Brandon Glick

In a new series here at North Side Baseball, we’ll be taking a retrospective look at some of the players who helped the Cubs during some of the “leaner” years of their history. Next up, the Cubs number one prospect in 2010. Image courtesy of North Side Baseball & Brock Beauchamp Technically speaking, some lists, like this one from Fangraphs, dispute Starlin Castro’s ranking as the best prospect in the Cubs system at the time, though most prospect gurus agreed the teenage shortstop was the best they had (side note: take a look at the rest of that list. It’s depressing… and an important reminder that even a system’s best prospects might not work out). Castro had a ton of helium following two seasons in the minor leagues where he did nothing but hit, and on May 7th, 2010, Castro was called up directly from Double-A Tennessee to make his Major League debut. Speaking of his debut: holy crap, what a debut it was! The first player born in the 1990s to play in an MLB game [feel old yet?], Castro drove in a record six runs against the Cincinnati Reds, homering in his first at-bat off of Homer Bailey. Castro would go on to have a fine rookie season, finishing with a .300/.347/.408 slash line and a fifth-place finish in the Rookie of the Year voting. The debut was impressive from a mere 20-year-old, especially considering the struggles of the rest of the lineup in a down year for the Cubs. He kept it going from there, too, leading the National League in hits with 207 and earning the first of four All-Star appearances in his career (three with the Cubs, one with the Yankees). Castro was something of an ironman, a stat-sheet stuffer in his time with the Cubs, leading the National League in at-bats in three consecutive seasons (2011, 2012, 2013), playing all 162 games in both 2012 and 2019 (with Miami), and also posting double-digit stolen bases in each of his first three seasons in the majors (though he led the NL in caught stealing attempts in 2012). He was a ubiquitous presence on the Cubs during Theo Epstein’s rebuild, finally seeing his commitment to the team yield some success as he manned second base on the way to the 2015 NLCS. During his tenure on the team, the fanbase was split on Castro. Though he was an annual .300 batting average threat, his lack of plate discipline and fielding troubles (20-plus errors in each of his first four seasons) sometimes made his impact feel empty. He was also questioned for his focus during games, though in hindsight, those platitudes were more reactionary than grounded in empirical fact. For every down moment, there were several highlights that Castro would produce. Castro’s Cubs career ended once Epstein’s rebuild began to bear fruit, as he was traded away on December 8th, 2015, to the Yankees for Adam Warren and Brendan Ryan. Of course, fans knew at the time the move was really to free up some cash and a roster spot for Ben Zobrist, a favorite of manager Joe Maddon’s and long an apple of the front office’s eye. From there, Castro would finish his career with the Yankees, Marlins, and Nationals, leaving Major League Baseball after some personal troubles and serious allegations were levied against him. Though it was an unceremonious and troubled curtain call to a once-promising career, Castro delivered on the hype he had as a prospect. He ranks in the top 50 all-time with 1615 hits before turning 30, 991 of which were accrued with the Cubs. Starlin Castro may have been the face of the Cubs during some of the franchise’s most prolific losing seasons, but he was always there. Odds are, if you went to a ballgame at Wrigley between 2010 and 2015, Castro was starting in the middle infield for the Cubs. Though he wasn’t a part of the team that did win it all in 2016, his chapter in Cubs history will be remembered fondly. View full article

It's that time of year, folks. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, let's look at the Cubs and discuss what we must be thankful for as fans. The Gold Glove Middle Infield Nico Hoerner was drafted in the first round by the Cubs in 2018, making it to the big leagues just a year later for a cup of coffee in 2019. It took a few seasons after that, but in 2022, Hoerner established himself as a star up the middle, owning both second base and shortstop in his first full season in Chicago. Rumors spread last offseason that the Cubs wanted one of the "big four" star shortstops to pair with Nico, and on December 21, 2022, Dansby Swanson inked the second biggest contract in Cubs history. Nico moved on to second base full-time and eventually signed a three-year extension of his own. Thus began an era of defensive dominance in the middle of the infield at Wrigley, with 2023 merely the first course in what should be a long and satisfying meal. Hoerner and Swanson had solid seasons at the plate this past season, with Nico posting a .729 OPS and Swanson earning his second career All-Star appearance. Though both could improve their offensive contributions, their combined gold glove defense should make for many highlights - and smaller ERAs for Cubs' pitchers - in the coming years. At Long Last, Homegrown Pitching Unless you just became a fan after Theo Epstein left the front office, you know that the Cubs have struggled to draft and develop pitchers internally for a long time (and even that's an understatement). However, over the last few years, the Cubs have fortified and heavily invested in their pitching infrastructure, and their labor is starting to bear fruit. Plenty of relievers have quickly ascended through the Cubs' farm system, with young studs like Daniel Palencia and Adbert Alzolay converting from starting to become lockdown bullpen arms. The well is far from running dry on this front as Bailey Horn, Luke Little, Zac Leigh, and others try to establish themselves in the Wrigley Field home pen. Of course, the true gains have come from the starters, as Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad, Cade Horton, and lower-level prospects are all in or knocking down the door to the major leagues. Justin Steele is the obvious poster child for this new era of successful homegrown pitching, though how much depth the Cubs have will also depend on how capable they are in developing the arms they traded for. Ben Brown, Hayden Wesneski, and Caleb Killian are the top names that come to mind, and if any of them should succeed, it'll be another win for the player development staff on the Cubs. The Farm System is Replete with Talent Many years ago, the Cubs stocked their farm system with a bevy of talented young hitters. As the core came up together and the farm system was depleted even more through trades, the Cubs tumbled down aggregate prospect ranking lists. Now, some four-plus years after Jed Hoyer took command of the front office, the Cubs are back on top of the farm system rankings. Unlike a decade ago, the team hasn't loaded up on any one strength in particular. Now, there's depth at every position, and different prospects offer different skill sets. Need big power? Alexander Canario is waiting for his chance at the big league level. How about a stud defender in the middle of the outfield? Pete Crow-Armstrong is ready to roll. The Cubs system finally has everything from pitchers to utility men to first base/designated hitter types. Now, what the Cubs decide to do with this enviable prospect depth is up to them. Plenty of them will be used as trade ammunition as the Cubs hunt down star talent, and even more will be maintained as organizational depth should an injury arise or the team need a jolt of youthful energy. Regardless of the final destination for each of these prospects, however, the Cubs are facing a good problem to have. The Promise of Tomorrow Cubs fans are no strangers to "lean" seasons. Without earning it, you don't get saddled with the "lovable losers" moniker. The last few years pale compared to some of the worst in the franchise's history, though the rough patch has been difficult to bear after the first stretch of real success, the team has seen in a very long time. "There's always next season" was a phrase that fans used to display their hope when things seemed like they would never get better. It was a beacon of light for a franchise trapped in eternal darkness. Well over a half-decade after ending the most prolonged championship drought in professional sports history, the Cubs' future is as bright as ever. There's money to spend, prospects funneling through the pipeline, and changes being made to the sport of baseball that keep it all fresh. Maybe Shohei Ohtani will be donning Cubbie blue next year, or maybe a reunion with the beloved Cody Bellinger will launch the Cubs in the championship hunt. Whatever happens over the rest of the offseason, it's an excellent time to be a Cubs fan. If nothing else, it's easy to be thankful for that. View full article

There’s no denying who the best free agent on the market is this year: Shohei Ohtani. If the Cubs were to land their white whale, how would that change the future trajectory of the team? Image courtesy of © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports Let's be clear right off the top: Regardless of whether Shohei Ohtani is wearing Cubs pinstripes come March 2024, the Cubs will be expected to compete for at least an NLCS berth. They’re going to have a lavish offseason no matter what--or at least, that’s the expectation, after the shocking decision to hire Craig Counsell in place of David Ross in early November. However, if Ohtani does decide to come to Chicago, what exactly will that mean for the team in the near and foreseeable future? No More Bellinger The most obvious change to the composition of the Cubs will be in regard to their own in-house free agents. Ohtani is all but certain to receive a record-setting contract (most projections have him in the ten-year, $500-million range) and will alter the Cubs’ balance sheet for a while. You can check this handy breakdown from Spotrac for in-depth details, but the big-picture numbers are as follows: the Cubs currently have about $160 million dedicated to their 2024 luxury tax, with another $24 million or so projected in arbitration and pre-arbitration salaries, which would leave them about $52 million under the first tier of the Competitive Balance Tax threshold. Now, rumors are that the Cubs are going to spend, and that they will be willing to do so beyond the first tier of the CBT. Major League Baseball defines the tiers of the CBT as follows: “$20 million to $40 million [above base tier of $237 million]: 12 percent surcharge; $40 million to $60 million: 42.5 percent surcharge for first year; 45 percent for each consecutive year after that; $60 million or more: 60 percent surcharge. Clubs that are $40 million or more above the threshold shall have their highest selection in the next Rule 4 Draft moved back 10 places, unless the pick falls in the top six. In that case, the team will have its second-highest selection moved back 10 places instead.” There are also penalties for consecutive years spent over the CBT threshold and more egregious penalties placed on big-market teams like the Cubs (full details can be found here), but for now, let’s assume the Cubs will be willing to spend up to that first tier (an extra $20 million in room on the luxury tax). If you expect Ohtani to cost roughly $50 million in AAV, that only leaves the Cubs about $22 million with which to operate across the rest of the offseason and through next season, assuming no salaries are moved out via trade (more on that in a moment). Cody Bellinger is going to command at least that much on his next deal following his Comeback Player of the Year campaign, which will put him out of the Cubs' range. The team is going to need reinforcements in both the bullpen and rotation, which will leave little room for other expenditures. Trades Galore? So how, pray tell, will the Cubs make those additions with such little room to maneuver? Well, the trade market will be flush with options, and chances are that with so many high-profile starting pitchers on the market this winter, trade costs may be kept at bay (though the number of potential buyers on the market could prove to be a boon for sellers). Rumors have had the Cubs in on Juan Soto this offseason, though that’s likely a contingency if plan A (Ohtani) falls through. It is possible the Cubs will be willing to exceed the next tier of the CBT to put Ohtani and Soto on the same roster in 2024, though they’d almost certainly try to shed long-term salary from there (in a separate deal; the Padres will not be taking back any money if they trade Soto). More likely, the Cubs will try to buy a couple of under-the-radar bullpen additions, like they did at the trade deadline with José Cuas, while perhaps trying to use their top-ranked farm system to buy a young, controllable starting pitcher. That depth the team has been cultivating in the minors will prove extremely useful, should the Cubs get Ohtani, either as valuable trade bait or as cost-efficient talent. Guys like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cade Horton will be sticking around, but almost any other prospect in the organization feels like fair game this offseason--a sentiment that only grows more likely if Ohtani is indeed a Cub. Beyond 2024 Of course, signing Shohei Ohtani isn’t a one-year deal (no, he isn’t taking a “prove-it deal” à la Bellinger while he rehabs his arm post-Tommy John surgery). He’ll likely return to the mound at some point in 2025, giving whatever team signs him an ace-caliber starting pitcher on top of his usual dominance at the plate. His contract is going to swallow a team’s payroll for the next decade or so, which will make the ancillary moves made around him all the more important. Signing Ohtani is somewhat akin to the LeBron James free agency tour: you need to surround your new north star with some complementary talent. Luckily, the Cubs are well-prepared in that department, with the likes of PCA, Horton, Jordan Wicks, Christopher Morel (if he isn’t traded), and more poised to be long-term contributors while under team control. But the Cubs (literally) won’t be able to afford to swing and miss on their medium-term moves, like they did with Edwin Jackson a decade ago or what is potentially happening right now with Jameson Taillon (though he was much better in the second half in 2023). The spotlight will be on the “role players” to play up to expectations, while Ohtani garners the attention of the national pundits. No matter what, signing Ohtani would be among the biggest organizational victories in the Cubs’ storied history. For all the legendary talents whp have called Wrigley Field home, it would be hard to argue that any of them had the magnitude of talent that Ohtani does. Perhaps, for that matter, no one in the history of baseball has, either. The signing would make the Cubs the epicenter of the baseball world again, and, with some smart planning, it would finally give Ohtani something he’s somehow never had in his career: a chance to play for a World Series contender. View full article

The Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations followed in the footsteps of his predecessor last week, firing his incumbent manager in favor of one renowned around the league. The move doesn’t just make the Cubs a better team; it bought Jed Hoyer a lot of time. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports “Loyalty is but a whim those who struggle to deploy confidence rely on for support.” - Lao Tzu There’s been a lot said, written, tweeted, and reposted (by fans, national pundits and bloggers alike) in regard to the Cubs shocking move to hire Craig Counsell last week. How Counsell makes the Cubs better, why the Cubs needed to move on from David Ross, what the Cubs will miss with Ross gone… all topics covered and analyzed from every perspective. What’s been lost in the shuffle, however, is that the man making the final call on such a pivotal transaction may be the biggest beneficiary of everyone involved. I’m no Jed Hoyer apologist--I can be objective enough to say he’s made plenty of good and bad moves--and his utter lack of transparency with fans can go from meme-worthy during the best of times to downright unacceptable when the going gets rough. And for all of the lauding many (including myself) have done for the Cubs’ brazenness in firing an under-contract David Ross for Counsell, there’s no guarantee that this move will work out. The Cubs just became more of a destination, thanks to Counsell’s stellar reputation, but regular-season success in Milwaukee doesn’t necessarily portend World Series parades in Chicago. “It’s easy, really, to hope those who choose us do so because they see our potential and wish to invest in it. In reality, people will move on when your maximum [ceiling] rubs against another’s failure [floor].” - David Hume There’s no doubt that Hoyer made this move because it was in the best interest of the Cubs. He said as much himself after the news broke: “My job is to figure out how to win as many games as we can in the short term and the long term and there was nothing about this move that I felt like didn’t meet that criteria.” It’s no secret the Cubs liked David Ross. In conjunction with Theo Epstein, Hoyer selected him for the role once Joe Maddon was shown the door. It just shouldn’t surprise anyone that they loved Counsell. They watched him routinely pick them apart with brilliant in-game decision making for nine years at “Wrigley North,” and the chance to bring that to Wrigley Field was too alluring to pass up. However, sports are a cruel business, where recent performance trumps any goodwill built in the past. The Cubs have struggled over the last three years and are going to need to start having real postseason success as soon as this upcoming season for people to consider this most recent rebuild a success. As much as Counsell makes attaining that goal more likely, there’s always ulterior motives to moves like these. For Hoyer, he and Counsell are now inextricably linked, both between the stunning dismissal of Ross and the record-breaking, market-setting contract Counsell received. If Ross, still a fledgling manager in his own right, struggled again as the Cubs faceplanted in this upcoming season, the calls for Hoyer’s job would begin. Though more of a “lukewarm” seat than a hot one, pressure would mount. To be sure, the expectations for the Cubs have only gone up since hiring Counsell, but now Counsell is Hoyer’s guy. A failure with Ross almost certainly accelerates Hoyer’s personal timeline. With Counsell, the future success or failure of the Cubs will be pinned on them both (fairly or unfairly), and you can be sure Hoyer will be equally happy to share the blame or credit regardless of whether the ship floats or sinks. “Loyalty in the eyes of the public is not the same thing as our loyalty in private. Our words promise actions, but only our actions speak.” -Plato Now, none of this is to say that Hoyer is invulnerable because of the Counsell contract. Surely, any incoming executive would be thrilled to have someone as steady as the long-time Brewers skipper leading the way. But front offices like to bring in their own people, especially when the product on the field directly determines the stability of their day job. Counsell isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future (the money on his deal, if nothing else, will ensure that), and that, too, gives Hoyer more leniency than he otherwise might have had, following five tough years (at the MLB level) in the most prominent role on the Cubs. Expectations are escalating for the Cubs this offseason, in part because of the boldness of the Counsell hire that has been discussed ad nauseum. They will need to start stacking a lot of wins for the national media not to declare them failures. In Chicago, however, Hoyer should start making himself comfortable, at least for the next five seasons. With his new, hand-picked choice leading the way, Hoyer has quite literally bought himself some extra job security. View full article

In a new series here at North Side Baseball, we’ll be taking a retrospective look at some of the players who helped the Cubs during some of the “leaner” years of their history. First up, a guy who played first base for one season at Wrigley Field. Image courtesy of North Side Baseball & Brock Beauchamp Now, that’s an unceremonious way to introduce Carlos Pena, he of 286 career home runs and two top-10 MVP finishes. He’s most certainly remembered more fondly for his tenure with the Tampa Bay [Devil] Rays, averaging 32 homers and 92 RBIs over five seasons. However, Peña would go on to sign a one-year, $10 million deal with the Cubs in free agency following the departure of long-time staple Derrek Lee (who will eventually get some love in his own addition to this series), with the Cubs hoping to provide Aramis Ramirez (ditto for him) some left-handed protection in the lineup. In retrospect, the Cubs have done well for themselves at first base over the last 15 or so years. Lee signed a successful five-year, $65 million deal that lasted until the 2010 deadline, and by the end of 2012, Anthony Rizzo was entrenched as the everyday man at the “cold corner.” In 2011, though, Peña held that role, giving the Cubs exactly what they wanted: 28 home runs, 80 RBIs, and an .819 OPS across 153 games. He was reliable and powerful and seamlessly helped the Cubs transition between franchise first basemen. His uppercut, lefty swing is somewhat reminiscent of an old Cubs heel, Brewers legend Prince Fielder, though Peña was always (ironically) a better fielder than Fielder. He won a Gold Glove with the Rays and was widely considered among the best defensive first basemen., Though the Cubs may have gotten him while he was aging out of his prime, Peña was a fun Cub to watch. The 2011 Cubs flamed out early and finished fifth in the division that year (out of sixth since the last-place Astros had yet to defect to the AL West). Theo Epstein would come in the next season and clean house, beginning his fabled “five-year plan” to build a World Series winner. Peña and the other veterans on the team were shown the door for the incoming youth movement, though their contributions to a fledgling team mired in a century-long curse were noteworthy. Of all the players throughout the storied history of the Cubs, Peña is an oddball choice to kick off a series like this. A one-year tenured player whose best days were with other franchises may not sound like a “legend” in the colloquial sense of the word, but Peña encapsulated so much of the “lovable losers” charm. Though fans nowadays will know him more for his occasional comments on Marquee, Peña was still a productive Cub. It also doesn’t hurt that he was one of the first players I remember considering a “favorite” as I was growing up a Cubs fan. And, hey, isn’t reminiscing on “our” guys the purpose of a series like this in the first place? If you have any Cubs players, executives, or coaches - historically noteworthy or otherwise - that you’d like to see get this treatment, please leave a comment below! View full article

Like Rick Renteria before him, David Ross has been backstabbed by a publicly supportive front office, which spurned him for a small-market wunderkind. Though cruel, the team will reap the benefits for years to come. Image courtesy of © Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports When I wrote my piece advocating for the Cubs to fire David Ross, I did it with the pretense that it was more suggestive than practical. In that article, I mentioned my love for Ross, the person, and my appreciation for what he had done leading the team through that soul-crushing firesale in 2021. However, the statement I ended with has proven prescient: “The Cubs are ready to be competitive again right now. Hoyer has put together a roster with a window in the process of being propped open. The time for Ross to improve as a manager is up. If he’s not ready now, the Cubs need to move on.”. Well, move on, the Cubs have, as they announced the stunning hire of former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell on Monday afternoon. In my follow-up to that first article (where the comment section was NOT in agreement with me), I said, "A decade ago, during the first rebuild under Theo Epstein, Rick Renteria was brought in as manager to help guide the Cubs through some lean rebuilding years. Then, [Joe] Maddon was made available by the Rays, and the Cubs capitalized and brought him in despite previously promising that Renteria would return for the 2015 season. The move worked quite well, as the Cubs went to three straight National League Championship Series under the stewardship of Maddon. There may not be a free agent coach of that caliber available this winter (unless Craig Counsell spurns both the Brewers and new Mets’ boss David Stearns to join the Cubs), but there are better options than Ross.”. I’m not here to toot my own horn, though. There’s an actual human cost to moves like this, and I’m sure Ross was blindsided by the sudden betrayal of a front office that had defended him at every turn. He’s beloved in the clubhouse and will always be a Chicago legend for helping guide that legendary 2016 team to the title. As fans, though, we want what’s best for the team. I wrote those articles advocating for the firing of Ross not because he was a bad manager but because he wasn’t a particularly good one. Craig Counsell is indeed a good one. I do not doubt that some Cubs fans will have a sour taste in their mouth from the proceedings of all this. It’s eerily similar to the Renteria-Maddon situation, though Renteria was only with the Cubs for a year and wasn’t a beloved player beforehand. Ross got specifically selected for this job by Hoyer once Maddon was let go, and the Cubs made sure everyone understood that it was a long-term play. Ross was a baseball lifer with much to offer, but much like a prospect rising to the majors, he would need time to develop and hone his craft. Unfortunately for Ross, the timeline of a franchise isn’t inextricable from the development of its head coach. The Cubs accelerated their competitive window with the Dansby Swanson signing last offseason, doubled down on it with the Jeimer Candelario trade at the 2023 trade deadline, and then proceeded to watch the team that usurped them in the playoff standings go on to win the National League pennant. The Cubs could have easily run it back with Ross following another aggressive offseason, putting a “playoffs-or-bust” ultimatum on his head before the season. The clubhouse, the front office, the media, and the fans were all familiar with Ross and his cadences, and no one in the national media was lighting them up for keeping their incumbent (even if I was). Instead, the Cubs declined the comfortability of Ross, electing to put a target on their backs by stealing one of the best managers in baseball from their division rival. There will be plenty of complaining from teams (if not publicly, then privately) about the Cubs willingly resetting the managerial market with the enormous price tag for Counsell. The deal is enormous, but it won’t count on the Cubs’ bottom line for the luxury tax. It’s a savvy way of greatly improving the team without hampering their flexibility to make other player-related moves. The hope is the Cubs will continue to flex that financial muscle over the offseason, though even if they’re more skittish than they were with Counsell, the Cubs have yanked their contention window wide open. It’s a loud and boisterous move, rather than the more subtle climb to contention teams like the Diamondbacks and Orioles showcased this year, but it’s effective all the same (don’t forget the Rangers quite literally bought their way to a title this year). It’ll be many, many years before the final receipts on this decision can be graded. Perhaps Ross will go elsewhere and become the manager the Cubs front office always envisioned he could be, or maybe he’ll refrain from managing following this. Counsell might follow in the footsteps of Maddon, or he could become a cautionary tale in spending big on a manager when you already have a competent one in place. No matter how this all plays out, though, the Cubs just proved to everyone that they are serious. No stone will be left unturned as the team tries to maneuver its way into annual title contention. That, more than anything, is why the Counsell move had to happen - it’s why the Cubs had to fire David Ross once Counsell became available. The team is ready to win, and now the rest of the league knows that too. View full article

In a reprise of the same moment in 2014, the Chicago Cubs have hired a small-market guru in favor of the incumbent manager they’d previously publicly supported. Will the Craig Counsell move yield similar dividends to the Joe Maddon hire, or will the baseball gods deliver the Cubs their karmic comeuppance? Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Normally, when I get a text from my father on a Monday afternoon, it’s related to our juggernaut fantasy football team (eight finals appearances in eleven years… don’t ask me about our record in said finals) or laughing at the weekly incompetence of the New York Jets and Giants. So when I got a text from him that read “Ross we hardly knew ya,” I was confused, to say the least. Before I could respond with a simple question mark, his next text came through: “Hello Craig Counsell.” While I can’t share more from our conversation beyond that (my responses may or may not have included some NSFW language), suffice it to say that my head was spinning. I wrote a companion article to this one as a topper to my on-the-fly trilogy about David Ross, so I won’t belabor the issues I had with him as a manager here. What I will say is that the Cubs improved a lot with this move. It’s hard to quantify the exact value a manager or head coach brings to his team in any sport, but baseball is arguably the hardest. There are intangible qualities that the average fan never sees. Nor do they make an obvious impact on any single game. Characteristics like being communicative with the front office and managing players' egos and personalities (things at which Ross excelled) are more about the “culture” of a team. That vague-seeming phrase means a lot of things in a lot of contexts, but for all of Ross’s faults as a manager, there’s no denying that he led the Cubs admirably through some tough times and lean years. Now, though, the Cubs are on the doorstep of annual contention, falling one win shy of the playoffs (the team they finished just below, the Arizona Diamondbacks, went on to win the National League pennant in case you slept through October). This move announces the Cubs not only as serious about winning, but also as serious players in a topheavy free agent class and trading market. Counsell is very highly regarded around the game. That's why the secrecy behind the move stunned as many as it did. It’s rare to see a coach be courted with the fervor and publicity that Counsell received, especially given his ties to other big-market organizations with managerial openings (David Stearns and the New York Mets). If you want to see more about exactly what Counsell does so well, check out Matt Trueblood’s article here, but regardless of the improvement he brings to the team’s win-loss record, the move is symbolic of the team’s direction. When the Cubs made their move for Joe Maddon almost exactly nine years ago, it was perceived around the sport as the team’s first foray into serious contention under the stewardship of Theo Epstein. Now, the same can be said for Counsell and Jed Hoyer. David Ross and Rick Renteria aren’t equals in Cubs lore, but they do pose as strikingly similar sacrifices for the “good of the team”. As Hoyer pointed out in his press conference at the GM meetings on Tuesday, over the last four full seasons, the lowest seed has won the National League pennant. While the pressure ratchets up in August and September (which we saw with the Cubs' collapse this year), the wins mean just as much in April and May. Simply making the playoffs is enough to be considered a “true title threat” nowadays; as such, consistently making it every year is the goal. Counsell may not have a World Series trophy on his mantle just yet, but neither did Maddon when he signed a then-record contract with the Cubs in 2014. Some fans will love this move, while others will merely shrug their shoulders. A select few will pan it, complaining about the hefty contract Counsell got (five years, $40 million, the most ever for a manager in baseball) and his previous postseason failures. While I can’t speak for everyone, I can say this: Cubs baseball feels rejuvenated today. The Cubs finally posted a record above .500 again, and yet the year fell flat due to the awful baseball played in the 2023 season’s most important weeks. There was hope that the Cubs would spend enough to amplify this roster to the point of being the favorite in the NL Central, but questions remained following the spending spree last offseason. Now, though? Now the Cubs are back in business. The front office fired its hand-picked guy, going full Evil Empire-era Yankees and pulling a big-market flex by signing Counsell away from their division rival. Though you can’t guarantee this move will work out, the Cubs wouldn’t have made it if they didn’t like their chances. The Cubs will be aggressive this offseason. They’ll trade prospects and hand out money to brand-name free agents. Hopefully, this Counsell signing means the end of the Eric Hosmer-style reclamation project days, and instead ushers in a new era of sustained Cubs dominance--one in which the players, much like their new manager, want to be in Chicago. From here, all fans can do is wait for the (hopefully) transaction-heavy offseason and the start of next year. Expectations will return for a team that now just has one remaining member of the 2016 squad (Kyle Hendricks), though they have the right man in place to run the show. Counsell may be supplanting a franchise icon, but he’ll have plenty of time to write a Cubs legacy of his own. View full article

Shame you guys didn't read the article. Maybe you would have seen the move coming!

For the second year in a row, the Philadelphia Phillies are in the NLCS, and they’re the favorites to win what would be their second consecutive National League pennant. The way they’ve assembled their embarrassment of riches should provide the Cubs with all the answers they need to return to the biggest stage in baseball. Image courtesy of © Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports Even if you didn’t know it, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the guy running the Phillies is Dave Dombrowski. The eccentric executive has long been known for his wheeling and dealing, in both the trade and free-agent markets. He’s got something of a reputation for “draining and ditching,” whereby he spends all of a team’s budget and blows up the farm system in search of the very best players in baseball in an all-out hunt for a World Series title. That framing sounds pessimistic, and fans of teams whose farm fields he has left fallow do genuinely feel jilted, but the approach has yielded some pretty impressive results. He was the architect of the 2000s and early 2010s Detroit Tigers, teams who went to multiple World Series and had multiple MVPs and Cy Youngs on the roster at all times. Following that, he helmed the ship for the 2018 Boston Red Sox, who watched as MVP Mookie Betts and superstar Chris Sale shepherded them to their fourth title in 15 years. Dombrowski is also credited as the guy who assembled most of the Miami Marlins’ cores that won in 1997 and 2003. The track record is undeniable, and the Phillies are now the beneficiaries of Dombrowski’s go-for-broke style. This piece isn’t a request that the Cubs replace Jed Hoyer with Dombrowski--there’s no world in which that happens, for several reasons. Rather, I want to look at how the Cubs can replicate the consistent success Dombrowski has had at each of his stops. After the Phillies beat the Braves in the NLDS this year (in a carbon copy from last year’s 3-1 series win), Bryce Harper had this to say about the Phillies loaded roster: “That’s why you spend the money, baby.”. Those are sentiments echoed by Dombrowski many times over the years, from his blockbuster trades for Miguel Cabrera (from the Marlins to the Tigers) and Sale (from the Chicago White Sox to the Red Sox) to his lucrative free-agent signings like Prince Fielder, David Price, and Trea Turner. Dombrowski has also always done a commendable job flanking those franchise faces with other stars, like Victor Martinez on the Tigers or JD Martinez on the Red Sox--or, now, Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber with the Phillies. It’s an approach reminiscent of the George Steinbrenner New York Yankees days, where the motto was simply: “Get all the best players and figure it out later”. It’s the stars that often dominate baseball’s biggest stage. For every Cinderella run fueled by an unsung hero, there are three teams being carried to glory by their annual awards candidates. The fun and pluckiness of this year’s Arizona Diamondbacks (themselves charged by the star power of rookie sensation Corbin Carroll and ace Zac Gallen) pales in comparison to the raw talent of the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and Phillies. The Cubs have the capacity to spend on par with, if not beyond, all of those teams. Their looming decision with Cody Bellinger (expertly explored in this Athletic piece) is a big one, and should they let him walk, their decision will be even more in question following this year’s World Series, which is guaranteed to feature one of Corey Seager or Yordan Alvarez likely adding to their legendary postseason resumes with monster World Series performances. Hoyer (and, by proxy, the rest of the Cubs front office) is more deliberate in his team-building than the free-spending nature of the Phillies or Rangers. The Cubs are trying to emulate teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and, dare I say, rival St. Louis Cardinals, in their annual and seemingly perpetual excellence. Yet, for all the regular-season and historical success of those teams, they’ve combined for the same number of World Series wins as the Cubs over the last decade (one). Their formula is clearly potent, but a lot of that magic seems to wear off once the calendar flips to October. Baseball is different from basketball or even football in the sense that “ring culture” doesn’t permeate everything. As Giannis Antentokoumpo would say: “a season isn’t a failure just because you don’t win it all”. The baseball season is long. Keeping fans engaged with a fun team full of exciting players is still a “win” in the sports-entertainment business, even if the season doesn’t end on a win in the World Series. However, that’s still the ultimate goal. That’s why we’re fans, why the players train so hard and why the front office is employed. That’s what the collective that forms a team and its fanbase is working towards. The Cubs don’t need to penny-pinch, nor overly protect every prospect in a trade negotiation. They won’t spend like Dombrowski, but they can’t operate like the Oakland Athletics. The Cubs proved this season that they’re capable and ready to make it back to the postseason. Hopefully, there’s enough foresight from Hoyer and company to build a roster capable of winning once the Cubs are back there. View full article

There were a number of debuts for the Cubs this season, as top prospects and long-time draft-and-stash players alike made their way to the major leagues in a competitive season. Today, we recognize and congratulate the best rookie performances for the Cubs in 2023. Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports The Cubs have not had a National League Rookie of the Year winner since Kris Bryant’s electric debut in 2015. That… will not change here in 2023, though for the first time in a while, there were serious contributions to the major league team from the Cubs’ rookie class (even if there could have been more had a certain manager been willing to play them more, but I digress). Even if there won’t be any league-wide hardware bestowed upon the Cubs’ rookies, they still deserve a shout-out for their performance this season. Below are the top vote-getters in the annual North Side Baseball end-of-season award ceremony for the Cubs Rookie of the Year. Before getting into the top three, here are some others that received votes. All stats shown are only those accrued in the major leagues this year. The number indicated next to each player's name is their age at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season. Honorable Mentions RHP Hayden Wesneski, 25: 34 G, 11 GS, 89.1 IP, 82 H, 32 BB, 83 K, 4.63 ERA, 1.276 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 8.4 K/9 Wesneski was brilliant at the end of last season and Spring Training this year, winning the competition for the fifth starter spot out of the gate in 2023. Then, the wheels came off, and Wesneski was relegated to the minors, where he tinkered with everything to try and find a combination of pitches to get lefties out. Upon his return, “Wesnasty” was used primarily as a right-on-right matchup reliever out of the bullpen, and it’s a role he’s more than capable of filling for years to come (righties hit a paltry .202/.269/.348 off him this year). However, the Cubs need him to get back to his starting pitcher capabilities; it will be a make-or-break year next season for the righty. UTIL Miles Mastrobuoni, 27: 60 G, .241/.308/.301, .609 OPS, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 13 SB The Cubs like themselves some utility players, and Mastrobuoni fits that definition like a glove. Like many of the Cubs’ bench pieces this season, Mastrobuoni crushed Triple-A pitching and struggled at the major league level, and it wasn’t until a late-season surge in September that the lefty looked anything like a capable hitter at the plate. His rookie season with the Cubs provides some optimism as a super-utility type. However, you shouldn’t be shocked if he’s among the first players displaced during a potential 40-man roster crunch this offseason. OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, 21: 13 G, .000/.176/.000, .176 OPS, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 2 SB Akin to Daniel Palencia getting second place in the Minor League Reliever of the Year vote thanks to his major league results; PCA is being rewarded here for his (excellent) work in the minors as opposed to his production, or lack thereof, in the majors. If you want a full write-up on the Cubs’ top prospect's terrific season, you can see that in the Minor League Hitter of the Year article, where the outfielder got a deserved second-place distinction. For the sake of this article, wait until next year when PCA will be the resounding favorite to take home the Cubs’ top rookie award. Others Receiving Votes None. This was a pretty cut-and-dry category for North Side Baseball contributors. Cubs Rookie of the Year Here are the top three vote-getters for the Cubs Rookie of the Year. 3. C Miguel Amaya, 24: 53 G, .214/.329/.359, .688 OPS, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB What a journey it’s been for Amaya, as he somehow overcame Tommy John surgery and a fracture in his left foot in back-to-back seasons to return this year (all of that was on top of him missing all of 2020 as well since the minor leagues were halted during the pandemic season). The Cubs’ top prospect back in 2019, Amaya has reestablished himself as an important piece of the future, and his role should evolve next year as Yan Gomes passes the torch of the starting catcher designation. Amaya’s bat wasn’t terrific in his rookie year. However, catcher is a notoriously weak position for offensive contributions anyway, and he’s had limited development at the plate thanks to his aforementioned injury luck. The most promising sign for Amaya at the plate was his plate discipline, as he worked 12 walks and an astonishing 11 hit by pitches in just 156 plate appearances this year. If his power can return to full strength after another year removed from his injuries and his eye continues to develop (or he continues wearing whatever magnet kept attracting balls to him), Amaya should be among the best offensive catchers in the sport before long. More importantly, given how the Cubs have prioritized defense from the catcher spot after letting fan favorite Willson Contreras go, Amaya was routinely lauded for his feel for the pitching staff and ability to call a game for his pitchers. Gomes’ mentorship only helps in that regard, and an entire offseason with the big league staff should make Amaya even more comfortable behind the dish. Though the counting stats may have been lacking, it was a successful rookie year for the Cubs’ catcher of the future. 2. LHP Jordan Wicks, 24: 7 G, 7 GS, 34.2 IP, 33 H, 11 BB, 24 K, 4.41 ERA, 1.269 WHIP, 2.9 BB/9, 6.2 K/9 What an unbelievable performance from Wicks at the end of this season. As the starting rotation crawled to the finish line and the bullpen collapsed down the stretch, Wicks became one of the Cubs’ most reliable arms in their first playoff push since 2020. He had some genuinely great starts (his debut against the Pirates, in particular, stood out), though his consistency in taking the ball every fifth day and keeping the Cubs competitive when he was on the mound earned him this spot. As I mentioned in the Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year article (where Wicks earned another second-place award), some will compare this performance by Wicks to Wesneski’s end-of-year tear in 2022. Luckily for Cubs fans, it’s not the same situation. Wesneski was pitching for a team that was already out of contention by the time he arrived, and he dominated on the back of opposing players having limited exposure to a unique pitch (his sweeper). Wicks came up and was nails for a team in postseason contention, showcasing a much deeper arsenal and better feel for his pitches than Wesneski ever did. Wicks definitely has a lower ceiling, but his floor should be much higher than other starting pitching prospects. If you want further analysis of Wicks’ future and potential role with the Cubs in the coming year, you can check out his section in the Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year article. 1. RHP Javier Assad, 26: 32 G, 10 GS, 109.1 IP, 93 H, 41 BB, 94 K, 3.05 ERA, 1.226 WHIP, 3.4 BB/9, 7.7 K/9 There is no praise too effusive for the season Assad just had. He edged out Adrian Sampson and Keegan Thompson for the long-man role in the bullpen during Spring Training, and he seamlessly converted to starting once Marcus Stroman was lost to injury during a crucial six-week stretch in August and September. His flexibility was invaluable to an ailing pitching staff down the stretch, potentially hinting at his future role with the club. Unfortunately, nothing can be assumed with Thompson anymore following his lost year, though if he returns to his 2022 self, you can be assured that Assad will have an inside track on a job in the starting rotation. If not, Assad proved his worth out of the ‘pen this year, and a guy who can give you four-plus shutdown innings every three or four days is nearly the equivalent of having a quality sixth starter in the rotation anyway. Assad doesn’t have overpowering stuff, nor is his command Kyle Hendricks-esque. He gets by on a very deep arsenal and a ton of confidence in each of his many pitches. His ability and willingness to throw any pitch in any count is his best quality, which should only improve as he gets further exposure (and has further success) against major league hitters. Before the season started, I’m not sure if anyone in their right mind would have bet on Assad being the Cubs' best rookie in 2023 (and if he were, they’d probably assume something went horribly wrong during the year). Yet, that’s exactly what happened, and the Cubs are better as an organization for it. Congratulations to Javier Assad on being the inaugural North Side Baseball Rookie of the Year! Each of the players written about today deserves to be recognized and discussed. How do you feel about the selection of Assad, and how would you rank the Cubs' top rookies in 2023? View full article

Jed Hoyer confirmed to reporters that David Ross will return as the Cubs manager in 2024. Keeping the status quo may sound promising for a team that improved by nine wins this year, but it’s a move that will haunt the Cubs for years to come. The decision was expounded on in an article at The Athletic by Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma: “A manager has to have those rare interpersonal skills, a feel for the clubhouse and the ability to connect with analysts, support staff, the media and corporate partners. Ross took the job with that kind of confidence and charisma. The relationships within the organization are meaningful. The emotional connection to Wrigley Field is genuine.” All of those intangible qualities that Ross brings to the table are exceptionally important. There’s a ton of characteristics that Ross has that are never seen by the fans, from managing big personalities to gauging player fatigue and injuries. As a long-time big leaguer himself, Ross understands better than most the ebbs and flows of a full season, and the tolls it takes on a player’s mind and body. Those are valuable traits for a manager to have, and Ross apparently has them in spades. It’s what Ross lacks that should frighten Cubs fans. There has been a startling lack of growth in the quality of his in-game decision-making, as Ross has infamously halted the momentum of Cubs rallies with ill-timed calls for bunts or bringing relievers into the game on no rest while keeping fresh arms seated in the bullpen. He kept well-regarded rookies like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alexander Canario on the bench, even as everyday starters were struggling badly at the plate (or playing through injuries) during the stretch run this year. There is a stubbornness in his managerial mindset that has been hurting the Cubs for years, and he has shown no evolution with it, even as he’s had to navigate historical events like the 2020 pandemic season and 2021 Trade Deadline fire sale. Joe Maddon, Ross’s predecessor, was fired after the Cubs collapsed in September 2019, in very similar fashion to what happened this year. The team collectively realized that core had run its course, and Maddon was shown the door so Ross could be brought in early enough to mature through the upcoming rebuild. That rebuild, however, is over. Ross is not the right guy for what is going to be the Cubs’ next competitive window--and as we saw with the last core back in 2016, that window of World Series contention can slam shut fast. There’s precedent for all of this. A decade ago, during the first rebuild under Theo Epstein, Rick Renteria was brought in as manager to help guide the Cubs through some lean rebuilding years. Then, Maddon was made available by the Rays, and the Cubs capitalized and brought him in despite previously promising that Renteria would return for the 2015 season. The move worked quite well, as the Cubs went to three straight National League Championship Series under the stewardship of Maddon. There may not be a free agent coach of that caliber available this winter (unless Craig Counsell spurns both the Brewers and new Mets’ boss David Stearns to join the Cubs), but there are better options than Ross. Perhaps an analogy to another sport could help illustrate the urgency of the problem at hand. People around here know the situation with the Chicago Bears, with Matt Eberflus looking utterly incompetent as a head coach and Luke Getsy seemingly having a personal vendetta against Justin Fields’s development as a quarterback. Yet it's the Yinzers in Pittsburgh that I think mirrors the Cubs’ situation most. A talented team that just brought in a lot of free agents and has drafted well (in recent years, but also seemingly in perpetuity), the Steelers have had one of the most stable coaching positions in the history of sports. In the Super Bowl Era (since 1969) the Steelers have had only three head coaches: Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and Mike Tomlin. That kind of stability is a virtue--but only when the ship is on course. If you’re out of the loop with them this year, the Steelers have a second-year first-round quarterback in Kenny Pickett, who is struggling badly. A lot of that blame is falling on offensive coordinator Matt Canada (who, indeed, is an atrocious play caller), but also Tomlin, who has enabled and defended Canada at every turn despite being in charge of the hiring and firing process of his coaching staff. Tomlin cited “continuity” as his reason for holding onto Canada through this past offseason, despite mounting evidence that he was a detriment to the team. That decision has backfired and is now destroying the Steelers' hopes, not only for this year, but also beyond, as they will have to reset yet again at quarterback with Pickett’s development taking a nosedive. Now, it’s not an exact one-to-one comparison, but the Tomlin-Canada relationship is very similar to the Hoyer-Ross one. The Cubs are built to win. Next season is the beginning of their World Series window. Wasting one of those years on Ross won’t just hurt them in 2024; it’ll set them back for years to come. Ross won’t negatively affect the development of the Cubs’ top prospects like Canada has ruined Pickett, but “maintaining continuity” isn’t good enough for a team that fell apart at the end of the season and missed the playoffs despite having a 92% chance to make it early in September. Much like Tomlin handpicked Canada to be his OC, Hoyer and the front office specifically chose Ross as “their guy”. They have a vested interest in seeing him develop into the manager they’ve been swearing to Cubs fans that he can be. Ross deftly guided this team through some emotionally difficult years; that doesn’t mean he knows how to win as a manager in the biggest moments. In fact, this year proved he’s still got a ways to go on that learning curve. I hope I’m wrong about this. I’m a Cubs fan and I’m ready for them to win again, just like all of you are. Hopefully, Ross is the guy, and 2024 sees the Cubs not just make the playoffs, but also make a deep run once there. If that doesn’t happen, articles like this won’t have to be written next season: Ross will be ousted, but not before having wasted a prime year for the Cubs to win. View full article

It wasn't meant to serve as a "full prospect write up". I had three paragraphs to commend the season Caissie had - I wasn't going to use them deriding his flaws (especially since he was the winner of our vote). Almost every list out there is going to have Horton 1, Shaw 2, and then either Caissie or Alcantara 3 (not including PCA). I think there's enough potential in Caissie's bat for him to at least deserve an argument that those placements are interchangeable. He's young and has been rapidly improving every year. I expect an even further breakout next season from him.

There were a lot of really strong offensive performances in the Cubs organization this season. Today, we recognize and congratulate the best hitters in the Cubs minor-league system in 2023. Under Theo Epstein, the Cubs’ design philosophy was to prioritize elite college hitters and projectable high school athletes, leading them to build the best farm system in baseball after a few years of rebuilding. That system was highlighted by position player prospects, from Kris Bryant to Javier Baez to Kyle Schwarber and more. Nowadays, the Cubs have shifted their mentality to focus more on the pitching-side of drafting-and-developing prospects, though the team has still seen breakout performances from a number of players in the batter's box and in the field this year. Below are the top vote-getters in the annual North Side Baseball end-of-season award ceremony for the Cubs Minor League Hitter of the Year. Before getting into the top three, here are a couple of others that received votes. The level indicated next to each player’s name is where they finished the 2023 season, and all stats shown are only those accrued in the minor leagues this year. Honorable Mentions 1B Jared Young, 28 (Chicago Cubs) 90 G, .310/.417/.577, .995 OPS, 21 HR, 72 RBI, 7 SB Young shuttled up-and-down between the minors and majors this year, serving as valuable depth at a position where the Cubs got infamously limited contributions from the likes of Eric Hosmer and Trey Mancini. Although he’s a much older prospect and is dangerously close to wearing the dreaded “Quadruple-A” prospect label, Young was unbelievable at Iowa this year, nearly posting a 1.000 OPS in just 310 at-bats. He’ll likely make it through the offseason on the 40-man roster and compete for a bench job in 2024, though don’t be surprised if the Cubs try to sneak him through waivers during the busiest time of the winter. SS Jefferson Rojas, 18 (Myrtle Beach Pelicans) 71 G, .266/.342/.400, .742 OPS, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 13 SB This guy is going to start flying up prospects lists as soon as this offseason, on the back of being a teenager with a projectable body type and above-average offensive contributions already. There’s still a long way to go for Rojas, especially in a system loaded with middle infielders, but a .750 OPS at Single-A in your first year stateside is nothing to scoff at. He has the speed and power to be an annual 20-20 threat down the line, and most scouts seem to agree he should be able to stick at shortstop long-term, though a move to third base may help him rise quicker. If you wanted to place a bet on it, odds are this kid is the top prospect in the system by 2025. 1B Matt Mervis, 25 (Iowa Cubs) 100 G, .282/.399/.533, .932 OPS, 22 HR, 78 RBI, 2 SB Another year, another dominant season from Matt Mervis at Iowa. After his home run bonanza last year, Mervis was more well-rounded at the plate this season, showing even greater discipline than before and staying more consistent with his all-fields approach. There’s questions about his major league viability after he struggled following a hyped-up promotion in May, though he’ll enter Spring Training next season as a candidate for everyday at-bats, save for a move for Pete Alonso or someone of his ilk. OF Yonathan Perlaza, 24 (Iowa Cubs) 121 G, .284/.389/.534, .922 OPS, 23 HR, 85 RBI, 13 SB Arguably THE breakout season for hitters in the Cubs’ farm system this year, Perlaza finally put it all together for a full season and his numbers do his improvements justice. He pretty much has to be placed on the 40-man roster this offseason, lest the Cubs wish to lose another outfielder with a major-league quality bat. There won’t be a ton of opportunities in the Chicago outfield for the foreseeable future, what with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alexander Canario joining Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki in the majors, though if anyone in the system is going to push those guys for at-bats early next year, it’s probably Perlaza. OF Kevin Alcantara, 21 (Tennessee Smokies) 102 G, .284/.345/.466, .810 OPS, 13 HR, 71 RBI, 15 SB The centerpiece of the Cubs’ return in the Anthony Rizzo trade with the Yankees, Alcantara impressed everyone in spring training and maintained his momentum all the way through July, when he left a game with a lower leg injury. His season-long numbers still look good for a guy who is two years younger than the average player at Double-A, and some time in the Arizona Fall League and Winter Ball should only help keep his stock on the rise. Given the crowded outfield situation we just discussed, it’s highly unlikely Alcantara makes his debut next season, though he may be the most talented of the entire bunch. With some better health and further refinement to his plate approach, the Cubs may have their "other" center fielder of the future at Wrigley Field soon. Others Receiving Votes 1B/3B B.J. Murray, 23 (Tennessee Smokies): 124 G, .263/.382/.462, .844 OPS, 16 HR, 74 RBI, 14 SB C Moises Ballesteros, 19 (Tennessee Smokies): 117 G, .285/.375/.449, .823 OPS, 14 HR, 64 RBI, 7 SB C/1B/DH Haydn McGeary, 23 (Tennessee Smokies): 124 G, .275/.397/.462, .859 OPS, 19 HR, 88 RBI, 7 SB 1B/3B Brian Kalmer, 23 (Myrtle Beach Pelicans): 35 G, .357/.426/.667, 1.092 OPS, 10 HR, 42 RBI, 0 SB Cubs Minor League Hitter of the Year Here are the top three vote-getters for Cubs Minor League Hitter of the Year. 3. SS/2B Matt Shaw, 21 (Tennessee Smokies) 38 G, .357/.400/.618, 1.018 OPS, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 15 SB The Cubs’ first round pick this summer, Shaw lit the world on fire after an aggressive assignment right out of the gate, making it all the way to Double-A in his first partial season as a pro. Like Rojas, Shaw has the fielding ability to stick at shortstop long-term, but if his bat demands it, he’ll get called to the majors as early as next season as the third baseman flanking Dansby Swanson on the left side of the infield for the Cubs. Shaw possesses some of the best hand-eye coordination and bat-to-ball skills in all of the minor leagues already, and his pure hitting ability will get him placed around the 50 spot on most league-wide prospect ranking lists this offseason. His bat speed isn’t tremendous, at least not compared to some of the Cubs’ prospects of old like Baez, but his preternatural ability to recognize spin out of a pitcher's hand allows him to make swing decisions much quicker than most. With time and refinement at the plate, Shaw should post some lofty on-base percentage numbers, with the capacity to hover around a consistent .400 OBP at his ceiling. The most impressive part of Shaw’s season was his desire and willingness to attack pitchers even as he climbed the ranks. He said after being drafted he was going to “hunt for failure” in an effort to conquer the learning curve of pro baseball as quickly as possible, though he never met his match in 2023. With a big Spring Training, Shaw could debut at Triple-A at the start of next season, potentially putting a summer call-up on the table. It’s early, but it looks like the Cubs nailed their first pick in the 2023 draft. 2. OF Pete-Crow Armstrong, 21 (Chicago Cubs) 107 G, .283/.365/.511, .876 OPS, 20 HR, 82 RBI, 37 SB The top prospect for the Cubs struggled badly through sporadic playing time during his cup of coffee in September, failing to get his first big league hit in 14 at-bats and going two for four on stolen base attempts. That being said, his minor league season was a resounding success, as he nearly put up a 20/40 season in just over 100 games played. The major league numbers don’t count for the purposes of this list, and they shouldn’t scare away anyone who is dreaming on PCA’s potential. His glovework is outstanding at its worst, with “historically great” within legitimate reach. He has enough speed to be a constant threat on the base paths and he should consistently post stolen base totals in the high 30’s (if not more given the increased emphasis on steals with the larger bases). Even if PCA settles below his median outcome at the plate and tops out as a league-average bat, his fielding and running skills will make him an annual 3+ WAR player at worst. How the Cubs view PCA’s readiness will be among the biggest questions this offseason, as Cody Bellinger (and, by proximity, Jeimer Candelario) will be free agents come November. If the Cubs feel comfortable handing the center field reins to their top prospect, one or both of Bellinger and Candelario can be allowed to walk. If the Cubs want to give PCA more time to develop in the minors, odds are they’ll be more aggressive with their in-house free agents. Regardless of how next season’s Opening Day depth chart appears, though, PCA should be patrolling center field at Wrigley for the next decade-plus. 1. OF Owen Caissie, 21 (Tennessee Smokies) 120 G, .289/.399/.519, .918 OPS, 22 HR, 84 RBI, 7 SB The first thing to note about Caissie is that he actually had a sub-50 percent success rate on stolen bases this year, getting thrown out in nine of his sixteen attempts this year. Other than that, it’s hard to find any flaws in the prodigious season the 21-year-old put together. His glove work improved (mostly playing right field) and should make him a viable option in the corners when his bat is ready for the majors. He has a tremendous eye and uncanny plate discipline for such a young player, reminiscent of Juan Soto when he was flying through the National’s farm system (disclaimer: I’m not saying Caissie will ever come close to reaching the heights Soto has, I’m simply comparing their shared elite skill of being a patient hitter). Caissie has arguably the most raw power of any prospect in the organization, and he should immediately become a middle-of-the-order bat once he’s recalled, likely some time at the beginning of the 2025 season. Caissie topped out at a 117 miles per hour exit velocity this year, a number that would rank in the 99th percentile in the major leagues this season. The pop is real. Once PCA graduates, Caissie will be my number one prospect in the system, ahead of even Shaw and Cade Horton. The potential for greatness is here, and I for one am going to let myself dream on Caissie’s potential after his breakout season. Congratulations to the 2023 Cubs Minor League Hitter of the Year and the rest of the minor leaguers written about today. All deserved the honor after a strong season. Feel free to discuss Owen Caissie, the rest of these hitters and even how you would rank their 2023 seasons. View full article

After reviewing the 2023 seasons of the top starting pitchers in the Cubs minor-league system yesterday, today we look at the top relief pitchers during the season. The Cubs have been among the leaders of the bullpen revolution that’s taken over the baseball landscape during the last decade, often finding ways to put together highly efficient groups of relievers for relative pittances. Part of that process has been developing relief prospects internally; whether converting a starting pitcher with dominant stuff and lacking command (or a smaller pitch repertoire) or honing the elite velocities of true relief prospects, the Cubs have placed a premium on getting the most out of their in-house relievers. This year, thankfully, has been no different. Below are the top vote-getters in the annual North Side Baseball end-of-season award ceremony for the Cubs Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. Before getting into the top three, here are a couple of others that received votes. The level indicated next to each player’s name is where they finished the 2023 season, and all stats shown are only those accrued in the minor leagues this year. Honorable Mentions RHP Frankie Scalzo, 23 (Tennessee Smokies): 39 G, 72.2 IP, 53 H, 25 BB, 73 K, 2.35 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 9.0 K/9 I’ve written about Scalzo a few times this year, and the true relief prospect deserves his flowers for a breakout season. After giving up 25 walks in just 44 innings last year, he gave up the same number in more than 70 innings this season, reflecting on his hard work on improving his command and focusing his pitch mix. The Cubs have done an excellent job in recent years of bringing relievers through the system quickly, and Scalzo has the potential to be the next reliever to make it to Wrigley. He’ll almost certainly start 2024 in Triple-A, with a mid-season (or injury-related) promotion on the horizon. RHP Saul Gonzales, 23 (Myrtle Beach Pelicans): 15 G, 27 IP, 24 H, 6 BB, 29 K, 2.67 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 2.0 BB/9, 9.7 K/9 The returning piece in the Mychal Givens trade at the 2022 deadline, Gonzales converted to full-time relief this year and looked good when healthy. Most importantly his strikeout rate stayed steady from last year (10.0 K/9 in 2022) while he slashed his walk rate in half (4.0 BB/9 in 2022), giving the large righty a foundation to build from. Given his age, he’ll have to move through the system quickly next year to stay on the radar, though he could mirror Daniel Palencia’s rapid rise after he too converted from starting to the bullpen. RHP Chris Clarke, 25 (Iowa Cubs): 35 G, 11 GS, 75.1 IP, 87 H, 27 BB, 66 K, 4.90 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 3.2 BB, 7.9 K/9 I’m not entirely sure if one of Clarke’s family members snuck into our voting process or if someone really appreciated the right-hander serving as an opener eleven times during the season, but Clarke received a single vote on the tally (almost exactly like when Ryan Tepera got an accidental, single MVP vote back in 2020). Clarke’s season wasn’t anything to write home about, and he should continue to serve as organizational depth in 2024 should the Cubs elect to retain him. Others Receiving Votes None. This was a pretty cut-and-dry category for North Side Baseball contributors. Cubs Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year Here are the top three vote-getters for Cubs Minor League Relief Pitcher of the Year. 3. RHP Zac Leigh, 25 (Tennessee Smokies) 29 G, 3 Saves, 39.1 IP, 26 H, 17 BB, 58 K, 3.66 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.9 BB/9, 13.3 K/9 I’ve been open about my favoritism of Leigh before, so it’s reassuring to see others commend him for the season he had. Leigh’s found nothing but success since being a 16th round pick in 2021, and he’s generally been great since being promoted to Tennessee earlier this year. In 24 2/3 innings there this year through August, he had a 2.92 ERA and 34 strikeouts. Much like the big league bullpen, he ran a little out of gas towards the end of the year, though his season as a whole was promising. Leigh has a mid-90s fastball that he can pump up to as much as 99, and he has a starter’s pitch mix thanks to his time as a starter while at Texas State. The most promising development this year for him was the continuance of his massive strikeout rate, even as he improved his command (he had 16 walks in just 34 innings last year). Questions will persist about his ability to hold up over a full season as he has yet to reach 40 innings in any season in his time with the Cubs, though it should assuage some concerns that he nearly reached 90 innings pitched in his final season in college. Leigh has firmly put himself on the radar heading into his age-26 season next year, and he should begin 2024 as a candidate for Iowa’s closer gig, while staring down a potential late season call-up to the big leagues if his run of success continues. 2. RHP Daniel Palencia, 23 (Chicago Cubs) 18 G, 5 GS, 29 IP, 24 H, 16 BB, 36 K, 6.83 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 5.0 BB/9, 11.2 K/9 The stats for Palencia in the minors this year were rough - the only reason I can surmise he made it this high on the list is that voters accounted for his MLB success (4.45 ERA in 28 1/3 innings) while drawing up their final ballot. However, his numbers improved in the minors after he struggled badly out of the gate as a starting pitcher, which finally prompted the Cubs to transition him to the bullpen where his electric fastball plays up in shorter spurts. If you saw any of his appearances out of the big league ‘pen this year, you know the book on Palencia: big-time fastball, flashes above-average breaking balls, can completely lose his command out of nowhere. That last point is a big reason why the Cubs moved him out of the rotation, as the hope was that he could more efficiently work around his problematic control in more limited exposure. The stuff is absolutely there to be a late-inning weapon, but Palencia is going to have to be able to string together consistently efficient outings to earn any trust from David Ross (or whomever may be managing the Cubs down the road). Since Palencia and Clarke probably took spots on this list that were arguably undeserved given their respective minor-league performances this year, I do want to shout out one more guy: Blake Whitney. The 27-year-old righty put up a 3.20 ERA in 70 innings as the Tennessee Smokies’ de facto closer, and he should get one more chance next year to prove that he can pitch at that level at Triple-A. He’s been too up-and-down to be on the prospect radar, though he is a name worth watching should the Cubs get desperate for bullpen help again next season. 1. LHP Luke Little, 23 (Chicago Cubs) 36 G, 63.2 IP, 40 H, 42 BB, 105 K, 2.12 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 5.9 BB/9, 14.8K/9 Like Palencia, we aren’t including any major league stats here, though it’s worth noting Little was every bit as dominant in the majors, giving up zero runs and striking out twelve in 6 2/3 innings. The massive lefty should be a fixture with the big league bullpen for a long time. As for the minor league season that Little had, the numbers speak for themselves. The command is problematic, though he’s simply been impossible to hit. Little preposterously gave up zero home runs in over 65 innings last season, and he followed that up by surrendering only one in 70 total innings this year. The way he leverages his massive 6’8” frame is genuinely akin to Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, who was nicknamed the “Big Unit” for his imposing presence on the mound. Little relentlessly attacks hitters, completely unafraid of anyone who steps in the batter’s box. If he ever hones his control of the strike zone, Little could put up a season like Zack Britton’s legendary 2016 season, when the then-Orioles reliever posted a 0.54 ERA in 67 innings (and finished fourth in Cy Young voting). Little does pose as an interesting case study for the Palencia believers out there, as the lefty has little issue (no pun intended) working around the traffic he introduces on the base-paths. If he can teach Palencia how to keep the ball in the ballpark in perpetuity, the Cubs may have their own version of the Andrew Miller-Cody Allen dual closers they faced in the 2016 World Series. Congratulations to Luke Little on a terrific 2023 season. Each of these pitchers mentioned today deserve the recognition they've received and more. How do you feel about our selection of Little, and how would you rank them? View full article