Welcome to spring training, one of the great inventions in history. You may think we’re kidding. But ask anyone who had to pick up a snow shovel in the last week if they think we’re kidding. It may be tempting to say: What about the wheel? What about the microwave? What about the iPhone? What … Read more
MESA, Ariz. — Cody Bellinger or Matt Chapman? The Chicago Cubs are keeping both free agents on their radar, league sources said, waiting to see how Scott Boras proceeds and whether a deal will fall into their range. For Jed Hoyer’s group, it appears to be more about lining up the right deal than choosing … Read more
The top story of spring training so far has nothing to do with the seams and stitches on a baseball. Instead, the talk of spring is all about the seams and stitches of the new jersey that Major League Baseball’s on-field uniform provider has rolled out for this season: the Nike Vapor Premier. Nike claims … Read more
MESA, Ariz. — The Chicago Cubs are back. Cody Bellinger is not, at least not yet and maybe never again. This looked like the normal postcard from the Sloan Park training complex with Kyle Hendricks playing catch, Dansby Swanson doing infield drills and Shota Imanaga signing autographs. But it can’t truly feel like spring training … Read more
By Patrick Mooney, Ken Rosenthal and Sahadev Sharma The Chicago Cubs are finalizing a one-year, $9 million contract with Hector Neris, a league source confirmed Saturday, adding to their bullpen an experienced reliever who helped the Houston Astros win the 2022 World Series. The bullpen has been a focus for Jed Hoyer’s baseball operations group … Read more
The Hall of Fame is made for players like Adrián Beltré. As a pure hitter, reliable slugger and slick third baseman, Beltré had few peers: No other infielder in the history of baseball has 3,000 hits, 400 homers and five Gold Glove awards. Beltré, now 44, was a lock for the Hall of Fame. As … Read more
Ryne Sandberg, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and an iconic player for generations of Chicago Cubs fans, revealed Monday that he was recently diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. Sandberg, 64, shared the news on his Instagram account, announcing that he has already begun treatment. “I am surrounded by my loving wife … Read more
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Cubs team president Jed Hoyer has always admired Craig Counsell from afar. From his vantage point, the manager had no weaknesses. Hoyer watched as Counsell continually maximized a Milwaukee Brewers roster that never seemed to be the best in the division in terms of on-paper talent, yet kept winning. Hoyer saw Counsell … Read more
The Chicago Cubs expected that Craig Breslow would be poached to run another major-league team at some point. The Cubs also understood that Breslow, a rising executive with a Yale degree and a World Series pedigree, would be selective about his next opportunity. Just as the Boston Red Sox will have to determine whether Breslow … Read more
CHICAGO (AP) — Cody Bellinger had his third straight multi-hit game, scored twice and drove in a run as the Chicago Cubs beat the MLB-leading Atlanta Braves 6-4 on Sunday for their sixth straight series win. Dansby Swanson added a double and two RBIs against his former team, and Ian Happ drove in a pair … Read more