Baseball - Chicago Cubs news

• Reasons for optimism for each MLB club

  18-02-2019 02:02
  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.
  
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• Happ throws hat in Cubs' second-base ring

  19-02-2019 21:15
  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.
  
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• Baez expects more from self, Cubs' lineup

  19-02-2019 19:50
  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.
  
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• Bryant ready to show off old swing this spring

  18-02-2019 23:48
  On the field or in the clubhouse, there will be no easing into the spring for Cubs star Kris Bryant.
  
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• The Cubs' Spring Training battle to watch

  18-02-2019 23:20
  The next five weeks will see lots of shuffling on Major League rosters. Here are the most intriguing positional battles on each of the 30 MLB clubs.
  
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• Tom Ricketts addresses father's emails, Addison

  18-02-2019 22:00
  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.
  
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• Bryant revisits St. Louis chatter at Cubs camp

  18-02-2019 17:51
  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.
  
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• Bright side: Reasons for optimism for each team

  18-02-2019 00:39
  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.
  
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• Kintzler eyes return to grounder-heavy attack

  17-02-2019 23:56
  Brandon Kintzler believes his struggles in the second half with the Cubs last season were due to a classic case of information overload.
  
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• Maddon putting emphasis on situational hitting

  17-02-2019 22:49
  Cubs manager Joe Maddon does not expect onlookers to see a dramatic difference in how he navigates his way around the practice diamonds this spring.
  
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• Almora's time as everyday player 'on the horizon'

  16-02-2019 23:06
  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.
  
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• Descalso won't go headfirst into role as leader

  16-02-2019 22:13
  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.
  
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• Descalso won't go head-first into role as leader

  16-02-2019 22:13
  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.
  
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• Maddon to take a 'fluid' approach to closer role

  16-02-2019 00:42
  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.
  
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• Russell contrite, takes responsibility for actions

  16-02-2019 00:06
  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.
  
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• Prospects who should vie for a roster spot

  15-02-2019 00:36
  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.
  
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• Chatwood hopes small fix has big results in '19

  14-02-2019 23:28
  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.
  
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• Cubs add lefty reliever Cedeno to 'pen mix

  14-02-2019 22:49
  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.
  
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• Edwards hopes pause in delivery aids accuracy

  14-02-2019 21:21
  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.
  
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• 20 questions that will define the NL Central

  14-02-2019 17:35
  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.
  
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• Source: Cubs have deal with reliever Cedeno

  14-02-2019 04:48
  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.
  
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• Projected 2019 lineups, rotations for every team

  14-02-2019 02:51
  Spring Training is here, so now is a good time to project what each club's Opening Day lineup and rotation would look like if the season began today. Of course, rosters are still fluid at this point, but with help from all 30 MLB.com beat writers, here's a roundup of how they might turn out.
  
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• Darvish ready to be rid of last season's troubles

  13-02-2019 23:55
  Following a bullpen session on Wednesday morning, Yu Darvish made his way to a vacated practice field. With no coaches, teammates or staffers around, the Cubs right-hander worked through a series of tosses into a batting practice screen to continue refining his delivery.
  
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• Morrow's injury adds intrigue to Cubs' bullpen

  13-02-2019 22:43
  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.
  
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• Cubs to launch Marquee Sports Network

  13-02-2019 16:01
  The Chicago Cubs and Sinclair Broadcast Group on Wednesday announced the launch of Marquee Sports Network to provide increased access and around-the-clock coverage of the team. This new regional sports network will be the exclusive television home of the Chicago Cubs beginning in 2020.
  
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• Epstein details rigorous expectations for Russell

  13-02-2019 02:20
  Addison Russell went through a normal morning workout at the Cubs' spring complex on Tuesday, but there is nothing routine about the shortstop's current situation. Once the regular season arrives, Russell will have a series of important steps to complete before being permitted to take the field again.
  
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• Cubs open camp with high expectations

  12-02-2019 21:14
  The daily sense of urgency officially begins right now for the Cubs. On Tuesday, Chicago's pitchers and catchers were required to report to Arizona, marking the first step in Spring Training's six-week build toward Opening Day.
  
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• 30 low-key acquisitions who could pay off big

  12-02-2019 18:57
  Fans and analysts spend the entire offseason speculating where the top free agents could go, but sometimes an under-the-radar pickup can end up making a world of difference. As positional competitions begin to heat up at Spring Training camps this month, MLB.com's beat writers were asked to identify one potentially overlooked acquisition for each of the 30 clubs. Here's who they came up with.
  
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• Uniform patch to mark 150 years of pro baseball

  12-02-2019 15:09
  All 30 Major League teams will wear special "MLB 150" patches on their uniforms for the entire 2019 season in honor of the 150th anniversary of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first openly all-salaried professional baseball team.
  
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• Cubs, reliever Brach complete deal

  11-02-2019 19:05
  The Cubs and right-handed pitcher Brad Brach completed a 2019 contract with a club/player option for the 2020 campaign on Monday.
  
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