Cubs Rumors & News

NBC Chicago "There is no quick fix for what ails the Cubs offense. Manny Machado would help. That much is certain. But dropping one of the game's elite hitters into any lineup would help boost that team's offensive profile. The only question is: Would the long-term cost be worth..." May 25

NBC Sports Chicago "No, the Cubs are not currently talking to the Baltimore Orioles about bringing Manny Machado to the North Side of Chicago. So says Theo Epstein, the Cubs president of baseball operations who met with the media at Wrigley Field ahead of Friday's series opener with the San Francisco..." May 25

Sportsnaut "Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein on Thursday threw cold water on the blazing Manny Machado trade rumors, referring to the rampant speculation as nothing more than a ‘spasm of media frenzy.” “I can say with regards to this particular spasm of media frenzy, it is..." May 24

12 Up "The Nike swoosh is coming to Major League Baseball. All it took was another company's financial ruin to get there. ​Back in 2016, Major League Baseball announced that ​Under Armour was going to be the official on-field uniform provider for all 30 teams come the..." May 24

MLB Trade Rumors "Major League Baseball has released a scientific study that was designed to examine “possible causes of the surge in home run rate in Major League Baseball in the past several years,” as its abstract puts it. The study itself is available at this link. Per the report,..." May 24

NBC Sports Chicago "There's a legit case to be made that Ian Happ has been the Cubs' second-best hitter in 2018. Yes, really. Happ ranks second on the Cubs in OPS (.895), behind only Kris Bryant (.995) among regulars, though a recent hot streak has buoyed that overall bottom line for..." May 24

Chicago Sun-Times "Even with the Cleveland Indians at Wrigley Field for the first time since that historic October, it took some serious self-delusion Tuesday night to imagine any semblance of World Series baseball. Cubs starter Tyler Chatwood regressed to six-walk form after a promising effort in his..." May 23

Chicago Tribune "Tyler Chatwood pitched well enough in high school to become a second-round pick in the 2008 draft, and his talents in six seasons with the Angels and Rockies were enough to convince the Cubs to sign him to a three-year, $38 million contract. But it might be too late to..." May 23

The Score "The Tampa Bay Rays did things a little differently over the weekend, using 35-year-old relief pitcher Sergio Romo to start back-to-back games in lieu of a regular starting pitcher. The first instance was seen as a way to better take advantage of matchups against..." May 23

Chicago Tribune "Addison Russell said he hears his name associated with Orioles superstar Manny Machado in trade discussions only when media members ask questions to him. And Russell’s isolation is supported by his recent production at the plate, where he is 6-for-12 and providing..." May 20

ESPN "Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward said that experiencing his first concussion opened his eyes to its dangers. Heyward, who was activated from the 7-day concussion disabled list Friday, said he discovered how "scary" head injuries could be. "It made a..." May 19

Larry Brown Sports "The Texas Rangers are in last place and headed for another lost season, and a mass exodus could follow this summer. Amid reports that the Rangers are willing to trade their top assets this summer, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that they may find five major suitors for ace..." May 18

Bleacher Report "The Chicago Cubs are reportedly targeting Baltimore Orioles shortstop Manny Machado in trade discussions. According to Jon Heyman of FRS Baseball, Machado is "the Cubs' main target" before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline...." May 18

Chicago Sun-Times "The radio talk-show callers want to know what’s wrong with Anthony Rizzo and what the Cubs are going to do to fix it. The Twittersphere wants him benched for a few days, or simply ripped for his early-season hitting woes. The Cubs want him to just keep doing what he’s..." May 18

Chicago Tribune "Before most games, Willson Contreras finds his way to Cubsmanager Joe Maddon with his head bobbing. The two will link hands and pull in for a hug. Then Contreras will energize Maddon by repeating, in Spanish, his top priority for the day. For every..." May 18

Fanrag Sports "The Chicago Cubs will take a look at acquiring superstar shortstop Manny Machado, sources say. Machado was speculated by FRS Sports a few weeks back as a likely candidate for the Cubs, with Addison Russell seen as part of a possible package for the Orioles, and word now is that he is the..." May 17

NBC Sports Chicago "This is who Albert Almora Jr. is as a player right now. He's the guy with video game instincts who defies gravity to take away runs from the other team, as he did Wednesday night in Atlanta  May 17

Chicago Tribune "Cubs prospect watchers may have to wait at least the next few days to see whether Adbert Alzolay will make his major-league debut Saturday. That’s because manager Joe Maddon said left-hander Mike Montgomeryremains the top choice to start in one of the games..." May 16

Chicago Sun-Times "Cubs right-fielder Jason Heyward, who was eligible to return from the 7-day concussion disabled list Monday, has shown improvement in recent days, but Maddon doesn’t expect him to be activated before Friday’s opener of the Cubs’ series in..." May 16

Chicago Tribune "Cubs veteran Ben Zobrist wasn’t able to communicate Tuesday with Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre regarding his desire to continue wearing black cleats despite Major League Baseball’s threat of a penalty for not abiding by the league’s attire..." May 16

Sporting News "  Yu Darvish can't seem to catch a break. Yu Darvish can't seem to catch a break. The Cubs right-hander made his first start back from the 10-day disabled list on Tuesday against the Braves but was taken out after four innings due to cramping..." May 16

670 The Score "Cubs utilityman Ben Zobrist chose to wear black spikes in his team's 6-5 loss to the Braves on Monday afternoon, in the process ignorning MLB's warning that he could be fined and further disciplined for wearing a shoe that doesn't meet the league's color..." May 15

Chicago Sun-Times "One of the worst things that can be said about a professional athlete is that he’s mentally soft, that he caves in under pressure. If it is said, it’s usually said in hushed tones. Just two months into Yu Darvish’s career as a Cub, it’s being talked about..." May 15

Bleacher Report "To state the painfully obvious, Manny Machado would make any MLB team instantly and exponentially better. Entering play Sunday, Machado was hitting .342 with a 1.084 OPS for the Baltimore Orioles. He's a three-time All-Star and three-time top-10 American..." May 15

Chicago Tribune "By hitting two home runs — including a grand slam — and achieving a personal milestone Friday, the player who quietly loomed large over the City Series thrust himself into every baseball conversation in town. Manny Machado, that is. Machado matched Cubs catcher Willson Contreras with a..." May 14

Chicago Tribune "When the Cubs moved Yu Darvish’s return to the rotation back one day, many assumed they didn’t want him pitching at Wrigley Field, where he was booed in his last outing before going on the 10-day disabled list with the flu. Cubs manager Joe Maddon said they simply took advantage of an..." May 14

Hardball Talk "Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward is eligible to return from the seven-day concussion disabled list when the team hits the road on Tuesday, but manager Joe Maddon told reporters there’s no concrete timetable for his return to the field just yet. Heyward suffered a concussion after crashing into the..." May 13

The Score "As the Chicago Cubs push for their second World Series title in three years, team president Theo Epstein isn't prepared to part ways with significant prospect capital for short-term help. Despite being recently linked to Baltimore Orioles third baseman and impending free agent Manny Machado,..." May 13

Bleacher Report "Chicago Cubs utility man Ben Zobrist spoke out Saturday after he received an "official warning" letter from Major League Baseball for wearing black cleats. Zobrist posted a picture of the letter on Instagram alongside a photo of his cleats. He said he's worn black spikes for day games at..." May 12

Chicago Tribune "Yu Darvish’s return to the Cubs rotation has been moved back a day. Manager Joe Maddon said Friday that Jose Quintana will start Monday in the makeup game against the Braves at Wrigley Field. Darvish, on the 10-day disabled list with the flu, will now start the opener of the series in Atlanta..." May 11

NBC Sports Chicago "There were several reasons why the Cubs ran into a wall in the National League Championship Series last fall, but maybe none moreso than the ineffectiveness of the bullpen. In fact, well before the 2017 postseason even started, the Cubs bullpen was already wearing down. They posted a 4.48..." May 11

The Score "A proposal from Major League Baseball that would have changed the voting process for this year's All-Star Game was rejected by the MLB Players Association last month, sources told Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Currently, fans vote for the starting position players in both the American and..." May 11

NBC Sports Chicago "Every championship-caliber team needs a handful of role players who step up in big moments. Victor Caratini sure looks to be one of those guys for the 2018 Cubs. It was a mild shock when the Cubs opted for the rookie Caratini to be the team's backup catcher coming out of spring training over..." May 09

MLB Trade Rumors "The Cubs have selected the contract of righty Justin Hancock, per a club announcement. He’ll be making his way onto an MLB roster for the first time. Outfielder Mark Zagunis is also coming up to the active roster after briefly debuting in 2017. In corresponding moves, the Cubs have optioned..." May 09

Chicago Sun-Times "Don’t look now, but the Cubs’ 18-month search for a leadoff man might take them right back to where they started. Will Kyle Schwarber be back at the top of the lineup? “I have thought about it,” manager Joe Maddon said. “It came up a couple times recently.” Maddon’s riding Ben Zobrist..." May 09

Chicago Tribune "For one of the few times in his career, Anthony Rizzo took his eye off the flight of his single in the sixth inning Tuesday night. Rizzo found some relief to his rough start as he pointed toward manager Joe Maddon before resuming his jog to first base. “Joe called a hit-and-run play and in..." May 09

MLB.com "Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list, retroactive to Monday, after he was injured hitting the wall trying to catch Dexter Fowler's walk-off home run in the 14th inning on Sunday in St. Louis. A five-time Gold Glove winner, Heyward slammed into the..." May 08

Chicago Sun-Times "Maybe the fix the Cubs need for their struggling lineup is as simple as these two words: Manny Machado. A lot of dominoes would need to fall in the right directions for the Orioles’ superstar shortstop to wind up with the Cubs before the trade deadline. But after checking in on his..." May 08

Chicago Tribune "Minutes before Monday night’s first pitch, the Cubs routinely announced they had placed right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish on the 10-day disabled list with the parainfluenza virus. Oh. This raised the eyebrows of everyone who saw a smiling Darvish mingling in the Cubs clubhouse three hours..." May 08

NBC Sports Chicago "All the Cubs had to do to break out of their collective slump was face the guy who led the majors in ERA, apparently. That’s an amusing narrative to peddle after the Cubs roughed up Miami Marlins starter Jarlin Garcia (who'd only allowed four runs in 33 innings) for seven runs in four innings..." May 08

MLB.com "Cubs second baseman Javier Baez, who hit a three-run homer in the third inning, exited Monday's 14-2 win at Wrigley Field with tightness in his right groin. He will be re-evaluated on Tuesday. Baez got twisted making a play on Justin Bour's grounder to open the Marlins' seventh. Brian Anderson..." May 08

Chicago Sun-Times "John Mallee still isn’t sure what he supposedly did wrong as the Cubs’ hitting coach during three playoff seasons. And the way the Cubs have started the season at the plate, it’s tempting to wonder if they miss him, especially on days like the end of last week when they got out-homered in..." May 07

Chicago Tribune "Yu Darvish’s rocky start took on a medical twist when the Cubs placed their prized free agent pitcher on 10-day disabled list because of “parainfluenza virus.” Darvish, 31, was placed on the DL retroactive to Friday. Darvish is eligible to come off the list May 14 — when the Cubs play the..." May 07

New York Post "Jacob deGrom hyper-extended his elbow swinging a bat, but I promise I am not overreacting to the Mets ace landing on the DL to stump for the introduction of the DH to the National League. This is not about a singular event, as troubling as it may be for the Mets. This is about how the game..." May 07

Bleacher Report "Yu Darvish was supposed to put the Chicago Cubs on an L train straight to championship city. That was the plan when they signed the right-hander to a six-year, $126 million pact this winter and waved goodbye to free-agent hurlers Jake Arrieta and John Lackey. A bumpy month-plus into the 2018..." May 07

NBC Sports Chicago "Ian Happ nearly slammed his bat down on the ground, cursing in frustration as he walked back to the dugout. It was his third strikeout of the night, coming in the 14th inning off a relief pitcher in his third inning of work. The strikeouts — unfortunately for Happ and the Cubs — haven't been..." May 07

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "With the exception of the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, you won’t find a bigger rivalry in baseball than the one between the Cardinals and Cubs. It’s not as nasty as the one between the AL East powers, but the duels between the NL Central heavyweights can be heated at times. Fans can..." May 06

MLB Trade Rumors "The Cubs have reached agreement on a minor-league deal with outfielder Lane Adams, according to David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). He had recently elected free agency after being removed from the Braves’ 40-man roster. The 28-year-old Adams will provide some..." May 05

Chicago Tribune "The evaluation period has ended, and the Cubs have seen enough to take the kid gloves off struggling starter Yu Darvish. “Now we’re ready to say things in a really constructive matter, where the constructive criticism flows with no pushback from either side,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We’re..." May 05

Hardball Talk "One of the most notable things of the 2018 season has been the C-flaps on the batting helmets. Those little extensions from the ear flap that cover a hitter’s jaw. Players have worn them for some time, but it seems like this year ten times more guys have them. It’s getting to the point where I..." May 04