Shows
Monday Morning Cubs ShowInside Jed’s Bullpen Bet And The Bregman What-IfA big-name signing sounds great until you run the numbers. We put the Bregman scenario on the table and stress test every downstream effect: moving Nico Horner, re-routing Matt Shaw’s development, and accepting a contract full of player-side leverage. The talent isn’t in doubt; the fit is. What looks like an October upgrade can become a regular-season tax, especially if you value defense, continuity, and runway for emerging bats.From there we shift to the quiet plan that might matter more: Jed’s bullpen build. Veteran journeymen with distinct shapes—Hobie Milner, Phil Maton, Jacob Webb, Hu...
2025-12-2950 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowThe Bears Christmas Miracle + Bah Humbug Tommy RickettsDecember in Chicago can hold two truths at once: a city buzzing from a Bears stunner and a fan base staring down a quiet Cubs winter. We lean into both. We start with that late-game chaos at Soldier Field, then shift into the meat of the show: why Tyler Austin makes sense as a low-cost, right-handed complement at first base, what it means for Michael Busch’s at-bats vs lefties, and how smart platoons can quietly add real wins. If you’re wondering whether this front office is telegraphing its budget more than its ambition, you’re not alone—we talk...
2025-12-221h 16Monday Morning Cubs ShowThe Official Christmas Wish List for the 2026 CubsThe headlines are quiet, the takes are not. We sift through a sleepy winter meetings and unpack what actually matters for the Cubs in 2026: how bullpen culture gets built on purpose, why Michael Busch facing lefties changes the roster map, and where ownership should place this team in MLB’s payroll tiers. No fluff, no empty rumor-chasing—just a clean look at the levers that create real wins.I walk through the logic of targeting veteran relievers like Hobie Milner and Phil Maton to set standards, routines, and trust for the younger arms who will rotate through the...
2025-12-151h 04Monday Morning Cubs ShowPreparing For Winter Meetings: Transmission Trouble + Marquee Network CutsA cold Chicago morning has a way of stripping things down to what matters, and that’s exactly how we tackle the Cubs. We open with the realities shaping the offseason: Wrigley’s wind, a pitching staff that leans contact, and a front office balancing ambition with budget. From there, we connect the dots between Marquee Network’s cost-cutting and the baseball moves fans actually care about, making a clear case for investing in swing-and-miss arms over splashy names that drain resources without moving the win column.We dig into targets and timelines, explaining why Michael King’s profil...
2025-12-0853 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowBuilding The Bullpen And Trading Smart - Let's Be RealisticHope is not a plan, and payroll isn’t a magic wand. We dig into a clear, realistic path for the Cubs to win the Central: stack a fearless bullpen, trade for a rotation stabilizer, and sharpen platoons that punish left-handed pitching. Instead of chasing tier-one free agents, we map out how to convert close games into wins and use our prospect capital where it matters most.We start by unpacking the spending gap fans feel when comparing Chicago to the Braves and Blue Jays, and why public-company transparency makes those clubs look aggressive while the Cubs op...
2025-12-021h 02Monday Morning Cubs ShowThanksgiving Special: Welcome Phil Maton, Shota Stays & 9 Things To Be Thankful ForA 90-win team is good. A 94-win team that breathes in October is built. That’s where we take the Cubs: away from splash-chasing and toward a durable run-prevention machine that travels, plays in the wind, and punishes mistakes. We start with the hard truths about the Ricketts family’s spending posture, the real payroll buffer under the tax, and how that shapes every move this winter without handcuffing the deadline.Shota Imanaga accepting the qualifying offer is the hinge that swings the plan open. One year at a higher AAV gives Jed maximum flexibility and gives Shot...
2025-11-241h 07Monday Morning Cubs ShowSetting Expectations For A Very Weird Cubs WinterExpect a strange winter on the North Side. We unpack why the Cubs’ path runs through pitching, controlled contracts, and a defense-first identity while the 2027 labor storm gathers on the horizon. With only Dansby Swanson guaranteed through that window and uncertainty around caps, floors, and tax dynamics, Jed and Carter look far more likely to trade for a top-three starter than drop half a billion on a right fielder. That’s not timid; it’s portfolio management in a volatile market.We break down the fork in the road at DH and right field—Seiya Suzuki plus low-cost...
2025-11-171h 01Monday Morning Cubs ShowCubs Offseason Reality Check (from London)One voice, one hotel room in London, and a clear-eyed look at what’s really driving the Cubs’ offseason. Carl breaks down why Kyle Tucker won’t be wearing Cubbie blue next year, not because he isn’t a fit, but because ownership’s debt load still dictates how aggressive Chicago can be when it matters most. From the GM meetings in Las Vegas to the realities of qualifying offers, draft compensation, and international bonus pools, we connect the dots on how strategy and spending collide.We dig into the Shōta Imanaga contract maze: the declined three-year...
2025-11-1033 minMonday Morning Cubs Show3 Gold Glove Winners + Why The Dodgers Aren’t Ruining BaseballA thrilling baseball year ends, and we’re fired up about where Chicago goes next. We kick things off by saluting three Cubs Gold Gloves—Pete Crow-Armstrong, Nico Horner, and Ian Happ—and why these awards actually matter for roster building, contract value, and a defense-first identity that plays in October. From there, we relive a chaotic, edge-of-the-seat World Series and tackle the hottest take in the sport: the Dodgers aren’t ruining baseball. They develop as well as they spend, and that’s the blueprint every serious team should follow.We dig into what Los Angeles did right...
2025-11-0349 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowInside The Cubs’ Shota Imanaga Decision And A 2026 Rotation BlueprintA World Series split is the perfect mirror for what the Cubs need next: a rotation that hunts outs, not headlines, and a front office brave enough to buy flexibility instead of false certainty. We dig into the big call around Shota Imanaga’s contract—three years at $57M with a no-trade if exercised versus a leaner path that prefers a $15M pivot year—then lay out how that decision ripples through the entire 2025 build. The question isn’t whether Shota is good; it’s whether the league adjusted to his fastball shape or health blunted the deception, and how much r...
2025-10-2751 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowInside The Cubs’ Offseason: Jed, Tucker, And The Ricketts RealityWelcome back to the MMCS and thank you for tuning in. Rival banter won’t move a single runner. We start by calling out the L flag noise and center the only thing that matters: building a tougher Cubs team with a durable identity. From there, we dig into Jed Hoyer’s steady hand—why a quiet presser, a restrained deadline, and a long view on development are features, not bugs, of a front office that finally has real teeth. Discipline isn’t passive; it’s how you win late in October when the lights are hottest.We...
2025-10-201h 01Monday Morning Cubs ShowHeartbreak, Pride, and the 2025 CubsThe season ended on three runs we should’ve survived—and one we couldn’t score. We walk through the Game 5 knife’s edge: the Brewers’ gutsy plan to start with velocity, the Cubs’ sixth-inning chance that died on a 3–1 heater, and why three allowed on the road should have been enough. It hurts, but the bigger headline isn’t heartbreak—it’s pride. This team brought back belief with elite infield defense, real leadership, and a clubhouse that kept punching long after the rotation started fraying.We get specific about what actually cost the series: no Steele, no Horton, S...
2025-10-131h 12Monday Morning Cubs ShowNLDS Game 5 Preview: The Cubs Earned The Right To End The Brewers SeasonOne game can bend a season, and tonight’s Game 5 in Milwaukee carries exactly that weight. We break down why the Cubs own the opening edge, starting with Drew Pomeranz as an opener against a right-left Brewers lineup that doesn’t love to be shuffled. Pomeranz has lived on the black all series, stealing timing and limiting hard contact, which forces Milwaukee to either re-sequence around Christian Yelich and William Contreras or live with a tougher first look. That early discomfort matters, because Jacob Mizerowski’s profile screams volatility—huge fastball, inconsistent breaker, and adrenaline that can turn counts into tra...
2025-10-111h 02Monday Morning Cubs ShowNLDS Game 4 Recap: Cubs SMASH BrewersA 7–0 statement at Wrigley flipped the narrative and put this series back on a knife’s edge. We unpack how the Cubs pushed from survival to control—Happ’s thunder off Peralta, the sequence of deep drives that stressed Milwaukee’s plan, and the way elite defense from Dansby Swanson turned would-be rallies into quiet outs. It wasn’t just the big swing; it was a dozen little decisions that formed a blueprint for October baseball: stubborn at-bats, clean transitions on the mound, and a bullpen built on leverage instead of labels.We also dig into the Brewers’ cho...
2025-10-1043 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowNLDS Game 4 Preview: The Chicago Cubs Own October 9thThe city is pacing, the coffee’s gone cold, and every breath feels like a countdown. We’re staring down Game 4 at Wrigley, and the path forward is oddly clear: turn gratitude into urgency, and urgency into a plan that squeezes Milwaukee’s choices. We dig into why the Brewers’ handling of Freddie Peralta—95 pitches in Game 1, an opener in Game 2, and a short leash yesterday—has created a bind that benefits Chicago. If they use him tonight, they compromise his early NLCS availability. If they hold him, they might not get that far. That’s not noise; that’s leverage....
2025-10-0944 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowNLDS Game 3 Recap: How the Cubs Outlasted the Brewers in a 4–3 Gut-CheckHeart rates spiked, voices cracked, and a season kept breathing. We’re fresh off a 4–3 survival win over Milwaukee—one of those playoff nights where every pitch feels like a verdict—and we’re breaking down what actually swung it: a first-inning rulebook mess, a statement swing from Michael Bush into a stiff wind, and a two-out line drive from Pete Crow-Armstrong that flipped Quinn Priester’s script and forced the Brewers to their pen early.We get into the granular stuff a box score hides. Jamison Taillon didn’t dazzle; he steadied the game after the sun and shadow...
2025-10-0948 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowNLDS Game 3 Preview: The Cubs Should Beat The BrewersThe room feels different when your season hangs on the next pitch. We pull the lens tight on Cubs–Brewers Game Three and explain why Jamison Taillon’s changeup isn’t just a weapon—it’s the exact lever that disrupts Milwaukee’s patient, east–west offense. If the Brewers won’t chase high, we show how Taillon can build the game south first, then reclaim the edges with cutters and four-seamers. It’s not about strikeout totals; it’s about forcing weak contact on your terms and letting Dansby and Nico vacuum everything hit at them.On the other side, w...
2025-10-0859 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowNLDS Game 2 Recap: From 3-0 Cubs Lead To A Gut-Punch From HellA 3-0 lead disappears, tempers flare, and the Brewers look two steps ahead. We don’t sugarcoat it. We name the mistakes, explain why Milwaukee’s opener gambit and bullpen sequencing worked, and why our rotation choices left the lineup stranded. Then we do the real work: drawing a clean, actionable map to flip the series at Wrigley.We break down how Jamison Taillon’s cutter, curve, and arm-side two-seam can suffocate a contact-first lineup that doesn’t chase upstairs. The key is horizontal disruption—pound the hands early, widen the plate late, and live with soft contact to...
2025-10-0755 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowNLDS Game 2 Preview: Lineup Chess, Bullpen Math, and a Must-Win NightOne announcement turned a routine preview into a chess match: Milwaukee’s going with a lefty opener, Aaron Ashby, and that single move forces us to redraw the Cubs’ lineup from pitch one. We walk through the real implications of a lefty first inning in October—why Michael Busch can’t gift a guaranteed plate appearance to a tough southpaw, how two righties in the first three hitters can tilt early leverage, and what it means for the middle of the order once the bullpen carousel starts spinning. This isn’t theory; it’s about ring-fencing runs in a game that wi...
2025-10-0639 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowNLDS Game 1 Recap: Cubs vs. BrewersA 9–3 gut punch can turn a fanbase into a furnace. We felt it too. Instead of yelling into the wind, we unpack what actually went wrong, why one rotation decision stole the Cubs’ margin for error against a relentlessly patient Brewers lineup, and how we turn that frustration into a smarter Game 2. No scapegoats, no mythology—just cause, effect, and the best path forward.We start where the night bent: Matt Boyd on short rest versus a lineup that thrives on line-drive contact and seven-pitch at-bats. With the bullpen rested and multiple off days baked into the schedu...
2025-10-051h 08Monday Morning Cubs ShowYour Official NLDS Guide: Cubs vs. BrewersA five-game series doesn’t always reward the most dominant team—it rewards the team with the clearest plan. We walk into Cubs–Brewers with one: use the schedule to weaponize our bullpen, keep Game 1 on a short leash, and make Milwaukee live in the dead zone between contact and damage. It starts with Freddie Peralta, because of course it does. We break down his true patterns—east-west to righties, vertical traps to lefties—and explain why the fifth and sixth looks change the calculus, even against an ace. Then we zoom out to the rotation picture, the injuries that nudge...
2025-10-031h 16Monday Morning Cubs ShowTHE CHICAGO CUBS ARE MOVING ON - GAME 3 RECAPThe city exhaled and then roared. We break down how the Cubs took a tense three-game set from San Diego by leaning into the stuff that never blinks in October: elite defense up the middle, relentless bottom-of-the-order pressure, and Craig Counsell pushing buttons one inning earlier than anyone expected. If you felt the game tighten and then tilt our way, you weren’t imagining it—those little margins were the plan.We start with the plays that don’t always make highlights but win series: Dansby Swanson’s transfers and footwork, Nico Hoerner’s internal clock, and Pete Crow...
2025-10-0344 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowBreaking Down Cubs vs. Padres Game 2 & Predicting Game 3One bad night doesn’t decide a series, and this conversation is the reset Chicago needs. We pull apart a 3–0 loss without flinching—Cease’s power, San Diego’s parade of 98+, and where the bats came up short—and then shift into a tight, practical plan for an elimination game at Wrigley. The path is clear: hunt early damage on Yu Darvish, lean into Jamison Taillon’s day-game split and recent form, and treat the Padres’ bullpen like a seven-inning finish line.We go beyond vibes with real baseball: why Darvish’s deep pitch menu creates mechanical fragility, how a h...
2025-10-0233 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowCubs-Padres Game 1 Debrief and Game 2 BlueprintTwo swings changed everything. Wrigley went from tight to electric when Seiya Suzuki tied it and Carson Kelly followed with another blast, and that jolt carried into a bullpen masterpiece—14 straight outs that turned a knife-edge game into a conviction win. We walk through what truly decided Game One: clean middle defense from Dansby and Nico, smarter sequencing that put mistake hunters in the right spots, and the quiet advantage of a deeper, steadier roster.From there, we build the Game Two blueprint. We’re opening with Kittredge to neutralize the Padres’ righty-lefty top four and give Shota...
2025-10-0140 minMonday Morning Cubs ShowRoster Wars: Cubs vs. Padres Playoff Preview with Data, Matchups, and Edge CasesTen minutes into this playoff preview, the mood is set: grateful to be here, and just dangerous enough to make it count. We walk through the NL landscape with clear eyes, then zero in on San Diego—their one true ace in Nick Pivetta, their star power in Machado and Tatis Jr., and the late-inning sledgehammer of Mason Miller and a locked-in closer. From there, it’s all matchups: how our elite defense compresses innings, why a righty-heavy Padres rotation plays into hot lefty bats like Michael Busch, and how Seiya Suzuki’s late heater can tilt a short series...
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