Cubs Rumors & News

Sporting News "Major League Baseball is angry with Minor League Baseball for continuing to negotiate a new business agreement in public. The feud escalated Friday to the point that MLB threatened to walk away entirely from its decadeslong partnership with the minors' governing body. Was that a..." December 14

Sportsnaut "The 2019 MLB winter meetings are in the books and the four-day extravaganza provided plenty of movement across baseball. Now with many of the top free agents off the board, our attention shifts to this offseason’s top trade candidates. There is more MVP-caliber talent..." December 14

Bleacher Report "Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Yu Darvish reportedly has "no intention" of waiving his no-trade clause before or during the 2020 season.  According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Darvish loves being with the Cubs and does not desire a..." December 13

NBC Chicago "Pitcher Brandon Morrow had high hopes when he signed a two-year deal with the Chicago Cubs prior to the 2018 season, but after two injury-plagued seasons, he’s reportedly going to give the North Side another try. According to multiple reports, Morrow has agreed to a one-year..." December 13

CBS Sports "A Winter Meetings most frenzied -- one in which more than $1 billion in guaranteed salary was cast about -- is freshly behind us. While the highest-profile likes of Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg are now spoken for, we've still got a number of..." December 13

Clutch Points "The Washington Nationals officially have a hole at third base with Anthony Rendon joining the Los Angeles Angels. Though they could look to sign Josh Donaldson, they may prefer to swing a deal for Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, according to Jon Heyman of MLB..." December 13

USA Today "The Chicago Cubs came to town ready to trade one of their stars, only to sit helplessly and watch other teams instead empty their checking accounts for free agents. The Los Angeles Dodgers were preparing to spend the most money on a free agent in franchise history, only to find..." December 13

Bleacher Nation "When Stephen Strasburg and Gerrit Cole signed to absolutely record-shattering contracts this week, it was a pretty natural instinct to look around at other, existing deals around baseball and consider their value through a new lens. In particular, to Cubs fans, the four years and $81..." December 13

CBS Sports "As the sun sets on the 2019 Winter Meetings, MLB executives will head home having seen two pitchers sign record contracts in the span of 30 hours or so. The Nationals gave Stephen Strasburg a seven-year deal worth $245 million on Monday. At the time, it was the richest pitching contract in..." December 12

USA Today "Quite simply, it’s the greatest week by an agent in baseball history. In a matter of about 48 hours, Scott Boras had three clients sign contracts worth a staggering $824 million, with third baseman Anthony Rendon signing Wednesday night to a seven-year, $245 million..." December 12

12 Up "Oh, how the times have changed for the Chicago Cubs. Usually buyers at the MLB Winter Meetings, the Cubbies are looking to bolster their farm system and shed payroll. Their best option of doing so is by trading third baseman Kris Bryant, who's due for a new contract in the very near..." December 12

The Score "Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association have agreed to a new drug policy that will test for opioids but won't punish for marijuana use, according to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. The agreement will be implemented for the 2020 season..." December 12

Hardball Talk "Major League Baseball’s plan to essentially contract 42 minor league baseball teams by eliminating their major league affiliations has not gone over very well with, well, almost anyone. It was immediately assailed by many the moment it was first reported by Baseball..." December 12

Chicago Sun-Times "For all the trade talk, extension efforts and big ideas, the Cubs haven’t ruled out the possibility of doing little more than standing pat this winter. “I’d feel like we’d have one of the most talented teams in the league but that we’d have some areas of..." December 12

Sporting News "To say there was some uncertainty among MLB managers about the potential of new rules impacting the 2020 season would be putting it mildly.  Specifically, there were questions about the proposed three-batter minimum for relief pitchers, a rule aimed at reducing pitching changes..." December 11

Bleacher Nation "Although my expectations for Shogo Akiyama – both at the plate and defensively – have been tempered since he first came onto the scene as a potential free agent/Cubs target earlier this offseason, I was just so happy to see the latest development in this story. It feels..." December 11

ESPN "Decreases in air resistance spurred by inconsistent seam height on the baseball and "changes in player behavior" that produced different launch angles and exit velocities led to the dramatic increase in home runs during the 2019 season, a committee of professors tasked by Major League..." December 11

Hardball Talk "Gerrit Cole is now a New York Yankee. Nine years and $324 million make that so. But though the Yankees are the only team who gets him, they weren’t the only team interested in him. So let’s take a look at what the losers of the Gerrit Cole derby — the Dodgers and the..." December 11

Sportsnaut "As MLB teams compete in bidding wars for the top free-agent pitchers, the recent availability of Boston Red Sox starting pitcher David Price could change everything for clubs looking to bolster their rotation. Boston is looking to shed significant payroll this winter and,..." December 11

ESPN "Though the Chicago Cubs' front office indicated it would be attempting to complete extensions this offseason for several of its players with two years of club control remaining, that apparently doesn't apply to first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo, 30, is beginning the..." December 11

NBC Sports Bay Area "The Giants' wish list at the MLB Winter Meetings is starting to become more clear. The front office wants to add to their rotation and will meet with Madison Bumgarner's representatives this week. They also would like to add a left-handed bat for the infield and..." December 11

Yahoo! Sports "On Tuesday at the Winter Meetings in San Diego, Major League Baseball announced the members of the All-MLB Team, recognizing the top performances by players in the 2019 regular season. It announced both a “first team” and “second team.” The fan vote accounted..." December 11

USA Today "Scott Boras, who represents the cream of this year’s free agent crop, believes teams are being substantially more aggressive in pursuit of players than they have in years. The accusations of collusion that dominated the landscape the past few years at baseball’s..." December 10

NBC Sports Chicago "If the Cubs trade any of their core position players this offseason, the expectation is they'll receive top-of-the-line prospects and/or controllable, impact big-league players in return. Tuesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan appeared on NBC Sports Chicago's David..." December 10

12 Up "The Chicago Cubs have a lot of money invested in a handful of players. Jason Heyward, Yu Darvish, Kris Bryant and Jon Lester are all making at least $20 million in 2020. Then there are raises for guys like Kyle Schwarber who will only continue to get more expensive as time goes..." December 10

Real GM Baseball "The Washington Nationals contacted the Chicago Cubs about a potential trade for Kris Bryant, according to sources. " December 10

TMZ "Weed is now LEGAL in the MLB ... the league is lifting its ban on marijuana for minor leaguers, removing the drug from its prohibited substance list. As part of the MLB's efforts to crack down on opioid use in and around its league ... it has agreed to stop testing minor leaguers..." December 10

CBS Sports "Major League Baseball is set to relocate its annual amateur draft in an effort to increase interest in the event. According to Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball, the 2020 draft will be held at the site of the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, rather than at the MLB Network..." December 10

12 Up "The Houston Astros nearly broke MLB hearts once again this season by getting to the World Series, but the Washington Nationals shocked us all by coming out on top. Despite that result, Houston remains as dangerous as ever. With the Winter Meetings underway, you better believe Houston..." December 10

New York Post " In an unscientific poll of those I believe have a feel for the third base market, the Rangers were viewed as at least a slight front-runner for Anthony Rendon, with the Braves, Dodgers, Nationals and Phillies all looking at the hot corner too. One executive involved in this..." December 10

MLB Trade Rumors "The Chicago Cubs have been in contact with free agent right-hander Josh Lindblom, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi (via twitter). The possibility of a signing seems far fetched, however, as Morosi notes that other teams are further along in their discussions with Lindblom at..." December 09

MLB.com "Pete Frates, the former Boston College baseball captain who inspired millions with his fight against ALS, died at the age of 34, his family announced on Monday. It was Frates who spawned the Ice Bucket Challenge five years ago, which raised over $200 million for amyotrophic lateral..." December 09

ESPN "A pair of Chicago Cubs interleague games against the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will feature on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball 2020 first-half slate, as announced by the network Monday. The Cubs are hosting the Red Sox and visiting the Yankees..." December 09

MLB Trade Rumors "President Theo Epstein and his cohort have been decidedly mum on the Cubs’ payroll outlook this offseason, with the trade market looking like the club’s likeliest route toward improving a roster that went 84-78 last season. Now, a report is indicating the Cubs are rebuking..." December 08

12 Up "The Chicago Cubs non-tendered shortstop Addison Russell, making him a free agent ahead of what's shaping up to be a wild offseason.  At the same time, Yankee shortstop Didi Gregorius is also hit free agency, and he's anticipated to have a sizable market...." December 08

MLB Trade Rumors "Veteran reliever Sergio Romo appears to be cruising towards his next deal. Jon Heyman of MLB Network (via Twitter) says there’s momentum towards an agreement, with a decision anticipated during the Winter Meetings. " December 06

MLB Trade Rumors "The Cubs and right-hander Brandon Morrow are discussing a minor league contract that would bring the former closer back for a third season in the Cubs organization, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score/CBS Chicago reports (Twitter link). A deal isn’t close at this point and could still..." December 06

Bleacher Nation "It’s always a crushing blow to my fan-who-obsesses-about-baseball ego when a transaction involves a player I’m not at all familiar with, especially when he’s been in the league for six years. My bad. But anyway, this is a guy the Cubs have signed..." December 06

Bless You Boys "The Detroit Tigers have interest in former Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, according to a report from MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. Russell, now a free agent, was part of the Cubs’ 2016 World Series title run at just 22 years of age,..." December 06

MLB Trade Rumors "The Cubs will consider major trades as they look to improve a team with holes in center field, the rotation, and the bullpen. Guaranteed Contracts Yu Darvish, SP: $81MM through 2023 Jason Heyward, RF: $86MM through 2023 Jon Lester, SP: $25MM through..." December 05

NBC Sports "According to Athletics GM David Forst, Major League Baseball has still not informed teams whether or not the proposed three-batter-minimum rule will be in effect for the 2020 season, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The league and the players’ union..." December 05

MLB.com "Let’s be clear about this: Mookie Betts is likely going to be playing for the Red Sox next season. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that multiple MLB executives believe it’s unlikely that Boston will actually trade him, and it makes sense. He is, after all, one..." December 05

Cubs Insider "You may want to have that salt shaker handy for this one, because the latest Cubs rumors from ESPN’s Jeff Passan are going to require ample seasoning. He’d previously reported that multiple teams expect Willson Contreras to be made available, but Tuesday..." December 05

12 Up "The Atlanta Braves pulled off quite a shocker on Wednesday as they signed free agent southpaw Cole Hamels to a one-year deal worth $18 million. In the wake of the news, it was reported that Hamels' decision was aided due to conversations he had with Ryan Howard and..." December 05

Hardball Talk "On Sunday, December 8, the Modern Baseball Era committee of the Baseball Hall of Fame, which includes candidates whose primary contributions to baseball came between 1970-87, will vote on candidates for the 2020 induction class. Between now and then we will take a look at the ten..." December 05

MLB Trade Rumors "The Cubs, just a couple months from the end of a bitterly disappointing campaign, may be on their way to an offseason shakeup. The club has been “aggressive,” “manic,” “motivated” and “obvious” in its effort to trade someone, executives have..." December 04

ABC7 "Players who test positive for opioids would enter treatment and not be suspended under the change to Major League Baseball's drug agreement being negotiated by management and the players' association, according to union head Tony Clark. Talks to add testing for opioids..." December 04

USA Today "Major League Baseball has the power to discipline front-office personnel for egregious acts. The league can fine players for anything from wearing the wrong type of shoes to throwing their helmet after a strikeout. It can suspend players for using performance-enhancing..." December 04

ESPN "Left-hander Cole Hamels and the Atlanta Braves have agreed to a one-year, $18 million contract, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Wednesday. Hamels, when right, was every bit as good as anyone in the National League last season, but he was plagued by injuries,..." December 04

NBC Sports Chicago "Don’t rule out Nicholas Castellanos returning to the Cubs in 2020 just yet. According to MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, the Cubs are “still pursuing” the 27-year-old free agent outfielder. Morosi's report is no surprise, as Castellanos went on an offensive..." December 03