Tag: Chicago Cubs

CHICAGO — The cliff was closer than when the Cubs had a 95-game winning streak in 2018. Even a disappointing 2019 team stayed in contention until the last week of that season, making it hard to see red flags. Winning a division title during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season seemed like a hollow achievement in the wake of a quick playoff exit, Theo Epstein’s eventual departure and COVID-19-related budget cuts. The last two seasons have revolved around trade deadline sell-outs and factory resets. Cubs president Tom Ricketts gave Epstein ample leeway,…

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CHICAGO — Prior to Opening Day, the Cubs had not reached an agreement with Ian Happ on a long-term contract extension, meaning the All-Star player will certainly explore the free agent market after this season. Hap absolutely does not want to talk or be distracted. But as an active leader within the Major League Baseball Players Association—and former teammate of Anthony Rizzo, Chris Bryant, Javier Baez and Wilson Contreras – He deeply understands the business side of the game. He knows how these situations always go. After extensive contract talks…

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MESA, Ariz. — The last time I did a spring training question-and-answer session with Cubs president Jed Hoyer, it was 2019 and he wasn’t yet the president. He was still the GM, working under Theo Epstein. The Cubs were still in their competitive window. But not for long. Four years later, the Cubs still haven’t won a playoff game since 2017. Epstein is back on the East Coast, fixing baseball, and Hoyer is left to reconstruct the dream (or myth) of the “Next Great Cubs Team.” As for me, I’m…

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Mesa, Arizona — The Cubs rotation is set to begin the season. All that remains is the official announcement from manager David Ross that Hayden Wisinski is the fifth player, but this is seen as a formality at this point. With Marcus Stroman announced as the Opening Day starter for Thursday, lefty Justin Steele is likely to play after him next Saturday at Wrigley’s. Steele looked away during his final start, and talked about feeling like he was pitching “under water”. He walked five batters and had a low speed,…

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MESA, AZ – This is the time of year to dream about prospects and possibilities in another season. Everyone seems to be working on a new stadium, tweaking a mechanic, or showing off the best shape of their lives. Six weeks of training in the Arizona sunshine can lead to unchecked optimism. As veteran pitcher Trevor Williams once said during his only spring training with the Chicago Cubs: “I have my life as a no-hitter against dummy batters in the lab.” The first test of reality for the 2023 Cubs…

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MESA, Arizona. – It kind of became a joke about the Baltimore Orioles whenever Brandon Hyde mentioned his years with the Chicago Cubs. As the front office farm manager for Theo Epstein and a member of Joe Maddon’s major league coaching staff, Hyde became a reliable and consistent voice during the rebuilding phase and World Series window. Hyde used that as a springboard to take on the Orioles, who lost 115 games during the 2018 season and faced a massive rise in the American League East. “When Heider got the…

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MESA, Arizona. The Chicago Cubs are still evaluating free agents in the middle of spring training and are looking to add a left-handed reliever to their baseball game, baseball operations chief Jed Hoyer said Thursday, hinting at a potential addition that would push closer to the 233 luxury tax minimum. Million dollars. According to major league sources, Zach Britton, Mike Minor, Will Smith, and Brad Hand are among the names considered by the Cubs. Estimates of FanGraphs’ RosterResource List The Cubs turned out to be about $8 million under tier…

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