Weekend Catch-Up: Darvish Rumors, Transactions Around the League, Cubs Bullpen, More

The weekend has come and gone, and I welcome you back, friend. Peruse the happenings if you missed anything …

Friday, December 15

  • The Pirates and Yankees are talking Gerrit Cole trade.
  • If the Cubs’ bullpen made no more additions, are you satisfied it can be an effective one?
  • Farewell Hector Rondon, who signed with the Astros.
  • A fun memory from 2017 – the time Kyle Schwarber broke the right field video board with a monster BP dinger.
  • It’s a start: the Nationals expect Bryce Harper to hit free agency.
  • The latest from the rumor mill following the Winter Meetings.
  • Finally, a significant free agent signed – Carlos Santana to the Phillies.
  • A report out of Japan (later confirmed) indicated the Cubs are in on Yu Darvish.
  • Javy Baez showed of his switch-hitting power, and also his farm.
  • The Giants and Rangers got together on a Matt Moore trade.
  • Saturday, December 16

  • With Manny Machado on the block, it was only a matter of time before someone connected him to the Cubs – so let’s discuss.
  • Among Saturday’s Bullets, an outfielder is suing the White Sox, and I wonder about the league-wide implications.
  • The Steve Cishek signing is officially official.
  • The Dodgers and Braves made a huge trade full of almost exclusively financial implications.
  • The Cubs are reportedly in on top free agent starter Yu Darvish. Like, that’s your stateside report.
  • Sunday, December 17

  • The Bullets looked at how Brandon Morrow got a nasty pitch going for him, among other things.
  • Whatever Alex Cobb’s demands, the Cubs reportedly found them too steep last week.
  • Among a trio of transactions around the league, Travis Wood has been DFA’d. Status of his shirt TBA.
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation 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.

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