Cubs Rumors & News

MLB Trade Rumors "The Cubs have been in contact with the Orioles about closer Zach Britton, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports.  Padres closer Brad Hand is also on the Cubs’ “wish list” for potential bullpen upgrades. At first glance, the relief corps..." July 16

Covers.com "Major League Baseball's annual slugfest goes Monday night at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. If you're one of those people that simply can't take a night off from betting sports - and the WNBA doesn't appeal to you (wait...there are no WNBA games Monday either?!?! Jeez.) -..." July 15

Chicago Sun-Times "It’s not just the Cubs’ front office, manager, fans and media. Teammates are starting to ask right-hander Yu Darvish when he’s going to pitch for them again. On Saturday, it was first baseman Anthony Rizzo, whose locker is near Darvish’s this weekend in the..." July 15

MLB Trade Rumors "Major League Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization have agreed to a revised version of the posting system that allows players who are not yet free-agent eligible to move from the KBO to MLB, according to a report from South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency. The new agreement runs..." July 13

NBC Sports Chicago "Jon Lester is headed to his 5th career All-Star appearance next week, but he probably won't see any game action. The Cubs changed up their starting rotation, announcing the move Wednesday afternoon that Lester and Kyle Hendricks would swap turns: July 12

USA Today "Washington Nationals outfielder and All-Star Game ambassador Bryce Harper will headline this year's Home Run Derby at Nationals Park in Washington. Joining him for Monday's showcase is a group of sluggers who have hit 150 home runs. Seven of the eight..." July 12

Chicago Sun-Times "Third baseman Kris Bryant, who has been on the disabled list because of a shoulder injury since June 23, might return to the Cubs’ lineup Wednesday against the Giants. Bryant, who played through shoulder discomfort for about a month before it worsened enough to seek..." July 11

Chicago Tribune "Kyle Schwarber doesn’t mind losing a day during the All-Star Break so he can compete in the Home Run Derby on Monday at Nationals Park. The Cubs left fielder confirmed he and second baseman Javier Baez accepted invitations to represent..." July 11

NBC Sports Chicago "Kris Bryant is nearing his return from injury and if his first game on his rehab stint is any indication, he might not have much rust to shake off. Bryant started his rehab stint with Double-A Tennessee on Monday and went deep in his fourth trip to the plate. He homered off..." July 10

MLB.com "Before we talk about Kyle Schwarber (and a little Bryce Harper), let's point out that in the old days, a defender built a reputation and kept it more or less forever. Bernie Williams was a good example of that. For the first few years of his career, Williams was a good outfielder...." July 10

Larry Brown Sports "Jon Lester was named an All-Star for the fifth time in his career on Sunday, but he’ll apparently have to wait if he wants to get a jersey commemorating it. The Chicago Cubs left-hander amusingly tweeted MLB asking where his apparel was in the league’s official..." July 09

NBC Sports Chicago "Kyle Hendricks’ mind and body are sound. His mechanics are a different story. The Cubs pitcher has identified the issue that has led to his struggles of late and Hendricks has been working diligently on a fix that will help the right-hander regain the form that made..." July 09

12 Up "The Chicago Cubs have enjoyed a great season thus far, with one of the better records in baseball (50-36) and are keeping pace with the surprise ?Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central. Recently, Chicago has been pretty hot, winning eight of their last 10..." July 09

Larry Brown Sports "The Chicago Cubs could reportedly be looking at another starter ahead of the MLB trade deadline. According to Bob Elliott of CBC Sports, the Cubs could be after Toronto Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ, who is drawing a good amount of interest from around the league. It seems..." July 08

MLB.com "The Cubs' Kris Bryant appears to be close to a rehab assignment. Bryant, who has been sidelined since June 23 because of inflammation in his left shoulder, took batting practice on the field and did some defensive drills on Saturday at Wrigley Field. Cubs manager Joe..." July 07

Larry Brown Sports "The Chicago Cubs are hoping to get third baseman Kris Bryant back in the fold fairly soon. According to team president Theo Epstein, Bryant had no issues with his batting practice session on Friday, and while the Cubs are still working on a plan going forward, a rehab assignment may..." July 06

Hardball Talk "Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that pitcher Oscar De La Cruz of the Chicago Cubs organization has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Furosemide, a Diuretic and Masking Agent, in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention..." July 06

Hardball Talk "Cubs manager Joe Maddon said yesterday that he is unsure when Yu Darvish will resume throwing. Darvish landed on the disabled list back on May 23 with tendinitis in his right triceps and was then diagnosed with a right elbow impingement last week.  " July 05

Chicago Sun-Times "All anyone needs to know about what the Cubs think of their starting rotation at midseason was summed up in manager Joe Maddon’s comments Wednesday about their two highest-paid pitchers. One involved the great care the Cubs have taken to preserve ace Jon Lester’s strength..." July 05

Chicago Tribune "The Cubs resisted the temptation to squeeze three starts out of Jon Lester before the end of the first half of the season. As a result, Lester will make his final start of the first half July 14 at San Diego and will keep him eligible to pitch in the All-Star..." July 05

Chicago Tribune "Kris Bryant won’t be cleared to return to the Cubs at least until he takes pregame batting practice Friday. On Tuesday, manager Joe Maddon said Bryant still felt discomfort in his sore left shoulder, which has sidelined him since June 23. Bryant was..." July 04

NBC Sports Chicago "Kyle Hendricks only gave up three runs Tuesday. The Cubs beat the visiting Detroit Tigers. All the fans at the Friendly Confines had something to sing about. But while the calendar has turned away from Hendricks’ awful June, he hasn’t turned the corner quite..." July 04

Hardball Talk "The Cubs placed left-handed reliever Brian Duensing on the 10-day disabled list with left shoulder fatigue, the team announced Sunday. There’s no word yet on how long they expect to be without the reliever. In a corresponding move, right-handed reliever Dillon Maples was recalled from..." July 01

CBS Sports "Jason Heyward is a good hitter.  Saying as much heading into the 2016 season wouldn't have gotten much of a reaction. After all, he had just slashed .293/.359/.439 for a 100-win Cardinals team heading into free agency. Once he signed a much-maligned contract with..." July 01

Bleacher Nation "Having been shut back down from his triceps rehab after feeling “pain” in what could have been his final bullpen session before returning the big league rotation, Yu Darvish headed to Dallas to see his old team doctor (with the Rangers) for another opinion. That visit..." June 30

MLB.com "Yu Darvish flew from Los Angeles to Dallas on Thursday night to be evaluated by Rangers orthopedist Keith Meister after suffering a setback during a bullpen session earlier that day at Dodger Stadium, according to Cubs director of media relations Peter Chase. Darvish..." June 29

Chicago Tribune "Yu Darvish won’t rejoin the Cubs rotation until at least late next week, manager Joe Maddon said Thursday. The Cubs determined Darvish, who has not pitched since May 20 because of right triceps tendinitis, will need another minor-league rehab start. " June 28

Larry Brown Sports "MLB is working on a more relaxed shoe policy after encountering criticism the past few years. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan reports that MLB and the MLBPA are working on changing the league’s footwear policy to allow players the ability to wear cleats with more..." June 28

Bleacher Nation "For the first time in his career – shocking, when you consider how many scares he’s had – Kris Bryant landed on the disabled list yesterday. A sore left shoulder was the culprit, inflammation caused by an uptick in swings, he said, as he tried to work through a..." June 28

Hardball Talk "Ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Dodgers, the Cubs activated closer Brandon Morrow from the 10-day disabled list, MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat reports. In order to free up a spot on the active roster for him, the Cubs optioned reliever Cory Mazzoni to..." June 28

Los Angeles Times "The stadium gates were still closed and the seats still empty. As Yu Darvish stretched on the right field turf, he exchanged laughs with Kenta Maeda. The conversation lasted about 10 minutes, after which Darvish slipped into the nearby bullpen and returned to the visiting clubhouse through a..." June 27

Yardbarker "There’s no denying that Jon Lester has produced top-level results for the Cubs, but his peripherals reveal some cause for concern, as Jay Jaffe of Fangraphs writes in a detailed analysis of the veteran hurler that’s well worth your time. Suffice to say that Jaffe provides ample..." June 27

Mosae Sports "Cubs Place Shae Simmons On Waivers The Cubs have placed righty Shae Simmons on waivers, according to an announcement from Triple-A Iowa. If and when he clears, the organization will have an an open 40-man spot to work with. Though the club did not specify the..." June 26

Chicago Tribune "The back end of the Cubs bullpen could return to full strength within the next two weeks. Closer Brandon Morrow could rejoin the Cubs without a minor-league rehabilitation assignment, manager Joe Maddon confirmed Monday. “It shouldn’t be much longer,”..." June 26

MLB.com "The Cubs placed third baseman Kris Bryant on the disabled list on Tuesday for the first time in his career because of left shoulder inflammation. The move is retroactive to Saturday. Bryant, who was batting .280 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs, has not played since Friday. " June 26

Yardbarker "Yu Darvish currently is on a rehab assignment in an effort to recover from right-triceps tendinitis that has kept him on the shelf since mid-to-late May. While down in the minors, the Chicago Cubs pitcher made a nice gesture by footing the bill for a steak and lobster dinner for not..." June 26

Chicago Tribune "nder ordinary circumstances, Japanese sports journalist Katsushi Nagao never imagined visiting this city 100 miles east of Wrigley Field best known for its famous college football dateline. “All I know about South Bend is Notre Dame and ‘Rudy,’’’ said..." June 26

CBS Sports "The Cubs entered Thursday with a percentage points lead in the NL Central over the Brewers. They then proceeded to lose four straight games to the last-place Reds. We know what happens then. Look, it was a garbage series, but it's still only four games out of 162. People lose their minds..." June 25

Chicago Tribune "Ladies and gentlemen, please return your tray table to its locked and upright position and buckle your seat belt as we experience a sentence as turbulent as your basic Cubs relief appearance: The Cubs need to make a trade for a reliever right now, maybe two, maybe..." June 25

Sportsnaut "While the Cincinnati Reds have given fans plenty of low moments in recent years, the team has now achieved something immensely positive for the first time in over three decades. On Sunday, Cincinnati trailed the Chicago Cubs 5-0 in the fifth inning. A pinch-hit home run by relief..." June 24

ESPN "Perhaps the Chicago Cubs have found one answer to former MVP Kris Bryant's mini power slump. Bryant will miss his second consecutive game with a sore left shoulder on Sunday, though the Cubs don't believe it's a serious injury that will require a trip to the disabled..." June 24

Larry Brown Sports "Chicago Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish is inching closer to a return to action after a month of being sidelined. Darvish, who has been battling triceps tendinitis, will make his first rehab start on Monday, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. It’s not..." June 24

Chicago Tribune "You can probably blame Miss Manners for the ejection of Cubs bench coach Brandon Hyde in the fourth inning of Saturday’s 11-2 loss to the Reds. Manager Joe Maddon said the ejection was because of the “general nature of the moment.” But according to catcher Willson..." June 24

New York Daily News "From his office high above 245 Park Ave. in Manhattan, the commissioner of baseball, Rob Manfred, can feel and hear it: Whiffff! It is the sound of his players striking out in record numbers, sucking the action out of his game to the point where it too often feels like a funeral for..." June 22

Hardball Talk "In late July of 2016, Cubs infielder Tommy La Stella was demoted to Triple-A. It wasn’t personal. It was a roster crunch situation and La Stella had options left so, despite the fact that he had been an effective player to that point of the season, it made sense to send him..." June 22

Larry Brown Sports "Major League Baseball has reportedly banned teams from signing any players who are affiliated with the Mexican League due to questions and concerns over how contracts have been negotiated. In a letter sent to teams on Tuesday that was obtained by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, MLB..." June 22

The Sports Daily "The Chicago Cubs made an early splash last offseason by signing right-handed pitcher Tyler Chatwood to a three-year, $38 million deal. On the surface, this looked like a steal by Theo Epstein’s front office. After all, this was a hurler that had spent virtually his entire big-league..." June 21

Sportress of Blogitude "Chicago Cubs closer Brandon Morrow is on the mend after suffering back spasms early Monday morning that flared up while taking off his pants. The injury occurred as Morrow undressed at home upon the Cubs’ return from St. Louis following a series with the..." June 20

NBC Sports Chicago "Joe Maddon needed Mike Montgomery to get through at least six innings given the circumstances presenting the Cubs' manager before Game 2 of Tuesday’s day-night doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Not only were the Cubs short a man in the bullpen (thanks..." June 20

Sportress of Blogitude "The Chicago Cubs will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a split doubleheader on Tuesday at Wrigley Field after Monday’s postponement due to bad weather and a ballpark lighting issue. The first pitch of the front half of the doubleheader came at 12:00 local time with the second game set to..." June 19