Matt Shaw says he has spent a good deal of time in the outfield in college and he’s up for the challenge of being a supersub. I’m not going to discourage him. Nico Hoerner opined that it was a good thing
to have a quality player as a sub, and that time off isn’t a Bad Thing. Nico is a ballplayer — right now he’s the face of the Cubs, and that’s the attitude fans want to see.
I think, in the end, that it really was Kyle Tucker’s approach that doomed him in Chicago. He wasn’t seen to be giving it his all. Whether that perception is accurate, I don’t know. But it is real. Ian Happ has suffered some from a similar perception despite his propensity for flinging his body about with abandon.
Anyway. ‘King Kyle’ is planning on winning a ring. The Dodgers have already meatloafed — they’re eyeing a threepeat. That would even them up with the Oakland Athletics (1972-74), and the Yankees (1998-2000), who also have skeins of four (1936-39) and five (1949-53) consecutive wins. The Cubs are among the handful of teams that have repeated.
The Phillies, Mets, the Cubs, and possibly the Brewers will have something to say about that. Others could surprise, but then they would have to. The Blue Jays, Mariners, and possibly the Red Sox will have words.
But it would surprise exactly nobody if the Dodgers won.
Saturday, the Cubs convention was in full swing. We’ll have another stacked playlist. Congratulations to Jon Lester, Jody Davis, and the late Vince Lloyd, who talked to me from the radio and TV quite a bit when I was small. And good luck to Da Bears, who play tonight at Soldier Field.
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- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Something old, something new and a whole lot of blue at the Chicago Cubs Convention. “It was really cool for me to celebrate their World Series,” Cubs left fielder Ian Happ said with a laugh Friday afternoon.
- Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Edward Cabrera brings high upside to Chicago Cubs — with some risk: ‘He’s going to help us win ballgames’. “I’ll go out there and give them my 100% to reach the end goal, which is to win,” he said Friday through an interpreter. Maddie Lee has more*.
- Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): ‘Irreplaceable’ Nico Hoerner hopes trade rumors fade as Cubs load up for a 2026 run. “Once the buzz wore off from the Alex Bregman signing, the questions began.“
- Paul Niemiec (North Side Baseball*): Can Alex Bregman remain elite throughout the life of his Cubs contract? “Bregman will turn 32 right as the regular season begins in late March.”
- Jay Cohen (AP*): Matt Shaw is preparing for a super-utility role with the Cubs in the wake of Alex Bregman’s arrival. “In addition to backing up Bregman at third and Nico Hoerner at second, Shaw also is expected to play in the outfield.”
Food For Thought:
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