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.

A healthy first inning lead. Now please be good, Shota.

Woooow that was so not a strike. Yikes.

I LOVE FREE RUNS

Whelp, hopefully we can grab a couple more this inning because it's bullpen for the padres the rest of the way.

OK A SINGLE I"LL TAKE IT

I'd sell a kidney for a PCA dong right here.

BACK TO BACK HITS FROM TUCKER AND SEIYA? DID WE TELEPORT BACK TO JUNE???

Jamo's stuff looks sharp today. That's good. Now if they can just score some mf runs...

Wow. That Arraez fly ball really carried way further than i thought it would.

One potential positive heading into today: There's a decent chance Morejon (3.1 IP, 42 pitches over last 2 days) and Miller (2.2 IP, 40 pitches) are unavailable today. Or, at the very least, are hopefully a bit tired.

In further proof that small sample size doesn't tell you a damn thing: Coming into this yr, 10 of 12 WC series (since moving to this format in 2022) ended in a sweep. Home teams had only won 4 of the 12 series. This year? 3 of 4 are going to Game 3. The one that's decided, the home team won.

Cubs have to score right now. Middle of the order due up, Suarez and Miller lurking.

Counsell managed one hell of a game yesterday. Easy to say when all calls go your way, but I felt like all the decisions were the right ones yesterday. Pitching to Machado there and/or keeping Shota in to face him felt like a giant mistake before the plate appearance started. And yeah. It was.

sigh.

sigh. Not mad Cease is out since he was shoving. But facing the Padres bullpen doesn't exactly give me much confidence. Hopefully at least one of the guys they throw out there has a bad outing.

Ugh. That Busch lineout looked like a sure single off the bat (on TV).

yup.

Aaand here's the downside to an opener. Shota may be starting his day with a deficit.

If I'm a Tigers fan, I'm pissed. That play at third was *close* and I don't know that I saw a reply on the broadcast that definitively showed McKinstry being out. It was damn close, and he was maybe/probably out, but - at least on the angles they had on the broadcast - it didn't look definitive.

I am so MF ready for today's game. I really hope my employer doesn't expect productivity from me today.

There's 1 team in this yr's playoffs that has all of the above: - Positive season run differential - Top-15 Team ERA - Top-15 bullpen ERA - Top-15 runs scored - 1 SP w/ 15 quality starts + 1 hitter w/ 25+ HR - Positive DRS - Positive team baserunning value - Above .500 in 1-run games. The Cubs.

The Cubs are playing a playoff game today.

So... have we heard anything about Miguel Amaya recently? He played in Iowa's last few games of the year and I don't feel like I've heard/read a word about him since. Any chance he makes the playoff roster? Similarly, did the Billy Hamilton experiment fall flat? (3-for-5 in steal attempts in AAA)

This is wilder than any @slangsonsports.bsky.social WEEEEE!! I've ever seen.

PCA! That was fun.

Uh... Horton better be okay.

So, like... what time is the rapture scheduled for? I'd hate to potentially spend my last minutes working.

I saw that J.K. Rowling quoted Hitler in a reply to someone over on the bird site and I gotta say - it's so vindicating when someone who everyone fawned over but you've always been viscerally annoyed by turns out to be as bad as - or worse than! - you thought.

It ended up not mattering but I really need an explanation as to why Ballesteros was left in to run in that situation.

How do you not punch run for Ballesteros here? Is Shaw hurt?

Finally back in the playoffs. This has been an endlessly frustrating last couple months and I still don't feel great about their postseason prospects, but it still feels damn good.

Holy crap, Canario.

This pitcher may not escape the first. Good gravy.

I said it the other day but this is really starting to feel like a situation where we might've seen Tucker play his last game for the Cubs in 2025 (which probably means ever).

'Ol Tungsten Arm O'Doyle is at it again.

Command wasn't great but it's nice to see Soroka pumping 96 mph fastballs up there.

OH GOOD

This is deeply weird. What a strange thing to do in the first place, and then to publish without the VERY IMPORTANT context.