The Latest
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Up close, White Sox see same big potential Cubs forecasted for Dylan Cease
The Cubs made the Jose Quintana deal knowing it would have been more difficult to give up Dylan Cease if he was already performing at the Double-A level, and that the White Sox organization would be a good place to continue his education as a young pitcher. While Eloy Jimenez keeps drawing ridiculous comparisons – the running total now includes…
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Game on as Jake Arrieta, Wade Davis and Alex Cobb turn down qualifying offers
During the middle of Jake Arrieta’s 2015 Cy Young Award campaign, super-agent Scott Boras compared the emerging Cubs pitcher to another client – Max Scherzer – in the first season of a seven-year, $210 million megadeal with the Washington Nationals. Now don’t focus as much on the money – though that obviously matters – as when Scherzer arrived for that…
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Why Zach Britton no longer makes sense for Cubs team going in different direction with bullpen
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Cubs executives who checked out of the Waldorf Astoria Orlando on Wednesday had to ask the Baltimore Orioles again about Zach Britton. But any standard due diligence during the general manager meetings doesn’t mean Britton will follow Aroldis Chapman and Wade Davis as the next All-Star rental closer at Wrigley Field. Whatever window that might have…
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Scott Boras unveils sales pitch for Jake Arrieta: Welcome to ‘Playoffville'
ORLANDO, Fla. – Right from the beginning of these high-stakes negotiations, Scott Boras so obviously wants to play one free agent against another, implicitly contrasting Jake Arrieta’s big-game experience as a Cub with Yu Darvish’s awful World Series performance for the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I don’t want address a specific franchise,” Boras said. “But in the law, we...
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How the Jose Quintana deal changed everything for Cubs and White Sox this winter and beyond
ORLANDO, Fla. – White Sox general manager Rick Hahn didn’t really pay attention to how Jose Quintana performed for the Cubs in the playoffs, the opportunity he desperately wanted during those lost seasons on the South Side. “Not so much,” Hahn said. “I saw a little bit of it here and there, but my kids are probably the better ones…
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Cubs targeting Alex Cobb while Theo Epstein says fans ‘absolutely' should expect a division title next year
ORLANDO, Fla. – Theo Epstein sat in the middle of a hotel suite at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and pushed back against any idea that the Cubs will lower their sights this winter or take a step back in 2018. “Should fans expect us to win the division next year?” Epstein said. “Absolutely. Absolutely, they should expect that.” The president…
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Ex-Cubs prospect Eloy Jimenez is speeding up the timetable on White Sox
ORLANDO, Fla. — The White Sox are beginning to understand what the Cubs already knew about Eloy Jimenez, a young right-handed power hitter who drew comparisons to Kris Bryant, Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Martinez. No pressure. But Jimenez reported to big-league camp with the defending World Series champs and thought he could leave Arizona with a spot on the Opening…
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What not paying the luxury tax means for Cubs and Alex Cobb
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Cubs are not projected to pay the luxury tax this year after staying under Major League Baseball’s $195 million threshold, a source with knowledge of the team’s financials said Monday, a significant development as they chase high-profile free agents and reload for another World Series run. As the general manager meetings opened at the Waldorf Astoria…
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How Wade Davis returning to Cubs could fall into place
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Cubs viewed Aroldis Chapman only as a rental closer and didn’t show any interest in the free agent last winter or even pretend like a reunion might happen. That trade-deadline deal with the New York Yankees was all about World Series or bust. Wade Davis – who became part of the defending champs after the Jorge…
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Let's make a deal: Cubs will be open-minded at GM meetings and ready to trade for pitching
Any Cubs players who might have gotten a little too comfortable during the World Series victory tour should feel a little more on edge this offseason, because Theo Epstein’s front office sounds willing to make big changes that would shake up this team. The bookends to a second straight division title and a gutsy playoff-series win over the Washington...