Cubs manager Joe Maddon believes center fielder Albert Almora Jr. will soon grow into being an everyday player. That, however, is not likely to be the case when the regular season begins.
Standing at his locker, Cubs reliever Pedro Strop cracked a smile when asked for his thoughts on being the closer to start the season. "Did he tell you I'm going to be the closer?" Strop said with a laugh, referring to manager Joe Maddon.
Addison Russell spoke methodically, navigating his way through a series of questions several months in the making. When the Cubs shortstop took his seat in an interview room on Friday morning, it was his first time talking publicly about his ongoing suspension for violating Major League Baseball's Domestic Abuse Policy since being placed on administrative leave in September.
All Tyler Chatwood needs to do is look around the Cubs clubhouse to realize that the odds are stacked against him making the North Siders' starting rotation.
The 30 prospects below all are getting very long looks this spring with an eye toward breaking camp with the parent club. Even if they start the year in the Minors, they all should get the chance to contribute at some point in the very near future.
On Tuesday morning, Javier Baez met with the media for the first time this spring, discussing last year's abrupt finish for the Cubs and his goals for the season ahead. He expects to see more daily urgency from the players, and he's hoping to once again hear those M-V-P chants from the fans pouring into Wrigley Field.
The Cubs have innings to offer at second base this season and Ian Happ wanted to make sure he did not get lost in the conversation. Over the offseason, Happ made it known to manager Joe Maddon that he wanted to be considered for that position as the team mapped out its spring workout plans.
It did not take long for Kris Bryant's comments at Cubs Convention last month to make their way to St. Louis. His audience of Cubs fans was laughing and cheering, but the Cardinals players who caught wind of his remarks most certainly were not.
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts addressed the team on Monday morning as he does every spring, but this year, he needed to discuss more than just the baseball season ahead. Off-the-field issues have dominated the focus recently for Chicago, creating distractions from the upbeat feelings typically associated with the start of camp.
The delivery that Carl Edwards Jr. unveiled during his first official bullpen session of Spring Training this week looked a lot like the one used by Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen.
In search of relief help that would fit within their budget parameters, the Cubs have added veteran left-hander Xavier Cedeno on a $900,000 non-guaranteed deal, a source told MLB.com on Wednesday night. The club has not confirmed the deal.
When Daniel Descalso walked into the Cubs' clubhouse earlier this week, he quietly dropped off an equipment bag at his locker and then disappeared down a hallway. It was a moment that was easy to miss amidst the buzz around the room that morning.
On this opening week of Spring Training, all 30 Major League teams have one thing in common: optimism. Here's an optimism cheat sheet for each of them.
It was only five years ago that the Cardinals won the National League Central with only 90 wins. Heck, it was only 12 years ago that the Cubs won it with 85, and 13 that the Cardinals won it with 83. Point is: There have been times in recent baseball history that the NL Central was not exactly the toughest gauntlet in the sport. But in 2019, it looks like the scariest division in baseball.
A comeback from a right elbow injury will keep veteran reliever Brandon Morrow out of the picture for the season's first month, contributing to a Cubs bullpen competition that features a long list of arms.