Cubs Rumors & News

MLB Trade Rumors "The Cubs announced today that for the second time this offseason, they’ve claimed lefty Ian Clarkin off waivers from the White Sox. The South Siders designated Clarkin for assignment last week after signing Kelvin Herrera. It’s the second time this winter..." January 16

Larry Brown Sports "You can count the Chicago Cubs out of the Bryce Harper sweepstakes. Prior to this offseason, there was a lot of talk about the Cubs being contenders to sign Harper. After all, there had been rumors about wanting to play with the franchise. Fast forward to this offseason, and the..." January 16

MLB Trade Rumors "The Cubs announced Monday that they’ve named former big league reliever Craig Breslow director of strategic initiatives in their baseball operations department. That, it seems, will put an end to a playing career that dates all the way back to the 2002 season for the 38-year-old..." January 14

Bleed Cubbie Blue "The deadline for teams settling with arbitration-eligible players has passed. One of the reasons this deadline is more important this year than in previous years is explained by Craig Calcaterra at Hardball Talk: Last fall, however, Ken Rosenthal reported something that..." January 11

Bleed Cubbie Blue "Yesterday I wrote about the fan campaign to pressure the Cubs to release Addison Russell by raising the equivalent of his salary for the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic of Chicago. As part of that piece I mentioned that the Cubs will have a lot of tough questions to..." January 11

MLB Trade Rumors "The Cubs have agreed to a $12.9MM contract with star third baseman Kris Bryant, ESPNChicago.com’s Jesse Rogers tweets. Also agreeing to terms, at $5.2MM, was star infielder Javier Baez, as Jon Heyman of Fancred was first to tweet. Rather more controversially,..." January 11

12 Up "Today is the day teams have to avoid going to arbitration with their players and agree to one-year deals. The Chicago Cubs have already done that with one of their top starters, Kyle Hendricks, and they were able to agree to terms with outfield slugger Kyle..." January 11

Chicago Tribune "Kyle Hendricks became the first of seven arbitraiton-eligible Cubs players to sign, agreeing to a one-year, $7.405 million deal, a $3.4 million raise from 2018. Today is the deadline to submit salary numbers for arbitration. " January 11

NBC Sports Chicago "Mid-January is approaching, the Cubs just announced their spring training report date (Feb. 13) and yet Bryce Harper remains without a team for 2019 or beyond. The market for Harper will make your head spin, as any interested teams have public holdups and front office executives..." January 11

ESPN "With $3 million at stake, the Boston Red Sox wanted to create the most compelling argument possible against Mookie Betts without alienating or insulting him. So last January, as they tried to convince a three-person arbitration panel that Betts deserved the $7.5 million..." January 11

Hardball Talk "There’s an offseason deadline today that, in the past, you may not have thought much about but which, this year, is a bit more important. It’s the deadline by which teams and arbitration-eligible players who were tendered a contract back on November 30 must exchange salary..." January 11

Bleacher Report "With the new year upon us and spring training around the corner, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado remain on the free-agent market. Both will eventually sign, and the consensus is they will land megadeals in excess of $200 million. According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden,..." January 10

NBC Sports Chicago "Cubs fans are rallying together in an effort to try to make Addison Russell "go away."  Jeff Falk and other "Fans of Cubs Twitter" started a GoFundMe Wednesday in an effort to convince the Cubs to "do the right thing" and release the..." January 10

NBC Sports Chicago "Did the Cubs make the right call in picking up Cole Hamels' $20 million option? That question was a no-brainer in the first few days of November — an easy call to pencil Hamels into the Cubs rotation for 2019 even if it meant trading away Drew Smyly and his $7 million..." January 09

Bleacher Report "With close attention being paid to the number of free agents still unsigned, Major League Baseball teams did something last season that hasn't happened since 2010.  Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), the $4,227,041,948 combined payroll for all 30 teams in 2018..." January 09

CBS Sports "If general managers of baseball teams still used paper calendars and magic markers, they would have circled those calendars years ago, drooling with anticipation for this winter. Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are multi-tool superstars in their mid-20s, making them the kind..." January 09

Bleed Cubbie Blue "I’ve written here that I feel the Cubs should move on from Addison Russell. Not just once (in November) but twice (again in December). Now comes word from Ken Rosenthal in The Athletic that the team did try to do just that: The Cubs spoke..." January 08

NBC Sports Chicago "Who's going to be the Cubs' starting shortstop at the outset of the 2019 season? Well, it won't be Troy Tulowitzki. But according to a report, that's who the Cubs wanted it to be before he signed with the New York Yankees. According to SNY's Andy Martino, "the..." January 05

MLB Trade Rumors "It continues to be a quiet offseason for the Cubs, though president of baseball operations Theo Epstein tells Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that the team remains active in exploring various options for upgrades. “There are times to be aggressive and times to be patient,..." January 05

Chicago Tribune "The Cubs’ new bench coach will be Mark Loretta, the Tribune has learned. He replaces Brandon Hyde, who left to become the Orioles manager. The Cubs are expected to announce the move on Wednesday. Loretta joins Joe Maddon’s staff after nine years with..." January 02

Bleed Cubbie Blue "Two weeks ago, I posted this article noting a report from Bruce Levine that the Cubs were going to, as expected, launch their own TV network with a “broadcast equity partner” beginning with the 2020 season. Wednesday, that became a bit more official..." January 02

MLB Trade Rumors "Catching up on some transactions from December, the Cubs signed first baseman/outfielder Jim Adduci and infielder Phillip Evans to minor league contracts.  Zone Coverage’s Brandon Warne (Twitter link) had the news on Adduci, while MetsMerized’s Michael Mayer..." January 02

CBS Sports "It's now 2019, and coveted free agent outfielder Bryce Harper remains unsigned. Given that he's just 26 years of age and has MVP upside, he's probably going to wind up signing the largest contract in MLB history (i.e., more than Giancarlo Stanton's record $325 pact with the..." January 01

Bleed Cubbie Blue "“Well-traveled” doesn’t even begin to describe the odyssey of righthanded reliever Oliver Drake. First, he was a 43rd-round draft pick by Baltimore in 2008. That’s a round that no longer exists; the draft today is only 40 rounds. Very few guys selected..." December 31

MLB.com "While the Cubs' payroll restrictions could prevent them from pursuing Bryce Harper, Phil Rogers of Forbes writes that there are two ways for the club to make it work. The first is to eat enough of Jason Heyward's salary to make it worthwhile for a team to trade for the..." December 29

NBC Sports Chicago "Cubs fans clamoring for the team to add superstar Bryce Harper in free agency might not have to give up hope just yet. According to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Cubs met with Harper's agent Scott Boras during the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. The meeting..." December 24

Chicago Sun-Times "With every day the Cubs stand pat or deal from the bargain-basement bin of the free-agent market, their 2019 team gets worse on paper. The Cardinals add slugger Paul Goldschmidt and reliever Andrew Miller to a team that won 88 games last season. The Cubs add infielder Daniel..." December 24

The Score "In the open, it's been a quiet offseason for the Chicago Cubs, but behind the scenes they're busy at work trying to free up cash to make a push for Bryce Harper. The Cubs have met with Harper and his agent Scott Boras for a combined three hours, according to Gordon Wittenmyer..." December 23

NBC Chicago "For the second year in a row, the Chicago Cubs appear to have signed a pitcher recovering from Tommy John surgery, as they’ve reportedly inked hurler Kendall Graveman to a deal. Graveman, who had the surgery earlier this year, wouldn’t pitch until at least September if..." December 22

The Score "The mother of one of Addison Russell's children has come forward against the suspended Chicago Cubs shortstop, claiming he paid child support using quarters and dollar bills three years ago and accusing him of directing the Cubs to block her on social..." December 20

12 Up "This past season, Melisa Reidy, the ex-wife of Chicago Cubs infielder Addison Russell, alleged he committed various acts of domestic abuse, both mental and physical. Following an MLB investigation, Russell was suspended for the first 40 games of the 2019 season. Russell and..." December 19

Bleed Cubbie Blue "I’ve written recently about the Cubs’ 25-man roster and how there will likely be few changes between now and Opening Day March 28. The signing of Daniel Descalso... likely about as good as it gets for free-agent excitement. One thing that isn’t likely to..." December 19

Chicago Tribune "We would all shudder to think of our personal emails leaking out to the public, as happened to the Cubs owners Tuesday when a website printed a trove of their emails and family documents. And certainly the Rickettses are no different from you or me, only much, much..." December 19

Bleed Cubbie Blue "David Ross is one of the most beloved Cubs of the 2016 World Series championship team, and many have hoped that he would eventually become a member of the Cubs coaching staff, especially after he was hired as a special assistant in the Cubs front office. Ross..." December 18

Hardball Talk "The Ricketts family is one of America’s wealthiest and most powerful families. In case you are unaware: Patriarch Joe Ricketts is the founder and former CEO of TD Ameritrade — his work is the original source of the family’s billions — and is extraordinarily..." December 18

MLB Daily Dish "The Cubs are in agreement on a two-year deal with veteran utility player Daniel Descalso, per a Tuesday morning report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. The contract maxes out at $8.25 million if he reaches performance bonuses and has his club option picked up for..." December 18

12 Up "Chicago Cubs infielder Kris Bryant has seen his name show up in trade rumors this offseason after reportedly rejecting a huge contract extension.  Now, it's clear why Bryant's status was up for discussion. According to Gordon Wittenmyer of..." December 18

The Score "The Chicago Cubs are among the teams that have been in contact with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and will send a scout to observe a workout, according to Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports. Tulowitzki hasn't played a major-league game since 2017 but teams are going to be lining up to get a..." December 15

12 Up "Every team could use themselves a good utility player, and according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Chicago Cubs are in "strong pursuit" of veteran infielder ?Daniel Descalso to fill said role on their roster. The 32-year-old utility man is coming..." December 14

Hardball Talk "It was not a secret that the Orioles wanted Cubs coach Brandon Hyde as their new manager. Reports swirled three days ago that he was going to get the job, though the Orioles denied it, calling them “premature.” Now, however, it’s official: the Orioles just announced that Hyde..." December 14

NBC Sports Chicago "Kris Bryant strolled through Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Wednesday evening wearing a backwards hat and white hoodie. Before you get any ideas, "KB" apparently wasn't there to report back to the Cubs front office on his recent time as official Bryce Harper Pitch..." December 13

Chicago Tribune "Cubs shortstop Addison Russell has benefited from his rehab since being given a 40-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic-violence policy, his agent, Scott Boras, said Wednesday. “He’s well into his therapy, and this process has been..." December 13

Chicago Sun-Times "Think Joe Maddon isn’t taking this upcoming “year of reckoning” for the Cubs seriously? The Cubs skipper added “Managing Millennials for Dummies” to his offseason reading list as he prepares for what could be the most scrutinized season of his managing..." December 12

Chicago Tribune "Nearly one year ago, the Cubs acquired two major pillars of their successful bullpen by signing closer Brandon Morrow and resilient Steve Cishek. But the Cubs are among several teams this winter who haven’t signed any significant free agents or acquired an..." December 12

USA Today "Joe Maddon strolls through the lobby of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and can barely take more than a few steps before being stopped for autographs, posing for pictures and strangers wanting casual conversation. He’s either a lame duck manager for the Chicago Cubs or a..." December 12

Fox Sports Midwest "The Cardinals picked up left-handed hitting help on Tuesday, acquiring utility player Drew Robinson from the Texas Rangers in exchange for third baseman Patrick Wisdom. Robinson, 26, batted .183 with three home runs and 20 runs scored over 47 games for the Rangers last season...." December 11

Chicago Tribune "The start of spring training is more than two months away, with the Cubs still looking for late-inning relief help, a middle infielder with leadership skills and perhaps a backup catcher. And yet, “I’ve never said this before, but I’ve never..." December 11

Hardball Talk "Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Cubs won’t deal Kyle Schwarber this winter, despite multiple inquires from teams around the league. Schwarber is approaching his first year of arbitration and will remain under team control for another three seasons before reaching free agency..." December 09

Yardbarker "Paul Goldschmidt was officially introduced as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday, and the star first baseman is already winning fans over with his rationale for choosing a new jersey number. After he wore No. 44 for many years with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Goldschmidt will..." December 08

Chicago Tribune "One of the more frustrating moments of the Cubs’ late-season slide occurred when Joakim Soria struck out Javier Baez with the tying and go-ahead runs on base to end a sixth-inning rally and help the Brewers secure a 3-1 win for the National League..." December 07