North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast

With the Cubs expected to be big buyers at the July 31 trade deadline, now is a good time to check in on their prospects and see what they will have to offer this summer. Geoff Pontes of Baseball America joins the show to deliver his expert analysis and an overall state of the farm system. Having a first-place club with the backing of a strong organization means no trade idea should be off the tab...

With the trade deadline approaching, listeners are curious about Sandy Alcantara as well as Jed Hoyer’s previous discussions with Miami’s front office. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney are back with more answers on trade possibilities, the looming roster crunch (once Shota Imanaga and Porter Hodge are cleared) and how the Cubs are constructed against left-handed pitching and for a...

After a relatively easy May, the Cubs are facing much tougher tests during these road series in Detroit and Philadelphia. The experience should benefit the Cubs in the long run, and every good team goes through those moments. It’s just hard to tell whether this is a blip or the start of a deeper slump. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney give you their insights from the press box and...

Good teams are supposed to beat bad teams, so you can’t ding the Cubs for taking advantage of a weaker part of the schedule, especially when those missed opportunities doomed previous seasons. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney explain what’s going right for a first-place club that has overcome a lot of adversity and shown real signs of growth. Upcoming series in Detroit and Philadel...

It’s still relatively early, but it’s already clear that the Cubs are planning to buy at the July 31 deadline and trade for the finishing pieces to a legitimate playoff contender. What will be the calculus and the priorities for Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer? The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney explain the mindset within the front office and answer more questions fro...

The biggest headline at the moment is Kyle Tucker’s injury scare. But two-plus months into the season, there is a lot for Cubs fans to like about this first-place team. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney provide context to Tucker’s injury, the latest on Shota Imanaga and the reasoning behind using an opener in front of Ben Brown. If the Cubs have largely figured out what they have, t...

How would you put together a roster of the best Cubs players since 2000? Spinning off a project for The Athletic, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney do just that, rewinding several eras at Wrigley Field and appreciating some of the loudest personalities and biggest moments in franchise history. Though there are some minor disagreements, this is a fun episode with a ton of behind-the-scenes insights...

As the Cubs continue to roll, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney take questions from listeners and explain what’s making this first-place team tick. Cade Horton is prominently mentioned as a potential top-of-the-rotation starter. Matt Shaw has impressed everyone since his reset at Triple-A Iowa. But what is the front office thinking? Which prospects, if any, will be untouchable at th...

It’s time to break down a first-place team that is exceeding all expectations. What has gone right? And what could go wrong? The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney have it all covered, from Kyle Tucker being better than advertised to Pete Crow-Armstrong turning into a star. The offense is a juggernaut while the pitching staff is the obvious area to upgrade at the trade deadline. In any e...

Fifty games into the season, the Cubs are 10 over .500 and leading the National League Central. The Reds, however, could be a problem. For a scouting report on Cincinnati, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney bring in C. Trent Rosecrans, their colleague at The Athletic, ahead of a Memorial Day weekend series at Great American Ball Park. Tune in for more on Hunter Greene’s next level, the expectations...

Undeniably, the breakout star of this Cubs season is Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is quickly gaining notice beyond Wrigley Field and becoming one of the most exciting players in the entire sport. To understand why this is happening, listen to Cubs assistant GM Jared Banner, who joins Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney for a conversation about PCA-mania. Banner’s insights are from his time with the Mets...

The Cubs didn’t really hesitate last month when they demoted Matt Shaw, the club’s Opening Day third baseman and top prospect heading into the season. After a reset at Triple-A Iowa, Shaw is now back in The Show. What was the message sent to Shaw? How did his swing get so out of whack? Who else is out there if the Cubs want to make a move at the trade deadline? The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Pa...

As Pete Crow-Armstrong blossoms into one of the game’s most exciting players, it’s worth revisiting why contract talks were tabled and how both sides view the situation. That is a jumping-off point for more questions on what the Cubs will prioritize at the trade deadline, how much money is available for in-season additions, and where Moisés Ballesteros fits long term. You have questions. The Athle...

This is exactly why the Cubs wanted Justin Turner on their team. And this is exactly what Turner needed after a brutal start to the season had some people wondering if his roster spot was in jeopardy. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney take you inside the clubhouse to understand Turner’s process and his enormous impact on teammates. Plus, first impressions of Moisés Ballesteros and t...

In what’s becoming a regular occurrence, the Cubs are calling up another elite prospect to make his major-league debut. To get you prepared for Moisés Ballesteros’ big moment, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney have a scouting report on what to expect from the young left-handed hitter, and why the Cubs are making this move right now. Ballesteros follows Cade Horton, a top pitching prospect who cert...

With top pitching prospect Cade Horton lined up to make his major-league debut on Saturday night in New York, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney give a full preview of what to expect when the Cubs face the Mets this weekend. This goes back to what the Cubs saw leading up to the 2022 draft, and why they reached for the University of Oklahoma pitcher with the No. 7 pick. It’s also a si...

After a historically bad outing, it’s back to the drawing board for Ryan Pressly. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney break down what’s going on with Pressly and why the Cubs aren’t writing him off yet — while still looking at other options for the ninth inning and trying to put him in lower-pressure situations. Plus, a look ahead to this weekend’s series in New York, where Pete Crow-...

Already down one All-Star pitcher, the Cubs will again have to reshape the top of their rotation now that Shota Imanaga has joined Justin Steele on the injured list. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney provide the latest on Imanaga’s hamstring injury, the ongoing internal debate about Cade Horton and what that all means for a top pitching prospect. The Cubs have options, but the best...

With the Cubs off to a great start, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney open up the inbox to field questions from listeners and look ahead to what’s around the corner. The hot corner is an obvious topic of conversation as the Cubs cycle through options ahead of the trade deadline. From there, The Athletic beat writers discuss Craig Counsell’s influence on roster construction and lineup decisions. Th...

With the offense rolling through the first month of the season, Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly joins Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic for a wide-ranging conversation. Kelly explains the evolution of Pete Crow-Armstrong’s game and the impact since Kyle Tucker’s arrival. Plus, the message sent to Matt Shaw when he got sent down to the minors and why the Cubs aren’t worried about Da...

After the Cubs passed baseball’s most difficult opening test, The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney share their takeaways from the first month of the season. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker are the names that jump out in a much-improved offense. Craig Counsell’s blunt assessment of Ben Brown summed up the sense of urgency around the club: “We need better.” Already, it seems clear wh...

It’s not a silly question to ask at this early stage of the season. The numbers are off the charts. The entertainment value is back at Wrigley Field. And Kyle Tucker might be the best hitter in the game right now. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney explain what’s happening at this moment, from the Tucker effect to Pete Crow-Armstrong’s emergence to a catching group that has become a...

Once again, the Cubs are becoming a must-see attraction. In a city that desperately wants to see a winner, and an iconic stadium that lacked buzz in recent years, the Cubs just put together two wild wins over the Dodgers. The entire scene felt like a potential playoff preview. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney share their takeaways from how the club matched up against the defending...

Good starting pitching and an explosive offense have masked some of the issues with Chicago’s bullpen. A winning record and an early lead in the division have also slightly lowered the concern level at Wrigley Field. But Cubs manager Craig Counsell and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer are taking a proactive approach to fixing the bullpen. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney...

By demoting Matt Shaw to the minors, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and manager Craig Counsell demonstrated that their patience will not be unlimited. The recent shake-up was also felt in the bullpen, an area where the Cubs have to be aggressive until something else clicks. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney break down what all these decisions mean, and how this proa...