Chicago Cubs GM Jed Hoyer was a guest on “Chicago Baseball Hot Stove” on CSN yesterday, and he was asked a battery of questions about the Cubs’ offseason and expectations for 2013 (while looking a bit tired in the process – dude’s been working hard).
On the propriety of signing free agents tied to draft pick compensation: “Where we are as an organization, we want as many draft picks as possible. We want as much money in the draft as possible. [But] we would have given up a pick, theoretically, for the right player, the right fit.” That squares with what Theo Epstein has said: you can’t ignore the value of the draft pick and the associated pool money. But if the right free agent comes along at the right value, it could be worth it.
HOWEVA … on when is the right time for the Cubs to start signing draft-pick-compensation free agents: “And we will [look at those free agents] going forward. But right now, I think holding onto our picks is something that makes sense and we’re looking to build as much talent in the minor leagues as possible. We need a lot going forward.” So, at bottom, it does look very unlikely that the Cubs will seriously pursue Michael Bourn, however many times they may have kicked those tires. It would seem that they’d have to get an incredible bargain on him to be willing to sacrifice the pick, and I still don’t think it’s likely that Bourn’s market sinks quite that low.
On Matt Garza’s rehab, which currently has him throwing from 150 feet, and will soon see him back on the mound: “Right now, he’s following the normal pitching progression. He feels really good and we don’t see any reason he’s going to be restricted going into Spring Training. At this point, he’s gotten over some of those early hurdles in the rehab and we feel like he’s just going to be a normal pitcher, a healthy guy in spring training ready to go. He’s excited. I always joke: You can see how he’s doing. He talks about it on Twitter all the time.” I reckon the Cubs will continue to be fine with Garza’s tweeting his rehab … unless the rehab hits a snag. And then they’re going to put the kibash on any negative tweets with the speed of a thousand missiles.
On Alfonso Soriano’s value to the club, and the lines of communication during a rumor-heavy offseason: “His preparation is off the charts. I think a dozen players in baseball went 30 homers and 100 RBI [last season]. What we got in our first year was terrific. He knows how we feel about him. We’ve had communication with him over the course of the Winter. We’ll keep having that communication. But all of our thoughts on Sori are positive. He was so good for us last year, both on [and] off the field. [It] wasn’t necessarily exactly what we expected going in. [It] was just a wonderful revelation for us.” That’s pretty much rumor-neutral there – equally consistent with speaking positively about a guy you really like and want to keep, and speaking positively about a guy for whom you’re trying to create a trade market. I suppose Hoyer could have said he fully expects Soriano to be the Cubs’ left fielder next year, but he wasn’t specifically asked about that.
On the need for any additional moves in the bullpen: “We’ll probably go forward with what we have now. Of course, if there’s just a bargain, or a player that we feel like is at an incredible price, we might add him. But at this point, we feel really good. There also is a point at which we’re full on the roster – [where we’d be] taking a spot away from somebody. We really do like the way our bullpen and our rotation fit together now.” The Cubs whiffed on a few bullpen targets this offseason – J.P. Howell, Mike Adams, and Jason Grilli were all rumored to have serious interest from the Cubs before choosing other teams – so Hoyer’s position could be as much a reflection of the Cubs not being enamored by anyone else left on the market as it is a reflection of his confidence in the currently-constructed pen. If the Cubs end up dealing Carlos Marmol, I could certainly see them wishing they’d been able to add another quality veteran arm.
A few health notes today from Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, with two days to go before the full crew officially reports for Spring Training: https://bsky.app/profile/bastianmlb.bsky.social/post/3lhywujv5f22f As expected, Counsell is not going to make his Opening Day starter officially official until much closer to the date (but we all kinda know who it is going to be): https://bsky.app/profile/mmontemurro.bsky.social/post/3lhyz4quawk23 Counsell also said that everyone who has started will get stretched out...
It's not anything too terribly different from what he said earlier in the week, or what the front office said for that matter, but I thought it worth sharing Craig Counsell's latest comments on the state of the Cubs' offseason maneuvering. It's not quite over as far as Counsell is concerned: “No we’re not done. I don’t think you ever consider yourself done building a roster … I think we...
In case you forgot, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will open up the 2025 MLB regular season well before the rest of the league. While most teams gear up for a March 27 Opening Day, the Cubs and Dodgers will square off in a two-game series on March 18 and 19 in Tokyo, Japan. But which pitchers can we expect to start for either team? The Cubs have...
The latest from the Alex Bregman rumor mill ... Just as we are obsessing about the possibility of an Alex Bregman signing, a whole lot of other constituencies are doing the same. The Cubs clubhouse, for one, but also Bruce Levine of Marquee and 670 The Score. Levine was on with Mully & Haugh today, saying that the reporting on this whole story has been bad, and he includes himself...
Whenever we contemplate a deal for free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, we mention how close it would bring the Cubs payroll to the first tier of the MLB luxury tax in 2025 ($241M). In short, absent a salary-shedding trade, any realistic Bregman contract would push the Cubs right up against the threshold, potentially leaving literally no room for mid-season maneuvering. But that's just for this season. Beyond 2025, and especially...
Took The Littlest Girl to Special Olympics basketball last night. We had fun. She wasn’t judged. I wasn’t judged. She simply got to be herself, welcomed by a community designed to support and include our family. Our experiences with Special Olympics have always been excellent, so if you ever have a chance to participate or volunteer, you should check it out. The Cubs have outrighted lefty Rob Zastryzny at the...
Today, the Chicago Cubs announced their 2025 promotional schedule, which you can find right here. For the announcement, the Cubs crafted a promotion Hall of Fame video, which actually did take me back to some of my favorites. Bonus appearance from Dansby Swanson, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Dansby Swanson's hair at the end: We'll take five Dansby hair headbands pls and thank you. 😂Your 2025 Promo Calendar is here: https://t.co/xl9NjjhTM7 pic.twitter.com/95k9Zd6K6t—...
The news on Javier Assad's oblique injury is mixed, leaning toward good, I suppose. The MRI did reveal a strain, but it's a mild one, and there's optimism that the impact will be slight. https://bsky.app/profile/bastianmlb.bsky.social/post/3lhwicphjgs2m Given where we are on the calendar, you can expect the Cubs and Assad will not be rushing this thing. On the one hand, the timing is ideal - well, if you're going to get...
The Chicago Cubs have signed another minor league arm, bringing in big righty Brayden Spears from indy ball. We’d like to give a big congratulations to ‘22-‘24 Hawks RHP Brayden Spears for signing with the Chicago Cubs!This move marks a significant step in Spears’ professional baseball career, and the Boise Hawks community wishes him continued success with the Cubs! pic.twitter.com/9lNTInI1HW— Boise Hawks (@BoiseHawks) February 10, 2025 Spears, 23, is a...
As we discussed last night and again this morning, although where Alex Bregman will ultimately land (and on what deal) is still a matter of broad speculation, it does seem like the involved teams would like to know what's what as soon as possible. To be fair, I'm sure Bregman himself would like to know where he's going to be playing, too! Some of the latest ... Bruce Levine was...
For all the discussion surrounding the Chicago Bears' needs along the offensive line, one player who does *NOT* need to be replaced is right tackle Darnell Wright. Moreover, I'd go as far as to plant my flag and say that Wright is a building block for this offensive line. Sure, the rest of the group is a mess. The Bears have to add three new starters to the offensive line,...
Travis Kelce will take some time before deciding his future, and the City of Brotherly Love will celebrate their Super Bowl LIX victory on Friday—that and more in today's NFL Notes. Travis Kelce will take some time to decide his future Travis Kelce was visibly upset when he walked off the field at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Sunday following a blowout loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl....
The day that Dane Brugler drops his first NFL Draft board should be a holiday, if only because I need it to fully get a grasp on which prospects rank where in the eyes of one of The Athletic's analysts. We haven't reached that point just yet. But I found myself digging into Brugler's 2025 NFL Draft Big Board yesterday and emerged thinking: Dang, there are a whole bunch of...
We are three days into the post-Super Bowl NFL offseason schedule and I have already learned one thing — it is never too early to include the Chicago Bears in a hypothetical scenario. ESPN's Adam Schefter shares his belief that the Bears would make a compelling case and be an ideal opponent for the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1. Check out the video from Schefty: When the NFL sits down to...
It's Day 38 of the Chicago Bears offseason. Does anyone want to call their shot and predict the Super Bowl Halftime Show performer for next year's game? I don't think anyone would've predicted Kendrick Lamar this time last year, so take that for whatever it's worth. Just let it be good and culturally relevant. Having Kendrick perform at the peak of his powers and hitting the stage one week after...
Even though the NFL coaching carousel has come to a stop now that the New Orleans Saints have hired a head coach, there is still one prominent opening to be filled — and it could belong to Ian Cunningham. The MMQB's Albert Breer reports that the Chicago Bears assistant general manager will interview Friday for the Jacksonville Jaguars open GM gig: Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham will interview for the...
With Super Bowl LIX in our rear-view mirror, it is time for us to fully immerse ourselves in the Chicago Bears' offseason plans. Sure, the Bears (and their fans) have been in offseason mode since early January late November after the firing of Matt Eberflus as the team's head coach. But now that the postseason is over, all 32 NFL teams have their sights set on building out their rosters....
Kellen Moore is extending his stay in New Orleans. Two days after the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome in New Orleans, the team's offensive coordinator is flying away to become the Saints' new head coach: Eagles OC Kellen Moore is finalizing a deal with the Saints to be their new head coach, per The Insiders. What was expected for more than a week will be official...
It's Day 37 of the Chicago Bears offseason. I can't believe the Justin Fields vs. Caleb Williams discourse is still happening online. It is absolutely unnecessary, friends. The Bears have bigger and brighter things ahead. And if the cards fall in his favor, so does Fields. Chicago's former starting QB proved to be a quality starter during his time in Pittsburgh and the Steelers could run it back with him...
If you watched Super Bowl LIX and wondered what it would take for Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears to reach the mountaintop, know you are not alone. The day after the Super Bowl always puts me in a reflective headspace. I think about what the Bears did well, explore options for improving their roster, consider what dead weight could be cut from the team, and more. Paths to improvement...
Things might not get much worse than the Bulls' 40-point home loss to a team that's two games over .500 – I'll start by saying that. But, if I were a 76ers fan right now, I might be every bit as fed up and angry with my team. The Bulls are at least (kind of) embracing the tank life after the trade deadline. It's going to get really bad, and...
Do you think Arturas Karnisovas will use the word rebuild now? The Chicago Bulls front office leader said he doesn't like the word following another underwhelming trade deadline for his franchise. Yet, his team continues to show this is exactly what they need to pursue. What unfolded at the (legitimately) Madhouse on Madison on Tuesday night was one of the most embarrassing performances in franchise history. Even by tanking standards,...
Let's play two! Well, two nights in a row. https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1889310301960519866 Game Info Detroit Pistons (27-26) at Chicago Bulls (22-31) – 7:00 p.m. CT on Chicago Sports Network (TV) and 670 The Score (Radio) Lineups Chicago Bulls Lonzo Ball Coby White Josh Giddey Ayo Dosunmu Nikola Vucevic Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham Malik Beasley Tim Hardaway Jr Ausar Thompson Jalen Duren Feb 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles...
The Chicago Bulls will play their third straight game without Lonzo Ball. The veteran point guard sat out the team's matchup with Minnesota, as it was the backend of a back-to-back. An illness forced him to remain sidelined for Chicago's battle with Golden State, and Ball has entered this week still dealing with that sickness. With that being the case – and the Bulls staring at another back-to-back set before...
Brandon Ingram is staying in Toronto. After the organization traded for the 27-year-old at this season's trade deadline, ESPN's Shams Charania and Bobby Marks have reported that the two sides have agreed to an extension. Ingram came into the season on an expiring deal, setting him up to be one of the NBA's most attractive free agents this summer. The new three-year, $120 million extension, however, will keep him in...
The Dallas Mavericks are teaching a masterclass on how to lose fans! On February 1, GM Nico Harrison agreed to arguably the most shocking trade in NBA history. The Mavericks sent superstar and franchise centerpiece Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. The lopsided deal blindsided fans and NBA executives alike. Then, to add injury to insult, Anthony Davis immediately suffered an adductor strain in...
There are only three certainties in life: Death, taxes, and DeMar DeRozan coming up big in the clutch Last night's Mavericks and Kings game in Dallas was a lot of fun, and both teams have no shortage of storylines surrounding them. The Mavericks, as we all know, shockingly traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. Then, Davis suffered an injury in his debut that will keep him out for up to...
Only two more games stand between us and a Matas Buzelis Slam Dunk Contest victory! The Chicago Bulls' rookie continues to prepare for All-Star Weekend's fan-favorite event. The NBA shared a little footage of him throwing down some jams alongside Kenny Beecham and his crew from Numbers on the Board. While Buzelis didn't divulge what we'll see under the lights, his athleticism was on full display. The best dunk contest...
This is still so weird, and it's absolutely going to take some getting used to. Tonight in Los Angeles, Luka Doncic got his first introduction and scored his first points as a Laker in front of the home crowd. Doncic drilled a three-pointer with Walker Kessler's hand in his face. Check it out below: https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1889158945295495621 https://twitter.com/LegionHoops/status/1889160714239320499 Luka Doncic Makes His First Lakers Appearance Even more than a week after the...
It's Wednesday, Feb. 12 and there hasn't been a Blackhawks game in (counts on fingers) too many days. But there will be professional hockey to watch tonight! The 4 Nations Face-Off begins this evening with Canada in action against Sweden. Unfortunately for Blackhawks fans, there's only one current Chicago player involved in the tournament. Teuvo Teräväinen is skating for Finland for a week. The games on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday...
On Wednesday, the NHL opened the ballots for the league's All-Quarter Century Team for fans to participate. You can vote for ten (10) players from across the NHL. Fans can vote online or on the artist formerly known as Twitter, using the hashtag #NHLQCTeam AND one of the following: Full player name (with or without spaces) Player #firstandlastname Player's Handle on X The Chicago Blackhawks who are eligible for fan...
Another day without Blackhawks hockey to watch, but we did get an update on the voting for the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. The Blackhawks have five (5) prospects nominated, and Chicago knows how to handle voting (often, people... multiple emails... let's go). So when I saw Boston University co-captain Ryan Greene is the only Blackhawks' prospect in the top ten, I was both surprised and disappointed. Let's go here, people!...
Because there's no Blackhawks hockey this week and we're waiting for the games to begin at the 4 Nations Face-Off, I wanted to dig in with some prospects and catch up on their development this season. I've shared some of the conversations I had with Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel from Minnesota thus far this week. Without question the hottest name in the Blackhawks' training camp this fall was a...
On Tuesday, Scott Wheeler at The Athletic released his mid-season updated top 100 drafted NHL prospects rankings. I'll throw this breakdown in here right up front from Wheeler: 28 players from the 2024 draft, 32 from 2023, 29 from 2022, eight from 2021 and three from 2020. It’s made up of 69 forwards and 31 defensemen (of which 13 are lefties and 18 are righties). The Blackhawks were tied with...
Earlier this week I chatted with Minnesota's two Blackhawks prospects, Sam Rinzel and Oliver Moore. I shared some of what Rinzel had to say about his game, the Hobey Baker, turning pro and more on Monday evening. I enjoyed the conversation with Moore, one of the first-ever repeat World Junior Championship gold medal winners for USA Hockey. Let's start right there with the World Juniors because, as you know, I'm...
The only hockey game on the calendar on Monday was the championship of the Beanpot. And ya know what? Boston University handled their business and won it! Blackhawks prospect and BU co-captain Ryan Greene was credited with two shots on net and won 11 of 20 faceoffs for the Terriers in the win. https://twitter.com/terrierhockey/status/1889152694394278093?s=51&t=ESwYjOKcGL_TWWx-NV4tsw Teuvo Teräväinen is going to rep the Blackhawks for Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off in...
Right now, all of the trade talk around the Blackhawks is focused on Ryan Donato -- and rightfully so. He's having a career year with 19 goals, has a lovely $2M cap hit in a walk year and is a great, energy, character player. Donato is the kind of guy contenders overpay for at the deadline every year. Whether the Blackhawks move him or not is going to be an...
It's bye week(s) time for the Chicago Blackhawks, so let's catch up with some of the team's prospects. I had a chance to chat with Minnesota's Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel about how they feel their seasons are going, where they've improved, winning at the World Junior Championship and more. The guys were great to chat with. I'll have more from Moore later, but wanted to start with Rinzel. When...
As we continue to focus on the Blackhawks' rebuild, it's important to recognize that there were some pieces in the cupboard before the organ-I-zation changed general managers. And one of the draft classes that's stacking up to be one of the more intriguing in the immediate future took place at one of the most awkward times in the history of the NHL. Because of the COVID pandemic, the 2020 NHL...
Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation. You can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation, on Bluesky at @Brett-Taylor, and on LinkedIn here.
Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.
A few health notes today from Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, with two days to go before the full crew officially reports for Spring Training: https://bsky.app/profile/bastianmlb.bsky.social/post/3lhywujv5f22f As expected, Counsell is not going to make his Opening Day starter officially official...
It's not anything too terribly different from what he said earlier in the week, or what the front office said for that matter, but I thought it worth sharing Craig Counsell's latest comments on the state of the Cubs' offseason...
In case you forgot, the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers will open up the 2025 MLB regular season well before the rest of the league. While most teams gear up for a March 27 Opening Day, the Cubs and...
The latest from the Alex Bregman rumor mill ... Just as we are obsessing about the possibility of an Alex Bregman signing, a whole lot of other constituencies are doing the same. The Cubs clubhouse, for one, but also Bruce...
Whenever we contemplate a deal for free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, we mention how close it would bring the Cubs payroll to the first tier of the MLB luxury tax in 2025 ($241M). In short, absent a salary-shedding trade, any...
Took The Littlest Girl to Special Olympics basketball last night. We had fun. She wasn’t judged. I wasn’t judged. She simply got to be herself, welcomed by a community designed to support and include our family. Our experiences with Special...
Today, the Chicago Cubs announced their 2025 promotional schedule, which you can find right here. For the announcement, the Cubs crafted a promotion Hall of Fame video, which actually did take me back to some of my favorites. Bonus appearance...
The news on Javier Assad's oblique injury is mixed, leaning toward good, I suppose. The MRI did reveal a strain, but it's a mild one, and there's optimism that the impact will be slight. https://bsky.app/profile/bastianmlb.bsky.social/post/3lhwicphjgs2m Given where we are on...
The Chicago Cubs have signed another minor league arm, bringing in big righty Brayden Spears from indy ball. We’d like to give a big congratulations to ‘22-‘24 Hawks RHP Brayden Spears for signing with the Chicago Cubs!This move marks a...
As we discussed last night and again this morning, although where Alex Bregman will ultimately land (and on what deal) is still a matter of broad speculation, it does seem like the involved teams would like to know what's what...
A few health notes today from Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell, with two days to go before the full crew officially reports for Spring Training: https://bsky.app/profile/bastianmlb.bsky.social/post/3lhywujv5f22f As expected, Counsell is not going to make his Opening Day starter officially official...
It's game day, hoops heads! The NBA is back in action with a thrilling slate of matchups, and that means one thing for fantasy fanatics: it's time to dominate those NBA DFS contests! Whether you're a seasoned pro or just...
In the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com Round of 16 on Thursday, we have a matchup featuring No. 43-ranked Brandon Nakashima versus No. 121 Reilly Opelka.Opelka is favored (-135) in this matchup, compared to the underdog Nakashima, who is +105.Delray...
Travis Kelce will take some time before deciding his future, and the City of Brotherly Love will celebrate their Super Bowl LIX victory on Friday—that and more in today's NFL Notes. Travis Kelce will take some time to decide his...
It's not anything too terribly different from what he said earlier in the week, or what the front office said for that matter, but I thought it worth sharing Craig Counsell's latest comments on the state of the Cubs' offseason...
The latest from the Alex Bregman rumor mill ... Just as we are obsessing about the possibility of an Alex Bregman signing, a whole lot of other constituencies are doing the same. The Cubs clubhouse, for one, but also Bruce...
On Wednesday, the NHL opened the ballots for the league's All-Quarter Century Team for fans to participate. You can vote for ten (10) players from across the NHL. Fans can vote online or on the artist formerly known as Twitter,...
Things might not get much worse than the Bulls' 40-point home loss to a team that's two games over .500 – I'll start by saying that. But, if I were a 76ers fan right now, I might be every bit...
The Phoenix Suns (26-27) are 6.5-point underdogs as they attempt to break a three-game road losing streak when they square off against the Houston Rockets (33-20) on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at Toyota Center. The contest airs at 8:30 PM...
The Memphis Grizzlies (36-17) are underdogs (by 4 points) to extend a three-game road winning streak when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers (29-23) on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 10:30 PM ET. The over/under is set at 237.5 in...