https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/page/21/?d=1News: Newsenhttps://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/chicago-cubs-2026-top-prospect-rankings-16-20-r6455/The Chicago Cubs' farm system is in flux. This is a transition period, as many of their top prospects over the last few seasons (Pete Crow-Armstrong. Matt Shaw, Cade Horton, Cam Smith and Owen Caissie, to rattle off a handful) have either graduated off the list or been traded to other organizati...6455Thu, 26 Feb 2026 17:11:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/the-reintroduction-of-justin-steele-r6453/When Craig Counsell's squad lost Justin Steele to elbow surgery last April, the North Siders found ways to get by. The ascensions of veteran Matthew Boyd and then rookie Cade Horton to All-Star/Cy Young-caliber levels rescued the team's season. While Steele was forced to spend much of the season...6453Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:07:03 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/shota-imanagas-arm-angle-is-back-up-along-with-his-velocity-r6440/Shota Imanaga averaged 93 miles per hour on his four-seam fastball in his first outing of Cactus League play Tuesday. That was eye-opening for many, because Imanaga often struggled just to crack 90 MPH late last season. In most of his second-half starts, he averaged north of that number, but not...6440Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:08:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/tyler-austin-out-months-following-knee-surgery-shaking-up-cubs-bench-plans-r6437/First baseman and designated hitter Tyler Austin will be out for a prolonged period after a debridement procedure on his knee, the Cubs announced Wednesday. Austin, 34, had been the prospective bench player with the clearest role, outside whichever catcher one cares to count as the backup, and t...6437Wed, 25 Feb 2026 18:41:22 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/what-will-be-michael-confortos-real-role-with-the-cubs-r6427/Michael Conforto and the Cubs have agreed on a minor league deal for 2026. This comes a year after Conforto regressed on a one-year, $17 million contract with the Dodgers. The veteran outfielder logged a career-low .199 batting average with 12 homers and 36 runs batted in. If Conforto turns back...6427Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:59:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/the-cubs-are-already-over-the-luxury-tax-and-should-act-like-it-r6386/If you merely consult a spreadsheet that shows the guaranteed dollars for which the Chicago Cubs are on the hook, you might think that they've walked right up to the competitive-balance tax threshold, but declined to step over the line. If that were true, it would be a complication for them, as...6386Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:57:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/which-reserve-outfielder-option-best-fits-the-2026-cubs-r6380/With the spring exhibition season underway, there isn't a ton for the Chicago Cubs to figure out—at least when it comes to their regulars. Their lineup is largely set and, with the exception of the Alex Bregman signing, really has been all winter. Instead, the positional focus this spring is on...6380Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:11:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/spring-temperature-check-whos-hot-and-whos-cold-in-cubs-camp-feb-20-23-r6370/Spring training 2026 is officially underway. Even fanbases of teams that lost 100+ games last season have a reason for their blind optimism: it's a new calendar year, and every team has the same record. One thing to remember is that spring training means virtually nothing, and success does not t...6370Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:37:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/can-cade-horton-be-the-cubs-ace-in-2026-r6409/Cade Horton's remarkable 2025 campaign had him knocking on the doorstep of some National League Rookie of the Year hardware. Based on his arsenal, durability, and signs of growth, can he be the ace of a crowded room of arms this season? We dive into Horton's strengths, weaknesses, and the likeli...6409Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:40:04 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/can-cade-horton-be-the-cubs-ace-in-2026-r6362/Cade Horton's remarkable 2025 campaign had him knocking on the doorstep of some National League Rookie of the Year hardware. Based on his arsenal, durability, and signs of growth, can he be the ace of a crowded room of arms this season? We dive into Horton's strengths, weaknesses, and the likeli...6362Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:40:04 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/buy-stock-in-cubs-reliever-ryan-rolison-while-you-still-can-r6357/When Brad Keller toed the rubber for the Cubs last spring and started touching 98 miles per hour with his fastball, I didn't believe it. Hot radar guns aren't much of a problem in the modern game; Statcast is much less vulnerable to either error or manipulation than old-fashioned stadium or broa...6357Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:53:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/helloooo-ben-brown-sinker-r6351/In his first action of the 2026 Cactus League season, Ben Brown needed just 30 pitches to get through two breezy, scoreless innings. He held the Royals to two hits and didn't issue a walk, while striking out three. That's just part of the story, though. For Brown, the bigger questions were bound...6351Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:03:02 +0000