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Belli Bombs will remain at Wrigley for at least one more season. Image courtesy of © Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images As the 2024 MLB season drew to an official close this past week, the hot stove speculation began for all 30 major league teams. As it turns out, the stove got white-hot in the blink of an eye. One of the biggest Cubs' offseason questions is answered as left-handed slugger Cody Bellinger opted into his $27.5 million player option for the 2025 season. While this closes the book on one offseason mystery, it opens up a whole lot of other pages in other books. Most notably, with a massive sum of money now tied up in their Gold Glove-caliber superstar, what will this team actually accomplish in the coming months to ensure they are serious contenders come the spring? Along with other significant moves, the Cubs did a lot this week that could drastically alter their 2025 path. Let's dive in to see how it all went down. The 2024 season saw a modest decline in Cody Bellinger's offensive performance compared to 2023, where he blasted 26 home runs and drove in 97 runs. This past season, he racked up 78 RBI and tallied 18 round trippers. Regardless of his drop in offensive output, he's still a player that opposing managers must plan for, and he has turned out to be an affable presence in the clubhouse. So he's back and likely to make a new living in right field, swapping places with the defensively unreliable Seiya Suzuki, who is presumably moving to the designated hitter spot. This move doesn't necessarily make the team worse. Still, it tightens the reins on the already pretty tight purse strings of the Cubs' front office, which may have designs on landing a blockbuster starting pitcher. Still, the dream of Juan Soto in Cubby pinstripes is now all but gone with this development. If Bellinger manages to reach base a lot next season, which he is wont to do, he'll have one of the best in the sport guiding him along the bags. With the previous dismissals of Mike Napoli and Willie Harris, it was clear that Craig Counsell has a different vision for his staff, which is more akin to what he worked with during his successful days in Milwaukee. Thus, the Cubs announced hiring a new third base coach, Quintin Berry, this past week. Berry, 39, is known for his base-running prowess and achieved this to effect with Counsell as both were members of NL Central division-winning teams. Aside from the base-running excellence Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner displayed in 2024, the club's numerous gaffes on the base pads resulted in crushing results in close games, which could have easily meant the difference in deciding the club's playoff hopes. Once a stud in places like Boston, Berry hopes to change these fortunes radically. This offseason is moving at a pace so torrid I don't have an apt comparison to align it with, but then again, one offseason rarely possessed such an attractive crop of franchise-changing talent. With this in mind, the Cubs have officially declined the $10 million option of left-handed reliever Drew Smyly, an individual who registers quite low on that spectrum of talent. Despite punching out 56 batters over 58.2 innings pitched in 2024, Smyly faltered in absolutely crucial, high-leverage moments for the Cubs in 2024. Money in, money out, money staying. If the 2024 MLB season proved anything, teams must be willing to spend some serious coin to contend for the World Series seriously. The Dodgers did it, and Dave Roberts and his squad still reek of premium champagne. What a concept: invest in premium talent and get premium results. Jed? Tom? Are you reading this? View full article

For some time now, we've been told of the highly-touted stable of talent in the Cubs' minor league farm system. While this week proved this full stop, it also placed a gargantuan obstacle in the way of the squad's infield stability as former Gold Glove winner Nico Hoerner injured his right forearm flexor tendon. Off the heels of his surgery to repair the tendon, there is no set timetable for the Cubs' veteran second baseman's return. If this weren't enough, multiple sources reported this week that Chicago's star outfielder, Cody Bellinger, is strongly contemplating opting out of his contract with the Cubs to test the free agent waters yet again. All in all, this past week provided much more action than was anticipated in the lead-up to Halloween. Let's dive in to see how it all went down. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Cubs' President of Baseball Operations, Jed Hoyer, can be frustrating, off-putting, and certainly unrelatable. But one thing he is not: dumb. Whether you listened to him throughout the 2024 season on 670 The Score or digested his press clippings on this very esteemed website, Jed Hoyer insists that the team's internal pipeline has what it takes to yield championship success on the North Side of Chicago for years to come: maybe he's right. This past week, young Cubs catcher Moises Ballesteros earned the honor of Minor League Player of the Year. Splitting time between Tennessee and Iowa in 2024, the 20-year-old Ballesteros notched a .289 batting average and drove in 78 RBI, including 19 homers. Despite a late-season breakthrough from Miguel Amaya, the Cubs sorely lack power at the catcher position. Though his talent is still raw and his full potential unknown, Ballesteros may provide long-term answers sooner than you think. In other good news, the Cubbies' mostly-decent pitching situation figures to get even better as righty Brandon Birdsell was named Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Birdsell turned a sub-four ERA of 3.91, recorded 135.2 innings pitched, and walked a mere 5.4% of the batters he faced in 2024. In July, the 24-year-old was called up from the Double-A Tennessee Smokies to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs. Though his repertoire of pitches needs work, especially in the off-speed department, he is forecasted to be a solid starter in the backend of the rotation. With the impending departure of Kyle Hendricks and the jury still out on guys like Javier Assad, this would be a boon for the North Siders. To reference the great 2010 rock band Modest Mouse, Here's some good news for people who like bad news: Nico Hoerner is injured with no guarantee he'll be ready at the start of the 2025 campaign. As reported by MLB insider Bruce Levine and other sources this past week, one of the Cubs' leaders in theft, totaling a career-high 31 stolen bases, Hoerner, underwent surgery to repair his right flexor tendon. Hoerner is a defensive staple in the Cubs' close-to-elite middle infield. If he is to encounter any setbacks in his offseason recovery, his loss would create a seismic ripple in the club's early-season chances—something to keep an eye on. The Cubs' "big question" in the 2023 offseason was: Will Cody Bellinger re-sign with the team? Despite clocking in a 2024 season that was barely a shadow of what the lefty achieved in 2023, it appears that Bellinger will once again kick the free agency tires when it opens up in just over a week. Anecdotally, he shouldn't. The Cubs' utility superstar is set to earn a staggering $27.5 million from Tom Ricketts' team in 2025. That he'd earn anything close to those numbers elsewhere is a stretch, to say the least. He'd be wise to stay. Life-long Cubs fan Eddie Vedder wrote a pre-2016 song called "All The Way," pining for his beloved squad's eventual World Series-winning ecstasy. As the globe watches the heavyweight prize fight between the Yankees and Dodgers, it feels like we're back in those times: clinging to hope and left with not much else to do but wait until next year. View full article

With the postseason reaching a crescendo, this was the slowest week of the Cubs' very young offseason. The waters are shallow this time around, but let's dive in to see how it all went down. Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Though it's difficult to measure either player's true worth amid the Cubs' dismal results this season, Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ were vital pieces in at least keeping their club in ball games. Boasting 18 outs above average, Swanson provided the Cubs with near-lockdown defense at the shortstop position this season. Even paired with his dishearteningly pedestrian offensive output, Swanson's defensive prowess provided mostly convincing evidence for a role in Craig Counsell's everyday lineup. Curiously, after winning the honor in 2023, Nico Hoerner wasn't one of the top three Gold Glove vote-getters at the keystone this season. Perhaps if the Cubs had achieved their postseason goals, or the not-so-Friendly Confines had not posed such a documented disadvantage this season, there would have been more accolades to go around. One aspect of these particular Gold Glove "finalists" (that's not really what they are, there was no nomination process or second round of voting, but that's what the league is calling them) worth noting is the fact that they were bestowed upon two of the club's most prominent leaders, especially in the case of left fielder Ian Happ. You know from my previous work that Happ is a player I deem essential to the clubhouse. His even-keeled approach keeps himself and his teammates in check throughout a challenging season. But more than that, and setting aside his blistering offensive ascent in the second half of the 2024 season, he is one of the best in the business at tracking down balls in one of the more punishing zones of Wrigley Field. He was spectacular when it comes to his approach angle on balls hit to left field. Regardless of whether or not the offense he showed this season is sustainable going forward, his defense more than makes up for it. Now, all the Cubs need is elite pitching and a fearsome, problematic bat in the middle of the order and we're in business. Finally, and notably, we missed one very positive and important development about two weeks ago, when catching guru and coach Jerry Weinstein announced he would be leaving his longtime post with the Rockies for a more wide-ranging role with the Cubs. We don't yet know what shape that will take, but Weinstein has long been one of the clearest and smartest voices on Baseball Twitter about the mechanics of catching and various defensive and baserunning plays. He's in his 80s, so it seems unlikely that this will be a uniformed gig in the dugout, but wherever he's deployed, he'll be a highly valuable addition to the organization. With the postseason nearing its end, it seems wise for the Cubs front office to take these nominations not as a good sign that veteran talent exists with the big-league club, but as an indication that there is much work yet to be done. The calendar is just about to turn over to the season of feasts, and with it, continued hope that one day soon the Cubs will have more to eat. View full article

To paraphrase Detroit Tigers manager AJ Hinch, only one team's season ends in anything but misery. That sentiment informed the tenor of this past week for the Cubs, as the man himself, Tom Ricketts, spoke up in another busy week for the North Siders. Let's dive in to see how it all went down. Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images "The work is underway to close the gap to make the Cubs a perennial playoff team.". Thus were the opening remarks of Tom Ricketts' second paragraph of his annual address. These comments echo with resounding curiosity given the team's seemingly crippling aversion to spending. The remaining teams battling for the World Series crown have over $300 million in payroll to dole out. Two of the most notorious spenders, the Yankees and Dodgers, are prohibitive favorites to meet for the Fall Classic in about a week. How do Ricketts and his brain trust intend to close this glaring gap? While it remains to be seen whether or not the club finally starts spending the money necessary to be a serious contender, Ricketts, along with Jed Hoyer, adamantly believes the talent already exists within the organization. "Jed, Carter, and our team of coaches, analysts, scouts, and strategists have created one of the top player development groups in the game today...". While it's certainly true that the franchise boasts some serious firepower coming through the pipeline, the Cubs were profoundly lacking in power-hitting and completely went off the rails in run production through the middle of the season. The answers can't simply come from within with another attractive crop of free agents waiting in the offseason wings. Perhaps knowledge of this fact informed the club's decision to bring the baseball legend Jerry Weinstein into the fold. Weinstein, 81, has a yet unspecified new role with the Cubs, but he is well known for his prowess as a catching expert and most recently served with the Colorado Rockies. If he does work with the catchers, the Cubs stand much to gain as Miguel Amaya and in-season acquisition Tomas Nido failed to provide any real stability at that position. As Craig Counsell pieces his ideal coaching staff together, he and his club mutually parted ways with third base coach Willie Harris. A staff member since 2021, Harris served under former Cubs' manager David Ross. Harris also spent time with teams like the Mets, Nationals, Reds, and Orioles. Key base running decisions led to a plethora of major inflection points for the Cubs this past season. It always seemed as if he held runners when he should have sent them and sent runners when he should have held them. The individual who fills this vacancy will come into a situation with plenty of speed on the base pads with guys like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Nico Hoerner, but hopefully, more help is on the way. With another week of heavy activity in the books for the Cubbies, it's now clearer than ever that the franchise knows their approach must shift drastically to get back on the postseason schedule—time to fill in the gaps. View full article

In my last recap, I proposed the pressing quandary of "What's next?". Well, we're starting to find out. Image courtesy of © Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images With the MLB playoffs bringing October heat in other major markets like New York, the North Side of Chicago begins its long offseason slumber. If this last week was any indication, maybe, just maybe, the organization, through numerous and significant changes, knows it's time to wake up. As we start acquainting ourselves with the remaining postseason clubs vying for World Series glory, one thing is abundantly clear: success is out there and up for grabs in Major League Baseball. Should you seek proof of this, look no further than AJ Hinch and his scrappy Detroit Tigers, who, after deleting perennial postseason stalwart Houston, hold designs on canceling Jhonkensy Noel and crew's "Big Christmas" up in Cleveland. If the Motown Cats turned 0.2% playoff odds into 100%, why can't the Cubs do so as well? Those answers, with correlating insights, belong to a different piece in the near future. Still, at the very least, the actions taken this past week demonstrated at least the impression of frustration and discontent from the club's front office. So, what were those actions? A whole lot of coaching changes. Let's investigate who, what, and how these changes affect the Cubbies' makeup and philosophy. First base coach Mike Napoli, hitting coach Jim Adduci, bullpen coach Darren Holmes, and a pair of strength coaches have all been dismissed. I don't want heads to roll; I want to make deep runs in the postseason. These moves won't resonate significantly until next season begins in earnest, but one big thing it allows is Craig Counsell's license to build a proper staff. When you look at the roles these former Cubs coaches occupied, they magnify glaring deficiencies in categories that doomed the North Siders' playoff hopes in 2024. Jim Adduci, for instance, was the hitting coach for a team that turned in a .242 combined batting average. Now, this was for many documented reasons, not the least of which were the mighty winds of Wrigley, but that specific position was an obvious place to look to. On the other hand, Mike Napoli and Darren Holmes helmed positions that, at best, were inconsistent in producing success for the Chicago Cubs. Who is at fault? One obvious individual is the one you're thinking of: Jed Hoyer. Did he have anything to say about his team's performance? You bet he did. This past Tuesday, he delivered his end-of-season address, and the sound bites that came out of it, at the very least, highlighted his awareness that a plethora of this franchise's stakeholders are fed up with the playoff absences he has become the face of since the end of the 2017 campaign. Hoyer does not necessarily come across as a proponent of revisionist history but as one who seems out of touch even after failing to meet self-appointed elevated goals. His and Tom Rickett's cold feet regarding long-term top-tier free-agent signings have left this team in place of good enough but not great enough. Said Hoyer: We're disappointed, too, Jed. He and the organization have the most inside track on what changes are coming down the pipeline, and indeed, if they are enough to alter the fortunes of this club radically, it remains to be seen. Adding an "established starter" like Corbin Burnes (please!) would certainly do the trick if a tutorial is not provided. A frugal track record leaves supporters of this squad wondering if this season's failures are finally the turning point in restoring the Cubs to a place of desired prominence. So, with the offseason commencing, we have our heading in what must happen. The road laid before this club in securing a joyful future is long. View full article

Saying goodbye to Cubs baseball for the season, especially for one whose heart was once filled with such hope, is excruciating. If you don't believe me, just ask Bleacher Jeff. If the blue-shirted vendor's echoes of "last call!" in the 8th inning weren't evidence enough, the Chicago Cubs played their final baseball games of the 2024 season. One filled with more questions than a re-run of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?". Since we have quite a while to ponder the direction of this team's still Jed Hoyer-led future, let's, for the last time this season, dive in to see how it all went down... Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images Game by Game: Monday The Cubs started the week as a team with nothing to play for, and they looked like one against the Phillies in their first of a three-game set from Citizens Bank Field. Caleb Kilian took the bump for the Cubbies, delivering 5 2/3 innings and getting thoroughly shelled by Kyle Schwarber's club. Kilian gave up five earned runs on eight hits and issued four free passes. Offensively, the Cubs' favorite 2024 tradition of stranding baserunners held sway as they left nine on base in this late-September contest. Nico Hoerner and Mike Tauchman were responsible for Chicago's only RBIs, coming through with one apiece. Final Score: 6-2 Phillies Tuesday In my previous recap, I stated that this club's ascending over the .500 mark was a goal worth pursuing. By virtue of winning game two of their final road trip of the season, the Cubbies ensured at least the same amount of games up as games down. Lefty Justin Steele got the nod in this contest, his last start of the season. He went four innings, surrendering two runs, including a solo shot by Phillies slugger Bryce Harper, and punching out three. The Cubs' offense, which enjoyed somewhat of a second-half resurgence, was sharp on this day. Though stranding eleven baserunners, the North Siders got key contributions from consistent second baseman Nico Hoerner, who went 3-5, and from their utility star Cody Bellinger, who laced a clutch 3-run triple in the sixth inning. Even when it doesn't matter, winning always feels good. Final Score: 10-4 Cubs Wednesday The Phillies are one of the more likely contenders for this year's Fall Classic and probably had even less to play for in this one than their opponents from the North Side of Chicago. But that didn't stop them from not so kindly dispatching Craig Counsell's squad in the series' finale. Javier Assad toed the rubber in this one and got absolutely lit up. One of the several Cubs' pitchers to suffer truncated work due to injuries in 2024, Assad let up eight earned runs on eight hits, never really finding any kind of rhythm. The Cubs pushed six runs across the plate versus Ranger Suarez's ball club, including four runs on two complete bombs by Nico Hoerner, whose bobblehead is featured prominently in the man caves of Cubs fans all over the Chicagoland area. Final Score: 9-6 Phillies Friday For the final three games of the 2024 campaign, Ian Happ and the Cubs welcomed the Cincinnati Reds to Wrigley Field. Once foes in competing for a wild card playoff spot, the Cubs and Reds looked like two teams defeated by failure to reach lofty expectations. Jameson Taillon sailed through 7 shutout innings and, in doing so, checked in with a 3.27 ERA for the season. The two teams combined for nine hits, and the game's winning run came on a Miguel Amaya sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. Near the outset of the week, the Cubs' front office indicated it intends to bring "an established" starting pitcher in to help end the team's postseason drought. The Cubbies' pitching performances in this contest provided reason to believe that whoever that individual turns out to be will not find an empty cupboard in Chicago. Final Score: 1-0 Cubs Saturday As the words begin to appear on screen, I find it increasingly hard to articulate what Cubbies' veteran pitcher Kyle Hendricks means to me, millions of Cubs fans worldwide, and the organization. Far beyond in services in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, "The Professor" has stood out as example number one when it comes to professionalism, endurance, and overall nasty stuff since becoming a Cub in 2012. He delivered a (probable) final lecture worthy of his legend on this day. Going 7 1/3 innings, Hendricks induced one ground ball after another in a swift and efficient outing. Hoisting his cap high in the air in salute to a crowd of grateful supporters, Kyle Hendricks walked off the mound of the Friendly Confines one last time, having positioned his club nicely to pick up their 83rd win of the season. And they did. The North Siders' preserved the good vibes by scoring three eighth-inning runs. Mike Tauchman, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Isaac Paredes all notched RBIs in the winning effort. What a Saturday scene at Wrigley. Final Score: 3-0 Cubs Sunday After matching their win total from 2023 the day prior with an enormously emotional series-clinching contest, the Cubs fell flat in the series' final game. Caleb Killian and company held the Reds to 27 straight scoreless innings before falling to Cincinnati in extras. The Cubs scattered three hits in this contest, which found Seiya Suzuki and Michael Busch, two offensive stalwarts of the club in 2024, with a chance to leave the people with a good taste in their mouths heading into 2025. It was not meant to be. With two runners on, the powerful Michael Busch flew out to left field in an oh-so-unceremonious way to end the Cubs' 2024 campaign. Final Score: 3-0 Reds (10 innings) So that's it. One hundred sixty-two games over and out for the team and a city starving for postseason play, but with top brass unwilling to feed them. The next time the Cubs play the regular season, you and I will hopefully be in Japan watching our squad take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jed Hoyer is set to deliver his end-of-season address this coming Tuesday. The fact that he couldn't get this club to the postseason this year is an unequivocal failure. He, Carter Hawkins, and Tom Ricketts should and must come under fire as to why they simply could not orchestrate a contending playoff club. Big changes are on the horizon, but until then, there will be a reprieve. View full article

Accepting unfavorable--yet, and worse, inevitable--outcomes is nauseating. That's why, as we begin the final week of the Cubs' 2024 season, searingly painful images of what this team could have been will linger in our minds, long after the Commissioner's Trophy is handed out in early November. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images With the North Siders relegated to spectators this October, the rumbles of dissatisfaction escalated to a deafening roar this week. Team leader Jameson Taillon and skipper Craig Counsell themselves spoke up, trying to meet fans in their frustrated place. The Cubs are humiliatingly distant from serious playoff contention, and this week's results conveyed that sentiment without saying a word. Game by Game: Monday The modified goal for the season was to finish strong, and with the soon-to-be Las Vegas Athletics visiting the Friendly Confines for the first of a three-game series, the Cubs looked Herculean. The offense clicked. Dansby Swanson led the way with four RBIs, including a three-run blast in the second inning. The Cubs delivered clutch hits up and down the lineup, including a pair from Cody Bellinger, but yet again, staff ace Shota Imanaga drove the narrative. Punching out a career-high 11 batters, Imanaga scooped up his 14th win of the year with six, five-hit innings. Final Score: 9-2 Cubs Tuesday Jordan Wicks was one of several Cubs arms hobbled by injury this year, preventing him from really getting into a groove. That was apparent in the second game of the A's series. Though he lasted five full innings, Wicks got seriously touched up, allowing four earned runs on seven hits, three of which were round-trippers. Wasted opportunities were the story offensively. Despite outhitting the Athletics 11 to 9, Chicago produced a scant 1-6 with RISP. One clean inning of work from Jack Neely was the lone bright spot in this contest. He'll be an object of some hope as the team builds its 2025 bullpen plan. Final Score: 4-3 Athletics Wednesday Justin Steele bent and was broken in the rubber match of this interleague series. The Cubs' former All-Star got through just 2 2/3 innings in his return from the injured list, but proved to be far from his club's biggest concern. I'll just say it: Drew Smyly can't get off this team soon enough. In less than one full inning of work, Smyly surrendered two absolutely critical earned runs to doom his squad late. Championship teams do enough of the little things to manufacture runs and deliver clutch results when needed and this team lacks that quality. In fairness, though, championship teams also have a lot more talent than this. The Cubs dropped the series. Final Score: 5-3 Athletics Thursday What's made Cubs baseball entertaining down this final month or so is an astonishing knack for putting up football-like run and hit totals. Game one of a four-game tilt versus the Washington Nationals was the latest occasion for a festival of scoring. Whether or not Bellinger remains a Cub heading into next season, he sure is fun to watch. He cashed three RBIs on a 2-4 day at the plate. Meanwhile, the bullpen, despite another poor outing from Smyly, did enough to help lock down the narrow victory. Final Score: 7-6 Cubs Friday The increasingly outspoken Taillon picked up his 11th win of the year in game two of the long weekender. Tossing six two-hit innings, Taillon positioned his team for at least a spilt of this prolonged late-season series. Both teams' pitching staffs were greedy, as the Nationals and Cubs combined for 11 hits. Mike Tauchman delivered the decisive at-bat, a two-run knock in the seventh inning. Porter Hodge shut things down in the ninth and recorded two strikeouts. Final Score: 3-1 Cubs Saturday On what presumably will be the last hot day in Chicago in 2024, the Cubs gave away a fantastically flashy bobblehead of Bellinger. Along with the italian beef you may have ordered from the 400-level concession stands, that was the best part of the game. Nats starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore no-hit the Cubs going into the seventh inning, until Patrick Wisdom broke things up with a solo homer to left field. That would be one of just two hits for the Cubs in this contest, which proved the final nail in a coffin the team had lain in since early summer. Final Score: 5-1 Nationals Sunday Though it presents itself as the hollow definition of a moral victory, I do think it's important for the club to finish above .500. The Cubs advanced that cause in the series finale. Until he starts winning some well-deserved accolades, there's not much else I can say about the brilliance of Shota Imanaga. He fired seven shutout innings, and looked sharp while doing so. Tauchman got the offense going early, with a solo shot in the first inning. Other key offensive contributions came from the team's other standout rookie, Michael Busch, who really does seem like one of the biggest steals for this club in recent memory. Though the win was watered down by the club's lack of a postseason berth (plus a couple hours' worth of rain), it still proved encouraging in identifying some of the squad's biggest strengths. Final Score: 5-0 Cubs The Chicago Cubs are six games away from a long, dark winter of work. First, though, they'll travel to Philadelphia for a three-game series with the Phillies, before coming home to Wrigley to end the season against the Cincinnati Reds. The future of this club is far more intriguing than its present. We're staring at a long road back to relevancy for the North Side's beloved professional baseball team. Cubs fans are left to hope the club does what's necessary to get there. View full article

And don't say the obvious reason. Image courtesy of © Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images With as much energy and era-defining excitement as there is in Major League Baseball these days, the game is better when the Chicago Cubs are elite. Due in large part to a much more passive spending strategy in free agency than the club's most loyal fans would like, this is not the case. But with another gargantuan winter of first-class free agents looming, it could be. Should Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer ante up and shock the baseball world, a lot of things would change quickly. There are plenty of great baseball cities across America, all of which can stake a legitimate claim as to why their favorite club is essential to the big-league experience. I'm not about to unload another think piece full of 1060 West Addison romanticism on your screen, though the team's play in the 2024 campaign reminded us all why the North Side of Chicago needs the postseason. We need it worse than the left-field bleachers needs a tremendously elongated beer snake. A plethora of missed opportunities and heartbreaking losses over the summer denied the Cubs a true shot at slithering their way into a Wild Card spot in these last couple of weeks. The team, though missing the final splashy pieces, are not devoid of weapons. They possess a shutdown defensive middle infield of Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner; a promising starting pitching staff; and a rapidly blossoming farm system, with dudes just about ready to hit the ground running. What the club does not possess, however, is a killer instinct. This practically goes without saying but I'll say it anyway: You need a killer instinct to win a championship in this league. Bringing Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes into the fold would resoundingly shift the narrative for Craig Counsell's ball club. And here's how. Since the ex-Brewers skipper already managed him for some time in Milwaukee, let's start with the 29-year-old righty starter, Burnes. Despite navigating some costly injuries in 2024, the Cubs, led by southpaw studs Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga, have a reasonably good starting rotation. A nasty veteran arm like Burnes would make that group one of the best in the game. With a career 3.22 ERA, a 14-8 record with the Orioles, and 164 strikeouts on the season, Burnes boasts consistency. He'd plug a hole in the middle of the Cubs rotation, which has seen guys like Ben Brown go down to injury, and the fading Kyle Hendricks saddled back into a starter's role he clearly is no longer built for. His strikeout rate dip dents his case as a certifiable ace, but only two pitchers (Aaron Nola and Logan Webb) have thrown more innings since the start of 2021 than has Burnes. He's a pillar for the rotation. To me, pitching wins championships, but I'm not naive enough to think that's all it takes. Enter Soto, who at just 25 years of age would bring a projectable decade of offensive excellence to a team that needs exactly, specifically, excruciatingly that. He's famous for his generational plate discipline, but this season has been a reminder that he also has legitimate, top-end power, too. With a 13.9% barrel rate, Soto towers over the league average, nearly doubling it. He'd give the team the strongest ownership of the strike zone in MLB. By the end of this season, he'll edge past Ernie Banks on the all-time walks list--that is, at 25, he'll equal Banks's career walk total. Imagining a scenario where he is in the middle of a lineup with the likes of Isaac Paredes and Ian Happ conjures up images of a blocked-off Michigan Avenue, allowing for parade traffic. Are you buying in? Hopefully the top brass in the organization is. Baseball is better when the Cubs are better. This course of action puts that reality on the immediate horizon. We know that it's not the usual mode of operation, for Hoyer or for Tom Ricketts. Sooner or later, though, that has to change. This pair of superstars is as good an occasion as any. View full article

With the Cubs' 2024 season breathlessly galloping toward post-mortem, this week of baseball served as a stark reminder of where the team stands. Considerable success and expectations of the past ten years of this organization have made large swaths of the media and fanbase lose sight of the Cubs being "loveable losers" for a reason. All those reasons and more were on full display this past week for Chicago's North Side baseball team. Let's dive in to see how it all went down... Image courtesy of © Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images Supporters of this ball club lull themselves into a false sense of misery, so when a series plays out as it did this past week against the Los Angeles Dodgers, we don't quite know how to react. Starting their final West Coast swing of the season, the Cubs delivered their most surprising result of the year versus LA's National League team. It was more about former Dodgers than current ones in this contest, with Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger showing off to their previous employer in ways Cubs fans have been pining for. These two went a combined 6-9, including a couple of absolute moonshots into the seats of Dodger Stadium, one a solo blast, and one a two-run dinger. The Cubs' offensive explosion more than compensated for yet another pedestrian start from Kyle Hendricks, who went 4.1 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits. Final Score: 10-4 Cubs When the book on this year's campaign is finished, it will say the Cubs couldn't score in May and June and thus missed the playoffs. Well, since August, they can score, and that's what helped them secure the series win against one of baseball's best. The underrated Seiya Suzuki did a fair share of the damage in this one, delivering clutch hits and an RBI. His mate on the mound, Shota Imanaga, pitched seven innings, which sounds like something he'd do, though he did surrender three earned runs and struck out just four. I guess a win is a win. Final Score: 6-3 Cubs As one of the hottest road teams in MLB, you might think the Cubbies swept Mookie Betts' squad, but they didn't. In somewhat of a see-saw battle that featured a furious four-run fifth-inning rally from the Cubs, the team that plays in America's third-oldest ballpark prevailed. You'll hear more about this later, but the Cubs' bullpen fumbled away at what had become a very winnable game. Though both clubs were lacking from a defensive standpoint, a plethora of stranded baserunners and missed opportunities determined the Cubbies' fate on a night where starter Jordan Wicks managed a less-than-modest three innings of work. Final Score: 10-8 Dodgers The Cubs opened the weekend with a game about as much fun as getting assigned a term paper on a Friday night. Facing Kris Bryant's lowly Rockies, a team the Cubs swept at the outset of the season, Craig Counsell's club squandered a 5-0 lead late in the Mile High city. The Cub's delicate hopes for success in the second half have rested in the unsteady hands of a bullpen that previously had earned a reputation for mediocrity. Though a paltry 2-10 with RISP didn't help, Drew Smyly's performance helped even less. The Cub's 35-year-old lefty was taken out after pitching a third of an inning and giving up three runs against an opponent measurably inferior to his own club. Final Score: 9-5 Rockies The Cubs' next World Series roster will look eye-poppingly different from the current one, and barring the Cubbies succumbing to another mystical curse, the bullpen will be one of the most altered components of that club. At times unreliable and at times solid, Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge blew a consistent effort from the admirably steadfast Jameson Taillon. Jamo tossed six innings of two-run ball and was sufficiently backed up by his offense until the bullpen's latest implosion. Losing to bad teams sucks. Losing to those bad teams in extra innings sucks even worse. Final Score: 6-5 Rockies (10 innings) The Cubs salvaged the series' final game with a vintage Kyle Hendricks masterpiece. Due to his endearing leadership and humility, The Professor is one of my all-time favorite Cubs, so his struggles this season brought me no great joy. None of that mattered today as Hendricks sailed through six innings of two-hit baseball, punching out seven Rockies batters. Elsewhere, the offense, led by Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong, came through with enough clutch knocks to make the difference in this one. As this club's metric for success shifts to finishing above .500, the win served as catharsis. Final Score: 6-2 Cubs With the last two weeks of the season upon us, the Cubs have one goal left: To finish with more wins than losses. With the remaining schedule, that looks doable. Up next, the Cubbies return home to face the Oakland Athletics for three before kicking off an extended four-game weekend series with the Washington Nationals. The winter looms large for this franchise if it wants to become a serious contender again. Nothing outside of changing the ballpark's name back to Weeghman Field should be off-limits to ensure this. Things are about to get interesting. View full article

Though he hasn't quite pulled into the station, Pete Crow-Armstrong is arriving on schedule. Find yourself at Wrigley for just about any game in 2024 and you're likely to witness fans walking out of shops like Sports World, Wrigleyville Sports, and others, donning the number 52 on the back of their brand new blue-pinstriped jersey. Good for them, because with the upward trajectory of the Cubs' young centerfielder, he figures to be cemented in Craig Counsell's everyday lineup for years to come. Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Not far removed from being an offensive liability for his club, Pete Crow-Armstrong now provides this squad confidence, versatility, and an indelible, super-charged positive attitude, which emanates from both his offensive and defensive roles on the field. There will come a time in the near future when Crow-Armstrong will be considered the Cubs' most dangerous player, and not just for the obvious reasons. For the first few months of the season, it was difficult--if not impossible--to tell what Crow-Armstrong's value was, outside of his impressive speed and flashy glove. Now, that almost seems like an "Inception"-style illusion, compared to what the Cub's outfielder is transforming into since the All-Star break. At the time of this writing, he has 26 stolen bases, and he takes off almost automatically if and when he reaches base. He's often able to reach base, too. With his swift stride, Crow-Armstrong has restored some of the magic lost from the days of Javier Báez, on the bases and in the way a ball in play off his bat seems to promise chaos. He's a wonder to watch. I don't know the reason for Crow-Armstrong's emergence boiled down to one metric, just as I don't know why Three Floyd's Gumball Head beer tastes better at Murphy's than anywhere else. But what I do know is that, with a rapid growth in confidence, the Crow-Armstrong this organization has been waiting for is showing up. At the last game I attended, with the sun glistening off the outfield ivy, I must have exclaimed "Let's go Pete!" upwards of a dozen times. This is for many reasons, not the least of which being that I want him to help my favorite team win, but it's also because he's the most exciting player on the field. Watching him play is the opportunity to witness one of the best spectacles in baseball. What bodes well for the 22-year-old is his ability to hit the cut fastball, which he wallops at a .387 rate; his proficiency with this particular pitch is yielding more success across the board. If you don't believe me, check out his stat line from his last visit to PNC Park. Just hours before I wrote this, the Cubs inducted Kerry Wood into the franchise's Hall of Fame. For reasons well beyond just his 20-strikeout game, Wood earned this prestigious honor. I'm not in any way saying that Crow-Armstrong will enjoy a similar accolade one day--though perhaps he will. What I am saying is that he is a remarkably special player. More importantly, he's a Cub. View full article

With as good as the Cubs have been since the start of August, and they've been great, the other teams they're chasing in this break-neck race for the playoffs are better. Some of my fellow colleagues here at North Side Baseball had previously pointed out that winning games by scoring football-like numbers is not sustainable for the long haul, and this past week proved why that's the case. Barring unspeakable collapses from the Braves and Mets, the Cubs are almost certainly standing at the outset of their last few weeks of baseball in 2024. Let's dive in to see how it all went down... Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images If familiarity breeds contempt, the Cubs and Pirates must really hate each other by now. This past Monday, the Cubs squared off with the Pittsburgh Pirates again for the first of a three-game set at Wrigley Field. The Cubs cranked the vibes to an all-time high and held a 3-0 lead through seven scoreless innings provided by Jameson Taillon. Then, the final two innings happened. Varying levels of outstanding since becoming a Cub, Jorge Lopez suffered his worst outing for Chicago's North Side club. Not only did he relinquish the lead, he did it by getting knocked around by guys like Andrew McCutchen, who was last relevant when Netflix still mailed physical discs to its subscribers. Shawn Armstrong also worked an inning and gave up an additional run, but the damage was done. Final Score: 5-3 Pirates The Cubs were knocked down in game one of this series and stayed down in game two. A late scratch to Justin Steele put the inconsistent veteran Kyle Hendricks on the mound in this one. To put it bluntly, he was everything Cubs fans have grown fearful of this season with the 34-year-old right-hander. The Bucs tallied five runs on eight hits and to make things so much worse, the Cubs stranded nine baserunners, squandering multiple bases-loaded scenarios in the early innings. There was a lot not to like about this game, and with the stakes still so high, it felt like the end of something. Final Score 5-0 Pirates I could not be happier to write this: The Chicago Cubs threw a combined no-hitter in the series finale versus the Pirates. Shota Imanaga is known to dazzle, but this was something special. Going seven innings before Craig Counsell controversially pulled him (the pitch count was quite high), Imanaga deftly escaped trouble in the few times he faced any. Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge certified the historical night with an inning each of clean work. Leaving little doubt for their brothers on the mound, the Cubs put forth an offensive onslaught, including long balls from Pete Crow-Armstrong, Dansby Swanson, and Cody Bellinger. What a memorable night at the Friendly Confines. Final Score: 12-0 Cubs In last week's recap, I said the Cubs' unlikely road to the playoffs was in danger of being obscured by the New York Yankees. Well, game one versus the Bronx Bombers proved me right. Though the 3-0 loss hurt, the real story in this one was legendary Cubs' first baseman Anthony Rizzo making his emotional first trip back to Wrigley since his infamous trade in 2021. With his former walk-up song "Intoxicated" blaring over the speakers, the South Florida native showed his appreciation to over 40,000 thankful fans, who had vivid memories of the Cubs' 2016 World Series triumph come flooding back to them. Unfortunately, his new club took the day. Yankees' starting pitcher Luis Gil held the Cubbies to just one hit, and the Cubs left five runners on base—a far too generous welcome-back gift from Rizzo's former club on this day. Final Score: 3-0 Yankees I love it when the Yankees lose, so I'd love to tell you that the Cubs set up a game three rubber match in this one, but they didn't. Getting only one runner in scoring position the whole game, the Cubs made things unnecessarily hard on themselves and their starter, Javier Assad, who grows more consistent with each appearance. He went 5.2 innings and surrendered only two runs, but his offense's disappearing act let the effort be in vain. Final Score: 2-0 Yankees After going scoreless in two straight games, the Cubs salvaged the final contest of their three-game tilt with the Yanks. With Jameson Taillon toeing the rubber, the Cubbies showed how frustratingly close they are in quality to some of the league's best. A clutch two-out knock to left field by Isaac Paredes drove in two runs for the North Side club, which proved sufficient in this one. Though he's been maligned by this fanbase and various radio personalities, it's important to point out how reliable Jameson Taillon has been for the Cubs. This marked his tenth victory of the year, and his ERA of 3.57 is more than respectable. Final Score: 2-1 Cubs With the playoffs implausible at best, the time has come just to enjoy the ride. There is still plenty in play for the Cubs down the final stretch, including securing a winning record. There are some nice pieces in the organization that will prove fruitful for the Cubs' future, which most certainly has to employ a "playoffs or bust" mentality in 2025. For now, we've been handed a jump start on pondering visions of what could have been. View full article