cardinals icon from the 2000s who tortured Cubs fans for years. No, this Chris Carpenter was a reliever who didn't last long in the major leagues, but he was a notable prospect in the 2011 offseason when the Cubs traded him for Jair Bogaerts — Xander Bogaerts' twin brother. Of course, Jair never suited up for the Cubs, and instead, the lasting legacy of that trade is that Theo Epstein came to Chicago as an "unofficial" part of it. Of course, other entries, like Carlos González and Jerry Hairston Jr., continue filling up our database. The Chicago Cubs Players Project is open to all North Side Baseball users. If you're a Cubs history buff or just want to dive into the background of your favorite player, come on board! Please stop by the Players Project by hitting the button below! View full article

With reports from our Matt Trueblood that the Cubs have a unique offer out to Alex Bregman, Brandon and Ethan discuss if the Cubs should pull the trigger on signing the star third baseman. View full video

Christopher John Carpenter, not be confused with St. Louis Cardinals rotation mainstay Chris Carpenter, spent two seasons in Major League Baseball, and is best known for being the main piece in the trade package for executive Theo Epstein. A third-round pick of the Chicago Cubs in the 2008 MLB Draft, Carpenter gradually worked his way through the minor leagues before making his MLB debut on June 14, 2011. A right-handed reliever, Carpenter was known for his 100 mph fastball but lacked the secondary offerings and control that other elite relievers have. His tenure in Chicago was short, as he pitched 9 2/3 innings across ten appearances in his debut season, though he was largely successful, logging a 2.79 ERA (4.89 FIP) and 0.2 bWAR. His thin 17.0% strikeout rate and ugly 14.9% walk rate certainly didn't portend the brightest future. Of course, Carpenter's Cubs legacy isn't for what he did or didn't accomplish on the diamond. His claim to fame remains the fact that he was the primary compensation (along with prospect Aaron Kurcz, who never made the major leagues) in the trade that landed Jair Bogaerts — Xander Bogaerts' twin brother — in Chicago. And while you may think I'm sort of burying the lede here, it's a fact that the Cubs couldn't directly trade for Theo Epstein in the 2011-12 offseason. There needed to be player personnel movement to make the deal legal in accordance with the then-current CBA, and the Carpenter trade was the "compensation" the Cubs sent in exchange for plucking Epstein out of Boston. Carpenter pitched even less for the Red Sox than he did for the Cubs, appearing in just eight games (6.0 IP) and recording a 9.00 ERA with an almost-unbelievable 2-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Yes, he really did walk 15.0 batters per nine innings in Boston. Safe to say he never got his command issues under control. And, fact is, he was the only player from the deal to even contribute to his big league team, as the Cubs released Jair Bogaerts before he ever suited up for the organization. Now, you don't need me to tell you that the deal worked out just fine for the Cubs regardless. Among many other achievements, Epstein was the chief front office executive behind the team's curse-busting core that the won the 2016 World Series. That's a pretty good return on a prospect who never made it past Triple-A and a reliever who was worth -0.2 WAR throughout the remainder of his career. After being DFA'd by the Red Sox prior to the 2013 season, Carpenter spent the 2014 season with the Yakult Swallows of the NPB and the 2015 season with the Cincinnati Reds' Triple-A affiliate before retiring from professional baseball. View full player