https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/page/69/?d=1News: Newsenhttps://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 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/cubs-to-sign-outfielder-and-lefty-bat-michael-conforto-r6331/The Cubs need more depth in left-handed hitting, especially with prospective starting designated hitter Moisés Ballesteros delayed in his ramp-up due to visa issues this spring. Overnight, they agreed to sign veteran outfielder Michael Conforto to address that need, according to Jon Heyman of th...6331Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:23:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/how-one-game-in-the-cactus-league-gave-us-important-information-about-jefferson-rojas-r6321/In a key at-bat last September, Nico Hoerner sat on a fastball and got one in his wheelhouse. He had the advantage of being ahead 2-0 on the Rays' Bryan Baker, and there were two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the eighth inning. The score was 4-4. Never have all the incentives been more ali...6321Sun, 22 Feb 2026 17:11:21 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/will-ben-brown-bounce-back-in-2026-r6410/While Ben Brown was hit around and struggled to control at-bats with a two-pitch mix in 2025, there are a few signals pointing towards a bounce-back campaign in 2026. If all goes to plan, and Brown expands his arsenal, Tommy Hottovy eluded that Brown could be a pivotal part of the future of this...6410Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:46:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/shota-imanagas-perilous-journey-from-overrated-to-underrated-r6296/The moment Shota Imanaga first took the mound in Chicago, there was an electricity in the air. On a cold night, with the help of the Wrigley wind, against a hapless Colorado Rockies lineup, Imanaga carved up hitters left and right. Through his first 53 innings in Major League Baseball, the left-...6296Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:08:02 +0000