Cubs Talk Podcast

Luke talks with Tony Andracki following the Cubs 12-4 Opening Day win in Texas.

Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan, and Kelly Crull react to the breaking news of Kyle Hendricks' extension with the Cubs. The trio discusses how the deal is a win for both sides (1:30), Hendricks' unique place in Cubs history and on this season's roster (7:30), what Kyle's ceiling as a pitcher has turned out to be (12:00), and who the next Cub to sign an extension might be (14:30).

Baseball is finally here! Luke Stuckmeyer & David Kaplan discuss the surprising move to send Ian Happ to the minors to start the 2019 season and the message it sends to the team (2:00), as well as the report from The Athletic that details the changes the Cubs are making to their day-to-day operations this season (8:00). Finally, Kap and Luke make some bold predictions about what will happen th...

Luke Stuckmeyer catches up with Brewers radio broadcaster Jeff Levering to get the inside scoop on Milwaukee heading into the 2019 season. The pair discuss how the potential addition of Craig Kimbrel would impact the Brewers bullpen (3:30), whether or not Christian Yelich can repeat his MVP performance (8:00) and how the NL Central will shake out this year (14:00) before Jeff gives us some persona...

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by Chris Rongey, host at 101 ESPN in St. Louis, to take a closer look at the arch-rival Cardinals. The pair discusses the ramifications of the rumored Paul Goldschmidt extension (2:30), the pressure on the Cardinals to get back to the playoffs (6:30), the potential of Jack Flaherty (10:30), and Kris Bryant's inflammatory comments about St. Louis at Cubs Convention (13:45)...

Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan & Tony Andracki tackle all the pressing topics surrounding the Cubs, including the Brewers' reported connection to Craig Kimbrel (:45), Yu Darvish's blister woes (5:15), how the current run of extensions in MLB will affect the Cubs in the future (9:10), and Tony makes the case for Kris Bryant to be the regular lead-off hitter (16:00).

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki make their predictions for the 2019 season, discuss who will be the team's MVP and debate which NL Central team will be the toughest challenge for the Cubs this season. 1:00 - NL MVP odds for Baez, Bryant, Rizzo and Schwarber 4:00 - NL Cy Young award odds 7:00 - Home run totals for Cubs sluggers 9:00 - Ja...

Willson Contreras sits down with Kelly Crull for an exclusive interview where the Cubs catcher takes full responsibility for his tough 2018 campaign, and tells us what he's learned from last year's experience (1:20). Then, an emotional Willson discusses the current social and political situation in his home country of Venezuela, and how he keeps his focus on the field with so much upheaval in his...

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan, Tony Andracki and Cam Ellis break down the starters and relievers for the 2019 Cubs. 01:15 If healthy, the Cubs rotation could be among the best in baseball 03:00Is the age of the Cubs staff a concern you? 04:25What do you do with Tyler Chatwood? 05:50Sooner or later the Cubs will need a pitcher from their minor league system 06:45The...

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by MLB Network's Dan Plesac, who is fresh off his tour of major league camps in Arizona. The pair discuss where the holes might be on this Cubs roster (1:00), how the back end of the bullpen will shake out (4:30), the new technology the Cubs are employing to help their pitchers improve (9:00), the state of pitcher development in today's game (13:30), and how the addition...

Kelly Crull catches up with Cubs Opening Day starter Jon Lester on his drive home from camp in Mesa, and discusses what a normal spring training day looks like, relationships between the players, the dynamic between himself and David Ross, pushing players like Anthony Rizzo to the next level, who the best golfer on the team is, and his past as a soccer player (1:10). Then, Luke Stuckmeyer gets the...

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by Tony Andracki and Chris Kamka to react to Bryce Harper's record-setting contract with the Phillies. The trio discuss whether the Cubs were ever actually involved and if they missed out on a big opportunity (1:30), as well as how Harper's contract will affect future negotiations with Kris Bryant (6:30). Then, we hear Bryant's reaction to Harper's deal (13:20) before Luk...

On the latest Cubs Talk podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki are joined by USA Today's Bob Nightengale to discuss Yu Darvish's first start of the spring, baseball's free agent market, the Cubs mindset and a celebration of Ron Santo 00:45 Bob on Yu Darvish's first start of the spring 01:40 Would the Cubs be in play to sign Bryce Harper on a short term deal? 02:30 Do...

Luke and Kap discuss the latest goings-on from Cubs camp, including Joe Maddon's recent talk about how he's going to handle his lineup card this season (0:45), the lack of a true lead-off hitter impacting the batting order (3:00), how Jose Quintana is working to improve his pitch arsenal (6:30), and what to watch for as the exhibition schedule begins (11:00).

Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss the impact a full season of Cole Hamels could have on the rotation and the team. And David Kaplan goes 1-on-1 with Kyle Hendricks. Find out which teammate Hendricks says most enjoys striking out in Spring Training. 00:35 - Tony and Kelly break down the potential impact that Cole Hamels can have on the 2019 club. They discuss Hamels' value as a teammate and a l...

Luke, Kap and Chris Kamka react to the Manny Machado deal and the impact it has on the National League and the Cubs. Javy Baez talks about hustling and being accountable, and possible contract extension numbers for Baez and Kris Bryant are discussed. 00:00 - Welcome - Manny Machado signing and what it means for the National League. How many legitimate contenders are there in the N.L. with Bryce Ha...

As the Cubs held their first full-squad workout in Arizona, Chairman Tom Ricketts talked about his father's e-mail scandal and the team's free-agency budget on the latest edition of the CubsTalk Podcast. 01:00Tom Ricketts on his dad's email controversy 08:00Tom on his comments to the players about the emails 12:00Tom on his dealings with the city and Alderman Tom Tunney 17:30On team's budget for 2...

The Cubs are looking for some of their young players to take the next step in 2019. Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss what they expect from David Bote and Victor Caratini this year (11:52). Plus, Ian Happ is busy getting reps at second base in Mesa (03:04), and Willson Contreras is "hungry" to get back in action (07:34). Then, David Kaplan has a 1-on-1 interview with Bote as he settles in for...

Our Cubs beat reporters Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki provide their unique perspectives after being in the room for Addison Russell's first public comments since his suspension (1:00). They discuss Russell's disposition during his media session (4:00), the lack of specifics in his answers (12:30), what the future holds for both Russell and the team (19:15), and much more regarding the Cubs' suspen...

For the first time since being suspended 40 games in September for violating MLB's domestic violence policy, Addison Russell met the media in Arizona. We bring you his entire press conference (1:00), as well as comments from Joe Maddon and Theo Epstein about Russell's situation and how it has changed the entire organization (20:00).

Opening week of Spring Training continues, and in this episode we catch up with Kyle Schwarber, who scoffs at the PECOTA projections that have the Cubs finishing last in the NL Central (1:15). Then, Tyler Chatwood addresses his 2018 struggles head-on and details what he's done to improve this offseason (8:20). Finally, our Cubs insider Tony Andracki calls in from Mesa and discusses the addition of...

Yu Darvish speaks about how he's feeling and why he's in a much better spot mentally as he enters his 2nd season in Chicago (:45). Then, Willson Contreras discusses his offseason training and the current state of affairs in his native Venezuela (5:55). We then hear from Jason Heyward, who adamantly supports the Cubs' approach in bringing the entire core group of players back (12:00). Finally, Jon...

Baseball is finally back! Luke Stuckmeyer takes you out to Mesa, where Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Joe Maddon addressed the media Tuesday to officially kick off Spring Training. The trio cover a wide range of topics, including Joe's new slogan for 2019 (:45), the latest update on Addison Russell's situation (5:30), why the free agent market has been so slow (15:30), Theo's reaction to the Joe Rick...

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by Stats Coordinator Chris Kamka and Cubs producer Eric Strobel to discuss this year's pessimistic PECOTA projections for the Cubs from Baseball Prospectus (:35), the much-improved NL Central's impact on the projections (6:00), and react to the news that the DH will not be coming to the NL anytime soon (9:40). Then, Kelly Crull sits down for an exclusive interview with Ja...

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, Tony Andracki and Vinnie Duber discuss possible rules changes in baseball and how they would affect the Cubs. Plus, we go 1-on-1 with Kyle Hendricks. 01:00Possibility of the DH coming to the NL and how it would affect the Cubs 02:30The pitcher hitting a homer is one of the most exciting things in the game 03:45Is Kyle Schwarber automatically the DH...