Kuzul

In a season where the prospect of competing is long gone by the month of May, it is hard to imagine the Chicago Cubs as "buyers" as we head into the summer months. However, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal speculates that the San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley would be "a perfect fit for the Cubs." While it appears that no basis for this speculation exists, a Headley-to-Chicago deal is rather thought-provoking.Headley will turn 29 this week and the Padres organization isn't sure if they can secure Headley to a long-term deal. For a club which has the sixth-lowest payroll in Major League Baseball, the tantalizing third baseman may prove to be more valuable than they can afford.In his column, Rosenthal points out that the Cubs have three prospects that could possibly be moved in such a deal. Shortstop Javier Baez and outfielders Jorge Soler and Albert Amora are the most coveted ...

  SCORE UPDATE:  2-1 Cubs Win!!                           Two-run blast by Nate Schierholtz - 4th inning                           Solo shot by Allen Craig - 2nd inning That's a wrap, folks.  Thanks for joining me in my first foray into B\R live blogging.  Hope I get to do this again sometime soon.Go, Cubs, Go!Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

While the Chicago Cubs didn’t head into the 2013 season with the expectation that this would definitely be a rebuilding season, they knew it was at least a reasonable possibility—one that’s looking more likely after an 8-14 start. The rebuilding process took a big step last season as three of the top four prospects in the organization, according to Baseball Prospectus (Albert Almora—draft, Jorge Soler—international free agent, Arodys Vizcaino—acquired in 2012), were added to the farm system after Theo Epstein took over as president of baseball operations in Chicago. Along with the team’s first-round pick in 2011, shortstop Javier Baez, the Cubs' quartet of prospects at the top of the list are quite impressive. In less than a year, the future of the team is already looking much brighter. The rebuilding plan, as it pertains to the second year under Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer, could revolve around the trade value of starting ...

How would Jeff Samardzija have panned out in the National Football League, you ask?Former Notre Dame teammate and current Chicago Bears safety Tom Zbikowski gave Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune an answer to that question last week."He would have been awesome," Zbikowski said, adding that his old teammate would have been a cross between Plaxico Burress and Keyshawn Johnson. High praise, that.But Samardzija isn't playing in the NFL. He surely could have, but he chose to pursue a Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs instead. They drafted him back in 2006 when he was still widely known as the star wide receiver of Charlie Weis' Fighting Irish.Here we are seven years later, and we can make the following conclusion: Good choice, Jeff.It didn't look like that was going to be the case for a while there. Samardzija's path from gridiron greatness to diamond greatness wasn't an easy one. 2006-2007: A Big Choice ...

  Yes, it may be early in the 2013 season, but Cubs fans can already see where it appears to be headed:  down the drain. It is no surprise, really, that the Cubs are as bad as they are.  This was expected. There have been some surprises, though, such as Travis Wood, Nate Schierholtz and Welington Castillo. But the club didn’t have to be as bad as they are.  And their record could be—rather, should be—better if they would have simply played complete games.  Instead, their numerous ineptitudes caused wins to become losses. The Cubs’ starters combine for a 3.11 ERA—good enough for fourth-best in the MLB—and have the league’s best opponent batting average—.208. Their bullpen, however, is not as competent.  The relievers combine for a 4.86 ERA—No. 26 in MLB—and a .266 opponent’s batting average—No. 25 in the MLB. In 2012 the bullpen was a veritable revolving door, and 2013 ...

Despite holding a 4-8 record, the young 2013 season has been far from uneventful for the Chicago Cubs.  Fans have been sent through a whirlwind of chaos and confusion, from late-game meltdowns and suspense to mysterious goat packages and Jorge Soler's attempted assault on an opponent.While Soler serves a five-game suspension for charging an opponent's dugout while wielding a bat, other Cubs minor leaguers strive to take the necessary steps to the majors in 2013.  Some, like Javier Baez, look to make their Major League debut, while others like Brett Jackson seek to return to the mother club.Begin Slideshow

The Chicago Cubs have won eight of their last 10 home games versus left-handed starters dating back to last season, which is important to consider when making your MLB picks Tuesday, as they prepare to host the Texas Rangers at Wrigley Field.Sports bettors will find that the Cubs are +125 underdogs in the pro baseball odds (courtesy of SBR Forum), while the total sits at 7.5 in the market.Let's take a closer look at this interleague matchup from a betting perspective, while offering up a pick along the way. Begin Slideshow

The Chicago Cubs announced on Monday that they have reached an agreement with the city of Chicago on a proposed $500 million renovation to Wrigley Field, the team's home ballpark since 1916.There are still some details that need to be worked out, but Cubs owner Tom Ricketts went ahead and used the deal as a platform for a bold promise."If this plan is approved, we will win the World Series for our fans and our city," Ricketts said, via Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.While Ricketts' guarantee is all well and good, ending the Cubs' 104-year World Series drought is going to require more than just a $500 million facelift for Wrigley Field. It still comes down to the Cubs changing themselves as an organization.The renovations to Wrigley can only help the ultimate goal, particularly the renovations that the Cubs have planned for what's under the hood.Muskat wrote that the "top priority" is to ...

The Chicago Cubs are ready to spruce up Wrigley Field. When they do, they'll be looking to usher in an entirely new era of Cubs baseball.But first, the news itself.Fran Spielman of the Chicago Sun-Times reported this week that the Chicago Cubs and City Hall are expected to nail down a $500 million deal that would permit the organization to make renovations to Wrigley Field.Among the proposals: "At least two new signs inside the ballpark—including a video scoreboard in left field—and building a 300-space parking garage."A "video scoreboard" would translate into "jumbotron" in baseball terms. Like that little old lady down the street, Wrigley Field is finally ready to go HD.The addition of a jumbotron might impact the views from the rooftop clubs across the street from Wrigley Field, but Spielman noted that negotiators are still working on ways to lessen the impact a jumbotron would have.The rooftop clubs themselves, for the ...

The Cubs and city of Chicago are on the precipice of a deal that will keep fans singing during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field for the foreseeable future as well.According to Dan Gelston of the Associated Press, the team and its home are on the precipice of a $500 million renovation deal for the historic ballpark:While there is no word on when the renovations will begin, this agreement has to come as nothing short of a relief for those in the Windy City.  The Ricketts family unveiled plans in January that would help modernize Wrigley Field. With the purpose of generating more revenue for the team at heart, the Cubs’ majority owners proposed some of the most sweeping changes in history the Chicago landmark. The renovation proposal included the addition of a jumbotron and improvements to amenities like press boxes, restaurants, clubhouses and other areas inhabited by fans. It also ...