RavenCub30

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Seeing as the 2026 World Series will mark the 10-year anniversary of that championship, I don't feel it is a stretch to say that most of us would love to skip ahead to March 26 when the 150th version of this squad hosts the Washington Nationals on Opening Day. Lest one of you fine readers be Marty McFly, we are required to wait it out here in the present, but this past week alone, the club gave its faithful a lot to be excited about. Now, while fans of the city's North Side ball club don't need to line up for their Ben Zobrist bobbleheads quite yet, they certainly are recognizing both the work and the tone being set down in Mesa, Arizona. Since the outset of spring training, no one has put in more work than the Cubs' new superstar third baseman Alex Bregman. On three separate occasions recently, the veteran slugger sent cascading long flies into the dry Arizona skies during live batting practice. It was Bregman's signing in mid-January that created the most positive buzz around this club, and he's currently displaying that buzz was for good reason. He's settling in nicely and buying into the team culture as hoped. It's great to have him in the Cubs' pinstripes. This squad's pitching staff is heralded as being one of the most formidable in baseball, and a key piece of that staff, newly-acquired starter Edward Cabrera, gave his new team their first taste of what to expect from the young hurler. Cabrera established a rhythm and chemistry with catchers Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, looking to come back strong from an injury that sidelined him in the midst of a promising 2025 season. What this squad accomplishes on the mound this year will directly inform how much success they do, in fact, attain. Off the practice fields, all eyes were on team Chairman Tom Ricketts this past week, as he spoke candidly with the media on expectations for this specific club and the franchise as a whole. It turns out, he also wants to see some success, as Ricketts expressed an explicit desire to win the division, and ultimately, yes, the World Series. His candor wasn't necessarily a heel turn; he wants to win, but he received some praise for saying the quiet part out loud in his comments. Depending on when you've clicked on this article, the Cubbies have already gotten their spring training slate underway against their Crosstown rival, the Chicago White Sox. Toeing the rubber for the North Siders in their spring opener is the underrated Jameson Taillon. The versatile righty is set to get his first meaningful reps of the year against Chicago's Southside team. Taillon went 11-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 2025. Completely letting yourself bask in a good Cubs team can be a big ask, but at this point, the club has provided plenty of convincing evidence as to why it's ok to catch a good vibe, at least for now. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images Despite the rest of the division jockeying for pole position in the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs have one of the most lethal offenses in professional baseball, capable of setting the tone in the Senior Circuit. Michael Busch, the North Side's powerful yet underrated first baseman, impressed insiders with a scorching star turn in the late goings of his club's 2025 regular season and playoff run. We're about to get our first look at a Cubs lineup that, if it stays healthy, could be excessively difficult to get through, like the extended version of a Peter Jackson film. With the likes of Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong holding down the middle of the lineup, Busch's early placement in Craig Counsell's lineup aligns the club for early offensive outbursts against opponents that would find themselves playing catch-up, looking on as the North Siders exchange high fives in the middle of the diamond. Teams in the majors average a barrel rate of 8.6%; factoring in Bregman and Moises Ballesteros, your Chicago Cubs sport a barrel rate of 10.9%. Though he rarely gets credit for it, Ian Happ is one of the more proficient leadoff men in the game, with a career OBP of .343. Putting that kind of proficiency in front of a slugging Busch in the two-hole opens up a window for early offensive production likely to produce a rally and create situations for the opposition where they'd have little choice but to pitch to other power hitters like Bregman and Crow-Armstrong. There are no easy outs in this lineup. It's easy and quite a lot of fun to witness Busch step into the batter's box. A lot like the "C" in his club's primary logo, his Baseball Savant page is bright red. His 76% hard-hit rate backs up his slug and his overall power numbers from 2025. Though his All-Star teammate in centerfield overshadowed his output, Busch smacked 34 home runs, 25 doubles, and five triples in 2025. His vision, timing, and swing decisions are elite. By extension of that, his whole club figures to be elite in 2026. Good teams don't just have big names — they have balance. The 2026 version of this Cubs lineup is one of the most balanced in years. Last year, Busch was kept from a resoundingly splendid season due to his performance against left-handed pitching. But, not only did he trounce all pitching hands in his dominant postseason run, thanks to Jed Hoyer, he's got all kinds of insurance surrounding him to make sure he gets some good stuff to offer on. For the 150th time in baseball history, Chicago's North Side team is about to embark on a new season. Myriad pieces are in place to assure that version of this club is a memorable one for all the right reasons. Chief among those reasons will be whatever Michael Busch can accomplish atop the lineup. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images Featuring their most complete roster since the end of the Theo Epstein/Joe Maddon era, the Chicago Cubs enter the 2026 campaign with aspirations of their first full-season division title since 2017. Standing in their way are the scrappy, overachieving, endlessly capable Milwaukee Brewers. Though Pat Murphy's club has given the nation a heart-warming underdog story for the past couple of seasons, Craig Counsell's crew is poised to retake the crown. Whether it be the dangerously frigid temperatures or the garden-variety anticipation of a new campaign, people are ready for baseball. The 2025 season earned the Chicago Cubs partial credit, as they made a satisfying return to the playoffs, but their steady climb to the top of the NL Central is not complete. As it has been for some time now, the NL Central figures to be a two-team race between the Cubs and Brewers. I can't stand preseason predictions. They're often too negative, overemphasize conceptual team alignments, and provide unnecessary bulletin board material for slighted squads. It's the fuel on which teams like Milwaukee thrive, as overzealous North Side fans look askance at their Wisconsin neighbors for dealing Freddy Peralta, their former ace, to the New York Mets. The Crew has emerged from similar deals unscathed and with a handsome haul of talent, as seen when they sent Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, but it's a lot of needle-threading. The big question, this year, will be whether the Cubs can finally punish Milwaukee's long-term focus with some short-term pain. That will depend on their pitching staff. Despite the loss of Brad Keller to the Phillies, the Cubs' bullpen sports a diverse array of established relievers and former starters. They restocked with low-level moves in the relief corps, and took a risk by trading top prospects for starter Edward Cabrera. Chicago continues to undergo a series of changes in the outfield. While we know that Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong will keep patrol left and center field, right field will take on a different look without Owen Caissie or Kyle Tucker. In all likelihood, Seiya Suzuki, who made incremental improvements there, will get the lion's share of the time out there. Failing that, there are some intriguing fallback plans, as we've discussed here throughout the week. By enduring persistent shortcomings, missteps, and misfortunes, the Cubs have obtained one more weapon in their quest to seize the division championship in 2026: failure. In baseball, failure is the best teacher. In the past three campaigns alone, the North Siders missed the postseason by two agonizingly slim margins and limped into a postseason berth that left the faithful wanting more. But the muscle memory that pain created, paired with the unified talent this squad possesses, makes it fearsome. They're in a good enough spot to win the division this time around—so they'd better do so. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images To paraphrase legendary Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo's remarks at Cubs Convention this weekend in downtown Chicago: this team should be a contender every year. Well, as luck would have it, recent additions to an already stout roster could make that true for the foreseeable future. That doesn't mean that all is well in Wrigleyville, however, as continued trade rumors involving the vital and beloved infielder Nico Hoerner haven't ceased. If things break right, this season possesses the potential to be a truly special one. When you're a squad at or near the top, though, improvements—let alone ones large enough to push you the next rung up the ladder—come harder and at higher costs. As the organization and its fans celebrated the 2016 World Series champions this weekend, everyone had a chance to reflect on how that magic happened. Bold moves and painful rebuilding years paved the way to sustained success. What resonates most, however, is how galvanized that team was, and how each member of that clubhouse wanted to be there. Here in 2026, standout newcomer Alex Bregman and his embrace of his team and the city have conjured up similar feelings. If and when Nico Hoerner takes the field for the first time this spring at Sloan Park, it will elicit a cathartic sigh of relief for Cubs fans—and some of the players. This current North Side baseball team is built on character, chemistry, and results. Hoerner is part of that fabric. While some pundits have gotten swept up in discussions regarding the inconsistent Matt Shaw, Hoerner has been one of the most steady players in professional baseball. He pelts fastballs, doesn't strike out, and is one of the best defensive second basemen in the big leagues. If that weren't enough, both his profile and commitment to his club harmoniously align with the directive of this team in 2026 and beyond. It took quite some time for this organization to get back to a place of perennial contention, so in my opinion, no one is expendable in this clubhouse—even if, at times, it feels like Shaw could be. If Shaw stays, the Cubs will benefit on both sides of the ball, as long as Craig Counsell can find places to play him without disrupting the rhythm of his starting infielders. On the other side of that coin, if he is dealt, his new club will no doubt greatly benefit from his presence. The Cubs would have to get such a trade right, to ensure that they improve in both the short term and the long term. Hoerner and Shaw are both Cubs as the Convention draws to a close. This weekend, though, both Jed Hoyer and Crane Kenney indicated the team will still make more moves before the offseason is over. What those moves add (and perhaps what they cost) for the 2026 team will heavily influence the fan base's mood come the middle of next month, when pitchers and catchers report to spring training. View full article

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images As the hot stove continues to burn, nothing has been won yet by any big-league club, but the Chicago Cubs have certainly passed the vibe check. Alex Bregman, the newest North Sider, beamed from ear to ear as he greeted the media at his introductory press conference. Craig Counsell's squad feels like a complete team, and everyone from Red Line riders to Round Lake suburbanites have noticed. The Cubs head into the 2026 campaign with an air of confidence that has been missing in recent years. Droves of fungible players like Alfonso Rivas suited up in blue pinstripes not that long ago, at the end of an era of North Side baseball tarnished by penny-pinching and poor player development. Those dark clouds have been carried off by westerly winds, out onto Lake Michigan. This club is showing its teeth, and in doing so, showing its fans there's good reason to believe. The Cubs' culture is taking a definite, winning shape, and their two new acquisitions have a winning pedigree. The manner in which Bregman and Cabrera arrived on the North Side suggests that the two stars are much more focused on their performances than their pockets. Both have settled into their new place of residence nicely and seem genuinely happy to be wearing the iconic Cubs logo on their chests. Juxtaposed with the Cubs tenure of the recently departed Kyle Tucker, a man who seemed like he'd rather be anywhere else, they make a refreshing change. The character of the players on this team is an extension of president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer's focus on building a sense of shared purpose, as well as a roster that can achieve that purpose. When Hoyer made the stunning move to hire Craig Counsell as the 56th manager of the club, I knew this team had just embarked on a journey. At the time, the destination was shrouded by those lingering clouds, rather than being clear and apparently reachable. In 2026, the club will have a clear view toward the horizon. With a map in hand, the Cubs have set a course for their desired destination, with the right navigators to get them there. View full article

Image courtesy of © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images For long weeks that froze over and became months, Cubs fans waited for their own personal hot stove to spark. Suddenly, in a week becoming their annual moment of truth and on an auspicious night for all Chicago sports supporters, it came together. The franchise's future came much more clearly into view. While Bears fans watched their team make a heroic playoff comeback against the Green Bay Packers, their phones lit up, delivering the news that Alex Bregman had agreed to a five-year deal with the team. Along with the trade that brought young right-handed pitcher Edward Cabrera to the North Side just over 72 hours earlier, that signing announced the team's earnest intention to return to title contention in the National League. If you want to dive deeper into the story about either of the new ball players Craig Counsell's team just acquired, please check out our comprehensive coverage here at North Side Baseball. Here, suffice it to say that in making these moves, Jed Hoyer's front office showed an urgency not seen here since the days of Theo Epstein. Hoyer and his staff will probably never admit to having a perception problem, but their recent actions suggest they're aware of its existence. The Cubs are a big-market team that has enough funds to go toe-to-toe with any other club in baseball when it comes to talent acquisition. This is a 90-win club that has watched its rivals in Milwaukee seize three straight division titles and five of the last eight, while the Cubs only limped to one—in the shortened, meaningless COVID season of 2020. The North Siders finally made it back to the postseason in 2025, but that shouldn't be their measuring stick for success or failure. They should plan to win the division every year, or go down swinging in the effort. These moves show that they agree with that, even if ownership is reluctant to spend what it would take to establish that standard. A new era of Chicago Cubs baseball is about to start, and since recent events have given this club a clear direction, the season can't come soon enough. Real change feels possible. The Cubs signed Shota Imanaga on Jan. 11, 2024. They were, in a way, right on schedule this year, making their big splashes in that same sweet spot of the offseason where talent is still available but freezer burn hasn't set in. Now, we all just have to wait and see what other changes come before spring training—and how these moves pay off come Opening Day. View full article

Image courtesy of © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images In 2025, Craig Counsell had one of the better starting rotations in the big leagues, based on results. Several of the successes won by the 2025 version of this club emanated from the bump. Yet, the team ran out of starter steam in the postseason, so they made a significant addition to their mix this week. Let's review where the rotation stands, as the beginning of spring training comes into view on the horizon. Cade Horton Featuring an outstanding array of pitches and command that earned him second place in last season's NL Rookie of the Year voting, Horton is the ace of this staff. Entering last season, we knew his fastball, slider and curveball had a chance to be special. However, what he did with his changeup, a pitch that yielded just a .115 average from opposing batters last season, took him to a new level. Only his durability is in question. He missed the team's crucial final stretch heading into the postseason with a rib injury, and was denied his playoff debut after the Cubs were ousted from the tournament before he could recover. Matthew Boyd The 34-year-old veteran returns to the rotation after enjoying perhaps his best season in the big leagues. In his All-Star campaign, Boyd showed both command and composure. With an excellent walk rate and feel for several pitches, he gutted his way through a season in which his workload far exceeded what the team expected to need from him when they signed him to a two-year deal last winter. Depending on how quickly newcomer Edward Cabrera ascends through the rotation, Boyd's spot could slide, though he still stands as one of the vital pieces of this staff. Edward Cabrera The shiniest new toy at 1060 W. Addison (at least on the pitching side), Cabrera, 27, is a near-bottomless well of talent and upside. While he has certainly struggled with injuries, the strikeout-heavy righty features a dominant curveball with which he punched out 54 batters last season. His changeup borders on being a splinker, with the ability to push it past 95 MPH. Cabrera will also enjoy better offense and defense in support of his outings than he received in Miami. If he stays healthy, he'll be the bat-misser the rotation lacked in 2025. Jameson Taillon Pitching just shy of 130 innings last season, Taillon had a 1.06 WHIP in 2025. He, too, excelled at limiting walks, and kept the team in the game nearly every time he took the mound. In only five of his 23 starts did he hurt the team's win probability by more than 2.7%. Entering his 10th major-league season, Taillon is a steady presence in the clubhouse. You know what to expect from him every five days on the mound, and every day off of it. For a team with a stable of young starters, his veteran presence will augment the youth movement. Shota Imanaga In a 2024 season that ultimately ended in oppressive disappointment for the Cubs, no one endeared himself more to fans of North Side baseball in Chicago than Imanaga. He was cruising, legitimately flirting with a 20-win season, and warranted Cy Young talk until sputtering in the second half of the campaign. Sadly, in 2025, the charismatic starting pitcher more closely resembled what he was in the second half of his rookie season. A hamstring injury kept him out longer than anyone had hoped, and throughout the second half, he was plagued by home runs that often put the Cubs in an early hole. In what will likely be his final year in a Cubs uniform, Imanaga looks to bounce back with a return to his 2024 form. That will depend on whether or not he can execute his splitter better, especially throwing it below the zone for chases. Should he reclaim that command, the fan favorite could be a sneaky weapon—albeit an expensive one. Justin Steele An elbow injury early in 2025 wiped out nearly all of the southpaw's season. The setback led to Steele's second career Tommy John surgery. His injuries, in fact, created the impetus for the Cubs to seek and develop other viable starting pitchers, which led to the rotation's current composition. Not since his impressive 2023 16-5 season have we seen what Steele can really do. His cut-ride heater and slider form a solid combination. An intentional and gradual ramp-up will be the key to Steele's success in 2026. Luckily, the squad has some depth, with Colin Rea and Javier Assad. All told, his return will be a welcome one, but it needn't be hurried. The five probable starters in this forecasted rotation each bring something unique to the table. They're not a dominant group, but they've moved from perhaps average to a tier higher. Their depth should ensure that they stay in contention throughout 2026, and if they reach October, they'll be better-equipped to advance this time. View full article

Image courtesy of © Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Of the players on the Chicago Cubs who helped the squad come to within a game of the National League Championship Series in 2025, few were more instrumental than second baseman Nico Hoerner. And yet, as the city's North Side baseball team wades through an underwhelming and perplexing offseason, the Northern California native's name has become the focal point of swirling trade talks. It's clear why another club would want to trade for Hoerner: At just 28 years old, Hoerner has two Gold Gloves to his name and just produced a season worth 14 outs above average (OAA). Not only did he get on base frequently in 2025 with a .345 OBP, but he also made things happen once he got on, stealing 29 bases. More than this, the star infielder was one of the only players in Craig Counsell's lineup to consistently hit for contact, tallying 40 extra-base hits among his total of 178. Is that kind of production easily replaceable? No. Why, then, do the Cubs have designs on bringing Bo Bichette to Wrigleyville? Now, it's worth mentioning that since Bichette's ball club made it to Game 7 of the World Series, he has more numerous and more recent failures at the plate than his counterpart in Chicago. But Bichette still finished the 2025 season with a .311 batting average. Over the course of the regular season in 2025, Bichette had fewer hits (in fewer at-bats) than Hoerner. Defensively, Bichette is inferior to Hoerner, with a Baseball Savant page featuring more blue than a postcard from the Caribbean. What Toronto's star infielder does have, however, is hype. Since entering the league with his equally-famous teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bichette was announced as being one of the game's new young superstars, carrying the weight of the league's rising popularity on his shoulders. Despite falling short of his lofty expectations thus far, Bichette remains one of the more prominent and recognizable players in professional baseball. When examining this specific aspect, Bichette's profile, the Cubs' pursuit of him makes sense. This is an organization that likes to maintain a certain level of name-brand players — guys that fill seats at Wrigley. Think Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker, and Yu Darvish. Given that fact, it's likely that Tom Ricketts, Jed Hoyer, and the rest of the brass wouldn't mind welcoming Bichette to Chicago, with designs on hiding his defensive shortcomings next to the exemplary Dansby Swanson. Playing at second should mask a great many of his range concerns, and it wouldn't be hard for Bichette to improve at least a little on that side of the ball. Still, he'd be a far cry from what Hoerner offers at the keystone, and signing Bichette to a long-term deal almost certainly comes with the caveat that the incumbent second baseman will be dealt away. If and when a package is assembled to make this theoretical trade a reality, Chicago would still earn an incomplete grade for this offseason as we sit just one calendar month away from the start of spring training and the 2026 season. The North Siders still need an ace to lead their pitching rotation, and not only have they not acquired one, but also seem content in allowing other challengers to exhaust all the best available options on the market. So, the question remains: What is the Cubs' play here? For this club to expand upon its triumphs from last season, it needs consistency. That's something that Nico Hoerner has a proven track record of providing. Can Bichette, in a new city, with a new ballpark, pick up where Hoerner left off? As the great Ellie Goulding once said: Anything could happen. View full article

Image courtesy of Pacific League TV/YouTube At this week's hotly anticipated (and grossly underwhelming) MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando, a lack of activity from Chicago's North Side baseball team left fans feeling colder than a Roscoe Village sidewalk in January. While the squad's starting pitching rotation has not been rounded out quite yet, skipper Craig Counsell emphasized to the media in his presser that pitching is not a commodity of which any team can have enough. Jed Hoyer and his staff agree, but so far, they're taking a quantity-over-quality approach. They've signed three relievers this winter: Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, and Collin Snider. These three could prove key pieces to a bullpen that kept batters off balance in 2025. However, the bullpen is really only worth a damn if the starter sets them up for success. So, with prime targets like Michael King, Joe Ryan, and the pined-over Tatsuya Imai remaining unsigned, what's next? And, more importantly, who is the best option to help the Chicago Cubs claim the Fall Classic? Even Cubs fans engaged in heated debates over what is or isn't a Christmas movie agree that their favorite baseball team needs a poised, imposing starting pitcher, not only to attain their lofty postseason goals, but to reclaim the crown in their own National League Central, where the Milwaukee Brewers have reigned for far too long. There are a few fine options who would instantly make this squad better, but we've covered a handful of them recently. Today, let's focus on the pitcher who could make this a championship-caliber group: Tatsuya Imai. Imai is the best fit to join the Chicago Cubs; that's why the club's pursuit of him is so intentional. In eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball, Imai has been sturdy and occasionally dominant, with a 3.15 ERA and 907 strikeouts. Though he comes from the land of the diving splitter, Imai's mid-90s velocity and plus slider make him distinctly American in style and could make him the missing ingredient for a Cubs team often light on whiffs. Needless to say, another main component of Imai's profile that makes him attractive to the Cubs' front office is his youth. At just 27 years old, he could add a charge of young talent sorely missing in this rotation. Outside of Cade Horton, the Cubs' rotation leans on the older side, with just Horton and Javier Assad coming in under age 30. Younger players carry more untapped potential than a veteran player with a known track record—although, of course, they also come with more risk. With the acquisition of Tatsuya Imai, the Chicago Cubs would have an opportunity to announce that they are a true World Series contender, not just a postseason also-ran. After falling in five games to the Milwaukee Brewers last October, Craig Counsell's squad looked on as his former team got erased by the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. The North Siders aren't as good as the Dodgers, probably, but they do have a chance to be better than the Brew Crew, and Imai's arrival at Wrigley would signal that they think so, too. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Banks-Imagn Images Although Ebenezer Scrooge-level labor strife looms less than one year from now, MLB's championship-caliber teams (like the Toronto Blue Jays) have lifted the spirits of their fanbase with early signings of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. Ever so briefly, Cubs fans felt the same surge of warmth in their breasts—thanks (or not, as it turned out) to an erroneous report from Bob Nightengale that the Cubs had signed erstwhile Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen. It's a moot point, but some instantly felt as though the price for Gallen was a bit too high. Or is it? It's no secret that Jed Hoyer, Carter Hawkins and their staff are seeking a new ace for the top of their rotation, and they have their sights set on hurlers like Michael King, Tatsuya Imai, and Ranger Suárez—in addition, of course, to Gallen. While rumors of what other NL Central squads might do swirl like flakes in a snow globe, Hoyer has a real opportunity to once again position his organization as a perennial World Series threat. Being one of the 29 teams that falls short of baseball's ultimate prize creates the perception that there is less to work with than there really is. The team can and will move away from players like Matthew Boyd, who not only vastly overachieved in 2025, but will be bearing the weight of extra work in his role with Team USA in the forthcoming World Baseball Classic. Waiting in the wings are the likes of Jaxon Wiggins, the towering righty projected to join the squad before the sweltering days of a Wrigley summer arrive. Landing one of those top-flight arms will be important to a team with big dreams for 2026, but their floor is steadily rising each year. Thanks to a media slip-up, we arrived prematurely at one of the North Siders' major offseason destinations. Their approach to this Winter Meetings figures to provide the evidence that diehard fans have been seeking for some time now, that their club seeks to reclaim its view from the top. If you're like me, you've wanted a reason to dive back into the world of Major League Baseball, counting down the days until balls and strikes are once again the currency of our hopes and dreams. In no small way, the Winter Meetings will start showing us just how much there is to hope for. View full article

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images When it comes to Cubs baseball, there was a great bounty of gifts to be thankful for in 2025. From a thrilling playoff run to the return of legendary players like Anthony Rizzo back into the fold, you'd have to be a turkey not to find something to like about where this franchise is, and where it could go. So, while you loosen your belts and take part in whatever timeless holiday traditions you call your own, take a look at five big things Cubs fans have to be thankful for. 1. Cade Horton: Near or at the top of every Cubs fans' wish list is a Dylan Cease-type top-of-the rotation starting pitcher. Should that happen, that pitcher will work great in concert with the magnificent Cade Horton. Before succumbing to a rib injury at the end of the 2025 season, the 24-year-old righty helped his squad stack wins in the second half. Racking up 11 wins and pitching 118 innings in the majors, Horton got to 147 total frames, setting the stage for what should be an unfettered 2026. Many believe it was Horton, not the Braves' Drake Baldwin, who was most deserving of the National League's Rookie of the Year honors. North Siders are lucky to have him, and he certainly figures to keep the Cubs in the playoff mix for years to come. 2. The Cubs are a Playoff Team: Though in retrospect, it feels as if the Cubs barely scratched the surface of what could be in 2025, they roared back into the postseason for the first time in a long time. The North Siders have a strong young core, mixed with some veteran talent that has yet to reach its full potential. In disposing of the San Diego Padres at Wrigley, and taking the Brewers to the brink, this squad's playoff showing suggested that this could just be the beginning for club looking to refill the tank and make another run in 2026. 3. Pete Crow-Armstrong: To be honest, all of baseball should be thankful for the Cubs' Gold Glove center fielder. His offensive production disintegrated in the second half, but his presence never did. Crow-Armstrong is a tremendous ambassador for the game and a bright young star the organization should want to keep around. If he stays on the track of growth and maturity, he'll no doubt provide even more core memories for the Wrigley faithful. 4. Michael Busch: The anticipation of blockbuster offseason free-agent signings is an exercise in anxiety. Around this time of year, getting caught up in what you don't have is as easy as scooping a second helping of mashed potatoes and gravy onto your plate. The fan base would love a reunion with slugger Kyle Schwarber, but in Michael Busch, they've already got one of the shiniest gifts under the tree. With 34 homers and an .866 OPS during the regular season, Busch lit up scoreboards in 2025. At 28, he's five years Schwarber's junior. He arrived on the North Side of Chicago as an overlooked talent, but his poise, performance, and defensive prowess leave baseball fans in Illinois (and beyond) no choice but to take notice. 5. Craig Counsell: A couple years ago, when the Cubs plucked their current skipper from Milwaukee, I thought it was a shrewd but necessary move. He's a "put your money where your mouth is" type of manager who, whether you agree with his choices or not, doesn't stand idly by while the game happens around him. Counsell and his staff turned Matthew Boyd into an All-Star ace who did more than just ensure his squad stuck around a couple games longer in the playoffs. At the end of the underwhelming 2024 season, Counsell famously proclaimed that his should be a 90-win ball club. He proceeded to go out and get 92 victories the following season. He's a great dude to have at the helm of this organization, and I think the best is yet to come. So there you have it, Cubs fans, if that list doesn't warm up your heart just a little bit, make yourself a cup of coffee. The North Side of Chicago is a baseball epicenter, with growth ahead. While we still may have visions of World Series rings dancing in our heads, there's much to be thankful for on this day—and every day. View full article

Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images The dust has settled from the most enthralling World Series in ages, which has subsequently led to the outset of an offseason that, in many ways, figures to be just as intriguing as the play on the field. A great deal of speculation has been placed on how Jed Hoyer and his braintrust will build off of a successful 2025 campaign, which brought winning playoff baseball back to Wrigley Field for the first time since 2017. By now, you know that whatever plans the organization moves forward with will not include left-handed ace and sentimental fan-favorite Shota Imanaga. The 32-year-old hurler just finished his second full year of Major League Baseball in a Cubs uniform, a disappointing campaign for the starter in terms of not just a drop in velocity and victories, but in his club's confidence in him to go out and get the job done. The show must go on, but hopefully with the right performers to make this heartbreaking turn of events worthwhile. With a flurry of top-flight free-agent pitchers hitting the market as we speak, it's up to the front office to get this squad's momentum heading in the right direction. Might I humbly offer the three most suitable options the club must pursue to ensure that their next act is worthy of ovation. Michael King: Over his seven years as a major league pitcher, King has curated the kind of profile that makes him a perfect fit for the Chicago Cubs' rotation. Like Imanaga, he's teetering on the wrong side of 30, but he boasts a 3.24 career ERA with 559 punch outs since his debut. Though suffering a stark decline in strikeouts from 2024 to 2025, he features an impressive array of pitches. His go-to pitch, the sinker, pairs well with his other off-speed pitches, leading to a 66th-percentile whiff rate. Along with fellow Padres starter, Dylan Cease, King took an overall step back in 2025 on a team which the Cubs defeated in the Wild Card Round of the 2025 playoffs. A good amount of that can be chalked up to knee and shoulder issues, which may scare off potential suitors this winter. Even when taking those drawbacks into consideration, King makes sense as a priority target for the Cubs. Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy has a penchant for squeezing every last drop of potential from his pitching staff, and it was just last year that the right-hander looked the part of a staff ace. If he works out, King could be a royal pain for opposing batters to deal with. Joe Ryan; In his time wearing a Twins uniform, there's nothing about this 29-year-old righty's eye test that screams, "Get this guy to Wrigleyville!" But, the more you examine both his performances and pitch arsenal, he makes sense. The most tantalizing aspect of Ryan's game is that he's a certified strike-thrower. Employing his four-seam fastball over 50% of the time, Ryan ranks in the 84th percentile in strikeouts. Perhaps more importantly, he ranks in the 87th percentile in walk rate. If getting guys out by way of the K and not letting them reach base sounds good, Ryan is your man. Dylan Cease: When you clicked on this article, this was probably the first name you expected to see. Since the Cubs traded Cease to their Southside counterparts in 2017, he's been one of the game's premier hurlers. Though he's fallen on relatively hard times the past two seasons, he's still got the raw stuff the Cubs have been lacking in their rotation. Though he only won eight games in 2025 with a 4.55 ERA, he recorded a far more impressive fourth-place finish in Cy Young voting in 2024. And during both seasons, he gave the Padres a whole bunch of innings, spinning 189 1/3 in 2024, and 168.0 in 2025. As the Cubbies have recently done with starters such as elder statesman Matthew Boyd, Cease could experience a resurgence in effectiveness as a member of Craig Counsell's squad. Outside of his ties to the city, Cease also features a more balanced pitch selection than some of his fastball-heavy free-agent counterparts. I'm certain that if Cubs fans could prioritize one reunion, it would be with Kyle Schwarber, but, should fortunes allow, Dylan Cease is an individual the whole organization should hold in high regard when it comes to playing for the home team at Wrigley once more. This is simply a select few options the North Siders have at their disposal, though in my mind, they figure to be the best. The Chicago Cubs are coming off of a postseason appearance that thrilled us all, but still felt like it was too short. The alchemy of this team is changing, and with the departure of Shota Imanaga heralds the loss of the club's soul. If this front office seeks to quickly restore it, it had better make its response count. View full article