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While spring training baseball can give squads misleading premonitions of summer success, part of the benefit of these tune-ups is the team knowing when to gradually increase the workload. With the Cub's special regular season tilt with the Dodgers just over two weeks away, Craig Counsell's gradual release of duties to his ball club is going, to say the least, marvelously. Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images As in the regular season, new storylines emerge each week for the Cubs and, of course, the rest of Major League Baseball. In week one, it was the staggeringly short ramp-up time to the regular season, how Kyle Tucker would look and feel, and who, if anyone, would become a clear favorite at third base. This week, the storyline was longer work for starting pitchers like Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and veteran righty Colin Rea, who reunited with his former and now current skipper. After nearly two weeks of unbeaten baseball in gorgeous Arizona, to paraphrase Cubby play-by-play announcer Jon Sciambi, the news is good for each storyline thus far. Like an orchestra hitting each note in perfect unison at the Lyric Opera House, the Chicago Cubs have struck a chord with how well they're playing in spring ball and might be building habits translatable to regular season prosperity. This week, a wave of activity took place inside the organization, including the club optioning Cody Poteet to Triple-A Iowa, among others. But perhaps the best news from the Cubby camp was the return of 25-year-old Ben Brown, the North Sider's young right-handed pitcher who was sidelined last season with what turned out to be a benign bone tumor in his neck. He saw his first action since last summer in a split-squad game in which he took the bump versus the Kansas City Royals. Backed by an offense (minus Matt Shaw and Nico Hoerner) that, to this point, has not been shut out, Brown gave up four hits, struck out two, and allowed only one run in 2.1 innings of work. Now that he's back, the trick for Tommy Hottovy and this pitching staff will be to help Brown develop more diversity in his arsenal. With the depth this team has on the mound, his development should be more than an empty endeavor. A team full of capable hurlers can provide a steady hand at the wheel in an offensive struggle and significantly alter an opponent's game plans. And that's not limited to what players the opposing manager rolls out, but it strips any mental advantage they might have. Since his surprise star turn in 2024, Shota Imanaga, one of the Cubbies' Tokyo Series starters, has been a pitcher the league spends a non-zero amount of time contemplating. He saw his most extended action of the spring this week. Going nearly three innings, the goal right now is to get Imanaga to resemble some measure of the dominant control he showed off for much of last season. It's tough to say how this abridged preparation time might affect some of his mechanics and those of his fellow starters. However, Imanaga's intangibles, such as his undeniable confidence on the mound, seem just as prominent as ever. I've echoed this sentiment since the start of spring, but the sheer balance of the 2025 Chicago Cubs is its greatest asset and will keep them at the top of the National League Central Division by early October. I'm not saying this team will go wire to wire, win the World Series, and conjure up an unimaginable season even the writers at Disney would call far-fetched. Still, I am saying this club, especially if it gets and stays fully healthy, will be one the city talks about for years to come. View full article

The outset of spring training and its symbolism in bringing a merciful end to winter is inherently supposed to be much more about who the squad could be rather than who they are. And, at least in the very early going, who they are is who you want them to be: a team poised to make the playoffs. Image courtesy of © Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images In his media interactions leading up to the official start of spring game action this week, Craig Counsell, in his second year as skipper of Chicago's North Side club, was direct in his messaging for where this season's Cubs baseball team ought to be in just under eight months from now. Speaking with Marquee's Jon Sciambi and Jim Deshaies, Counsell stressed that "the playoffs are the expectation." Everyone currently donning a Cub uniform seems to be in lockstep with this vision. Things didn't start great against the defending world-champion Dodgers this past Thursday, especially with our first look at Cody Poteet, but the Cubs jumped all over David Roberts' team. Young prospects like Kevin Alcantara and Moises Ballesteros recorded key hits. They logged their first meaningful action against big league pitching from one of the premier squads in the game, no less. While it's unlikely at best to think that these young, though promising, prospects will be up in Lakeview anytime soon, they showed convincing evidence of what returns they will eventually yield. One of the Cubbies' most useful strengths from the offseason is its new-found pitching depth. At the time of this writing, the Cubs have yet to lose a game, and that's been in no small part due to a pitching staff that, in many ways, looks eager to get the real action started. Coming from an injury-plagued 2024 campaign, Jordan Wicks and Justin Steele will factor as cornerstone pieces of this pitching staff in 2025. They looked sharp at worst and entered spring camp with an obvious vigor and fire to get their club to an elevated point of contention come the dog days of summer. More than just rifling balls past opposing teams' bats, the Cubbies look poised to do more than a bit of mashing of their own. In three completed games, the Cubs have recorded a combined 37 hits. Conceding that a good handful of the pitchers they're doing it against won't even be on a major league roster by the end of the year or even a contributor in the minors, that's still pretty impressive. At this origin point of the season, the cautious optimism that most prognosticators reached a consensus on this offseason appears well warranted. Thus far, I've witnessed a squad acutely aware of its recent failures and disappointments in the eyes of fans and those from within. They're exuding the energy of a collective chip on their shoulder, but one of confidence and focus. There is still so much to figure out, including just what on earth will outfield depth pieces like Travis Jankowski and Greg Allen even do for this club. But this week, your excitement was rewarded if you were excited about Cubs baseball and what they might be. View full article

The Cubs' restructuring of the bench this winter has largely focused on defense. Now, they have one genuine bench bat—but how will they use him? Image courtesy of © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Matt Shaw will man third base during the 2025 campaign, with Jon Berti as the backup. Justin Turner is too old to play such an active defensive position, but what he's not too old to do is crush baseballs in big spots. The youth movement at the third base and center field positions is important; they should confer the advantage of good range. Turner's statistics from the past two seasons suggest that, though his power is not what it used to be in his prime as a Los Angeles Dodger, he's still quite useful. in 2024, Turner checked in with an OPS of .766. He's a tough out, and a righty, which makes him a perfect prospective pinch-hitter for Pete Crow-Armstrong. Chicago's young center fielder is about to break out, but not yet. The only rub with this switch is the matter of who takes over center field. Enter Alexander Canario. The powerful 24-year old outfielder, with only 45 total plate appearances with the big-league club, offers only a microscopic sample size from which to draw. The North Siders are high on his potential in left field, for which he should have the requisite athleticism. Does he work in center field? That's harder to say. For a few innings at a time, though, he should be able to survive. so it's viable. Pinch-hit Turner for Crow-Armstrong, come up with the go-ahead single, then turn to the young Canario to play whatever small part is asked of one defender over two or three frames to hold the lead. Call it naiveté. Call me a Ricobene's fried steak sandwich-sized homer, if you'd like. But I think Justin Turner will do something special for Chicago's North Side ball club. In so many of the Cubs' critical mid-game situations in 2024, any combination of players who frequented that role (like Mike Tauchman and Patrick Wisdom) fell short. What does Turner offer that those aforementioned players didn't? He gets on base, in a way that would make Billy Beane's face turn a deeper shade of red than you'd find on a Pequod's pizza. All jokes aside, however, this feels like a complete team now. Regardless of the arrogance loaded in Tom Ricketts's comment that "it's a privilege to play for this team", it is, in fact, a fun team to root for sometimes. Turner's addition ups the chances of this year being one of those times. View full article

After one of the most protracted processes of the offseason, the Cubs' biggest free-agent target signed with the Boston Red Sox this week. You could hear the collective sighs of disappointment, from the Cubs' headquarters in Wrigleyville down to their spring home in Mesa. Image courtesy of © Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images Jed Hoyer and his braintrust made a competitive, "creative" offer, but Alex Bregman ultimately chose a different, even more unusual one. You feel dejected by it, as you should. It's clear how badly the Cubs wanted to make this happen. It's clear that new Cubs Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly would have loved to reunite with their longtime teammate. It's also clear that other organizations' baseball leadership badly wanted Bregman. The truth is, sometimes managers like Craig Counsell, A.J. Hinch, and others, shoot for second team-ups with their favorite players, and the business side intervenes. Like many other moves that never came to be, like (say) reunions between Counsell and Corbin Burnes or Willy Adames, it's easy to get frustrated by what it could have done—but it didn't come to fruition, partially because of what it couldn't have done. It couldn't, for instance, have made the team favorites to reach the World Series. But with six players in the MLB Network Top 100 Players Right Now, the Cubs are a popular choice to win their division and make their long-awaited return to the postseason. Posts on Instagram and Facebook will inform you, dear reader, that the Cubs are primed for a big year, with or without the help of the fickle Friendly Confines. And for once, maybe, I'm with them. I've never been more excited for a prospect than I am the young Matt Shaw. His 2024 slash line of .284/.379/.488 says the hype is real. He can run, he can hit, and hopefully, he will patrol the "hot corner" with ease for years to come. The baseball public won't have to wait long to get a first look at the 23-year-old infielder, as the Cubs start spring games this week. Their Cactus League campaign begins Feb. 20, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Shaw is already nursing a tender oblique, but it seems so mild that he just might get into one of the early contests, anyway. So much of his chance this year will hinge on his ability to adjust throughout the exhibition schedule—and so much of the Cubs' chances will hinge on his performance, now they're without Bregman—that this week will be an important first step. Here's hoping he's ready to take it. View full article

As you read this, the Cubs' pitchers and catchers are rolling up to Sloan Park under the scorching, dry Arizona skies. Spring Training is underway, and the excitement of baseball is on the tip of our collective tongues like a shot of Jepson's Malort. Chase that thought with the reasonable playoff hopes this team holds in 2025. Even with Alex Bregman still a free agent, this Cubby squad is near-ready to take the field. Image courtesy of © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs, through all of our warranted qualms about them, are a pretty good ball club. But with Alex Bregman, the coveted free-agent infielder, the Cubs could be great. What would be even greater is if Scott Boras, the toughest of tough cookie agents, didn't represent the 30-year-old slugger. Now, the North Siders are certainly no strangers to dealing with Boras, with Cody Bellinger and his extremely player-friendly contracts with the Cubbies serving as the best example. But if this is to get done, the time is now. The North Side of Chicago, along with teams like the Tigers, are the most likely landing spots. The stunning late-season run the Tigers had in 2024 is proof enough that magic is on their side, and the Cubbies need him more, lest they find ways to pitch their way into the postseason. On paper, arms like Ryan Pressly, Nate Pearson, and Eli Morgan make the Cubs' bullpen formidable, if not enviable. Add to that stable Ryan Brasier, whose former club, the Dodgers, and their glut of talent left him without a clear spot. At age 37, Brasier joins fellow Cub Pressly as relievers who need to win now to be useful, but he'll be plenty useful. Brasier establishes security at the closer role, once occupied by the tragic figure of the recently departed Adbert Alzolay. The Cubbies have a not insignificant number of arms to throw against their league rivals, and Brasier only adds to this formula. Traditionally, and this is universally true, expectations lead to disappointment. We are, however, at the point in the season where the Cubs have yet to fall short of any goals they've set for themselves. This is the last recap loaded with such speculations for a while. The time to pontificate on the ramifications of real baseball is right now. To quote the late, great Steve Goodman, "Baseball season's underway." View full article

When you look at where this team’s projections are, it’s hard to believe him not being a big part of it. Thanks for reading!

Over a notoriously long 162-game season, everyone involved with Major League Baseball gets to know and develop favorites. With furiously fast wheels, and spark plug/catalyst energy, the Cubs' young center fielder is about to become one such player in 2025. Image courtesy of © Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images A native of Southern California, Pete Crow-Armstrong enjoyed a 2024 campaign which saw him go from awaiting a call-up in Triple-A Iowa to being a mainstay center fielder with astonishing range, making jaw-dropping plays for Craig Counsell's ball club. Crow-Armstrong has some of the most useful speed in the game, and if his offense continues to ascend in 2025, he'll be a problem for the whole league. Whether the moment was once too big for him, or he just had an arduous time adjusting to major-league pitching, Crow-Armstrong labored through at-bats in the early stages of 2024. He played in 123 games last season, and in 410 plate appearances, he struck out 98 times. Through the summer into early fall, however, he got his OBP up to .282, while hammering 10 long balls and 13 doubles. His most impressive feat came in the top of the third in a game against the Miami Marlins, when he completely laced a pitch into deep right field, racing around the bases as the ball ricocheted away from a helpless defense and making it an inside-the-park home run. You could feel the electricity from the play all the way up on the benches at Maggie Daley Park. With each successful at-bat, the speedy outfielder's confidence grew, so much so that he eventually became a staple in the squad's everyday line up. I'm making a prediction: this will be his year. Baseball Prospectus released their PECOTA projections in full Monday, and the system is bullish on Crow-Armstrong. It forecasts a .242/.298/.398 batting line, which would be a bit underwhelming, but it would also mark a concrete step forward in offensive production. With 15 home runs and 33 stolen bases, PECOTA does forecast Crow-Armstrong to remain dynamic at the plate, and we know he'll be a huge plus in the field. Overall, he's projected for 2.4 wins above replacement player (WARP). With substantial protection in a lineup poised to deliver gaudy offensive numbers, I see more than just the default potential that he could exceed these projections. He'll struggle against the division's more stout pitching, like Paul Skenes, but will feast on much of it, especially against right-handers. If Crow-Armstrong's driven mentality and youthful resiliency allow him to keep making good adjustments, this season could be his star turn. View full article

For all of my numerous criticisms of Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer, one thing about him is unimpeachable: he does what he says he's going to do. He expressed the great need to beef up his team's pitching depth, and through a plethora of acquisitions both big and small, the club has done so. Image courtesy of © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Starter or reliever, an MLB hurler is much akin to an NFL quarterback. They're one of the first players to touch the ball on each play, and their success can often alleviate the pressure on struggling teammates. For the best evidence of this proposition, look to 2023 Justin Steele, and 2024 Shota Imanaga, two pitchers who single-handedly kept their club close in ball games they'd eventually win—or lose, in excruciating fashion. In 2023, Steele was sensational, tallying 16 wins and a tidy 3.03 ERA. The feeling was, when he pitched, the team was likely to win. Much of the same can be said of Imanaga, who was dynamite in his rookie season. He earned 15 wins, checked in with a 2.91 ERA, and was (for a time, before hitting some speed bumps in June and July) one of the favorites to take home the NL Cy Young Award. This is all to say that in 2025, the new-look pitching staff—featuring the likes of Eli Morgan, Matthew Boyd, and Colin Rea—will determine this squad's postseason fate, just as much as the revamped offense (with or without Alex Bregman). Both new pitchers this week, Brandon Hughes and Brad Keller, will get the chance to make an immediate impact on a pitching staff often stretched too thin by injuries last season. Keller and Hughes both signed minor-league deals, but they come to camp looking to force the issue for a much deeper group. Each has had success in the past, but neither has achieved consistency. Each fits the obvious needs left on this staff: Hughes is a left-handed reliever who could slide into line behind Luke Little and Caleb Thielbar to shore up that half of the relief corps, while Keller brings Triple-A starting depth from the right side, in lieu of the traded Hayden Wesneski. Of course, with absolute mashers like Kyle Tucker in the lineup, there should be more games that aren't even that close, in the Cubs' favor. The wait is almost over. This time next week, Cubs Spring Training will be underway and speculation about what this club can be will morph into cold hard evidence of our beloved baseball team's imminent triumphs—or failures. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. View full article

By augmenting their roster with key pieces such as the newly-acquired, versatile Jon Berti, the Cubs are getting closer to ready for the curtain to rise on the 2025 MLB season. Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Even when they aren't merited, expectations always seem high for the North Siders. With one more big move, as some expect, perhaps those expectations would be more warranted this time around. In just two short weeks, we'll get our first look at how some of this team's pieces, big and small, mesh together. With my Detroit Lions' Super Bowl dreams deferred for at least one more season, my thoughts about Feb. 9, 2025 have shifted to the start of Cubs spring training. Visions of what Kyle Tucker's bat will do to baseballs at Wrigley now have me feeling warmer than a midsummer Arizona sun, even in the depths of a Midwestern winter. Through a week light on front office moves, what Craig Counsell's squad did this week was earnestly set their sights on prep for the upcoming season and an early date in Tokyo with the formidable Los Angeles Dodgers. One potential threat the Cubbies boast is a deceptively loaded bullpen. Last year's surprise standout Porter Hodge might have to do even more this season, as the bittersweet departure of Adbert Alzolay to the Mets all but guarantees that the Cubs former closer has hurled his last fastball over the plate in royal blue pinstripes. It's unlikely Alzolay will pitch this year, anyway, but if he does make it back from Tommy John surgery on a 12- or 13-month turnaround, he'll do so with the Mets, who envision him returning to starting in 2026 and offered him a two-year non-roster deal. Meanwhile, the Cubs and Astros have an agreement on a trade that would send Ryan Pressly to Chicago, taking some of that pressure off the likes of Hodge, Tyson Miller, and Nate Pearson—but Pressly, who is a veteran with at least 10 years of service time and a five-year tenure on the Astros, has not yet decided whether he'll accede to the swap. That's the big pending question, as the Cubs also explore a few other potential relievers. This is not meant to be an endorsement of anything Jed Hoyer is currently doing or has done in his tenure with Chicago's North Side baseball team, but after considerable time to reflect on what this pitching staff looks like right now, the strategy is clear: get the next guys ready. A veteran presence from guys like Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea, two pitchers with substantial experience, no doubt will provide tremendous insights and mentorship to pups like Cade Horton and Ben Brown. Although an exciting rookie season was truncated by injury in 2024, Brown possesses the stuff and the mindset to propel this club to the top of the National League Central, and maybe even make a run come October—even if Alex Bregman ends up somewhere other than The Friendly Confines. Last week, I told you about the good vibes emanating from Wrigleyville. I don't think that can solely be attributed to the snazzy new "Blues" alternate uniforms the club recently debuted. This team has a nice lineup, its superstars seem happy now, and, barring an injury bug, they will have solid depth and upside when they arrive at camp next month. View full article

One of the best things about being a Cubs fan is that even if the team stinks (which it often has), we still have each other. Hundreds or thousands of Cubs fans wearing blue and red jerseys with names like Sandberg, Dawson, Wood, and Sosa on the back descended upon downtown Chicago this past weekend. With more work yet to do in an offseason quickly drawing to a close, this was a weekend meant to boost vibes around this franchise and the season to come. It did. Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Look, if you're seeking a juggernaut baseball team that scoops up every marquee name under the sun while doling out more money than Lloyd Christmas in "Dumb and Dumber", become a Dodgers fan. That's not the type of team Tom Ricketts and Jed Hoyer run, and for better or worse, they're sticking to that approach. Watching coveted players such as Roki Sasaki and reliever Tanner Scott make their way to a league rival is frustrating, even if there's little more the team could have done to pursue either—or at least, little Hoyer could have done. Be you one of the thousands who count themselves among the ranks of the discontent, then what team Ricketts and Hoyer had to say this past week didn't move the needle for you in a positive direction. Ricketts loves to "break even"; he said as much while taking to the microphone over the weekend. At least in public remarks, Hoyer agrees. Speaking with 670 The Score's Matt Spiegel and Laurence Holmes, Hoyer spoke candidly on the specter of arbitration hearings, the failed courtship of top-tier players, and the need to make moves to bolster this squad's bullpen and bench. "We're in a very competitive window and we have a chance to be really good," he said. Hoyer firmly believes that the organization, on the strength of a good farm system and "clean books" (his words, wince-inducing for some), the team is in "great position to win a lot." Some hopes will continue to hinge on players performing at the top of their range in 2025, then, especially in the bullpen. The Cubs need bullpen help if they seriously intend to tackle goals like winning the NL Central crown. Only the Blue Jays and White Sox lost more one-run games than did the Cubs last year, and the North Siders went just 23-28 in those games. Scott won't factor into rebalancing that equation, but someone of sterling repute must. Our Matthew Trueblood wrote up a fistful of candidates to be that guy. One way or another, I feel like this team has what it needs to ascend to the top of their division once more—and maybe even stay there. Their primary rivals, the Brewers, haven't materially improved this winter, as the Cubs have. Each year, this division is winnable, and in 2025, that sentiment rings truer than ever. The Cubs Convention is a time for generations of fans to come together to share stories, memories, and their love for the team that plays so close to the lake. Maybe this year, the club is primed to add another compelling chapter to that story. View full article

When it comes to spending money, the Ricketts family is infamous for, you know, not. Weeks like this don't make it any easier to cope with the implications of that, even if they also didn't get any further from a championship. Image courtesy of © Erik Williams-Imagn Images By bringing in the hard-hitting Kyle Tucker and buttressing the support beams of their roster, the Cubs have become the favorite to win the National League Central division in 2025. With the Cubs and Tucker failing to reach a salary agreement for 2025, the impetus is on the North Siders to make their one year with this superstar worthwhile. I'm someone who tries to concede that folks in higher positions of power than me know what they're doing, but much like Wallace Shawn in "The Princess Bride", I am not a great fool, and I know that this arbitration process the Cubs are now entangled in is not a good look for the organization. Meanwhile, the team made a few more concrete roster moves this week. Two right-handed pitchers joined the organization, in Texas Rangers reliever Matt Festa and former Brewer (and former Cub, for that matter) Colin Rea. Watching Rea pitch at American Family Field was my third-favorite thing to do there, behind indulging in their magnificent food options and seeing Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins shred on the song "Disarm." Both moves materially but incrementally improved Chicago's pitching depth; neither is the transformative finishing piece of a championship-caliber pitching staff for which fans have been waiting. Whatever term of endearment you had for Miles Mastrobuoni, you may want to use it now in memoriam, as the Cubs designated the infielder for assignment. Playing behind both Christopher Morel and (subsequently) Isaac Paredes at third base and finding sporadic chances around the diamond, Mastrobuoni was not known for much else but his electric smile while a member of the Cubbies, though he did answer the call defensively at the hot corner when called upon. In so many different ways, from frugal decision-making to flat-out disappointment, this was a pretty standard week from the perspective of the Cubs' faithful. While the results are expected, it doesn't mean the organization and all those involved shouldn't demand more of itself. They still have plenty of paths to finishing the winter with a bang, but they have to get the next couple of weeks right. View full article

Whether or not you've eradicated the stench of stale pilsner left over from your New Year's Eve party, we are now just one calendar page away from seeing ballplayers in uniform again. The Cubs are in the final stretch of the offseason, with one paramount question remaining: Will the North Siders get the game-changing starting pitcher they desire? Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Former Twins lefthander Caleb Thielbar switched from the American League Central to the National League Central this week. Both divisions were surprisingly crowded at the top, so it's possible that the 37-year-old veteran and newest Cub is capable of helping Craig Counsell's squad to once again become division champions. Thielbar's 5.37 ERA from his 2024 campaign kept the price tag low, but he could provide mentorship to some young hurlers and solid middle relief work. I'll level with you: if this seems boring, that's because it is. The Cubs are still without a fearsome ace hurler either in the starting rotation or in the bullpen, and that needs to change before pitchers and catchers report if this club is serious about contention in 2025. Thielbar probably doesn't take them further from that objective, but nor does he move them closer to it. There is legitimate cause for hope that that guy will turn out to be Roki Sasaki. Don't hold your breath for that one, though, unless you have very strong lungs. Per Sasaki's agent Joel Wolfe, the wait for the 23-year-old Japanese sensation's decision will not even end right on Jan. 15, when he'd be eligible. The process is likely to last almost all the way to the deadline for him to sign, on Jan. 23. The Cubs have a 1-in-6 chance of landing this exciting young talent—if one report, which names them, the Mets, the Yankees, the Rangers, the Dodgers and the Padres as remaining suitors, is to be believed. Given the serious thump on the offensive side of the ball, landing Sasaki could launch the Cubs into the top tier for postseason success—if he turns out to be everything the bidding teams are hoping he is. While brutal, arctic cold envelopes the city of Chicago and the rest of the Midwest, thoughts of what this team could be heat things up just enough to keep it livable. Only some good hot stove action can really make it warm and cozy around here. View full article