Brandon Glick

Theodore Roosevelt Lilly III, known to baseball fans as Ted Lilly, pitched in parts of 15 MLB seasons, though his best four were spent with the Chicago Cubs. Lilly was drafted in the 13th round of the 1995 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, though he opted to return to Fresno City College for his senior season. That decision didn't pan out as he hoped, as he slipped 10 rounds in the following year's draft before being selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lilly was part of four(!) trades before making his way to Chicago. This is going to be a lot, so bear with me. After pitching two seasons in the Dodgers' farm system, Lilly was traded to the Montreal Expos (along with Peter Bergeron, Wilton Guerrero and Jonathan Tucker) to the Montreal Expos for Hiram Bocachica, Mark Grudzielanek and Carlos Pérez. He made his MLB debut in 1999 with the Expos, making nine appearances (three starts). Then, in spring training of 2000, he was dealt to the New York Yankees as the player to be named later from a trade in 1999 that sent Hideki Irabu to Montreal. He is (as far as I can tell) the only player to be traded across millennia. After two-and-a-half seasons in the Bronx, he was traded again to Oakland in a three-team deal that sent Jeff Weaver to New York and Jeremy Bonderman to the Detroit Tigers. Finally, following two playoff-bound seasons with the Athletics, Lilly was traded again to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Bobby Kielty. Finally finding a modicum of stability in Toronto, Lilly produced multiple solid seasons, including earning his first All-Star nod in 2004. After three seasons with Toronto, Lilly rejected a four-year, $40 million deal from the Blue Jays before agreeing to an identical contract with the Cubs on the same day. The Cubs new manager at the time, Lou Piniella, offered his thoughts on Lilly in a way that only he could: Lilly more than lived up to Piniella's apt description of him, accruing 15.1 WAR in 113 starts with the Cubs, logging a 47-34 record, 3.70 ERA (4.14 FIP), 598 strikeouts, and 705 2/3 innings from 2007-10 in Chicago. He was the platonic ideal of an innings-eater, pitching 207.0 innings in 2007, 204 2/3 in 2008, 177.0 in 2009 (his second All-Star campaign), and 117.0 through July of 2010. While Lilly was remarkably consistent for the Cubs and had some brilliant performances, including a near-no-hitter on June 13, 2010, against the White Sox, the most interesting part of his Cubs career was his arrival. Chuck Wasserstrom, who was a member of the Cubs baseball operations staff in 2006 under then-general manager Jim Hendry, wrote the history of the Cubs at the Winter Meetings that year and how the Cubs signed Lilly. It's absolutely worth your time if you're interested in the behind-the-scenes action of baseball. As aforementioned, the Lilly refused an identical contract from the Blue Jays on the same day he signed in Chicago, but he also was garnering interest from the Yankees. Hendry was dealing with heart problems that week, and was advised by numerous doctors to go to the hospital. Once New York chose to focus their efforts on Andy Pettitte at the eleventh hour, Lilly's agent, Larry O'Brien, called Hendry to say they had a deal as Hendry was stretched out on a gurney with an EKG machine hooked up to him. Right after that, they put Hendry in an ambulance and rushed him to a different hospital where he had a procedure done that may have saved his life. With all the hoopla surrounding his arrival, Lilly's departure was far less adventurous. In the final trade of his career, the southpaw was dealt back to the Dodgers in a five-player deal that landed Ryan Theriot in L.A. and Blake DeWitt in Chicago. Lilly was brilliant in his half-season with the Dodgers and secured a three-year contract in free agency with them in the 2010-11 offseason, though injuries limited his effectiveness afterwards. Los Angeles ultimately DFA'ed Lilly in July 2013, and while he came close to signing a contract with the San Francisco Giants, the deal fell through due to persistent neck and shoulder injuries. Lilly officially retired professional baseball in November 2013. He later joined the Cubs' front office as a special assistant in March 2014. View full player

Which players should the Cubs try to add in the next few months to put a bow on their strong offseason? View full video

The Cubs have added star power and ancillary support to their roster this offseason. Does that make them the NL Central favorite heading into the 2025 season? View full video

Ian Kenneth Stewart played parts of seven seasons in the MLB, with just one coming with the Chicago Cubs. Stewart was a first-round selection out of high school by the Colorado Rockies in the 2003 MLB Draft, and he performed brilliantly in his first few professional seasons in the minor leagues. Prior the 2005 season, he was rated as Baseball America's fourth-best prospect, and he would continue appearing on Top-100 lists prior to his MLB debut in 2007. Stewart's debut came on August 11, 2007, following an injury to infielder Jeff Baker. His first major league hit came the following day, against Kerry Wood and the Cubs. From that point on, Stewart's career in Colorado was a rollercoaster, as he interspersed strong seasons (like his 2.1 WAR campaign in 2010) with weak efforts (like when he was demoted to Triple-A for the majority of the 2011 season). He fell out of favor with the Rockies as he got further into arbitration, and eventually he found himself on the trading block. Following the 2011 season, Stewart (along with pitcher Casey Weathers, who never made it to the big leagues) was traded to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for outfielder Tyler Colvin and future batting champion DJ LeMahieu It was the very first trade executed by Theo Epstein with the Cubs following his takeover of the team's front office that year. Stewart spent a rather uneventful season with the Cubs in 2012 as their primary third baseman, slashing just .201/.292/.335 in 55 games. His year was cut short due to an injury that required wrist surgery in July of that year. Of course, Stewart's most memorable moment with the Cubs came after that point. The team re-signed him to a one-year, $2 million deal prior to the 2013 season, though he failed to make the 25-man roster out of camp. He batted just .168 in 40 games with the Iowa Cubs, and then proceeded to go on an infamous Twitter rant about the organization. Stewart was answering questions from fans online at the time and was asked whether he would return to the Cubs soon. He responded "probably never" before following up with: "I said that because the Cubs are done with me....there (sic) going to let me Rott (sic) in AAA all season and then non tender me after." There were other notable comments made by both Stewart and the organization, but the one that sticks with me is this incredible response by Theo Epstein: The team proceeded to suspend him for ten games, and ultimately wound up releasing him on June 25, 2013, after his agent, Larry Sanders, asked the club to release Stewart if he wasn't in their plans. With the suspension, Stewart became the first player since Milton Bradley in 2009 to be suspended by the organization. After his release from the Cubs, signed minor league deals with the Dodgers and Angels, eventually earning a bench job for the latter, though he appeared in just 24 games before being DFA'ed by the Angels in July of 2014. Stewart retired from professional baseball after being released by the Washington Nationals in June of 2015 after failing to make their big league roster in the first half of that season. View full player

Tyler Eugene Colvin is a former MLB outfielder, who spent three of his six seasons in the major leagues with the Chicago Cubs. Colvin was a brilliant player in high school and college, starring at Clemson University and making numerous All-ACC teams. He was the the 13th overall pick in the 2006 MLB Draft, marking the fourth time a Clemson player was taken in that draft slot (joining Bill Spiers in 1987, Mike Paradis in 1999, and Khalil Greene in 2002). Colvin gradually worked his way up the team's farm system, earning Top-100 prospect status prior to the 2008 season. Colvin made his MLB debut on September 21, 2009, and he earned a full-time gig as a corner outfield on the Cubs following spring training in 2010. He hit 20 home runs and posted above-average metrics in most notable offensive categories, and his defense rated out solidly despite having never played the outfield prior to college. Colvin's breakout campaign positioned him as a potential replacement for aging corner outfielders Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome. However, the most memorable moment of Colvin's career was also the scariest. In a game against the Marlins in September of 2010, Colvin was was headed to the plate from third base when catcher Wellington Castillo’s bat broke as he was hitting a double to left field. Colvin was struck by a shard of the bat in the upper chest, which punctured his lung. He was forced to miss the remainder of his rookie season, which he finished with an .816 OPS. He wasn't the same following the injury, as he batted just .150 in 80 games in 2011. Following the 2011 season, Colvin was traded to the Colorado Rockies (along with future batting champion DJ LeMahieu) for Casey Weathers and Ian Stewart. It was the first trade executed by Theo Epstein following his takeover of the team's front office that year. Colvin played two years for Colorado, alternating between the outfield and first base. His best season came in 2012, when he slashed .290/.327/.531 and accumulated 2.1 WAR. He was eventually DFA'ed by the Rockies prior to the end of the 2013 season, and he would make one final big league stop with the San Francisco Giants in 2014. Colvin officially retired following the 2018 season after minor league detours with the Marlins, White Sox, and Dodgers. View full player

As Kris Bryant tore through the minor league ranks after being drafted in 2013, the Cubs tasked Luis Valbuena with holding down the fort at the hot corner. The 2016-era teams are obviously the most fascinating from the last quarter century, but I've recently become interested in the pre-World Series teams (i.e., the ~2007-2014 teams) and what they did and didn't do that led to that fateful squad. Over on the Players Project, we've recently examined players like Jeff Samardzija and Junior Lake, and today, I wanted to write a full retrospective on the player who came just before Kris Bryant. Luis Valbuena originally signed as a 19-year-old with the Seattle Mariners out Venezuela, raised by a single mother. He spent a few seasons working his way through their farm system, ultimately arriving at the big leagues for a September cup of coffee in 2008. Before he could make any noise in Seattle, though, the team traded him that offseason in a three-team deal with the Guardians and Mets. His tenure in Cleveland lasted through parts of three seasons, though he was DFAed once top prospect Jason Kipnis (another former Cub) was promoted in 2011. He was traded to the Blue Jays in November, for whom he never suited up. The Cubs claimed Valbuena off waivers the day before Opening Day in 2012, marking the end of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer's first offseason with the club. Valbuena finally got some run time with the team after being recalled from Triple-A in June, slashing .219/.310/.340 in 90 games (303 plate appearances) as a 26-year-old. His performance left a lot to be desired. Still, the Cubs had little going on at the hot corner following Aramis Ramirez's departure (he signed with the Brewers following the 2011 season), so Valbuena got the nod as the Opening Day starter there in 2013. Just take a look at that lineup: 1. David DeJesus, CF 2. Starlin Castro, SS 3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B 4. Alfonso Soriano, LF 5. Nate Schierholtz, RF 6. Welington Castillo, C 7. Luis Valbuena, 3B 8. Brent Lillibridge, 2B 9. Jeff Samardzija, P Those are some NAMES right there. It's pretty amazing that in just three short years, every single one of those players was traded away and replaced besides Rizzo. That "five-year plan" Epstein had looked insane at the time, but he somehow pulled it off. I digress. Valbuena played in 108 games (391 plate appearances) in 2013, both career highs. His 1.2 WAR was also a career-best at the time, as were his 12 home runs, 37 RBI, and 95 OPS+. It was still an underwhelming profile, but it was clear that Valbuena was improving. And, come 2014, Valbuena was the undisputed starter at third base, and he authored arguably the finest season of his career. He slashed .249/.341/.435 in 547 plate appearances, besting his previous career marks from the previous season. Of course, he was simply biding his time as the starter while a young prospect named Kris Bryant, the second overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, worked his way up the farm system, but Valbuena became a key component of those early-Epstein-era years. He also held off Mike Olt, a top third base prospect at one point (and another entrant into our Player's Project database). On a personal note, the very first Cubs game I ever went to at Wrigley Field was on July 23, 2014 (I had seen other Cubs games when they were on the road, but I lived in New York at the time). In an otherwise nondescript game — besides the fact it was sub-50 degrees in the middle of July — Valbuena produced the only offense the Cubs got in an 8-3 loss, hitting a three-run home run off Ian Kennedy in the fourth inning to tie the affair at three apiece. It's a fond memory I still hold close, even as I now have much easier access to Wrigley and Cubs home games. Perhaps his most important contribution to the team came off the field, as he (and pitcher Dan Straily) were dealt to the Houston Astros on January 19, 2015, in exchange for center fielder Dexter Fowler. Of course, Fowler would go on to be one of the most notable figures of the 2016 team as the leadoff hitter, and his leadoff home run against Corey Kluber in Game 7 of the World Series remains one of the most electrifying moments in baseball history (I am completely non-biased). Valbuena played two very productive seasons in Houston (accruing 4.9 WAR), earning himself a two-year contract in free agency with the Los Angeles Angels. His MLB playing days ended when he was DFA'd by the Angels in August 2018. Tragically, Valbuena died on December 6, 2018, at just 33 years old. A group of robbers ambushed him and fellow professional baseball players José Castillo and Carlos Rivero on a highway in Venezuela following a game with Venezuelan winter team Cardenales de Lara. The car overturned, killing both Valbuena and Castillo. In all, he authored an impressive 11-year career and is heralded as one of the best Venezuelan players from his era. View full player

As Kris Bryant tore through the minor league ranks after being drafted in 2013, the Cubs tasked Valbuena with holding down the fort at the hot corner. The 2016-era teams are obviously the most fascinating from the last quarter century, but I've recently become interested in the pre-World Series teams (i.e., the ~2007-2014 teams) and what they did and didn't do that led to that fateful squad. Over on the Players Project, we've recently examined players like Jeff Samardzija and Junior Lake, and today, I wanted to write a full retrospective on the player who came just before Kris Bryant. Luis Valbuena originally signed as a 19-year-old with the Seattle Mariners out Venezuela, raised by a single mother. He spent a few seasons working his way through their farm system, ultimately arriving at the big leagues for a September cup of coffee in 2008. Before he could make any noise in Seattle, though, the team traded him that offseason in a three-team deal with the Guardians and Mets. His tenure in Cleveland lasted through parts of three seasons, though he was DFAed once top prospect Jason Kipnis (another former Cub) was promoted in 2011. He was traded to the Blue Jays in November, for whom he never suited up. The Cubs claimed Valbuena off waivers the day before Opening Day in 2012, marking the end of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer's first offseason with the club. Valbuena finally got some run time with the team after being recalled from Triple-A in June, slashing .219/.310/.340 in 90 games (303 plate appearances) as a 26-year-old. His performance left a lot to be desired. Still, the Cubs had little going on at the hot corner following Aramis Ramirez's departure (he signed with the Brewers following the 2011 season), so Valbuena got the nod as the Opening Day starter there in 2013. Just take a look at that lineup: 1. David DeJesus, CF 2. Starlin Castro, SS 3. Anthony Rizzo, 1B 4. Alfonso Soriano, LF 5. Nate Schierholtz, RF 6. Welington Castillo, C 7. Luis Valbuena, 3B 8. Brent Lillibridge, 2B 9. Jeff Samardzija, P Those are some NAMES right there. It's pretty amazing that in just three short years, every single one of those players was traded away and replaced besides Rizzo. That "five-year plan" Epstein had looked insane at the time, but he somehow pulled it off. I digress. Valbuena played in 108 games (391 plate appearances) in 2013, both career highs. His 1.2 WAR was also a career-best at the time, as were his 12 home runs, 37 RBI, and 95 OPS+. It was still an underwhelming profile, but it was clear that Valbuena was improving. And, come 2014, Valbuena was the undisputed starter at third base, and he authored arguably the finest season of his career. He slashed .249/.341/.435 in 547 plate appearances, besting his previous career marks from the previous season. Of course, he was simply biding his time as the starter while a young prospect named Kris Bryant, the second overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, worked his way up the farm system, but Valbuena became a key component of those early-Epstein-era years. He also held off Mike Olt, a top third base prospect at one point (and another entrant into our Player's Project database). On a personal note, the very first Cubs game I ever went to at Wrigley Field was on July 23, 2014 (I had seen other Cubs games when they were on the road, but I lived in New York at the time). In an otherwise nondescript game — besides the fact it was sub-50 degrees in the middle of July — Valbuena produced the only offense the Cubs got in an 8-3 loss, hitting a three-run home run off Ian Kennedy in the fourth inning to tie the affair at three apiece. It's a fond memory I still hold close, even as I now have much easier access to Wrigley and Cubs home games. Perhaps his most important contribution to the team came off the field, as he (and pitcher Dan Straily) were dealt to the Houston Astros on January 19, 2015, in exchange for center fielder Dexter Fowler. Of course, Fowler would go on to be one of the most notable figures of the 2016 team as the leadoff hitter, and his leadoff home run against Corey Kluber in Game 7 of the World Series remains one of the most electrifying moments in baseball history (I am completely non-biased). Valbuena played two very productive seasons in Houston (accruing 4.9 WAR), earning himself a two-year contract in free agency with the Los Angeles Angels. His MLB playing days ended when he was DFA'd by the Angels in August 2018. Tragically, Valbuena died on December 6, 2018, at just 33 years old. A group of robbers ambushed him and fellow professional baseball players José Castillo and Carlos Rivero on a highway in Venezuela following a game with Venezuelan winter team Cardenales de Lara. The car overturned, killing both Valbuena and Castillo. In all, he authored an impressive 11-year career and is heralded as one of the best Venezuelan players from his era. View full article

Travis Alan Wood is an eight-year MLB veteran, who pitched five seasons in a Chicago Cubs uniform. Before making the jump to the pros, Wood was a decorated high school player, winning the Arkansas Gatorade Player of the Year award in baseball in both 2004 and 2005. He was an All-State honoree in each of his three seasons on the varsity team at Bryant High School, and he would choose to skip college in favor of playing in the pros after being selected in the second round (60th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2005 MLB Draft. Though he didn't appear on any top prospect lists, the Reds did add him to their 40-man roster in the 2009 offseason to keep Wood from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft. Mid-way through the following season, Wood made his MLB debut against the Cubs, pitching to a no-decision on June 30, 2010. In just his third start in the big leagues, Wood nearly threw a perfect game, notching 24 straight outs agains the Phillies before catcher Carlos Ruiz doubled to start the bottom of the ninth inning. Prior to the start of the 2012 season, the Cubs acquired Wood (and outfielder Dave Sappelt and second baseman Ronald Torreyes) in exchange for lefty reliever Sean Marshall. The trade, completed on Dec. 23, 2011, was one of the first made by Theo Epstein after his takeover of the team's front office after the 2011 season. In his half-decade in Chicago, Wood was a valuable swingman, making 98 starts and 122 appearances out of the bullpen. He earned his first and only career All-Star selection in 2013, and he concluded that season with a 3.11 ERA in 200.0 innings pitched. However, his best season came in 2016, when he pitched exclusively out of the 'pen, making 77 appearances and pitching to a 2.95 ERA as manager Joe Maddon's preferred LOOGY. Perhaps the best part about Wood is that he wasn't just a reliable pitcher, but also a valuable hitter; in his career, he earned 5.1 WAR for his work on the mound, and 2.0 WAR for his work at the plate and in the field. He had multiple seasons with an OPS above .700, and he hit 11 home runs in the regular season throughout his career. A few fun facts about Wood's time with the Cubs: on May 19, 2013, Wood became the first Cub since Mordecai Brown to start a season with nine straight quality starts. Also, his famous home run in Game 2 of the NLDS in 2016 against the Giants was just the second time a relief pitcher has hit a home run in the playoffs, after Rosy Ryan in Game 3 of the 1924 World Series. That home run probably stands as his most memorable moment while in a Cubs uniform, but it shouldn't be forgotten that he allowed just two runs in 6 1/3 innings out of the bullpen during the team's march to a title. Following the high of winning that World Series, Wood signed a two-year deal with the Royals in free agency in 2017, though he would only last half-a-season in Kansas City before getting dealt to the Padres at the trade deadline (in the Trevor Cahill deal). Wood's playing days officially came to an end in spring training prior to the 2018 season, when he tore his ACL while pitching for the Detroit Tigers. View full player

It's 2025, so it's time to take a look at what's new on the Chicago Cubs Players Project here on North Side Baseball! 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, everyone! Happy New Year to you all — we've seen some really fun players added to our in-house Cubs database over the holiday season, so I wanted to highlight some of the most fascinating entries. As a reminder, any user here on the site can hop in right away and add their favorite player to the system. Perhaps your next entry will be featured in a future round-up! Jeff Samardzija, a.k.a "Shark," was one of the best players for a series of bad Cubs teams. Case in point: In 2014, he set a major league record for the lowest ERA (1.46) by a winless pitcher through his first ten starts. That 2014 season was pretty wild for him, as he rejected a big extension offer from the Cubs before being flipped to the Athletics before the trade deadline... which prevented him from participating in his only All-Star game. Oh, and don't forget that he was one of the best two-sport collegiate athletes ever and was supposed to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft as a receiver. Anyone remember the summer of 2013? The Cubs weren't anything special then, but it did seem like something special was brewing in Wrigleyville: Junior Lake. The young Dominican outfielder took Chicago by storm with his tremendous debut, hitting nearly .500 over his first week in the majors. Of course, Lake's tenure with the Cubs never panned out after that initial honeymoon, and he was gone by 2015, but those first few months were a sight to behold. Tony La Russa is well known around these parts as the Hall of Fame manager who won two World Series titles with the St. Louis Cardinals, but did you know he played one game for the team on Opening Day in 1973? He never even took an at-bat for the Cubs, but he did pinch run for Ron Santo in the bottom of the ninth in a one-run game. He would later score the winning, walk-off run on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Rick Monday. As far as pinch-running appearances go, that's a pretty good one. Of course, other entries, like Matt Garza and Jason Heyward, 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! Are you interested in Cubs history? Then check out the Chicago Cubs Players Project, a community-driven project to discover and collect great information on every player to wear a Cubs uniform! View full article

Junior Osvaldo Lake played professional baseball for four seasons, spending parts of three of those campaigns with the Cubs. Junior Lake signed with the Cubs as a relatively unheralded free agent in 2007 as a 17-year-old out of the Dominican Republic. He quickly switched off shortstop and made the transition to the outfield, where his prodigious arm talent would have a chance to player better. He never quite reached top prospect lists, but his scouting report reads like that of a modern NBA prospect: loud tools and endless athleticism, but poor fundamentals and a lack of in-game IQ. He progressed all the way to Triple-A by the end of the 2012 season, though a stress fracture in his rib during Spring Training prevented him from making the Opening Day roster in 2013. Nevertheless, Lake made his MLB debut on July 19, 2013, going 3-for-4 with a stolen base in an impressive introduction. His first week in the big leagues hardly could have gone better, as he batted .484 with two home runs over his first seven games. Since 1900, Lake is tied for the third-most hits (15) in a player's first seven major league games. After Alfonso Soriano was traded at the deadline that season, Lake took over full-time in left field for the Cubs. Despite playing in just 64 games as a rookie, Lake ended the season as one of the Cubs' most prolific contributors, slashing .284/.332/.428 (112 wRC+) with six home runs, four stolen bases, all totaling up to a 1.2 bWAR. He was rewarded for those efforts with the left field job on Opening Day 2014, but his rookie season proved to be nothing more than a tantalizing fluke. In 108 games in 2014, he posted a .597 OPS and was worth -1.3 WAR. He was optioned back to Triple-A on August 16, 2014, and he would play just 30 more games for the Cubs over the next year, before being traded to Baltimore in exchange for reliever Tommy Hunter at the 2015 trade deadline. Lake's story began as a huge development win when he broke out in his rookie season, but his lack of polish contributed to a disappointing career in the big leagues. His time with the Cubs prematurely ended when the team got off to a hot start in 2015, aided by the production from the team's core of offensive prospects, like Kris Bryant and Javier Baez. Lake couldn't establish himself quickly enough, and a team on the rise chose to move on before the outfielder could prove his worth. Lake has continued his playing career in the Mexican League since 2017. He played for Toros de Tijuana in 2024, slashing .257/.353/.457 with 15 home runs, 40 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. He is expected to continue playing in the league in 2025. View full player

Finally, we've arrived at the top five in our annual countdown of the most popular articles on the site. Image courtesy of © Steven Bisig-Imagn Images Welcome back, and Happy New Years, everyone! Over the last week, we've looked at the 25 most viewed articles from North Side Baseball in 2024, and today, we're finally concluding the series with the top five. Offseason banter again rules the day, with Cody Bellinger-related topics appearing twice yet again. However, the number one spot is a bit of a stunner, and the discourse surrounding that topic is sure to continue in earnest for the next half-decade. If you missed any of the previous installments, you can find them here: Top 21-25 Articles Top 16-20 Articles Top 11-15 Articles Top 6-10 Articles On we go to the Top 5. #5: It’s Come Down to This: Cody Bellinger vs. Matt Chapman Matt Ostrowski January 29 Spoiler alert: it's going to be a Matt-centric list today, though Matt O. breaks up Trueblood's reign of terror in the top ten by claiming the fifth spot. Last offseason, the Cubs were eerily quiet outside of a trade for Michael Busch and the signing of Shota Imanaga, and they very clearly needed to replace the loss of Bellinger in the lineup. With just he and Matt Chapman left standing among the big-name free agents, Matt broke down how both sluggers fit with the Cubs. He advocated that the team lean towards Chapman, which looks like the right call (by a long shot) in hindsight. #4: The Cubs Will Absolutely, Unequivocally Re-Spend the Money They Saved on Cody Bellinger Matthew Trueblood December 18 About one year later, the Cubs got out from under the contract they ended up giving to Bellinger in what amounted to a salary dump with the Yankees. A large section of the fanbase was upset with the return (30-year-old reliever Cody Poteet) in the trade, and thus Matt came to reassure them that the Cubs would certainly use the money they saved to continue upgrading the roster. That hasn't happened quite yet, but it will any day now... right? #3: No, Michael Busch Can’t, Won’t, and Shouldn’t Move to Third Base - Or Second, Either Matthew Trueblood December 15 Just before the team traded Bellinger, fans were trying to optimize the lineup in such a way that he, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Michael Busch could all coexist. Busch, who established himself as a quality defensive first baseman in 2024, clearly benefits the Cubs most when he plays at the cold corner, and Trueblood established as much in this piece. Of course, with Bellinger (and Matt Mervis) now gone, Busch has no immediate threats to his playing time. #2: Cubs Pick Up a Bizarre Nick Madrigal-Miles Mastrobuoni-Patrick Wisdom Megazord in 2024 MLB Rule 5 Draft Matthew Trueblood December 11 The Cubs aren't usually the most active team in the world when it comes to the Rule 5 Draft, but they did select Gage Workman from the Tigers this year. Matt broke down his fit with the roster, as well as the unholy combination of traits that turn him into something of an amalgam of all the utility players the Cubs have had in recent years. Hopefully, he'll have more success with the Cubs than they guys he'll be replacing. #1: The Dansby Swanson Contract Looks Like Both a Mistake and an Error Matthew Trueblood May 28 And here we arrive, at the #1 spot on our list. The most popular article from 2024 was Matt's condemnation of the Dansby Swanson contract, which looked especially porous at the time of his writing. Swanson recovered afterwards to post a 4.0 WAR season, but he hasn't quite lived up the lofty expectations of a $177 million deal. 2025 will be a crucial year for the shortstop and team, as they're set to be favorites in the division for the first time since Swanson came aboard. And that's it, folks! Thanks for joining us on this trip down memory lane? What was your favorite article from 2024? What topics do you want to see covered in 2025? Let us know! View full article

Finally, we've arrived at the top ten of our stroll down memory lane from the 2024 season. Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Yet again, the offseason continues to dominate the discourse here on North Side Baseball. From trade rumors to trade candidates, Cubs fans have partaken in a number of discussions about the team's roster construction this year. These are the articles that placed just outside the top five on our best performers list in 2024. #10: Kyle Hendricks Can’t be on the Active Roster Right Now Matthew Trueblood April 16 It was a tough topic to discuss, especially so early in the season, but Kyle Hendricks was clearly out of gas as the 2024 season began. He simply wasn't getting people out with any efficiency, and the Cubs did eventually listen to Matt's advice to stash Hendricks on the IL for a bit while he tried to figure things out. He returned and continued to start in the back-end of the rotation for the remainder of the year, but his ineffectiveness in 2024 all but guaranteed the end of his tenure in Chicago. He has since signed with the Angels. #9: Why Cubs Fans Should Keep a Close, Fond Eye on Christopher Morel Bailey Hall September 17 Christopher Morel was a fan favorite prior to his trade to the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline. In this piece, Bailey vouches for Cubs fans to keep rooting for the energetic, exuberant slugger, even as he plays in Florida. It's hard not to believe in his prodigious talent and affable character. #8: Cubs Trade Candidate Breakdown: Seiya Suzuki Brandon Glick November 11 Speaking from personal experience, this was not a popular article in the traditional sense of the word. Readers did not agree with the idea of trading Seiya Suzuki — FYI, I didn't either, and said as much in the piece — advocating for the Cubs to alter their roster through some other means this offseason. Well, they got their wish, as the Cubs swapped out Cody Bellinger and brought in Kyle Tucker to reshape their outfield while keeping Suzuki in the mix. #7: Cody Bellinger Trade Rumors: A Breakdown of Yankees Pitching Prospect Will Warren Matthew Trueblood December 13 Speaking of Bellinger, there were a lot of rumors surrounding him as the Winter Meetings came to a close. Matt performed a deep dive on the most popular name that kept popping up in the Bellinger-Yankees rumors: Will Warren. Instead, the Cubs opted to focus on cost-cutting, eating just $5 million of Bellinger's remaining contract and landing 30-year-old reliever Cody Poteet in return. #6: It Feels Like This is the Crucial Piece of Info We’ve Been Missing All Along about Cubs Offseason Matthew Trueblood December 10 As the Winter Meetings began, the Cubs were operating all too familiarly like a small-market club rather than a big-market behemoth. As Matt laid out in this piece, that was, in part, due to Suzuki's preference to keep playing the field rather than being a full-time DH. How the Cubs resolve that conundrum with Tucker in tow will be fascinating to watch, especially if Suzuki's agent, Joel Wolfe, doesn't back off his demands. What do you remember from Kyle Hendricks' time with the Cubs? Do you think the team has made the right moves this offseason, particularly with the outfield logjam they're facing? Let's discuss. View full article

Anthony La Russa Jr., known in the baseball sphere as Tony La Russa, is a Hall of Fame manager, and is well known by Cubs fans as the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals from 1996-2011. He also played one game for the Cubs in the 1973 season. This is going to be a shorter entry than others, if only because La Russa's mark on baseball came after his playing days, which were relatively short and unremarkable. He played in 34 games in the 1963 season with the Kansas City Athletics as a "bonus baby", slashing just .250/.346/.318. He wouldn't return to the big leagues for five full seasons(!), appearing in brief cups of coffee with the now-Oakland A's in 1968 and 1969 before establishing himself as a bench player in 1970. The team traded him to the Atlanta Braves late in the 1971 season, whom he took just seven at-bats for. While with Atlanta's Triple-A affiliate in 1972, the Braves traded La Russa to the Cubs for reliever Tom Phoebus (who never appeared in a major league game again following the deal). La Russa made the team out of Spring Training in 1973, and was on the Chicago Cubs' Opening Day roster in 1973. Other names on that squad include Cubs luminaries Billy Williams, Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins, and Rick Monday. Thus, on Friday, April 6, 1973, La Russa made his Cubs debut, as a pinch-runner in the ninth inning of a 2-1 ballgame against the Montreal Expos. After Joe Pepitone and Ron Santo got on base to start the inning, TLR pinch ran for the latter (Cleo James ran for the former), and moved over to third base thanks walks worked by Glenn Beckert and Randy Hundley. With the game tied at 2-2, Monday came up with the bases loaded and drew his own walk, sending La Russa to the plate for the walk-off run. Yes, in his only career appearance with the Cubs, La Russa scored the winning run. His time with the big league squad wouldn't last much longer, as he was optioned to Triple-A Wichita in mid-April when reliever Dave LaRoche was activated of the disabled list. He finished out that 1973 season with the Cubs, and played four more minor league seasons with the Pirates, White Sox, and Cardinals before hanging up his cleats as a player. That, of course, would give way to an illustrious managerial career that spanned from 1979-2022 (with a decade hiatus between 2011-21). View full player