#chicago-cubs

#chicago-cubs

There's a lot of young talent on the big league roster, and the Cubs have used prospects well in trade, but the natural thinning that has accompanied the trades and promotions tended toward a reduction in overall talent down on the farm. Combine that with relatively poor outcomes in International Free Agency going back a decade, plus not a whole lot of surprise breakouts

The story is about a little boy (inspired by my son, Leo!) who gets surprised with a trip to his very first Cubs game. And it follows his journey from getting the tickets, to being stuck in traffic on the way downtown, to reaching his seats, experiencing "the troughs" for the first time, making friends in the bleachers, getting nervous about the game, eating snacks, throwing the other team's home run balls back on the field, singing Go, Cubs, Go! (spoiler alert), and so much more!

I know that the big league moves draw most of the attention - and, for good reason, since they are designed to generate most of the big league impact - but I have been very pleased by the Chicago Cubs' front office continuing to supplement deeper within the organization throughout December and January. Plenty of reclamation pitching signings, as always, and a number of more development-inclined pitcher signings, too.

Relief pitcher Daniel Palencia will pitch for Team Venezuela in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, his agency announced Tuesday. Palencia had an interesting year with the Cubs. He recorded 22 saves during the regular season, but his usage changed drastically in the playoffs. Instead of remaining in the bullpen until the ninth inning, Craig Counsell used him earlier in games.

Ríos is a 32-year-old righty who has logged parts of six seasons in the majors. The Puerto Rico native got the majority of his work early in his career as a member of the Phillies. He saw more limited action with the Pirates, Mariners, Red Sox and Athletics between 2019-23. Ríos has spent the last two seasons in the Mets organization without getting a look at the MLB level.

Jesse RogersJan 15, 2026, 09:55 PM ET CloseJesse joined ESPN Chicago in September 2009 and covers MLB for ESPN.com. The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers got even better Thursday night, landing prized free agent Kyle Tucker, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. Tucker, who turns 29 on Saturday, was the top free agent bat on the market. He'll join a star-studded Dodgers team -- which could be the perfect fit for the laidback Tucker.

The Cubs have completely rebuilt their bullpen after saying goodbye to 2025 stalwarts Brad Keller and Drew Pomeranz, adding Maton, Hunter and Milner. But their biggest addition comes at third base, where Bregman takes over for Matt Shaw. Shaw showed promise in the second half as a rookie, but he's not Bregman, who brings leadership and championship experience to the mix to go along with his hitting prowess.

Beede, 33 in May, has had a uniquely winding career but is not coming off a good year. He signed a minor league deal with the Twins in April of 2025. He made seven appearances for Triple-A St. Paul but allowed eight earned runs in nine innings via 12 hits and nine walks while striking out seven opponents. He was released in June and then landed a deal with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League.

The Cubs were able to avoid arbitration hearings with all of their eligible players this season, reaching agreements with Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, and Javier Assad. Assad was the last to be reported, but both sides reached a deal before the day ended. Maddie Lee of the Sun-Times was first to report that Assad will earn $1.8 million in 2026, which is just $100,000 less than MLB Trade Rumors projected. Jordan Bastian of MLB.com also reported that Assad's deal includes a team option for the 2027 season.

Arbitration filing deadline: Today is a big day on MLB's offseason calendar, as Thursday marks the deadline for teams and players to exchange figures ahead of salary arbitration. Most of those cases will end in the two parties settling on a salary to avoid arbitration, but any team that still has unsigned players after today will be scheduled for a hearing in front of a three-person arbitration panel.

Someone must have smeared Gorilla Glue on all the seats in the Cubs' office building, because it appears all the execs have remained on their asses for the last several days. While I'm sure Jed Hoyer and his crew are indeed putting in work, they've got little to show for it beyond a handful of relievers and a returning expat bench bat.

The Cubs have very few players under contract past 2026 and 2027, which means the next few winters could be quite busy. Just a few years ago, the team had one of the best farm systems in baseball. Those players are now reaching the major leagues, which could prove to be pivotal as Jed Hoyer looks to construct the next great Cubs team.

Here we are at another holiday break, and as we talked about on the last pod, there really is no incentive for teams and players to sign early, so that's why we've only really seen relievers go off the board so far.