Latest news and updates about the Cubs
The 2025 MLB season just ended with a great World Series Game 7 last Saturday. Now it’s time to talk spring! As of the date of this post, we are just 107 days away from the Cubs’ Spring Training opener against the White Sox. Included in the 18-game Sloan Park home schedule is an exhibition […]
When the book closed on the 2025 regular season, the Chicago Cubs had launched an impressive 223 home runs, 6th most in MLB (3rd most in the NL). That was 53 homers more than they hit in 2024, 27 more than they hit in 2023, and 64(!) more than they hit in 2022. 2025 MLB Team Home Run Leaders Yankees: 274 HRs Dodgers: 244 HRs Mariners: 238 HRs Angels: 226 HRs Mets: 224 HRs Cubs: 223 HRs Athletics: 219 HRs (Mickey Mouse ballpark) D-Backs: 214 HRs ...
You might say: “But the Cubs already have a third baseman!” Yes, they do. Matt Shaw did a credible job at third base, a position that wasn’t his original one. He did well enough with the glove to be a Gold Glove “finalist,” and posted 3.1 bWAR, which is very good for a rookie season […]
Wowwww. Bulls. A 24-point comeback win, down to the final seconds . This team has some juice. If you missed Shane Bieber’s stunning option decision and my thoughts on it, see here . I think it’ll take a little while to fully know whether that was just some weird, one-off, super-idiosyncratic decision of Bieber’s, or if it represents some kind of fundamental systemic concern about what this offseason is going to look like. But we’ll get some clues with the Qualifying Offer decisions this...
Despite falling short of a World Series berth, the Brewers had one of their most successful seasons in years. Milwaukee won 97 games (including two 11-plus game win streaks) for the first time in franchise history and beat their division rivals, the Chicago Cubs, in the NLDS. Since there were also a lot of exciting […]
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths. “Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire. Happy birthday to Bryan LaHair, one-time Cubs All-Star! Today in baseball history: Cubs Birthdays: Charlie Newman, […]
Thanks for stopping by here at BCB After Dark: the hippest afterparty for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. It’s always good to see you. Come in out of the cold. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own […]
This morning, Shota Imanaga became a free agent when both the team (3-years, $57M and a no-trade clause) and the player (1-year, $15M) rejected their contractual options. And although there’s still a chance Imanaga could return to the Cubs in 2025 by way of the $22M qualifying offer or a new free agent deal altogether, it sounds like both sides are getting ready to move on. Or, at least, the posturing has begun. Shota Imanaga, the Cubs, and Free Agency For the Cubs, that looks and so...
Though right-hander Keegan Thompson spent the entirety of the 2025 season at the AAA level within the Chicago Cubs organization, the Cincinnati Reds signed him to a major league deal earlier on Tuesday. Thompson, 30, does have ample big league experience, however. A former 33rd round pick of the Detroit Tigers and later a 3rd […]
Yu Darvish wasn’t a Chicago Cubs pitcher for too long, but I enjoyed it so much that I’ll always think of him as a Cub. Which, in turn, means today’s news really, really bums me out: San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish will miss the 2026 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and an internal brace in his elbow. https://t.co/Z6cRdogoYh — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 4, 2025 There are two over-arching reactions here to the news: 1.) This ...
The offseason is just days old and Mike Elias has just done the first real notable move to the Orioles roster. The team announced on Tuesday afternoon that they have acquired reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs. That would be the same Kittredge the Orioles traded to the Cubs in July. In July, Kittredge cost […]
The Cubs acquired Andrew Kittredge from the Orioles at last July’s trade deadline for minor leaguer Wilfri De La Cruz, who has yet to play in North America (he was with the Cubs’ Dominican Summer League team). Kittredge played well for the Cubs in his two months on the North Side, posting a 3.32 ERA […]
Gabby Hartnett’s famous “Homer In The Gloamin’” is not just the most famous walkoff home run in Cubs history — maybe the most famous Cubs homer, period — it’s one of the top walkoff home runs in all of MLB history, at least in a regular-season game. The BilL Mazeroski homer that won the 1960 […]
Farewell, Keegan Thompson. The long-time up-down Chicago Cubs righty is off to join the Cincinnati Reds organization on a big league deal: The #Reds today signed RHP Keegan Thompson to a one-year Major League contract through the 2026 season. Welcome to Reds Country, Keegan‼️ pic.twitter.com/n1B1KsXYkT — Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) November 4, 2025 Consider that your reminder that, in addition to big league free agency, minor league free agency also began this week. Furthermor...
Although the vibes changed rather dramatically sometime in July, losing Kyle Tucker to free agency this offseason is going to sting . For however imperfect and uneven his season turned out to be, even the most jaded Cubs fan knows that Tucker was a significant contributor: 22 HRs, 25 SBs, 136 wRC+, 4.5 WAR, and all in nearly 600 PAs from the top-third of the Cubs lineup. Honestly, if he had simply connected on that 3-1 fastball in the sixth inning of NLDS Game 5, we might be having an ent...
There is surprising news today about Japanese left-hander Shōta Imanaga, and I call him “Japanese” instead of “Cubs” because… So as of today, Imanaga is a free agent. For the first season and a half of his time with the Cubs, Imanaga was one of the better pitchers in the National League. He was an […]
Today is Trade Deadline Day in the NFL! No, it’s not quite like MLB’s Trade Deadline, but you’re still gonna want to know what’s happening. Make sure you’re perusing our coverage throughout the day ! Jameson Taillon wants to put in a good word for his Cubs rotation-mate in the NL Rookie of the Year race : All really awesome exciting young players! But Cade literally carried our staff in the 2nd half during a playoff push/race. Also- WAR isn’t a perfect stat, especially for pitche...
Ryan Brasier, Willi Castro,, Aaron Civale, Brad Keller. Drew Pomeranz, Taylor Rogers, Carlos Santana, Mike Soroka, Caleb Thielbar, and Kyle Tucker have declared Free Agency. I’d bring three of them back. Your mileage may vary. We cover the coverage like PCA covers center field. Like Ian Happ covers left. Like Nico Hoerner covers short. *means autoplay […]
It’s the first week of the offseason here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Please come in out of the cold. We’re open for business. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. The hostess will season you now. Bring your own […]
This news was expected, and today, Major League Baseball made it official. Cubs right-hander Cade Horton is a National League Rookie of the Year “finalist”: Just to make it clear: There isn’t another election. The “finalists” are simply the players who were the top three vote-getters in the award voting that was completed when the […]
MLB NEWS — This season, the Chicago Cubs had SIX Gold Glove finalists: Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Matt Shaw, Matthew Boyd, and Carson Kelly. And when the winners were announced last night, three Cubs took home some hardware: PCA won his first (but obviously not his last), Nico Hoerner grabbed his second (feels crazy that there haven’t been more), and Ian Happ continued to clean up in left field with his fourth consecutive Gold Glove award. Their three wins are the most o...
The Chicago Cubs won a league-leading three Rawlings Gold Glove Awards last night ( and one minor league version! ), and there were some more enjoyable things to share on that front. Didn’t want them to just sit in my tabs. Enjoy more from and about Nico Hoerner, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Ian Happ and their superlative defense: “I was really excited … (but) I think I just felt a lot of pride in who I share the field with.” PCA was most excited to get to shar...
Today, as the baseball offseason begins, I’m beginning a series on great Cubs walkoff wins. Instead of focusing just on the win, though, these will focus on the individual responsible for the win, in this case Kiki Cuyler, who’s a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, though largely forgotten today. And so this isn’t […]
MLB Trade Candidates — Earlier today, I wrote 1,300+ words on why the Chicago Cubs should be spending more money in free agency than they have historically. And even if you already agree (of course you do), you should check that one out. There’s some updated data which could be useful for any non-believers. But the funny thing is that the post started out as a draft for this article. Basically, I wanted to explain why I felt the latest ranking of the top-40 trade candidates at MLB Trade R...
I really hate this part of this time of year. Organizational departures are inevitable over a large enough window of time, though, so you just have to accept that it’s going to happen periodically, and this time of year is most common. Triple-A Iowa Hitting Coach, and co-Minor League Hitting Coordinator Rachel Folden is departing for the New York Mets organization: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rachel Folden (@rachelfolden25) Mets are hiring Rachel Folden to ser...