https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/page/35/?d=1News: Newsenhttps://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/chronicling-the-1918-cubs-part-10-world-series-world-war-conclude-r6513/Welcome to the tenth and final edition of North Side Baseball’s offseason series covering the 1918 Chicago Cubs. You can find the first nine parts here:   Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 La...6513Sat, 28 Feb 2026 20:04:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/cubs-prospect-grant-kipp-full-scouting-report-r6505/Cubs top 30 prospect Grant Kipp is one of the most interesting farmhands in baseball. Not only did he join the team for $50,000, but the Cubs pitching prospect has quickly risen as a crucial part of their depth chart. With Brandon Birdsell injured and recent draft selections Dominick Reid and Ka...6505Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:25:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/michael-confortos-advanced-metrics-and-how-he-can-help-the-cubs-without-saving-them-r6485/The Chicago Cubs added veteran outfielder Michael Conforto on a minor-league deal on Monday, and made it official Thursday, after Conforto passed a physical. On the surface, it’s the kind of move that barely nudges the offseason needle. Dig a little deeper, though, and you can see the outline of...6485Fri, 27 Feb 2026 16:10:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/cubs-spring-training-news-roundup-with-austin-out-club-entertains-viable-bench-options-at-first-r6475/Stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Chicago Cubs are once again battling the injury bug. Earlier this week, news broke from the club's spring training home in Mesa, Arizona, that the squad's newly acquired backup first baseman, Tyler Austin, suffered an injury to his knee. The injur...6475Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:10:02 +0000https://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 +0000