Monday Morning Cubs Show

The Cubs are nine games in and somehow it already feels like the season has a pulse problem. We’re not freaking out over a record as much as we’re reacting to the vibe, the flat at-bats, and how fast “we’re deep” can turn into “we need answers” when injuries hit. Carl is joined by his longtime Cubs-watching friend CB for an honest, occasionally unhinged temperature check on what’s real, what’s noi...

Six games can feel like nothing, right up until you’ve watched every pitch and realized you’re already emotionally invested. That’s why we decided to ditch the vague “it’s early” chatter and do something concrete: a full Cubs report card, A through F, with independent Cubs journalist Blake Cowell joining me for a fast-moving hangout that turns frustration into actual analysis. We start with the st...

We react to the Cubs dropping the opening weekend series and sort the real problems from the stuff that will fade once the season settles. We also dig into the Nico Horner extension and what it signals about the Cubs building around defense, payroll, and pitching to contact.  • opening weekend recap and why 1-2 feels so familiar  • quick schedule check with the Angels at Wrigley and Cleveland ahea...

Getting smoked 10-4 on opening day messes with your head, especially when the opponent is a team you think you should handle. We talk through how to process that kind of loss without spiraling, what actually decided the game, and why the only real response is simple: take the series. That mindset is the difference between following baseball like a daily panic test and following it like a season-lo...

Opening Day is days away, so we bring Marquee play-by-play broadcaster Alex Cohen on to put real numbers behind our 2026 Cubs predictions and the storylines that can drive a division run. We also react to late spring news like Seiya Suzuki’s likely IL stint and what it means for roster decisions right now.  • Alex Cohen’s path from the Iowa Cubs to Marquee and what availability and relationships c...

A snowy March morning and suddenly everything feels close: Opening Day, a season with real expectations, and a World Baseball Classic that looks like October baseball. We’re coming in hot with reactions to Team USA’s 2 to 1 win over the Dominican Republic, including the “ball or strike” moment that decided the ending and what it says about the current state of the game. It’s the perfect mix of mod...

A good Cubs season starts long before the ivy turns green. We kick things off with the signals that actually matter in March—Matt Shaw holding serve while learning another position, Dansby Swanson finding rhythm, and fringe bats pushing for a real job—then thread those details through a bigger, brighter picture of what this team can be when the games start to count. With Dan “Big Cat” Katz in stud...

The countdown to baseball gets real, and we can feel it. We kick off with that opening day itch, then tackle the story Cubs fans won’t stop talking about: why Marquee’s spring training blackout stings and what it says about priorities. From there, we dig into the roster choices that actually move the needle—how the Tyler Austin injury complicates first base platooning, whether Michael Busch can ho...

One calm spring can set the tone for a wild summer. We zoom past box score buzz and dig into what actually matters for the Cubs: defined roles, smarter rest, and a roster that doesn’t need March miracles to look like a contender. We start with Michael Conforto’s fit—why a bat-first, lefty-heavy profile paired with playable defense could be the right lever against right-handed pitching—and how that...

What if the smartest Cubs lineup starts with simplicity? We kick off by pushing past spring training mirages and get practical about how Chicago can score more often with a clear, repeatable batting order. No fluff, no inside jokes—just a build that stacks on-base skill at the top, unleashes real power in the middle, and keeps pressure on pitchers through the final out. We anchor leadoff with Mich...

Spring hits different when your pitching plan actually matches your October goals. We kick off a loaded Monday Morning Cubs Show by setting a clear blueprint: use the catcher tandem smartly, spread early innings across a deep rotation, and lean on a bullpen with defined tiers while keeping the door open for a midseason upgrade. We walk through why Miguel Amaya and Carson Kelly make a high-floor ba...

A groundhog rivalry, a cough, and a countdown to what actually matters. We open with Woodstock pride and Groundhog Day lore, then cut through the annual noise around “pitchers and catchers report” to ask a tougher question: how do the Cubs set themselves up for a season that feels built for right now? We get honest about Nico Horner’s value, why trading him would be a mistake, and how an extension...

The North Side turns 150 with a roster built for a modern pennant race, and we’re fired up to explain why. So much that we're joined by our close friend and very special guest JAKE.  We dig into the national buzz that slots the Dodgers first, then make the case for Chicago at No. 2 because of something flashier teams can’t fake: true depth. From an elite infield to a rotation that changes sha...

The city woke up with that hollow feeling you only get after an overtime gut punch, but the story doesn’t end at the interception. We unpack the Bears loss with honesty and poise: where aggression helped, where early points were there for the taking, and why Caleb’s late-game aura can coexist with teachable mistakes. The defense forced a potent offense into 17 in a one-possession overtime. That’s...

A Chicago sports fever dream turned real: the Bears roared back from a 21–3 hole, and the Cubs landed Alex Bregman on a five-year deal that signals a new era at Clark and Addison. We ride the adrenaline rush, then get surgical about what Bregman’s arrival means for the roster, the budget, and the path to October. We break down why this contract matters beyond the headline number: no-trade clause,...

A true shake-up for the North Side: we dig into why Edward Cabrera’s elite stuff at a bargain price could tilt the Cubs’ rotation from steady to scary. With four years of control and a $3.75M tag this season, Cabrera offers rare surplus value in a market where similar swing-and-miss profiles cost $20–30M per year. We break down how his 97 mph fastball and wicked, arm-side-running changeup add desp...

Boring offseasons reveal what a team really stands for—and ours is spelling out a clear identity. We lay out why the Cubs are doubling down on run prevention, stacking veteran relievers with complementary shapes, and trusting elite defense to turn tight innings into quiet scoreboards. Instead of chasing a headline, we’re building a bullpen that can segment games, shield young starters from third-t...

A big-name signing sounds great until you run the numbers. We put the Bregman scenario on the table and stress test every downstream effect: moving Nico Horner, re-routing Matt Shaw’s development, and accepting a contract full of player-side leverage. The talent isn’t in doubt; the fit is. What looks like an October upgrade can become a regular-season tax, especially if you value defense, continui...

December in Chicago can hold two truths at once: a city buzzing from a Bears stunner and a fan base staring down a quiet Cubs winter. We lean into both. We start with that late-game chaos at Soldier Field, then shift into the meat of the show: why Tyler Austin makes sense as a low-cost, right-handed complement at first base, what it means for Michael Busch’s at-bats vs lefties, and how smart plato...

The headlines are quiet, the takes are not. We sift through a sleepy winter meetings and unpack what actually matters for the Cubs in 2026: how bullpen culture gets built on purpose, why Michael Busch facing lefties changes the roster map, and where ownership should place this team in MLB’s payroll tiers. No fluff, no empty rumor-chasing—just a clean look at the levers that create real wins. I wal...

A cold Chicago morning has a way of stripping things down to what matters, and that’s exactly how we tackle the Cubs. We open with the realities shaping the offseason: Wrigley’s wind, a pitching staff that leans contact, and a front office balancing ambition with budget. From there, we connect the dots between Marquee Network’s cost-cutting and the baseball moves fans actually care about, making a...

Hope is not a plan, and payroll isn’t a magic wand. We dig into a clear, realistic path for the Cubs to win the Central: stack a fearless bullpen, trade for a rotation stabilizer, and sharpen platoons that punish left-handed pitching. Instead of chasing tier-one free agents, we map out how to convert close games into wins and use our prospect capital where it matters most. We start by unpacking th...

A 90-win team is good. A 94-win team that breathes in October is built. That’s where we take the Cubs: away from splash-chasing and toward a durable run-prevention machine that travels, plays in the wind, and punishes mistakes. We start with the hard truths about the Ricketts family’s spending posture, the real payroll buffer under the tax, and how that shapes every move this winter without handcu...

Expect a strange winter on the North Side. We unpack why the Cubs’ path runs through pitching, controlled contracts, and a defense-first identity while the 2027 labor storm gathers on the horizon. With only Dansby Swanson guaranteed through that window and uncertainty around caps, floors, and tax dynamics, Jed and Carter look far more likely to trade for a top-three starter than drop half a billio...

One voice, one hotel room in London, and a clear-eyed look at what’s really driving the Cubs’ offseason. Carl breaks down why Kyle Tucker won’t be wearing Cubbie blue next year, not because he isn’t a fit, but because ownership’s debt load still dictates how aggressive Chicago can be when it matters most. From the GM meetings in Las Vegas to the realities of qualifying offers, draft compensation,...