Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs traded away their core this season when they moved Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Craig Kimbrel, but they apparently don't plan on embarking on a long rebuild.

"We plan to be really active in free agency," president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Friday, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. "We plan to spend money intelligently. That is about the easiest way I can say it."

Hoyer expanded on that thought process and suggested the number of openings on the roster will necessitate such a decision:

We will sit down and talk as an organization on how to mold this in the right way. Obviously, we are scouting that free-agent market heavily. We are going to analyze that market heavily. There are offseasons when free agency is what you do a little bit of. This year, we are going to be a little more active than usual for our roster because we have a lot more open spots. We just want to do it in a thoughtful, intelligent way.

While the Cubs are 67-85 and in fourth place in the National League Central, it wasn't that long ago they were annual championship contenders.

They snapped their World Series drought in 2016 but also reached the National League Championship Series in 2015 and 2017 during an impressive three-year stretch. They took a turn for the worse since, although they still reached the playoffs in 2018 and 2020.

Part of the issue was a lack of notable additions around that core after the championship.

The Ricketts family, which owns the team, openly complained about the team's financial picture prior to the 2019 campaign. Still, Forbes listed the Cubs as the league's fourth-most valuable team in the league in 2021 thanks in part to its one television network (Marquee Sports Network), the big market and the draw of Wrigley Field for attendance.

Chicago also didn't come to terms on contract extensions with any of Rizzo, Bryant or Baez despite their overall importance to the organization when it came to snapping that World Series drought in 2016.

Yet it sounds as if the plan is to spend this offseason with an eye on competing in the National League Central in the near future.

There are a number of high-profile players who could be available, including Nick Castellanos, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa and even Bryant. Perhaps the Cubs will be involved in their pursuit as they look to patch up a lackluster roster. 

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross and team president Jed Hoyer both tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday.

According to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, both Ross and Hoyer are vaccinated. Sharma added that they are feeling well and in quarantine.

Given the positive tests, neither Ross nor Hoyer will be present when the Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday at 2:20 p.m. ET.

Per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, bench coach Andy Green will serve as the Cubs' manager until Ross is able to return.

Green has previous managerial experience, going 274-366 with the San Diego Padres from 2016-19.

The 44-year-old Ross is in the midst of his second season as Cubs manager. Last season, Chicago went 34-26 and fell to the Miami Marlins in the National League Wild Card Series as part of the extended playoffs.

Prior to taking over the Cubs' managerial role from Joe Maddon, Ross spent 15 seasons as an MLB catcher.

His final two years as a player were with the Cubs, and he helped them win a World Series in 2016, ending a 108-year drought.

Hoyer also played a significant role in Chicago's World Series win, as he joined the front office as general manager in 2011. Hoyer was promoted to president of baseball operations last year after Theo Epstein stepped down.

The 47-year-old Hoyer previously served as assistant GM of the Boston Red Sox and GM of the Padres.

This season has been a disappointing one for the Cubs, as they are fourth in the National League Central with a 60-75 record.

The Cubs are poised to almost certainly miss the playoffs, and if they do, it will mark only the second time since 2015 that has happened.

Chicago appears to be in a rebuild of sorts after trading several key players who were on expiring contracts prior to the trade deadline.

The Cubs parted ways with a trio that played a huge role in their World Series win in Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez. They also dealt closer Craig Kimbrel to the crosstown rival Chicago White Sox.

The Chicago Cubs will reportedly play the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball's 2022 rendition of the Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports. 

Per that report, "The plan, which has a few legal details left to iron out, calls for the Cubs and Reds to play at the Field of Dreams site Thursday, Aug. 11, take Friday off, and then conclude the three-game series Saturday and Sunday in Cincinnati, sources said."

The first iteration of the game this season was a resounding success, with Chicago White Sox star Tim Anderson putting the cherry on top of the idea by hitting a walk-off homer into the cornstalks against the New York Yankees. 

"I think it's pretty clear we're going to be back next year, and we'll have to talk about it after that," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters after the game. "But it’s just been so successful that it's hard not to take the opportunity to do it again."

Last week, Cubs manager David Ross let it slip that his team would be invited to the Iowa showcase. 

"We're in that next year, right?" he said after reporters asked him about this year's version of the game.

A smiling Ross then realized the 2022 version hadn't yet been announced. 

"No," he said, answering his own question. "We're not, we're not, we're not."

Sounds like Ross let the cat out of the bag. It was an exciting admission for Cubs fans, with folks in Cincinnati now getting to join in the excitement. 

Jake Arrieta's second stint with the Chicago Cubs came to an end on Thursday. 

The Cubs announced they have placed the 2015 National League Cy Young winner on unconditional release waivers in a series of roster moves made prior to their game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Arrieta returned to the Cubs in February when he signed a one-year deal. He was hoping to reestablish himself as a dominant pitcher after three inconsistent seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Things have not worked out for Arrieta or the Cubs in 2021. The team went into sell mode before the trade deadline, moving Joc Pederson, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez, and is 52-64—17.5 games back of the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the standings. 

Arrieta posted a 6.88 ERA with 113 hits allowed in 86.1 innings through 20 starts. The right-hander allowed eight runs and 11 hits in four innings against the Brewers on Wednesday night in what turned out to be his final start for Chicago. 

Despite his struggles this season, Arrieta will always hold special place in the heart of the Cubs organization and fans. He was an integral part of their rebuild during his first stint with the team from 2013-17. 

Arrieta finished in the top 10 of NL Cy Young voting in three consecutive years from 2014-16. He won his two starts against Cleveland during the 2016 World Series to help the Cubs end their 108-year championship drought.    

While fans have the ability to gamble from their phones while attending games, the Chicago Cubs are still moving forward with plans to build a two-story sportsbook next to Wrigley Field.

Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported the Commission on Chicago Landmarks unanimously approved such a move. The sportsbook will take at least one year to construct, be open year-round and have entrance gates into Wrigley Field.

However, those who use the sportsbook will not be required to attend the game.

The Cubs said in a statement:

"With this approval by the Chicago Landmarks Commission, we are excited to realize the potential envisioned by the State of Illinois to bring revenue, jobs and an exciting amenity to our fans. This sportsbook will play a huge role in helping to create economic impact through job creation, wages, investments and revenue for the City, State and County at a time when new sources of revenue are needed to fund infrastructure projects and education."

In September 2020, the Cubs announced a new partnership with DraftKings that included plans to construct a sportsbook.

Darren Rovell of Action Network reported at the time the Cubs would make approximately $100 million for "nearly a decade worth of rights" as part of the deal.

Chicago Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said trading franchise stars Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Craig Kimbrel was "emotionally difficult" but "absolutely the right thing to do for the organization."

Speaking to reporters following Friday's MLB trade deadline, Hoyer said the deals will allow the Cubs to bypass a full-scale rebuild for a more accelerated process.

"We could either hold these players for two months and have them compete for a fourth-place team or do everything we could do in our power to reset our farm system and reset our organization," Hoyer said. "We accelerated that over the last 10 days or so."

The Cubs did receive a number of top prospects including outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kevin Alcantara, Greg Beichman and Alexander Canario, pitchers Alexander Vizcaino, Caleb Kilian and Bailey Horn.

Hoyer also pried two Major League contributors in second baseman Nick Madrigal and reliever Codi Heuer from the Chicago White Sox in a deal for closer Craig Kimbrel.

Yet there's never a guarantee prospects will pan out. In gaining valued assets for the future, the team had to part ways with All-Stars in Bryant, Rizzo, Baez and Kimbrel.

"There's two types of currency in this game," Hoyer said. "There's prospect/talent currency and there's financial currency. The last two or three years, we were short on both. We have prospect currency and financial currency going forward."

It's a far cry from previous trade deadlines when the Cubs shipped off prospects like Eloy Jimenez, Gleybar Torres, Dylan Cease and Jorge Soler to try extending their championship window. 

This time around it was the Cubs selling to help their core players win rings elsewhere and restart the process of building a contender in Chicago. 

"I don't want anyone to feel like there is a lack of emotion," Hoyer said. "Did we decide as a group to not have them the last two months here? We did. But I love those guys and I hope people understand that. What we created was really special."

The Chicago Cubs traded star shortstop Javier Baez and pitcher Trevor Williams to the New York Mets on Friday for vaunted outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong, part of an enormous fire sale in which Chicago also dealt Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Craig Kimbrel.

But Baez, at least, hasn't ruled out returning to Chicago this offseason as a free agent.

"To be honest, I would love to, but I don't know what will happen this offseason with all these moves and the plan that this organization has," Baez told reporters. "Obviously, I'm grateful for everything they've done for me."

Baez, 28, is hitting .248 this season with 22 home runs, 65 RBI, 48 runs, 13 stolen bases and a .775 OPS. He'll fill in at shortstop for the Mets while Francisco Lindor is on the injured list with a strained right oblique, though he'll bump over to second or third base once Lindor is healthy.

Baez said earlier this week he would be more than happy to switch positions if it meant reuniting with Lindor, whom he played with for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in 2017.

"If I go to the free agency, I would like to play with Francisco Lindor," he told Mega 106.9. "I loved playing with him in the World Classic. It is the only option I would take to play second base if it is to play with him. Otherwise, I stay playing at shortstop."

As for a reunion, the Cubs had the option to sign Baez to a long-term extension while he was still with Chicago and didn't get a deal done. That makes it hard to imagine the two sides coming to an agreement in free agency, though anything is possible.

"I want to personally thank Anthony Rizzo, Javy Baez and Kris Bryant," Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement Friday. "Together they played critical roles for one of the most successful runs in Chicago Cubs history. They each secured a place in the hearts of Cubs fans everywhere. While their days taking the field together as Cubs have come to an end, they gave us memories we will hold forever."

Baez left open the possibility that his days as a Cubbie aren't over. But a return to Chicago this winter feels like a long shot.

The Chicago Cubs traded closer Craig Kimbrel to the Chicago White Sox in a crosstown move ahead of Friday's trade deadline.

The Cubs confirmed they dealt their closer to the White Sox in exchange for second baseman Nick Madrigal and pitcher Codi Heuer.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the deal, and Bob Nightengale of USA Today shared the return.

This was the second trade of the week between the crosstown rivals as the White Sox also acquired Ryan Tepera in a trade Thursday.

Through 39 innings this season, Kimbrel has an ERA of 0.49, a 0.71 WHIP and 23 saves. He's struck out 64 while issuing 13 walks. 

Chicago won a bidding war to sign Kimbrel as a free agent during the 2019 season, inking the 2018 World Series champion to a three-year, $43 million deal that got off to a rocky start. The reliever was placed on the injured list with knee inflammation in August for two weeks before finishing the season 0-4 with a 6.53 ERA and 13 saves in 20.2 innings as the Cubs missed the postseason. 

Kimbrel wasn't much better during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season (5.28 ERA, 2 saves, 15.1 IP), though the Cubs made the playoffs, losing a National League Wild Card Series to the Miami Marlins. 

As the 33-year-old worked himself back in All-Star form in 2021, Chicago continued to sink in the standings, finding fewer uses for its closer as blowouts became the norm. That made the veteran late-innings star an optimal trade target. 

He heads to the White Sox seeking another opportunity to pitch in the postseason and win his second World Series. Kimbrel's tenure on the north side of Chicago may have included more downs than ups, but the closer has proved he's still a shutdown reliever more often than not. 

It was more than enough for the White Sox to come calling for the eight-time All-Star. 

With Liam Hendriks already in the bullpen, the AL Central squad could be especially dangerous heading into the playoffs.

The breakup of the Chicago Cubs' core began in earnest Thursday as the 2016 World Series champions sent first baseman and franchise leader Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees for two minor league prospects. 

That has all eyes on Chicago's North Side turning to Kris Bryant and Javier Baez, who are likely the next to go. According to SNY's Andy Martino, the New York Mets remain engaged on both infielders with one source telling Martino the Cubs look ready to do "something big" ahead of the deadline. 

It's unclear which other teams remain in on the two perennial All-Stars. 

Baez already stated a desire to play with the Mets in recent days. The impending unrestricted free agent has a friendship with New York shortstop Francisco Lindor and would be willing to move over to second base to reunite with him.

"If I go to the free agency, I would like to play with Francisco Lindor," Baez said during an interview with Mega 106.9 FM. "I loved playing with him in the World [Baseball] Classic. It is the only option I would take to play second base if it is to play with him; otherwise, I stay playing at shortstop."

Despite having a slightly down year, Baez is still slashing .245/.289/.483 with 22 home runs and 13 stolen bases. 

Bryant, meanwhile, is in the midst of his best season since 2018 with a slash line of .267/.358/.503 with 18 home runs and 51 RBI. The third baseman and left fielder is also scheduled to reach unrestricted free agency this season.

The Mets could certainly use help at third base, where J.D. Davis, Luis Guillorme and Brandon Drury have each spent time throughout the year. 

As Friday's MLB trade deadline nears, the Mets continue to circle in on the two stars, hoping to improve their National League East-leading lineup for a postseason run.