The White Sox are having a massively weird offseason. First, they misspell their new Japanese star's name on his locker. Now it seems like their GM just learned today that Acuna isn't a switch-hitter. Just...weird.

The remaining SP seem to be coming off the board quickly today. I'm eagerly awaiting a Gallen decision.

Well, that Red Sox/Brewers deal pretty much closes the book on any Hoerner/Shaw trade talks. Only significant thing left outstanding for the Cubs as they head into spring training is the fate of Zac Gallen.

So, like, is the entire 2nd round of the NBA draft the next couple years just going to be the Bulls picking over and over again?

I'm glad to see the Bulls finally decided to blow it up and start over but... is there actually some semblance of a plan this time around? I'd love to have a reason to care about them again, but I'm not subjecting myself to another directionless mess of half-measures.

If it was a binary choice... 1) Extend Nico, trade Shaw 2) Let Nico walk, keep Shaw ...I'm team 1 all day. Unfortunately there's just no reason to think the Cubs will be able to extend Nico. Given that, as much as I'd like to see Shaw gone for off-field reasons, it's a massive risk for 2027+

I'm very tired of the "ACTUALLY, the Dodgers aren't the problem. Sure, maybe they have a financial advantage, BUT...." takes. First of all, just tossing aside the massive financial advantage they have as a result of their insanely lucrative TV deal is absurd. You can't just "sure, but..." that.

I'm sorry, 4 yrs, $240M!?!?!? I'm sure a good bit is deferred but JESUS

And in news we all should've seen coming a mile away - Kyle Tucker is a Dodger. Obviously.

Cabrera Horton Boyd Taillon Imanaga Steele (eventually) Busch Suzuki Bregman Happ Nico MoBaller PCA Kelly Swanson Shaw Alcantara Amaya Austin Palencia Maton Thielbar Milner Webb Harvey Rea Whoever Would have loved another back end bullpen arm, but that's a competitive looking team right there.

It was Bregman instead of Bichette but.... Holy crap. What a difference a week makes.

Wait, the Cubs are deferring money?! What is happening?

The best Cubs related post I've seen on this site. Perfection.

I want to nitpick about how I'd have preferred Bichette, or how Bregman is on the wrong side of 30, or how I loathe his participation in the 2017 Astros stuff. But holy crap the Cubs used real money to actually, significantly improve their team. I am beside myself.

New report from Matt Gelb, retweeted by Ken Rosenthal, says the Phillies have a meeting set with Bo Bichette "in the coming days." Hoping that's a leak from Bichette's camp to try and get his market moving, because if the Phillies really want him - I have exactly 0 faith the Cubs will out-bid PHI.

I feel much better about the Cubs offseason after yesterday, but we're kind of in the same spot we were last year at this point on the calendar: Yay, we made a trade for an impact player. That's good. But now it's time to finish the job and fill the glaringly obvious hole that remains on the roster

Losing Caissie stings, obviously, but that's the price of potentially elite pitching. With this trade, the Cubs offseason suddenly looks MUCH better. They've significantly rebuilt the pen with more-established-than-they-usually-target additions and added a TOR SP. Now bring me Bichette.

Every time this appears on my feed I watch it a minimum of five times. The single greatest play in the history of organized sports.

I like Nico Hoerner. I'd like to see him remain a Cub. That said, *if* the Cubs were to sign Bichette, move Shaw to 2B, and trade Hoerner in a deal for a top-of-the-rotation SP... That's an (admittedly difficult to pull off) outcome that probably makes them better in '26 AND in '27 and beyond.

Continuing our reign as league leaders of being "in the mix."

Rosenthal with another report this morning that the Cubs are "in the mix" for both Bregman and Bichette. I miss the days when a report like that might get me excited, make me think there's a shot the Cubs will spend big to add a guy like that. Sadly, I know better than that.

As disappointing as this offseason has been, a path to a very good Cubs winter still exists. Sign Bichette, trade one of Shaw/Caissie/Alcantara+ for a TOR SP... But I have exactly zero confidence any part of that will happen.

"Cubs were in the mix until..." Report coming in 3....2...

I sincerely hate the way this team is operated.

Imai to the Astros. Sigh. That deal sure sounds like teams are not particularly confident in him successfully transitioning to MLB, though.

Absolutely did not expect King to stay with the Padres.

Tyler Austin, huh? mmk.

Keller is now off the board. Cubs options at the back end of the bullpen are dwindling quickly. Looks like it's Fairbanks or bust as far as relatively reliable, established closers go.

Braves get Suarez on 3 yr/$45M deal, per a bunch of people over on the bird site. If i find out the Cubs failed to match THAT deal I'm going to lose my goddamn mind.

This is kind of like a dinosaur version of Time magazine putting an asteroid on the cover.

As soon as I posted this, the Alonso-to-the-Orioles news broke. Maybe I should just shit-skeet all day.

IDK why I let myself get excited about the winter meetings anymore. The giant Juan Soto trade a couple of years ago aside, it feels like these things have been snoozefests for a while. Not sure it's ever been *this* bad in recent memory, though. MLB's FA period is easily the worst one in sports.

The talk of the Padres working on something "massive," combined with stray mentions of the cubs being active in the trade market (tho I know it's probably for SP/RP) has me daydreaming about Tatis Jr. in RF for the Cubs.

A thought I keep coming back to this offseason as it relates to all the expiring contracts the Cubs have after '26: I hope they don't just plan on adding one SP on a multi-yr deal and calling it a day. They really need to lock down some other spots on the field beyond '26 as well.

My updated Cubs wish list for this offseason, ranked 1) Top-of-rotation SP (Imai, one of a few trade targets, King in that order) 2) At least 1 more multi-year, established, back-end reliever 3) A RH bat (Okamoto preferably, but open to many options) 4) A whole slew or reclamation BP arms

Another in a long string of "Damn, I'd really have loved him on the Cubs but, yeah, they'd never do a contract like that" signings. Being a fan of a big market team that has a fetish for cosplaying as a small-to-mid-market team is endlessly frustrating.

This is Randy Johnson exploding bird level crazy.

I liked the idea of Cease, but always as a 2nd option to Imai and, frankly, never at the price he actually got. Even w/ the deferrals. I worry tho, w/ the Cubs vehement opposition to deferrals and the market's apparent desire for them, that the Cubs may just be forever screwed in attracting big FA.

Circling back to a thing I've harped on every year for a while now: MLB still needs to do more to boost offense. Not purely from a runs/game perspective - teams averaged 4.45 r/g this year, Tied for 64th lowest in MLB history, so not great but not horrendous - but rather from an action perspective.

I would be extremely okay with the Cubs pursuing Okamoto. Could sub for Busch at 1B against tough lefties, perhaps split time with Shaw at 3B, has also played some OF* so could also perhaps split some time with Happ against tough lefties, and could obviously also DH.

Add another name to the list of guys that fans were PISSED the Cubs dealt who ended up getting released or going a whole lot of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I loved Morel, but... Looks like the front office got another one of these right.

With Shota in the fold for '26, and taking into consideration the Cubs' likely desire to still add at least 1 more (hopefully top-of-the-rotation) starting pitcher... The Cubs may be in a prime spot to actually roll with a 6-man rotation for parts of next year.

Manny and ARod for me. I will listen to arguments on Cole Hamels.

My Cubs wishlist for this offseason: - Trade for 1 top-of-the-rotation SP (Ryan, Gore, Cabrera, Alcantara, etc.) - Sign Imai (or one of Cease, Valdez, Suarez) - Sign/Trade for a bat. (Bichette, Okamoto, Suarez, Buxton (?), Adell, etc.) - Sign at least one non-reclamation, back-end reliever.

I badly want to know Hoyer's definition of "top of the market" I was excited about that sentence right up until "but also looking at minor league free agency," which suddenly makes "top of the market" feel like it just means big league players.

This is a fun list in that of the top 10 teams, all of them except Milwaukee have been to the World Series in this timeframe.

I'm actually kind of (pleasantly) surprised the Cubs gave Imanaga a qualifying offer. Given the way the early option decisions have gone this offseason, it didn't feel super likely.

Ah, my favorite time of the baseball calendar. The Cubs are done playing, opt outs are beginning around the league, and I can begin to dream about all the excellent free agent options the Cubs front office will be too cheap to sign 🥰

Jesus what an at bat for Kelly. Two replays go against him in 1 AB.

Whatever happens with this Cubs series, at least we know this: We will not have a NYY/LAD World Series this year. The AL representative is going to be one of Toronto/Detroit/Seattle - teams that haven't been to the World Series since 1993, 2012 or Ever, respectively. I like that.