A final plaudit to add to his resume before free agency, Kyle Tucker wins his second career Silver Slugger Award. On the season, Tucker hit .266/.377/.464/139 wRC+ (third highest in the NL among qualified outfielders), with 22 homers, 91 runs scored, 73 RBI, and 25 stolen bases.
The Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker for his bat, and, outside of a particularly notable dip, he produced when he was healthy enough to play. It’s a bummer things didn’t work out better overall for the Cubs, but it’s har...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Qualifying offers were tendered to thirteen MLB players today, per multiple reports. The thirteen are: Bo Bichette, SS, Toronto Blue Jays Dylan Cease, SP, San Diego Padres Edwin Diaz, RP, New York Mets Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks Trent Grisham, OF, New York Yankees Shota Imanaga, SP, Chicago Cubs Michael King, SP, San Diego Padres […]
From Lone Star Ball
| about 1 month ago
| 4 reads
Today was the deadline to extend Qualifying Offers to outgoing free agents, and the following 13 free agents got the offer from their respective teams:
Houston Astros LHP Framber Valdez San Diego Padres RHP Dylan Cease San Diego Padres RHP Michael King Philadelphia Phillies LHP Ranger Suarez Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber New York Mets RHP Edwin Diaz Detroit Tigers 2B Gleyber Torres Milwaukee Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff Arizona Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen Chicago Cubs OF Kyle Tu...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 5 reads
There it is. Today, per Jeff Passan , the Chicago Cubs extended a one-year, $22 million Qualifying Offer not only to Kyle Tucker – we knew that was coming – but also to Shōta Imanaga.
The latter was put deeply into question by recent developments in the market, but clearly the Cubs believe Imanaga is worth a one-year, $22 million deal, and/or he will reject it in favor of a better contract, either with a new team or negotiated with the Cubs. The option the Cubs declined on Imanaga was eff...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Episode 37 of the Bleacher Nation Cubs Podcast is officially live!
In this week’s episode, Brett and I talk about the Shota Imanaga decision this week, and what he might be looking at in a market that forced Jack Flaherty and Shane Bieber to accept surprisingly soft terms before even testing the market. Likewise, we get into the extreme bullpen turnover ahead of us, and what that migth mean for the Cubs pursuits this winter.
After the break, in our transaction corner, we focus our at...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Thursday was the deadline for teams to make qualifying offers to their players who are free agents and the Cubs did so for two such players. Kyle Tucker was an obvious choice to make the offer of $22.025 million. Just as obvious is the fact that he’ll turn it down and head toward another team […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
A version of this story originally ran April 8, 2019, the 50th anniversary of this historic event. I repost it here as part of this walkoff wins series, with some minor edits and a few notes on Willie Smith’s career. To understand the true meaning of Willie Smith’s walkoff two-run homer on April 8, 1969, […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
The Cubs had a one-year, $6 million option for Colin Rea for 2026. They’re going to keep him for next year, but on a different deal: So that’s a slight increase in his 2026 salary from the previous option year, and if Rea does well enough in 2026, the team can keep him for 2027 […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
It’s news in the sense that it is a transaction that today occurred, but this is one of those transactions that was always going to occur.
Justin Turner is a free agent:
As expected, Justin Turner has become a free-agent. That means the Cubs declined his $10M team option for '26, in favor of the $2M buyout. — Jordan Bastian (@bastianmlb.bsky.social) 2025-11-06T15:04:13.790Z
When the Cubs signed Turner to join their bench last year, the contract’s structure may have inc...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Let’s shift gears a bit here and talk about the exact sort of free agent Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer seems to like to go after. Mid-range starter? Check. Injury history? Check. Had some success that could be built on? Sure. Michael King had several good years as a reliever/spot starter for the […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
We cover the coverage like PCA covers center field. Ryan Brasier, Willi Castro, Aaron Civale, Brad Keller. Drew Pomeranz, Taylor Rogers, Carlos Santana, Mike Soroka, Caleb Thielbar, and Kyle Tucker have declared Free Agency. I’d bring three of them back. Your mileage may vary. The answer from my end is Keller, Pomeranz, Thielbar… with Thielbar […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
It’s Wednesday here at BCB After Dark, the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We can check that coat for you. It’s always good to see you. There’s no cover charge. There are still a few tables available. Bring your own […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 2 reads
Take this only as a for-what-it’s-worth from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, because I don’t hear this as him “reporting” something.
But Rosenthal believes that the Cubs declining Shōta Imanaga’s three-year, $57 million option, and then Shōta Imanaga declining his own two-year, $30 million option, were just precursors to the Qualifying Offer. Which Rosenthal believes the Cubs will make, and Imanaga will accept:
The Cubs decision to decline Shota Imanaga's option feels like a checkmate ...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 3 reads
EDITOR’S NOTE: A version of this article originally ran on the 60th anniversary of this game, in 2023. I’m reposting it, lightly edited, as part of the walkoff wins series. 1963 was a watershed year for the Chicago Cubs. The widely-mocked College of Coaches was quietly ended. Bob Kennedy led the team for the entire […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Thanks to the needs in the rotation, the bigger names at play there, and the nature of Chicago Cubs bullpen construction (read: less sexy), I have neglected to lay out explicitly the bullpen situation for the Cubs entering this offseason.
Now that Andrew Kittredge has been sent back to the Orioles , the following Cubs relievers who threw 20+ innings in 2025 are still under team control:
Daniel Palencia Porter Hodge
End of list.
It’s one thing to say that the Cubs always fin...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
The 2025 MLB season just ended with a great World Series Game 7 last Saturday. Now it’s time to talk spring! As of the date of this post, we are just 107 days away from the Cubs’ Spring Training opener against the White Sox. Included in the 18-game Sloan Park home schedule is an exhibition […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
When the book closed on the 2025 regular season, the Chicago Cubs had launched an impressive 223 home runs, 6th most in MLB (3rd most in the NL). That was 53 homers more than they hit in 2024, 27 more than they hit in 2023, and 64(!) more than they hit in 2022.
2025 MLB Team Home Run Leaders
Yankees: 274 HRs
Dodgers: 244 HRs
Mariners: 238 HRs
Angels: 226 HRs
Mets: 224 HRs
Cubs: 223 HRs
Athletics: 219 HRs (Mickey Mouse ballpark)
D-Backs: 214 HRs
...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 7 reads
You might say: “But the Cubs already have a third baseman!” Yes, they do. Matt Shaw did a credible job at third base, a position that wasn’t his original one. He did well enough with the glove to be a Gold Glove “finalist,” and posted 3.1 bWAR, which is very good for a rookie season […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Wowwww. Bulls. A 24-point comeback win, down to the final seconds . This team has some juice.
If you missed Shane Bieber’s stunning option decision and my thoughts on it, see here . I think it’ll take a little while to fully know whether that was just some weird, one-off, super-idiosyncratic decision of Bieber’s, or if it represents some kind of fundamental systemic concern about what this offseason is going to look like. But we’ll get some clues with the Qualifying Offer decisions this...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 2 reads
Despite falling short of a World Series berth, the Brewers had one of their most successful seasons in years. Milwaukee won 97 games (including two 11-plus game win streaks) for the first time in franchise history and beat their division rivals, the Chicago Cubs, in the NLDS. Since there were also a lot of exciting […]
From Brew Crew Ball
| about 1 month ago
| 4 reads
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths. “Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire. Happy birthday to Bryan LaHair, one-time Cubs All-Star! Today in baseball history: Cubs Birthdays: Charlie Newman, […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Thanks for stopping by here at BCB After Dark: the hippest afterparty for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. It’s always good to see you. Come in out of the cold. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own […]
From Bleed Cubbie Blue
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
This morning, Shota Imanaga became a free agent when both the team (3-years, $57M and a no-trade clause) and the player (1-year, $15M) rejected their contractual options. And although there’s still a chance Imanaga could return to the Cubs in 2025 by way of the $22M qualifying offer or a new free agent deal altogether, it sounds like both sides are getting ready to move on. Or, at least, the posturing has begun.
Shota Imanaga, the Cubs, and Free Agency
For the Cubs, that looks and so...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 1 read
Though right-hander Keegan Thompson spent the entirety of the 2025 season at the AAA level within the Chicago Cubs organization, the Cincinnati Reds signed him to a major league deal earlier on Tuesday. Thompson, 30, does have ample big league experience, however. A former 33rd round pick of the Detroit Tigers and later a 3rd […]
From Red Reporter
| about 1 month ago
| 3 reads
Yu Darvish wasn’t a Chicago Cubs pitcher for too long, but I enjoyed it so much that I’ll always think of him as a Cub.
Which, in turn, means today’s news really, really bums me out:
San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish will miss the 2026 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon and an internal brace in his elbow. https://t.co/Z6cRdogoYh — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 4, 2025
There are two over-arching reactions here to the news:
1.) This ...
From Bleacher Nation | Chicago Sports News, Rumors, and a Reasonable Level of Obsession
| about 1 month ago
| 2 reads