Baseball appears to be gearing up for a very busy Winter Meetings as rumors throughout the game continue to point to a lot of player movement in the near future. Negotiations on the new CBA picked up Sunday after a couple of days off for Thanksgiving. Baseball is attempting to avoid a lockout by agreeing to a new CBA before Dec. 1.
On the Cubs’ front, The World Series celebration continued. The 2016 World Series film was premiered and is set to be played on the MLB Network in the coming week.
Rumors made most of the headlines and the Cubs were connected to Charlie Blackmon, Travis Jankowski and Chris Archer. The Yankees entered the mix for Dexter Fowler and have three Cubs on their radar in Fowler, Aroldis Chapman and Jason Hammel.
Here are all the headlines from the last five days to get you caught up from Thanksgiving with the Winter Meetings and a big week on tap for the Cubs …
The Daily CCO: Cubs, One of 12 Nominees for Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year
Sports Illustrated released its list of 12 candidates for the 2016 Sportsperson of the Year. And to no surprise, the team that ended the longest championship drought in American professional sports is up for the award.
The 2016 World Series Film is set to be released on Blu-ray and DVD.
The 2016 Hall of Fame ballot came out. Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines are two of the players expected to get The Call this year.
The Daily Report includes a minor loss, all of the news, notes, links, video and rumors along with This Day in Cubs History.
Cubs Roster Moves
The Cubs announced two roster moves this past week that had an impact on the 40-man roster.
The Rangers claimed left-handed reliever David Rollins off waivers from the Cubs. Rollins was on the 40-man roster for a grand total of four days.
Spencer Patton was released so he could continue his career in Japan. Patton signed a one-year contract with the Yokohama BayStars.
With the two moves, the Cubs’ 40-man roster officially stands at 37 players.
- From the Wire: Cubs Release Spencer Patton
- From the Wire: Rangers Claim David Rollins Off Waivers from Cubs
Cubs 2016 Position Reviews
Chris continued his look back at the season that was with the position review series. Ben Zobrist was the main man at second base for the Cubs in the regular season. Addison Russell inched closer to a Gold Glove at shortstop in his first full-season in the big leagues. Kris Bryant and Javier Baez handled third base very well for the best team in baseball.
In left field, a regular season-ending injury to Kyle Schwarber and another injury to Jorge Soler meant Kris Bryant played more games in left field than any other player on Maddon’s roster.
The Daily CCO: Owners to Consider a Lockout and Cubs News, Notes and Rumors
Ken Rosenthal reported the bad news just before Thanksgiving. The owners will consider locking out the players if a new CBA is not in place by Dec. 1. Major League Baseball has had labor peace for more than two decades. Coming off a very good season and one of the best postseasons in history, Major League Baseball should not be thinking about a work stoppage.
The Daily Report includes info on what an expanded roster could mean to the Rule 5 Draft.
Greg Holland has a price tag and it’s rather big. Jason Castro signed a nice contract with the Twins.
All of the news, notes, video, links and rumors, plus This Day in Cubstory are included in the Daily Report.
What the Year 2016 Meant to Me as a Cubs Fan
Long-time reader Joe N. sent the CCO a follow-up to his earlier story and told what the Cubs winning The World Series meant to him and his family.
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 11/24/16
The position analysis series continued on Thanksgiving with Tom’s look at the left fielders in the Cubs’ system.
The Cubs top prospect spent a lot of time in left field this past season. Click on the link to read about the other players that lined up in left throughout the organization.
The Daily CCO: Thanksgiving Day Cubs News, Notes and Rumors
There was a lot to be thankful for this year for all Cubs fans. The Cubs are World Series Champions.
The Cubs might have run up the cost of Brett Cecil. The Diamondbacks and Mariners made a trade that involved Jean Segura and Taijuan Walker … a pitcher the Cubs were interested in.
The Daily Report has all of the news, notes, links and rumors, plus This Day in Cubs History from Turkey Day.
A Bittersweet World Series Victory
Chris shared the story on how he became a Cubs’ fan and what the team means to his family. It was truly a bittersweet World Series victory for Chris and his family.
Click on this must-read story from a long-time contributor and writer.
The Daily CCO: Cubs World Series Film and Other News and Rumors
The Cubs held the premier for the 2016 World Series film. And this report includes video of Tom Ricketts and more previews from MLB and the MLB Network.
Dexter Fowler is garnering a lot of attention this off-season. Add the Yankees to the list of teams that are interested in signing Fowler. The Cardinals are the favorite to ink Fowler to what could be a five-year contract worth in access of $80 million. The Blue Jays, Giants, Rangers, Mets, Nationals and Braves are also possibilities for Fowler.
Sean Rodriguez is no longer in the NL Central and will be abusing water coolers in Atlanta next season.
The Daily Report includes the news, notes, links and rumors along with This Day in Cubstory.
Cubs Reportedly Interested in Charlie Blackmon
The Cubs would like to add a centerfielder this off-season, preferably an outfielder that can complement Albert Almora Jr. According to Bruce Levine, the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon is on the Cubs’ list again.
Blackmon is coming off an excellent season and produced offensively on the road just as well as he did at Coors Field.
Travis Jankowski on the Cubs Radar
One of the young outfielders the Cubs could try to acquire is the Padres’ Travis Jankowski. The Cubs are looking for a left-handed complement for Albert Almora Jr. and Jankowski could be a fit.
Click on the report for all the numbers on the player the Cubs appear to have on their radar.
The Daily CCO: Kris Bryant Hit the Cubs Longest Homer of the Season and Other News and Rumors
Statcast posted the numbers and Kris Bryant hit the Cubs’ longest homer of the season. Willson Contreras launched the longest dinger at Wrigley Field. Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell made the top five.
The report includes video of all five home runs.
The Daily Report includes the news, notes, links and rumors, plus This Day in Cubs History from the last Saturday in November.
Cubs Talks with Rays Have Reportedly Included Chris Archer
The Rays are believed to be listening to offers for their starting pitchers. The Cubs and Rays have been discussing possible deals for at least 18 months. And the Cubs latest talks with the Rays reportedly includes Chris Archer.
The Cubs have the talent in the system and on the Major League roster to acquire Archer. But it would be expensive to add Archer to the roster.
Click on the report for the details.
The Daily CCO: MLB, MLBPA to Resume Talks Sunday and Cubs News and Rumors
MLB and the union believe they can agree on a new CBA prior to Thursday’s deadline. The two sides resumed negotiations Sunday in Dallas.
Information on David Ross and Aroldis Chapman are included in the Daily Report along with the news, notes, links and more rumors. Plus, This Day in Cubs History … and it was a good one for the organization four years ago.