Big Week, Big Praise, and a Big Award for Moises Ballesteros

Shōta Imanaga, Chicago Cubs Opening Day starter. In Japan. Against the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the other bump. Man, that is so cool. I cannot wait for March 18. Imanaga had himself previously suggested it would happen, and the Cubs made it official today: “It makes total sense to have Shota going game 1 … worldwide fan interest is gonna be off the charts.”Jed Hoyer...

Maybe it's reasonable for a major sports team with a beloved fan base to seek to "break even." Maybe all the properties and businesses that surround the Cubs - but aren't technically Cubs revenue - aren't cash cows. Maybe the Cubs really were maxed out last year before signing Cody Bellinger, and thus lost money on the season. Maybe the massive appreciation in the value of the Cubs asset doesn't...

Today, the Chicago Cubs announced their minor league coaching staffs for the 2025 season. Most managers are returning, with only Yovanny Cuevas, formerly a coach in the system, taking over a new post at Myrtle Beach. The full release from the Cubs, and the full staff for each affiliate: The Chicago Cubs today announced their minor league managers and coaching staffs for the 2025 season. A detailed list of each...

Yesterday, FanGraphs released their 2025 Top-100 Prospect Rankings, and that list ... did not love the Chicago Cubs. Although the organization did score four prospects among the top 100, including a particularly high ranking for Matt Shaw (#13 overall), each of Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, and James Triantos was conspicuously missing. But today, a comeback of sorts. Ranking Cubs Prospects - Owen Caissie Gets Some Love FanGraphs contributor and ZiPS...

Because of the injuries to Javier Assad and Brandon Birdsell, because of the Dylan Cease rumors, because of the lack of an impact starting pitcher signing/trade after Matthew Boyd, and because of the natural ramp-up to the season, I have had the Cubs' starting pitching group on the mind a whole lot lately. That means, in turn, I have had a number of opportunities to say things like "the Cubs'...

It's long been known that Marquee Sports Network would be broadcasting each of the games next month from Japan to kick off the big league season, but what hasn't been official just yet is whether the Cubs-Dodgers Tokyo Series would get a national broadcast here in the United States. I have been assuming the answer would be yes, but wanted there to be some confirmation before getting non-Marquee-subscribers' hopes up....

MLB NEWS: In case you missed the news this morning, the Chicago Cubs have signed free-agent infielder/DH Justin Turner to round out their bench. Although Turner is kind of a pivot after missing out on Alex Bregman, I'm sure the hope is that he never smells the position for any meaningful stretch of time — not only because he's now a poor defender at 3B, but also because everyone hopes...

After whiffing on free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman late last week, the Chicago Cubs are pivoting. And that pivot, according to David Kaplan and myself, is free-agent infielder/DH and 2x All-Star Justin Turner. Cubs Sign Justin Turner The terms of the deal are not yet known, but as soon as we find out, I'll update it here (UPDATE: 1 year, $6M per Patrick Mooney). https://twitter.com/Michael_Cerami/status/1891860150140506187 Eight days ago, as the...

It has been 27 years since Harry Caray passed away on this day in 1998. He remains such a singular part of the Cubs fan experience for so many of us, and that probably won't change in another 27 years. A pretty incredible legacy when you think about it that way. The Chris Flexen minor league signing is not exciting and I will thus not try to get you excited...

On the one hand, there's not too much of a mystery here: Chris Flexen is a 30-year-old starter who made 30 starts for the White Sox last season, earning a 4.95 ERA along the way. With his experience, that's the platonic definition of a quality depth starter to have stashed in the minors. Plus, of course, the Cubs have dealt with some early-Spring injuries to starters Javier Assad and Brandon...

When the Bears and Cowboys square off this year, Dallas star defensive end Micah Parsons will do so under the direction of a familiar face to Chicago's fans. In case you missed it, Dallas hired Matt Eberflus as its new defensive coordinator in January. Before his move to the Cowboys, where he will join Brian Schottenheimer's staff, Eberflus was last seen on Thanksgiving roaming the sidelines at Ford Field in...

The Chicago Bears' cap situation looks healthy going into the 2025 offseason. And yet, I cannot stop thinking about how much more room under the cap the Bears can create with some nifty maneuvers from this front office. 2025 CHICAGO BEARS OFFSEASON PREVIEW: Cap Space, Team Needs, More Bears General Manager Ryan Poles and his team enter the offseason with $62,968,403 worth of wiggle room under the projected 2025 NFL...

Tuesday marks the first day teams can start giving Franchise and Transition Tags. And when it comes to the Chicago Bears, there is much to monitor when it comes to tag situations — even if the team does not have an obvious tag candidate. What is the Franchise Tag? If you'll recall, quarterback Caleb Williams reportedly wanted a no Franchise Tag commitment from the Bears as part of his rookie deal....

It's Day 44 of the Chicago Bears offseason. You know your friendship is strong when you look at the temperatures outside ... in Chicago ... in February ... and still pull up to the function. Happy Tag Day! Today is the first day NFL teams can begin handing out Franchise or Transition Tags for eligible players. The Bears don't have an obvious tag candidate, but we'll dive into that later...

Rebuilding the offensive line is a top priority for the Chicago Bears under new head coach Ben Johnson. So while I find it to be good news that Bears General Manager Ryan Poles can lean on an offensive-minded head coach who understands the value of having strength in the trenches, there is a part of me that is worried about one particular position that has given Chicago fits in recent...

Before his rookie year kicked off, Caleb Williams said he drew inspiration from NBA star LeBron James to fuel his fire. But as the Chicago Bears quarterback enters his second season in the NFL, he needs to look no further than the latest batch of quarterback power rankings for inspiration. And because all of the greatest players tend to take the smallest slight to spark their greatness, there is a...

After giving ourselves a week to digest and dissect Super Bowl LIX, our attention can fully turn to the rest of the NFL offseason. And when it comes to the Chicago Bears, there will be an obvious focus on the 2025 NFL Draft. Yes, I understand that free agency comes first. We'll certainly tackle everything that comes our way on that front. But with that being said, champions are built...

It's Day 43 of the Chicago Bears offseason. The wildly successful Four Nations tournament replacing the NHL's all-star game should provide the folks at the NBA and MLB to do something similar with their midseason showcase games in the future. But I still do not have an idea of how the NFL can fix the Pro Bowl. Maybe there is no fix. After all, not every problem has a solution....

We're under two weeks away from the NFL Combine, so that means draft talk is about to heat up in a big way. The Tennessee Titans own the first overall pick in this year's draft, but how they will utilize it? Will they take one of the top quarterbacks on the board despite this class not being quite as highly thought of as last year's? Would they opt for one...

It's Day 42 of the Chicago Bears offseason. Did you know that Sid Luckman, widely acknowledged as the greatest quarterback in franchise history, wore No. 42? Well, if you didn't, then you do now! Chicago Bears Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham is one of five finalists for the vacant Jacksonville Jaguars general manager's gig. Cunningham interviewed with the team on Friday and was among those set to advance to the...

While the NBA's All-Star Weekend was largely a flop, Chicago Bulls fans were given something to be excited about. Rookie Matas Buzelis was invited to compete in two of the league's biggest events. Initially in town for the iconic Slam Dunk Contest, the 20-year-old received a call to also fill in for the injured Yves Missi in the annual Rising Stars competition. While his squad failed to advance past the...

Matas Buzelis left the Chicago Bulls with no choice. As has become an unfortunate trend inside the organization, the Bulls were seemingly delaying the inevitable for the first half of the 2024-25 regular season. Trading away two of their top win-now talents in the offseason and adding a high-upside 19-year-old with the No. 11 overall pick in the draft, they had every reason to fully embrace a youth movement. What...

A piece of relationship advice: Find someone who loves you as much as Arturas Karnisovas loves guards. Despite moving on from their best backcourt player at this deadline, the Chicago Bulls will remain stuffed at the guard position for the foreseeable future. Lonzo Ball, Josh Giddey, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Tre Jones, Jevon Carter, and Talen Horton-Tucker make up nearly half of the roster! At least five of those players...

Nikola Vucevic dominated the headlines well before Zach LaVine was sent to the Sacramento Kings. If you asked many of those who either watch or follow the Chicago Bulls closely, they would have likely had the big man No. 1 on their "most likely to get traded" list. While LaVine had put together a similarly strong offensive season, Vucevic was producing the best shooting display of his career and doing...

I glanced at the clock as I glided into my parking spot – 6:55 p.m. CT. When I first called to place my pizza order, I was worried I wouldn't be back in time. Sure, we live in an era where you can pause and rewind live television, but why wouldn't you prefer to watch a historic star-studded event in real-time? I snatched the bacon and pineapple pizza (don't judge)...

The Chicago Bulls have three days to scarf down junk food and not stretch a single muscle in their body. The race to the bottom starts on Thursday! To be clear, the Bulls' chances of finishing with Top-5 lottery odds are extremely slim. Washington, New Orleans, Utah, Charlotte, and Toronto have all but locked up that area of the draft board. However, the sixth and seventh spots remain up for...

I remember sitting in my parent's basement in 2011 when Blake Griffin watched a Kia roll onto the hardwood in Los Angeles. The suspense was perfectly built to both his and the broadcast's credit. Ominous music blared through Staples Center speakers as Griffin watched the car move into position with a motivated stare. Baron Davis popped his head out of the sunroof to let us know we were moments away....

Matas Buzelis struggled to leave his mark on the 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Taking the floor after fellow rookie Stephon Castle, the Chicago Bulls' forward didn't play it safe. Buzelis lined up underneath the rim and attempted to bounce the ball through his leg and into his same hand for the flush. While he got close, Buzelis ultimately failed to complete the dunk in the allotted 1 minute and...

Mac McClung held nothing back in his first dunk of All-Star Weekend. Trying to become the first player in NBA history to win three consecutive dunk contests, McClung walked onto the court and immediately snatched a pair of car keys. The Orlando Magic two-way contract guard waved in a Kia, immediately providing fans with flashbacks of Blake Griffin's famous 2011 dunk contest slam. However, McClung raised the bar. Stationing the...

The NBA will have some words for Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama. The two Spurs tipped off All-Star Saturday Night as teammates for the annual Skills Challenge. A timed obstacle course that features passing, shooting, and dribbling drills, the youngster and the veteran thought they found a loophole. When it came time to shoot the three different jump shots, they each chucked the three balls at each rack into the...

So we're getting what we all want: the US and Canada are going to run it back on Thursday night with the 4 Nations Face-Off championship on the line. Canada put the hammer down yesterday for about 56 minutes and then Jordan Binnington happened and Finland got to within 4-3 before an empty net goal closed the books. The result of that game meant the second game of the day...

Earlier this week I wrote about how the 2020 NHL Draft class is intriguing as we look ahead to the Blackhawks' future. The Blackhawks last few draft classes under the previous regime left the cupboard with some pieces to build with, which is good for the rebuild. But the 2019 NHL Draft has not worked out nearly as well as most NHL teams would have hoped. That isn't unique to...

Over the years as I consider the Blackhawks' top prospects and we converse about various rankings that come out, I like to occasionally consolidate lists that come out for the sake of comparing. Different analysts and writers have varying opinions of how they view the Blackhawks pipeline. At this stage in the Blackhawks' rebuild, this feels like an even more important time to consider how folks view the overall depth...

Let's start the party on this beautiful Monday morning with the eyeballs that were on the incredible USA-Canada game at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Saturday night. Richard Deitsch at The Athletic gave us the numbers and some perspective on a huge night for hockey. ESPN said on Sunday that the United States’ 3-1 win over Canada on a rock ’em sock ’em Saturday night in Montreal averaged 4.4 million...

Only 12 times in the history of the OHL (OMJHL) has a player scored 70 goals in the season. Among the names to reach that number: Wayne Gretzky, John Tavares, Doug Gilmour and Eric Lindros. With his league-leading 56th goal on Sunday afternoon, Blackhawks prospect Nick Lardis in on pace to join that remarkable list. I spoke with Lardis recently about his journey this season, one in which he has...

It's been a while since the Blackhawks played in emotionally charged, meaningful hockey. It had been a decade since the US and Canada faced each other in an international best-on-best tournament. The good people at Disney opted to put the 4 Nations Face-Off on ABC in prime time last night, and lemme tell you the viewing audience got their money's worthy. With all due respect to the hot garbage the...

I would absolutely love to have a whole lot of exciting, earth-shattering Blackhawks content for you on a Saturday morning but... they haven't played in a full week. However, tonight we get the big one: USA vs Canada in Montreal with the top spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off on the line. It's on ABC and ESPN+ and the puck drops shortly after 7 PM CT. I can't wait! Now...

The United States blew the doors off of Finland last night in the 4 Nations Face-Off, scoring six unanswered goals -- four of which came in the third period. Brady and Matthew Tkachuk led the way with two goals each; Matthew was named the game's No. 1 star. For Blackhawks fans, Teuvo Teräväinen was minus-one and skated only 10:34. His line with Erik Haula and Joel Armia didn't get on...

Since the NHL is taking a couple weeks off in the middle of February for the 4 Nations Face-Off, why not take advantage of no Blackhawks games to chase and update our full two-round 2025 mock draft! With the calendar flipping to 2025, we're getting an increasing number of draft rankings and projections from folks who spend a great deal of time digging into take and profiles. Lots of things...

The NHL world is on pause for a couple weeks while we enjoy the 4 Nations Face-Off, but that doesn't mean there isn't news being made around the game. Indeed, there was some important news that came from the NHL/NHLPA press conference before the game on Wednesday night that's notable. The World Cup of Hockey is coming back, the CBA negotiations sound like they're in a good place, there might...