https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/page/73/?d=1News: Newsenhttps://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/what-to-make-of-pete-crow-armstrongs-second-half-decline-r5917/  The Chicago Cubs don’t have to squint to see the future anymore. It’s standing in center field, running down fly balls like they owe him money, and occasionally launching baseballs into the night. Pete Crow-Armstrong is a foundational piece—the kind of player teams spend decades trying to...5917Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:48:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/will-nico-hoerners-second-half-power-carry-over-into-2026-r5904/Earlier this week, Matt Trueblood explored whether a pair of Chicago Cubs infielders can continue to thrive in a specific nuance within their offensive skill set. That was an analysis of squared-up contact off the bats of Nico Hoerner and Alex Bregman. Relatedly, today, let's dig into Hoerner, a...5904Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:53:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/why-nick-martinez-might-be-the-best-fit-for-cubs-remaining-pitching-needs-r5890/If the Cubs want a pitcher with a chance to be a frontline starter throughout 2026, they still have two solid options in free agency: Zac Gallen and Framber Valdez. Not coincidentally, the team has been mentioned in connection with each hurler over the last fortnight, and North Side Baseball can...5890Wed, 04 Feb 2026 17:58:33 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/ian-happ-the-2026-chicago-cubs-surest-thing-r5909/  It may not always feel like it outside, but spring training is coming soon. We're just a few days away from pitchers and catchers officially reporting to the Cubs' complex in Mesa, Ariz., and we're less than two months from regular-season Chicago Cubs baseball. Between now and then,...5909Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:45:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/ian-happ-the-2026-chicago-cubs-surest-thing-r5880/  It may not always feel like it outside, but spring training is coming soon. We're just a few days away from pitchers and catchers officially reporting to the Cubs' complex in Mesa, Ariz., and we're less than two months from regular-season Chicago Cubs baseball. Between now and then,...5880Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:45:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/can-nico-hoerner-and-alex-bregman-hold-onto-the-improvements-they-made-in-2025-r5874/As any veteran of the baseball industry will tell you, the hardest tool to scout is the feel to hit. There's so much reactivity, so fragile a balance in it, that it's hard to gauge what a hitter can do over just a few games. It's hard to project how a player who can dominate at one level might d...5874Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:17:08 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/michael-busch-deserves-the-importance-of-no-2-hole-in-cubs-lineup-r5870/Despite the rest of the division jockeying for pole position in the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs have one of the most lethal offenses in professional baseball, capable of setting the tone in the Senior Circuit. Michael Busch, the North Side's powerful yet underrated first baseman, impressed insi...5870Tue, 03 Feb 2026 20:06:01 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/who-will-be-the-cubs-main-slugger-in-2026-r5861/Six different Chicago Cubs hitters smacked 20 or more home runs in 2025. Now, with recent offseason transactions considered, who deserves to be the team's main slugger for the 2026 season? We review the various cases for Pete Crow-Armstrong coming off a 30-30 season, Seiya Suzuki after his caree...5861Tue, 03 Feb 2026 15:13:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/chicago-cubs-2026-opening-day-roster-projection-v-30-r5854/  It’s officially the final month without regular season baseball, and thus, it’s time for another Cubs opening day roster projection. Besides, there have been important changes lately. The North Siders have made a pair of seismic moves for Edward Cabrera (trade) and Alex Bregman (free agen...5854Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:50:00 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/justin-steeles-eventual-return-to-health-will-present-cubs-with-good-problem-to-have-r5843/He doesn't have to answer this question for a while, but at some point, Craig Counsell will need to make the call: Who will be bumped from the Chicago Cubs' rotation when Justin Steele is ready to come back from elbow surgery? Steele is, in his words, "ahead of schedule" and moving "full st...5843Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:02:02 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/chronicling-the-1918-cubs-part-8-the-great-hippo-vaughn-r5833/  Welcome to part eight of North Side Baseball’s offseason series covering the 1918 Chicago Cubs. You can find the first seven parts here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Today, we’ll be doing another player profile,...5833Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:58:41 +0000https://diamondcentric.net/news-rumors/north-side-baseball/chronicling-the-1918-cubs-part-7-the-national-league-pennant-world-series-plans-r5800/Welcome to part seven of North Side Baseball’s offseason series covering the 1918 Chicago Cubs. You can find the first six parts here:   Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Last time, we left off with the World Series in question. The Cubs began Augu...5800Fri, 30 Jan 2026 23:08:02 +0000