North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast

From small deals to non-tender decisions to rumors about trades and free agents, the Cubs are starting to make some moves and narrow their options. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney have you covered with all of the latest information. The duo from The Athletic get into the Eli Morgan trade with Cleveland, why releasing Mike Tauchman and Nick Madrigal made sense, and how the Cubs are using a proces...

With the offseason about to heat up, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic field questions from listeners on the next steps in Pete Crow-Armstrong’s development, whether Sonny Gray and Garrett Crochet are realistic trade targets, and which prospects are untouchable. Plus an updated scouting report on Moises Ballesteros and a reality check on the team’s pitching program. Support NST!  P...

After laying some groundwork at the GM meetings, teams are starting to make moves. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney discuss some of the names connected to the Cubs, explaining why the club is targeting a certain tier of starting pitchers and how those players would fit in Chicago. As the Cubs assess their options at catcher, you can cross Travis d'Arnaud’s name off the list now that he’s signed w...

Believe the hype surrounding Roki Sasaki, the young Japanese pitcher who has been on the Cubs’ radar for years. Now that Sasaki will enter the posting system and become an international free agent (with strings attached), Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic give you a full scouting report.  That background includes the club’s efforts to build up credibility in Japan as well as its co...

With the offseason picking up steam, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic check in from San Antonio and share what they’re hearing from sources who have gathered for the GM meetings. There are items on Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and how the Cubs view the pitching market. Plus names to consider at catcher, the prospects now on the major-league radar, and an update on Nico Hoerner and w...

With the GM meetings underway in San Antonio, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney discuss their big story for The Athletic on the behind-the-scenes changes happening at Wrigley Field.  Cubs executives Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins have drastically reduced their pro scouting department and leaned heavily into analytics, relying on a model system to construct the roster. Why are the Cubs going in this...

Craig Counsell is adding a coach from his old Milwaukee staff as the Cubs try to get better on the margins.  Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic explain why the Cubs are hiring Quintin Berry away from the Brewers. With mixed signals on Cody Bellinger’s opt-out decision, the Cubs’ offseason plans will immediately take shape at the upcoming GM meetings.  Plus a rundown on the club’s ar...

Chicago Tribune reporter Meghan Montemurro joins Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic to preview the event that is a starting point for baseball’s offseason.  Montemurro explains what Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts is thinking and why President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer has to deliver a playoff team next year.  The group also looks back on the stunning Craig Counsell hire during la...

The Yankees and Dodgers are taking over the baseball universe, showing that money matters, and reminding Cubs fans it wasn’t that long ago that their big-market team once had a similar moment in the spotlight.  Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic are back to discuss Anthony Rizzo’s legacy, where the Cubs organization has fallen short, and why no one wants to hear about how the Diamon...

It’s quiet at Wrigley Field, but the Cubs don’t stop in the offseason. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic discuss some of the newsy items coming out of the North Side this week, including what surgery means for a Gold Glove second baseman (and his trade market), and how the manager is evaluating coaches and reshaping the group. Plus why Cubs fans must have noticed what the Mets did...

Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic are back to answer more of your offseason questions.  Garrett Crochet of the White Sox and a few notable catchers are among the popular names for some trade ideas.  There’s the usual angst about the bullpen and how Jed Hoyer’s front office is going to attack that area of the roster.  Plus more on Craig Counsell’s influence and what the Cubs doing b...

Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic open it up to the audience for an offseason mailbag. There were enough good questions to break it up into two parts.  Fans want to know if the front office will try to lock up the Opening Day starter and attempt to build a different offense after Wrigley Field’s conditions frustrated hitters. There’s also much more on trade ideas and how ownership...

The Cardinal Way has gotten a little stale.  Chaim Bloom now represents the succession plan as Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak intends to step down after the 2025 season.  How did the Cardinals lose their edge? And what will this mean for their long-running rivalry with the Cubs?  Derrick Goold, an expert beat writer with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, answers those question...

It all starts with Cody Bellinger’s move to either opt-in or become a free agent, a contract decision that at this point looks pretty straightforward. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney explain why things are trending in one direction, and how the Cubs are planning to upgrade their rotation and catching situation. Plus, will they finally take a different approach with their bullpen o...

Where is the sense of urgency? After back-to-back 83-win seasons, the Cubs president of baseball operations tried to send an optimistic message, doubling down on the organization’s long-term approach and focus on sustainability. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic were in the Wrigley Field interview room, asking questions and taking notes on a big-market franchise that doesn’t always...

The Cubs fired David Ross, hired Craig Counsell and wound up with the exact same record as last year.  The fans who flock to Wrigley Field every season should be watching a much better product than this mediocre team.  Outside of a few bright spots, there wasn’t much excitement or personality to this group. The farewell to Kyle Hendricks’ stood out as a rare emotional moment and a reminder of how...

Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer joins the show to discuss why the Reds fired David Bell and how two ex-Cubs managers could fit into their search. Wittenmyer, a longtime reporter with the Chicago Sun-Times, also explains the backstory to his recent feature on Lou Piniella, whose colorful, decorated career has fallen just short of the Hall of Fame. Wrigley Field’s final weekend of the s...

Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are among the good players the Cubs identified as building blocks at Wrigley Field. But this overall group hasn’t been good enough. Near the end of a disappointing season, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic analyze Hoerner’s value as a trade chip, Happ’s no-trade protection and Suzuki’s potential future as a designated hitter. This is part of...

Without naming names, Cubs manager Craig Counsell essentially called out his entire organization.  Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic interpret what Counsell was actually saying and relay Jed Hoyer’s response from Philadelphia as another disappointing season nears its end.  Missing the playoffs calls into question ownership’s willingness to spend and the front office’s cautious appr...

With the Cubs disappearing from the playoff picture, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic field questions from listeners on where the team goes from here. Hot topics include the fate of the front office, how the Cubs view Cody Bellinger’s option for next season, the next wave of prospects headed toward Wrigley Field, and more. Support NST!  Please leave this podcast page a rating and...

The Brewers are rarely viewed as the preseason favorite or a cutting-edge franchise. Yet this small-market team keeps frustrating the Cubs and outperforming expectations. How does this keep happening? Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic examine the distance between Milwaukee and Chicago, how the Cubs can close the gap, and why the Brewers will be their problem for a long time coming....

Though mathematically still alive for the playoffs, Fangraphs still gave this team a zero percent chance to make the playoffs after rough back-to-back losses over the weekend at Coors Field. The Cubs return home to Wrigley Field with so many big-picture questions about the organization’s direction. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic get into the clubhouse environment, gains in playe...

Despite their long-shot odds to make the postseason, the Cubs still have a lot to play for in September.  Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic run through some of the players they’re following more closely as well as a few names they’re already hearing about as possible targets in free agency.  The trajectory of this season only reinforces the idea that the Cubs have to be more aggres...

Why do the Cubs look like a different team on the road? The offense came alive again at Dodger Stadium, where agent Scott Boras pointed out how unkind the Friendly Confines have been to hitters this season. It’s a topic of conversation for players, coaches and the front office, so it had to be addressed on North Side Territory. Sahadev Sharma discusses Patrick Mooney’s Boras interview with The Ath...

Sahadev Sharma joins Clint Pasillas and Alanna Rizzo on Dodgers Territory to talk about the Cubs vs Dodgers upcoming series. Sahadev dives into the surprising luck the team has on the road and the offense that needs to pick itself up as the team heads to Dodgers Stadium. One Cub in the spotlight is Cody Bellinger, being back at Dodgers Stadium again brings the group to reflect on he MVP he used to...