Cubs Prospect Notes: Howard’s Health, Amaya Catching, Sanchez Breakout, Mervis Timeline, More

The Cody Bellinger trade leverage is shaping up nicely for the Cubs *IF* Juan Soto signs with someone other than the Yankees. Earlier tonight, one big-money fallback option (Willy Adames) came off the board on a massive seven-year deal with...

[BN_drinks] That's TWO franchise-record-setting contracts signed by free agents this offseason. First, Luis Severino helped the A's break an organizational record. And this afternoon, it's Willy Adames and the Giants. Of course, that's saying a lot more for San Francisco...

At long last, Japanese ace Roki Sasaki will be posted for MLB teams. It's coming at the Winter Meetings, per Jeff Passan, Ken Rosenthal, and others. When else, right? Note that, once Sasaki is officially posted, he will have 45...

What a bizarrely-timed announcement from the Chicago Cubs, who just dropped the news that shortstop Dansby Swanson had surgery. TWO MONTHS AGO. Update from Cubs: Dansby Swanson underwent successful core injury surgery in early October with Dr. Bill Meyer. He...

Things really picked up the last two days, and the Winter Meetings are still two days away. I expect more movement around baseball this weekend - perhaps even a Juan Soto destination - in advance of potential floooooodgates on Monday...

The rumors popped up not that long ago out of New York, and turns out they had a lot of legs: Clay Holmes is converting into a starting pitcher. And he's staying in New York, but changing teams. From Jeff...

At one point earlier this offseason, free-agent starter Shane Bieber was among the plausible targets for the Chicago Cubs (and, indeed, he was one of their rumored trade targets last offseason). But after Jed Hoyer signed fellow free-agent starter Matthew...

[BN_drinks] CARLOS ESTEVEZ — At The Athletic, Jim Bowden identified one free-agent fit for each team as the Winter Meetings near. And while the article is NOT reporting any actual actual ties between various teams and the player to whom...

Craig Counsell finally has the last member of his coaching staff secured, hiring away a minor league coach from the Yankees' farm system. The Cubs are making Jose Javier their new first base coach, per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma:...

Arguably the top catching free agent is heading off the board, with the Tampa Bay Rays set to sign Danny Jansen. https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Rays/status/1865094668205134063 https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1865095260759892142 Jansen was at one time a tremendous two-way catcher (in part-time duty) for the Blue Jays, but...