Cubbies Fan Recap

In case you missed Cubs news today: > 🇯🇵 The Cubs reportedly have strong interest in Japanese RHP Kaima Taira - The White Sox are interested too, and both teams plan to meet with his agent, Scott Boras, at the GM Meetings - The 27-year-old power arm sits 95 to 100 mph - The Cubs have reportedly done extensive homework on him as a starter > 🚫 Michael King and Freddy Peralta reportedly don't look like likely targets - The concern on Peralta is his dip in swing-and-miss > 👋 Seiya Suzuki thanked Cubs fans on Instagram - "Thank you for five amazing years" - The Phillies are reportedly interested, joining the Padres, Mariners and Blue Jays > 🌲 The Mariners are reportedly interested in Ian Happ - New Seattle manager Jason Kanzler knows him from their time together with the Cubs > 🌱 The Cubs promoted Ben Martin to farm director, replacing Kanzler - Martin, 29, worked closely with Alex Bregman on the big league staff this year - Carter Hawkins: "I don't think we're going to miss a beat" > 🗣️ Hawkins on the offense: "We have a great core coming back," so a lot of the focus will be on pitching > 🔒 The trade market may be slow - Logan Gilbert, Steven Kwan, Joe Ryan and Sandy Alcántara are reportedly unlikely to be moved for prospects this month > 🏆 Cy Young winners were both unanimous - NL: Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers, 16-5 with an MLB-best 1.80 ERA and 252 strikeouts - AL: Cam Schlittler of the Yankees, 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA and 239 strikeouts > 🧢 Former Cub Chris Martin retired after 11 MLB seasons with seven teams > 📅 NL MVP is tomorrow, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is a finalist. One of these every night. Follow for the daily Cubs recap. #Cubs

Ben Brown still hasn't been cleared to throw. Surgery isn't off the table. The Cubs already have zero confirmed starters for 2027. This just made it harder. #Cubs #MLB

Cubs and Michael King are reportedly not a fit. Freddy Peralta is the top target — two-time All-Star, former Brewer under Craig Counsell. #Cubs #MLB

In case you missed Cubs news today: > 🏥 Ben Brown had neck surgery - Cervical spine surgery Monday in New York - He's expected to start throwing early in the new year and be game-ready in the first half of 2027 - 1.85 ERA over 68 innings this year, including a 1.70 ERA in 8 starts > 🧩 The rotation plan: at least three established starters - Ground-ball or strikeout arms are the target - Bringing back Clay Holmes and David Peterson is on the table > 🤷 Don't count on Happ or Suzuki coming back - A Suzuki return is unlikely unless his market craters - Happ could return on a short, affordable deal if his market doesn't materialize - Randy Arozarena isn't in the cards, but they'll monitor Teruaki Sato > 🌴 The Padres are eyeing two Cubs free agents - San Diego has interest in Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga, plus Sato - Suzuki: .270, 26 HR, 86 RBI, .841 OPS in 143 games this year > 🇯🇵 An Imanaga reunion isn't dead - It could happen at the right price - Career-high 174 1/3 innings and a 3.77 ERA in 2026, but 35 homers allowed > 🔥 The Cubs gave RHP Bruno López a two-year minor league deal - Includes an invite to big league spring training - The former Cardinals prospect missed all of 2026 injured, and struck out 40% of the hitters he faced in 2025 > 🧢 Owen Ayers could be the next man up behind the plate - Carson Kelly is a free agent - Ayers hit 25 homers across three levels this year and finished at Triple-A Iowa > 💪 Former Cub Jameson Taillon is 5 weeks out from flexor and internal brace surgery - His 3rd elbow surgery: "I truly believe I have my best years ahead" > 🏆 Manager of the Year - NL: Pat Murphy, the first manager ever to win it three straight years - AL: Will Venable of the White Sox > 💰 The Mets have a meeting scheduled with Tarik Skubal - The Padres have shown interest too > 🕊️ RIP Bob Boone, 78 - Seven Gold Gloves and four All-Star nods behind the plate - He made his MLB debut against the Cubs in 1972 > 📅 Cy Young is Wednesday. NL MVP is Thursday, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is a finalist. One of these every night. Follow for the daily Cubs recap. #Cubs

In case you missed Cubs news today: > 🚫 The Cubs won't be in the Tarik Skubal bidding war - They're expected to be very active on the rotation, just not at the top of the market - Michael King and Adrian Morejon could also end up pricier than the Cubs are comfortable with - Look for ground-ball and strikeout arms to pair with that elite infield defense > 🇯🇵 Kaima Taira is a name to watch - The Cubs have done a lot of homework on the posted Seibu righty - 1.36 ERA over 146 innings in 2026, and they'd want him as a starter > ⚠️ Ben Brown's 2027 is up in the air - Still not cleared to throw after the neck stress reaction that ended his season in June - Surgery hasn't been ruled out, and a lockout would cut him off from team trainers > 🧩 That rotation needs a lot of rebuilding - Boyd, Holmes, Gausman, Imanaga, Peterson and Rea are all free agents - Steele hasn't pitched since April 2025, and Horton is still recovering from Tommy John > 🇹🇼 Taiwanese closer Jyun-Yue Tseng is officially posted - He's been linked to the Cubs and can sign through Dec. 22 - 25 saves in 48 games for Fubon this year > 👋 Former Cub Antoine Kelly signed a minor league deal with Cleveland - The lefty threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings against the Yankees in his MLB debut with the Cubs this year > 📋 Baseball America's new Cubs top 10 is out - Josiah Hartshorn, Owen Ayers and Kane Kepley are the top three - First-rounder Cade Townsend is the top pitching prospect > 🏆 Rookies of the Year - NL: Reds 1B Sal Stewart (.263, 32 HR, 112 RBI in all 162 games) - AL: Tigers SS Kevin McGonigle > 📅 Hot stove calendar - GM Meetings run Tuesday through Thursday in Las Vegas - Manager of the Year is Tuesday, and Pat Murphy is going for a third straight NL win - Cy Young is Wednesday - NL MVP is Thursday, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is a finalist One of these every night. Follow for the daily Cubs recap. #Cubs

In case you missed Cubs news today: > 🚫 Don't hold your breath on a Bryce Harper or Ronald Acuña Jr. blockbuster - Cubs insiders don't expect Chicago to land either star - The likelier path: shorter deals for veteran bats to help replace Seiya Suzuki - Harper is signed through 2031 on his 13-year, $330M deal > 💰 Don't expect a Dodgers- or Mets-style spending spree, either - The Cubs have never gone past Jason Heyward's $184M deal, and that history hangs over any Tarik Skubal chase > 🔄 The trade market could be where the Cubs find an arm - Seattle, Miami, Tampa Bay and Minnesota have been floated as trade partners, with Joe Ryan and Drew Rasmussen among the names - Rasmussen went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA and 174 strikeouts in 2026 - The Rays picked up his $20M option for 2027 and say they intend to keep him for now > 🛡️ Bullpen help may come with a draft-pick cost - Padres lefty Adrián Morejón is one of eight free agents who got a qualifying offer - A team over the luxury tax that signs a QO player loses its second- and fifth-highest picks plus $1M in international bonus pool money > ❓ 40-man questions for Kevin Alcantara and Jordan Wicks - Alcantara has played just 34 MLB games over the last two seasons - Wicks made four appearances in 2026 with a 10.45 ERA > 🌵 Kade Snell repped the Cubs in tonight's Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game > 🐯 Former Cub Shota Imanaga is being floated as a Tigers rotation target - He's projected for around two years and $40M > 📅 Hot stove calendar - GM Meetings start Tuesday in Las Vegas - NL MVP is announced Thursday, and Pete Crow-Armstrong is a finalist - Nov. 17: Suzuki's qualifying offer deadline and Silver Slugger winners - The CBA expires Dec. 1 One of these every night. Follow for the daily Cubs recap. #Cubs

In case you missed Cubs news today: > 💎 Pete Crow-Armstrong wins the NL Platinum Glove - Named the best defender in the National League at any position, his first Platinum Glove - First Cub to win it since Anthony Rizzo in 2016, and the first NL center fielder ever to take it - Led the majors with +26 Outs Above Average - Former Cub Cody Bellinger won it in the AL > 🧤 The Cubs also win the NL Gold Glove Team Award - Best defensive team in the National League for the second straight year - Third overall (2020, 2025, 2026), tied with the Blue Jays for the most - MLB-best +72 Outs Above Average, +115 Defensive Runs Saved and a .990 fielding percentage > 🏆 PCA isn't done collecting hardware - NL MVP is announced Nov. 12, and he's a finalist - Silver Slugger winners Nov. 17: PCA, Seiya Suzuki and Alex Bregman are finalists, and the Cubs are up for Offensive Team of the Year > 💰 The Tarik Skubal market is taking shape - The Dodgers and Mets are seen as the top suitors, with the Cubs expected to at least be involved - His price is expected to land well above $300M; the biggest contract in Cubs history is still Jason Heyward's $184M > 🌟 Kade Snell plays in the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game - Sunday, 8 PM ET on MLB Network > 📅 Hot stove calendar - GM Meetings Nov. 10-12 in Las Vegas - Suzuki's deadline on his $23.15M qualifying offer is Nov. 17 - The CBA expires Dec. 1, and a lockout would freeze free agency > ⚾ Around MLB - The Nationals extended CF Jacob Young: four years, $23M - Max Scherzer plans to pitch in "lockout games" this winter to decide whether he'll play in 2027 One of these every night. Follow for the daily Cubs recap. #Cubs

Kade Snell's in the AFL Fall Stars Game Sunday, 8 PM ET on MLB Network. Hitting .284/.435/.373 with 11 steals in 18 games. #Cubs

In case you missed Cubs news today: > 🥈 Three Cubs are Silver Slugger finalists - Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki in the NL outfield - Alex Bregman at third base - Chicago is also a finalist for Offensive Team of the Year with the Brewers, Dodgers and Nationals - Winners announced Nov. 17 > 🔥 PCA's season: .280/.372/.570, 45 homers (tied for the MLB lead), 107 RBIs, 41 steals and 119 runs - He's already an NL MVP finalist, with that award due Nov. 12 > 💪 Suzuki hit .270 with 26 homers and an .841 OPS — his fourth straight year with 20+ homers - Bregman hit .265 with 28 HR and a .464 SLG in year one as a Cub, his best power season since he won a Silver Slugger in 2019 > 📊 The Cubs paced the NL with 220 homers and led the majors with a .767 OPS > 🧤 PCA and Bregman are both chasing the Gold Glove + Silver Slugger double after winning Rawlings Gold Gloves on Nov. 1 > 📝 Same day as the Silver Slugger winners (Nov. 17): Suzuki's deadline to accept or reject his $23.15M qualifying offer One of these every night. Follow for the daily Cubs recap. #Cubs

Three Cubs are Silver Slugger finalists. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki in the NL outfield. Alex Bregman at third. Winners TBD. #Cubs

In case you missed Cubs news today: > 🎯 Ken Rosenthal expects the Cubs to sign or trade for two starting pitchers this winter: "I'm not sure the internal options are sufficient" - Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea are all free agents > 🧤 Top prospect Josiah Hartshorn won a Minor League Gold Glove, picked as the best defensive first baseman in all of MiLB - Just 5 errors in 440 chances (.989) across three levels - The 19-year-old also hit 23 homers with 112 RBIs in his first full pro season > 🌵 Outfielder Kade Snell made the Arizona Fall League's Fall Stars Game (Sunday, 8 PM ET on MLB Network) - He's hitting .286/.438/.381 with 9 steals in 17 games - Dominick Reid was also named but won't play > 📊 MLB.com's way-too-early 2027 Power Rankings have the Cubs at No. 7. The Brewers are No. 1 > 🦾 More free-agent predictions with a Cubs angle: - Adrián Morejón to the Cubs (2 of 3 picks) - Trevor Rogers to the Cubs (1 of 3 picks) > 🔄 The Mariners, who just hired Jason Kanzler away from the Cubs, are reportedly poking around on trading some of their starting pitching for a bat > 🔁 Minor league free agency is here: 12 Cubs farmhands hit the market, including Kohl Franklin and Tyler Austin > 🔴 NL Central: The Cardinals are hiring White Sox assistant Joel McKeithan as hitting coach, and the Reds named Joe Torres pitching coach. The A's hired Brewers player development exec Cam Castro as their GM > ⚾ Around MLB: The Rangers say "there will be changes," and Corey Seager, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi ($92M of a roughly $190M payroll) are expected to be shopped. All three have full no-trade protection One of these every night. Follow for the daily Cubs recap. #Cubs

PCA: 45 HR, 41 SB, .942 OPS, MLB-best 10.6 fWAR and the best fielding run value of any player in baseball. NL MVP is announced Nov. 12. It should be unanimous. #Cubs #MLB

Nov. 4, 2016. The parade. 108 years in the making. #Cubs

Two Gold Gloves for the Cubs 🧤 Pete Crow-Armstrong goes back-to-back in center field. Alex Bregman wins his first as a Cub and joins Ron Santo as the only Cubs third basemen ever to win one. #Cubs

Cubs claim RHP Eric Orze off waivers from Minnesota. Adds depth to the bullpen mix. #Cubs #GoCubs #MLB

Ben Brown's back. RHP activated off the 60-day IL and ready to bolster the rotation depth. #Cubs #GoCubs #MLB

In case you missed Cubs news today: > 👋 The Mariners hired Jason Kanzler, the Cubs' director of player development, as their new manager - He ran the Cubs' farm system from 2024 to 2026 and has never managed at any level - At 36, he's the second-youngest manager in MLB. Joe Espada was the other finalist - The Cubs also lost assistant GM Jared Banner, who became the Orioles' GM, earlier this offseason > 🏆 Pete Crow-Armstrong is a finalist for NL MVP, along with Shohei Ohtani and Brice Turang - PCA hit .280/.372/.570 with 45 homers and 41 steals - The winner will be announced Nov. 12 > 🔄 The Cubs declined Javier Assad's $3.3M club option, but he stays under team control through arbitration - He had a 3.63 ERA in 94 1/3 innings this year > 💵 Early contract projections for Seiya Suzuki mostly land at four years and $90M to $108M > 🔮 Early free-agent predictions with a Cubs angle: - Adrián Morejón to the Cubs on a five-year, $80M deal (2 of 3 picks) - David Peterson back with the Cubs for two years, $24M (3 of 3 picks) - Shota Imanaga to the Giants for two years, $40M (3 of 3 picks) > ⚾ Around MLB: The league's latest labor proposal pushes a salary cap and floor back to 2028 (projected $258.2M cap, $180.2M floor), and the players' union quickly rejected it. The current CBA expires Dec. 1 - The Orioles are reportedly open to trade offers on everyone except Pete Alonso One of these every night. Follow for the daily Cubs recap. #Cubs

Porter Hodge is back. RHP activated from the 60-day IL. Bullpen gets reinforcements. #Cubs #GoCubs #MLB