In an off-season full of big ticket signings like Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward and John Lackey, the Cubs surprised everyone (including his teammates) when they managed to re-sign Dexter Fowler to a one-year, $8 million deal ($13 million guaranteed). Their offensive catalyst helped spark the lineup and as a whole center field combined with four other players to bat .278/.375/.456 with 39 doubles, nine triples, 19 homeruns, 66 RBI and 15 steals. It’s hard to say if a strong free agent market of … [Read more...]
Cubs Weekend Headlines: CBA Updates, Position Reviews, Minor News and Lots of Rumors
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 … [Read more...]
Travis Jankowski on the Cubs Radar
With Dexter Fowler expected to sign with another team, the front office is exploring ways to add a centerfielder to the roster. The Cubs believe Albert Almora Jr. is the centerfielder of the future, but the front office believes he needs more time before he is ready to handle the job on a daily basis. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have said publicly the Cubs would like to acquire a left-handed hitting centerfielder to complement Almora Jr. The Cubs have been linked to the Yankees’ Brett Gardner … [Read more...]
Cubs Reportedly Interested in Charlie Blackmon
According to a report from Bruce Levine, one of the outfielders the Cubs are looking at to complement Albert Almora Jr. in center field is Charlie Blackmon. This is the third straight off-season the Cubs have been connected to the Rockies’ outfielder. The Cubs were interested in acquiring Blackmon from Colorado before the front office made the deal with the Astros for Dexter Fowler. And last winter while the Cubs were searching for a centerfielder as Fowler talked with other teams, the front … [Read more...]
Cubs Reportedly Out of the Mix for Josh Reddick
Report indicates Josh Reddick will not be going to Cubs … Rockies decide not to trade Charlie Blackmon Josh Reddick had another good night at the plate Saturday in the A’s 6-3 loss to the Indians. Reddick went 2-for-4 with a double and is batting .311/.380/.556 with a .936 OPS since the break. The Cubs have been connected heavily to Reddick since May. Rumors picked up significantly in the last week that the Cubs had discussions with the A’s about Reddick and were very interested in … [Read more...]
Player Acquisition Cost: Outfielders
Player Acquisition Cost: Outfielders After the trade acquisitions of Aroldis Chapman and Mike Montgomery, it would be easy to assume that the Chicago Cubs might be done making deals. However, there still have been quite a few rumors swirling around that the front office are looking for a lefty batting outfield power bat. It’s easy to see why as the offense has been fairly inconsistent lately, batting just .238/.321/.360 since the All-Star break. The offense has been very similar to last … [Read more...]
Cubs Focused on Outfield, Reportedly Considering Deal for Josh Reddick
It’s no secret the front office has been exploring ways to add a left-handed hitting outfielder to the roster. The Cubs have been connected heavily to Josh Reddick since May. Jon Paul Morosi reported Wednesday now that the Cubs have added Aroldis Chapman and Mike Montgomery to the bullpen, the front office has “shifted focus to another area of need: the outfield.” According to Morosi, the Cubs have had talks with the A’s about Josh Reddick. Reddick would help fill several needs for the … [Read more...]
Josh Reddick Rumors Persist, Cubs Linked to Charlie Blackmon
The front office is exploring options to improve the offense. And it’s believed the Cubs would like to acquire a left-handed hitting outfielder to add to the mix. The Cubs offense has been inconsistent, at best, and has missed the presence and balance Kyle Schwarber provided a year ago. Josh Reddick is believed to be at the top of the list of outfielders the Cubs are interested in acquiring. Reddick hits from the left side, mashes right-handers, makes contact and can provide good defense in … [Read more...]
Cubs Down on the Farm Report – 06/27/16
It was a busy weekend and the pitching staff of Eugene led by Dylan Cease, Bryan Hudson, and Manuel Rondon dominated. South Bend’s starters Preston Morrison, Casey Bloomquist, and Kyle Miller were also in top form. Erick Leal and Jake Stinnett pitched well for Myrtle Beach, and Jen-Ho Tseng and Paul Blackburn lead the way for Tennessee. However in Iowa, it was the bats of Jeimer Candelario and Dan Vogelbach in the forefront. With some impressive pitching in both the Arizona Rookie League and … [Read more...]
Recapping the Cubs Options for Center Field
As the calendar year came to an end, rumors continued to point to the Cubs talking to several teams as the front office explored ways to acquire pitching, both for the rotation and bullpen. The Cubs have added depth to the roster this winter but many within the game do not think Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are done making changes to the team. Whether the Cubs are able to acquire a starting pitcher or arms for the bullpen or before Spring Training begins is obviously dependent on a lot of … [Read more...]