The Chicago Cubs stand at 25-21, very much in the thick of the playoff hunt as the calendar readies itself for June flipping. That record doesn’t yet mean a whole lot for August and September – so much can happen, good and bad, between now and then – but it means quite a bit when it comes to Trade Season. If the Cubs hang around in this area for the next month (over a really tough schedule, by the way), they will undoubtedly be buyers in July. Maybe even aggressive buyers. Maybe even buyers in June. You never know.
The Braves and Dodgers got together on the rare unremarkable 6-player trade this week. Third baseman Juan Uribe went to the Braves as the Dodgers seek to unclear their absurd positional glut (Alberto Callaspo came back to the Dodgers in the deal, but he’s been struggling, and, I’d imagine that he’ll be out the door as soon as one of Corey Seager or Hector Olivera is ready to go). Pitching prospect Chris Withrow went to the Braves as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery and back issues, and pitchers Eric Stults, Ian Thomas, and Juan Jaime went to the Dodgers, who were in desperate need of some pitching depth.
Jesse Rogers spoke with Cubs GM Jed Hoyer at ESPN, and you can listen here to Hoyer discuss, among other things, how the Cubs will be evaluating their strengths and weaknesses with an eye toward improving. Hoyer says that the biggest thing he thinks about day and night is pitching depth. No surprise there.
To that end, Bruce Levine hears that the Cubs have been checking in on pitchers who’ve had rough starts to the season to see about supplementing their own bullpen.
Mark Gonzales writes that teams are scouting the Cubs, who are discussing their approach going forward internally. Theo Epstein tells Gonzales that, while the Cubs will be ready if opportunities present themselves, you can’t force trades to happen this time of year. In his piece, Gonzales mentions the Phillies, specifically, as a team scouting the Cubs, which will make folks wonder about guys like Cole Hamels and Jonathan Papelbon, though any theoretical interest there would not be a surprise. The interesting thing, though, would be the Phillies scouting the Cubs’ big league team this weekend against the Diamondbacks.
If Scott Kazmir is on the Cubs’ radar as a potential rental this year, you can bet they are following his recent shoulder development closely. Although an MRI showed no structural damage, Kazmir had to leave his last start with shoulder tightness. Any shoulder issues – even minor ones – make you nervous, but that goes double for Kazmir, who succumbed to some shoulder trouble earlier in his career just before he had to go on a multi-year odyssey to get himself back to the big leagues. We’ll see if he comes back strong with in a week or two, but teams are going to be loathe to give up a lot for a Kazmir rental knowing that the shoulder issues could pop back up at any time. I don’t think it’s going too far to suggest that, for some teams, even this minor thing could take Kazmir off their midseason radar altogether.
Jesse Rogers writes about Jordan Zimmermann as a possible fit for the Cubs after this season. As I’ve said before, Zimmermann is one of the top arms in a loaded free agent class after 2015, so he’s likely to come up a lot. A big part of those discussions will be something we saw firsthand this week as Zimmermann pitched against the Cubs: his velocity is down from last year, and his strikeout rate is way down. Although his results were strong in the game, he didn’t look particularly overwhelming for Cubs hitters. Just one game, though.
Another day, another top Cuban youngster coming to the States. This time it’s Cuban Serie Nacional Rookie of the Year Alfredo Rodriguez, a slick-fielding shortstop, per BA. He’ll be subject to IFA signing rules, and will be eligible to sign July 2. The same is now officially true for big-time righty Yadier Alvarez (Ben Badler), who is expected to get a monster bonus from the Dodgers.
The Orioles have designated outfielder Alejandro De Aza, 31, for assignment, and, while I think the Cubs would take a look at most lefty bench outfield options out there for cheap, I’m not sure De Aza is the right fit. His walk rate is down a bit this year, and his strikeout rate is way up.
Time to start watching the annual Christmas movies. I might go with 'Love Actually' tonight. I don't care what you say. It's good. It is so hard right now. So hard to focus on ANYTHING. I know it's just baseball,...
Within a FIVE-MINUTE SPAN, multiple reports dropped all communicating more or less the same thing: the Yankees and Padres have hit a wall in their long-reported and long-active Juan Soto trade talks. The trio of reports: https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/1730714790102806825 https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1730715967234179146 https://twitter.com/martinonyc/status/1730716683709419917 https://twitter.com/TheAthletic/status/1730716395976151309...
In addition to Jeff Passan this morning listing the likely final teams on Shohei Ohtani as the Cubs, Dodgers, Blue Jays, and Angels - with the Giants an unknown - you can add two more who seem to be hearing...
While we wait for Shohei Ohtani to make his decision, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to sign shortly thereafter, perhaps the Cubs could surprise the industry and sign ... left-handed starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery? That's new. The rumor in question isn't quite...
Shohei Ohtani continues to be the central focus of much of the baseball world - it certainly takes up 95% of my brain - but he is not the only top free agent out there this offseason. I keep thinking...
The peppermint cookie fudge ice cream at Trader Joe's. My god. If you like those flavor combos, I could not possibly recommend this ice cream more furiously. I will be stocking up the freezer. A very interesting way to look...
I gotta tell you, this one is catching me by surprise. While we've long known the Cubs have been interested in signing 25-year-old Japanese Ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the momentum sure seemed to swing away from them lately (especially now that...
The Winter Meetings were never NECESSARILY going to be the Shohei Ohtani cut-off, but it sure has seemed like a logical dividing line. It's big and splashy, which MLB would love, but it's also a time when involved teams (and...
Even as I read that headline, I realize that it kinda depends on your definition of the word "imminent." For me, I think of that - in a baseball transaction context - as something that's truly just about to go...
It's the Holiday season, which means it's time to do some shopping! It's a great time to be a Chicago Cubs fan, so why not get the North Sider in your life what they really want for the Holidays: Cubs...
The No. 17 Tulane Green Wave (11-1) square off against a familiar opponent when they host the No. 25 SMU Mustangs (10-2) on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at Yulman Stadium in an AAC showdown.You should head to ABC in order...
The Troy Trojans (10-2) take on a fellow Sun Belt foe when they host the Appalachian State Mountaineers (8-4) on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Stadium (AL).The matchup between the Trojans and Mountaineers will be available on ESPN.When...
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs' (12-0) matchup against the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) on December 2, 2023, starting at 4:00 PM ET.The Bulldogs' matchup versus the Crimson Tide will...
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs' (12-0) matchup against the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) on December 2, 2023, starting at 4:00 PM ET, airing on CBS. The Bulldogs are a...
The Appalachian State Mountaineers (8-4) and their 17th-ranked scoring offense will take the field against the Troy Trojans (10-2) and the 10th-ranked scoring defense on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The Trojans are favored by 5 points. The over/under for the...
The No. 17 Tulane Green Wave (11-1) carry the No.17 scoring defense in the nation into a clash with the No. 25 SMU Mustangs (10-2), who have the No. 4 scoring offense, on Saturday, December 2, 2023. The Green Wave...
To beat his 3-point prop, Stephen Curry needs to make five from beyond the arc on Saturday, when his Golden State Warriors face the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday at 4:00 PM ET.Stephen Curry's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the ClippersStephen...
Will Paul George drain three 3-pointers when the Los Angeles Clippers face the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at 4:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his prop for the game.Paul George's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the WarriorsPaul George's over/under...
To beat his 3-point prop, Klay Thompson needs to make four from beyond the arc on Saturday, when his Golden State Warriors play the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday at 4:00 PM ET.Klay Thompson's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the ClippersKlay...
Kawhi Leonard's Los Angeles Clippers play the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at 4:00 PM ET, and to beat his 3-point prop, he must make two from beyond the arc.Kawhi Leonard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the WarriorsKawhi Leonard's over/under for...
The Chicago Cubs stand at 25-21, very much in the thick of the playoff hunt as the calendar readies itself for June flipping. That record doesn’t yet mean a whole lot for August and September – so much can happen, good and bad, between now and then – but it means quite a bit when it comes to Trade Season. If the Cubs hang around in this area for the next month (over a really tough schedule, by the way), they will undoubtedly be buyers in July. Maybe even aggressive buyers. Maybe even buyers in June. You never know.
