It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We’re so glad to see you. There’s no cover charge. We can check your coat for you. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone
else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you which recent deal for a starting pitcher do you wish the Cubs had made? Most of y0u thought the Cubs made the right move as 55 percent of you picked Edward Cabrera. The deal the Mets made for Freddy Peralta finished in second with 34 percent.
On Tuesday nights/Wednesday morning, I don’t normally write about movies. But you still have time to vote in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic matchup between The Matrix and Back to the Future. But I always have time for jazz. I guess that time is now.
Tonight we’re featuring some funky rock fusion from Snarky Puppy, the supergroup led by bassist Michael League. This is from 2022 and is an original composition from League called “Bet.”
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.
Some of you may disagree with me, but I think the Cubs are a very good team this year without any real weaknesses. I go through the projected starting lineup, starting rotation and bullpen and there isn’t one guy on the team whom I think “He needs to be replaced.” This is a team that can make the National League Championship Series and beyond.
But “can” is a very different word than “will.” The Cubs have a good plan for 2026, but as Mike Tyson famously said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” And trust me, the Cubs are going to get punched in the mouth. Metaphorically, of course.
Last year, Justin Steele going down with elbow surgery was a punch in the mouth. Then the Cubs got another punch in the mouth with Shōta Imanaga went down with a hamstring injury. The Cubs managed to cover that over with a combination of Colin Rea and eventually Cade Horton, but come September, Horton was injured, Imanaga was not as effective after his injury and he really seemed to lose it by October. The Cubs ran out of starting pitching by the Division Series with the Brewers and that brought the 2025 season down.
So what I’m asking you to do is stress test the Cubs 2026 season. What’s most likely to go wrong? Where does the front office need to add extra redundancies to prevent disasters? Where, if something goes wrong, are the Cubs most screwed?
Obviously the starting pitching rotation is one place to worry about and yes, pitchers are going to get hurt. But the Cubs traded for Edward Cabrera and Justin Steele’s return is ahead of schedule. Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks are waiting in the wings and top pitching prospect Jaxon Wiggins should make his major league debut sometime this season. Is that enough?
Then there is the bullpen, which was a source of strength last season but has almost been completely rebuilt after most of the relievers left as free agents. Daniel Palencia and Caleb Thielbar are back. We hope Porter Hodge is healthy. Almost everyone else is new. Relievers are also very volatile from year to year. Have the Cubs done enough to make sure that they have the arms to get the final 9-to-12 outs every game?
Catching was a source of strength last year, but that was almost entirely because Carson Kelly had a career year. Can he do that again at 31? The Cubs suffered a huge blow last year when Miguel Amaya missed most of the season with two injuries. They lucked out when Reese McGuire stepped in and served as a solid backup to Kelly. Will the Cubs be as lucky again? Or maybe they’ll be luckier and Kelly and Amaya will be healthy all season and Moisés Ballesteros can fill in when necessary.
The infield looks pretty solid to me with the Alex Bregman signing and Matt Shaw moving to a utility role. I suppose there is the issue of how Michael Busch will do against left-handed pitching, but that’s what Tyler Austin is for. But maybe you see infield problems where I don’t.
Finally, the starting outfield is set with Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki. But what if one of them gets hurt? The Cubs traded away Owen Caissie, so he won’t be there for depth. He couldn’t play center field anyways, although I suppose Happ could in a pinch. There’s top prospect Kevin Alcántara, but the Cubs might prefer he gat at-bats in Iowa to sitting on the bench in Chicago. Are Dylan Carlson or Chas McCormick enough cover is something happens?
So what I’m asking you is what do you want keeping team president Jed Hoyer up nights worrying about. Where is the Cubs 2026 season most likely to break? What part of the team needs added reinforcements? Where are they most vulnerable?
Thank you for stopping by tonight. Please don’t forget your coat or anything else you may have checked. Get home safely. Stay warm. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.
