And the pig has been kicked! Not the cleanest effort, but it didn’t have to be. What You Need To Know: This Cubs offense is going to be a problem for just about anyone who comes across it. It’s a major crisis for a team that punted on the opportunity to field a major league team […]
Category: Articles
Breaking Down the 2018 Bullpen
The lasting images of the 2017 Cubs bullpen are not favorable ones. In the NLCS alone, we saw Carl Edwards, Jr. walking Yu Darvish on four pitches with the bases loaded, Hector Rondon getting passed over in the ninth inning of Game 2 in favor of John Lackey (a career starter who had never pitched […]
Bryant, Boras, and the Turbulent Offseason
It’s the most wonderful time of the year to be Cubs obsessed 24/7. But if you’ve been following Spring Training news that takes place outside of ballparks named after a toilet (“Steinbrenner Field?” “No, the other one…”), you’ve most likely heard about the situation involving Ronald Acuña and the Atlanta Braves. The 20-year-old phenom tore […]
The Back Half of Jon Lester’s Contract: What We Can Expect
When the Cubs signed Jon Lester in December 2014, it signaled a turning of the corner for the franchise. Even though it is widely accepted that free agent pitchers older than 30 are the riskiest and the least efficient way to spend money in baseball, the Cubs were ready to compete with their emerging positional […]
Victor Caratini Clarifies Cubs’ Opening Day Roster
The 25-piece puzzle that is an opening day roster was practically all in place before even one pitch was thrown in Cubs spring training. And the picture of who will be on the field in Miami for Opening Day became even clearer when Manager Joe Maddon on Saturday announced Victor Caratini as the backup catcher […]
Tyler Chatwood Reflects upon His First Cubs Season
It is some evening in late October, and for Tyler Chatwood, it is the best of times. After pitching meaningful innings in some game in the 2018 World Series, he now sits, surrounded by his new teammates, embraced by a new city. Chatwood reflects. How did he get here? When the Cubs came calling in […]
Outside of the Top 10, the Cubs Have Several Prospects to Watch This Spring
2018 should be an interesting year when it comes to the Cubs’ farm system. The Cubs have five selections in the first 100 picks in the upcoming draft and should able to remake the system quickly. In addition, the Cubs will not have any signing limits when it comes to international free agents, other than […]
Bullpen Flexibility and A Missed Opportunity
While Joe Maddon may never have to pay for a meal in this city again after 2016 (does Maddon even eat meals? Or does he have some new-age health bars he uses? These are the questions, people!), there has been something of a let-down in that the creativity in deploying his lineups hasn’t quite been […]
Searching For The Next Contreras
There was a spring not too long ago where Cubs fans sincerely wondered, “Is Scott McClain for real?” Maybe you remember a March where you thought, “gee, I hope Joe Mather is a Jose Bautista-like late bloomer.” Thankfully, unless Hawk Harrelson finally learns dark magic and causes the Cubs to suffer a nine man, on-field collision […]
A Reminder of What the Cubs Have in Jose Quintana
When it comes to March the adage of, “it’s only spring training” always applies. However, a stat line of six innings pitches, one hit allowed, eight strikeouts, and zero walks/earned runs spurs the mind to action. Sure, it is only spring training, but watching Jose Quintana mow down player after player from the Cleveland team […]