North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast

The story will quickly shift after Shota Imanaga’s brilliant performance in a combined no-hitter. The Yankees are coming to town, which means Rizzo’s first game back at Wrigley Field since getting traded at the 2021 deadline. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney both covered the entire breadth of Rizzo’s career in Chicago, which featured a full-scale rebuild, the end of a 108-year cham...

What a night at Wrigley Field, where the crowd booed Craig Counsell’s decision to pull his ace pitcher after seven no-hit innings. Imanaga, his catcher and the next reliever up didn’t even know they were on the verge of making history. And this actually started out as a bad day for the Cubs. For context, Sahadev Sharma checks in with Patrick Mooney from the postgame press box to discuss the scene,...

The Cubs returned to Wrigley Field on Labor Day with a sense of momentum and a chance to make September interesting. And then the one-two punch of a blown save and Justin Steele’s injury damaged their postseason odds. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney absorb all that news, putting it in the context of a season that was supposed to go into October. Plus more on Craig Counsell’s observational style...

Are the Cubs back because of a Taylor Swift candle or the Sully Bounce? The legendary newspaperman joins Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic to discuss Mike Royko’s influence on his career, what it’s really like to cover the Wrigleyville circus and how the beat has changed over the years. Sully also implores the Cubs to let Craig Counsell out of his “cage” and endorses A.J. Pierzynsk...

As September approaches, the Cubs are still staying in the playoff picture. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic try to make sense of the offensive explosion in Pittsburgh and this recent surge that has pushed the club above .500. There are also newsy items to discuss regarding Drew Smyly and Jorge López, two key pieces of a bullpen that will be tested down the stretch. Can the Cubs d...

The rookie known as “PCA” is becoming a dynamic player, someone who can deliver a highlight-reel moment at any given time. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic discuss what this development means for the future and how the center fielder has combined style and substance.  Miguel Amaya is another young player who has shown significant growth in the second half of a disappointing season...

Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic respond to listener questions about how the Cubs will approach Juan Soto and the free-agent market this winter and what might be different this time. Anthony Santander, for example, would be a good name to file away. There’s also an in-depth discussion about how to fix the bullpen and whether the Cubs are going to follow the same process and hope f...

The montage on the Wrigley Field video board was essentially the only highlight for Báez in his first game back since getting traded at the 2021 deadline. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney explain what it was like covering “El Mago” and watching him struggle mightily with the Tigers. The duo from The Athletic also discuss why the Cubs shook up their bullpen, dumping Neris before he gained a $9 mil...

Cubs executives have publicly acknowledged that the team will likely finish the year over the $237 million luxury-tax threshold. What does this mean in a season that will very likely end without a playoff appearance? Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney go over some frequently asked questions, explain Sharma’s latest reporting in The Athletic, and look ahead to another monster class of free agents. P...

The Cubs refuse to concede that it’s over — and there are still things to play for — but getting swept out of Cleveland damaged the team’s diminishing postseason probability.  But with the way this up-and-down season has gone, a relatively easy stretch of the schedule could pull them right back into the playoff race. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic also bring you the latest on Ro...

This isn’t their year. Maybe the Cubs can somehow defy the odds and sneak into the playoffs, but things simply haven’t lined up for this team.  Part of the organization’s frustration and uncertainty moving forward revolves around the pitchers who were supposed to take big steps forward this year. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic bring you the latest on Ben Brown, Cade Horton and m...

The Cubs have made up some ground in the wild-card race, playing a better brand of baseball and giving themselves a chance to compete in meaningful September games. But whatever happens down the stretch, the offseason planning has already begun. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney discuss Sahadev's reporting in The Athletic on how the Cubs tried to acquire Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe at the trade d...

Sahadev Sharma is joined by James Fegan from Sox Machine. News of Pedro Grifol's firing had just been announced and Fegan touches on how the team could start playing better -- could they really play worse? -- thoughts on a few players on the Sox who could be trade targets for the Cubs and which season is more disappointing the one that high expectations and failed to live up to them or the one wit...

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The Cubs continue to do just enough to tease fans and then let them down, but there are reasons to be hopeful for the future. Sahadev Sharma is joined by Jordan Bastian as they discuss Pete Crow-Armstrong's recent hot stretch at the plate and how impactful even average offensive performance from him could be to the team's future. And a trio of promotions of top prospects to Triple-A brings more of...

What should fans be watching for in August and September? What does the team’s brass need to see before heading into a critical offseason? Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney acknowledge the obvious — that Jed Hoyer is on the hot seat — and explain how this closing stretch can set the stage for 2025. From Cody Bellinger to Miguel Amaya to Pete Crow-Armstrong, there will be players under the microsco...

Jed Hoyer’s front office wasn’t a traditional buyer or a pure seller at this year’s trade deadline. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney talk through that strategy and assess the deals that brought in Isaac Paredes and shipped out Mark Leiter Jr. There is a certain rationale to what the Cubs did at this moment, but just because it made sense doesn’t mean it’s going to work. The pressure to get it rig...

Jed Hoyer meant it when he said his front office would be opportunistic, dealing Christopher Morel and two pitching prospects to the Rays for an All-Star third baseman. Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney explain what the Cubs are trying to accomplish at this trade deadline, which suddenly is far more complex than simply buying or selling. Trading with the Rays usually means buyer beware, but the Cu...

t’s never a good sign when looking ahead to next year becomes a thing in July. But that’s where the Cubs are at right now, so Patrick Mooney of The Athletic opened up the mailbag to take your questions about the franchise’s direction.  It always starts at the top, how ownership feels about the baseball operations group and whether patience is running out. From there, it’s a look at Christopher Mor...

The Cubs left no doubt by coming out of the All-Star break and losing two must-have series against real playoff contenders.  Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic break down Jed Hoyer’s confirmation that the front office won’t be adding rental players for a postseason push, and question Craig Counsell’s take on the trade deadline now that he’s working for a big-market team.  With relie...

After 100-plus games, the Cubs do not envision a scenario in which they become buyers at the trade deadline. But does that actually mean selling? Which players and teams could be in play at the end of July? And where do Jed Hoyer and Craig Counsell stand amid this disappointing season? ESPN’s Jesse Rogers always has interesting answers, national perspective and a local spin on topics. He joins Pat...

With the All-Star break about to end, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic sit down to preview the second half of this up-and-down season and offer a few predictions on what’s ahead. The storylines inevitably revolve around Craig Counsell, a manager who is definitely not on the hot seat but also hasn’t made a huge mark on the team yet.  Shota Imanaga and Christopher Morel are among th...

With the draft over and the trade deadline approaching, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney zoom out to discuss how the Cubs landed on first-round pick Cam Smith out of Florida State, and what the front office is thinking at this moment.  The Chicago-based beat writers for The Athletic also get into whether Moises Ballesteros could make his major-league debut this year. Other names on their radar in...

A 5-2 road trip through Baltimore and St. Louis at least temporarily delayed any serious talks about a sell-off at the trade deadline.  Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic are having the same kinds of conversations that are happening around the team and in the front office, wondering whether this is real or a mirage.  No one truly knows what direction the Cubs will take, but at least...

The Cubs still have to go through four games against the Cardinals – including a doubleheader at Busch Stadium – before the All-Star break.  How the Cubs perform could have a major impact on how the front office proceeds at the trade deadline. Katie Woo of The Athletic is so good at explaining The Cardinal Way, the pressure in St. Louis and the potential cracks in the franchise’s foundation.  She...