<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-craig-counsell-silver-lining-justin-steele-season-ending-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Craig Counsell looks for silver lining in Justin Steele’s season-ending surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Justin-Steele-with-Chicago-Cubs.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Craig Counsell looks for silver lining in Justin Steele’s season-ending surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-14T07:18:17-07:00">April 14th, 7:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-14T07:18:17-07:00">April 14th, 7:18am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs took two out of three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend. After a sluggish start to the season in Tokyo, they have picked it up in recent weeks. But Sunday came with some bad news as well, as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-news-justin-steele-devastating-season-ending-injury-update">Cubs announced that starter Justin Steele suffered a season-ending injury</a>. Manager Craig Counsell is trying to find the positives as one of his<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/justin-steele-out-for-season-elbow-surgery" rel="noopener"> top starters hits the shelf</a>.</p><p>“It’s kind of the life of a Major League pitcher,” Counsell told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. “I talked to him this morning again, and he’s got a great attitude about it, as he always does, and knows that it’s kind of part of the career that he’s chosen. He’ll take it a step at a time and do the best he can to come back even better.”</p><p>Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy spoke to Steele and relayed the message to Bastian. “He wanted me to know from him and talk through it a little bit, and kind of talk through what options he had and what plans he had. That’s the kind of guy he is. He wants to respect the work we’ve all put in together. We’ve known each other for a long time now.”</p><h2><b>The Cubs have big expectations for this season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Justin-Steele-with-Chicago-Cubs-2.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Kyle Tucker came to the Cubs in the biggest trade of the offseason. With unrestricted free agency pending for the outfielder, the Cubbies have to take advantage of what could be their one season together. Part of the reason expectations were high around the team is because they have a deep starting rotation. That depth is gone with Steele on the shelf.</p><p>Despite the brutal news the Cubs got on Sunday, it does come at the best possible time of year. Not only is it early enough for them to make a trade, but they can develop a prospect as well. For now, Collin Rea will leave the bullpen and join the rotation. He was solid in his first start of the season against the Dodgers on Sunday.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/cubs-3-best-trade-targets-to-replace-justin-steele-after-season-ending-injury">Cubs should make a massive trade offer for Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara</a>. Despite his contract running past this season, the Marlins could move him to continue their rebuild. The Cubs could also call up Cade Horton, the 48th overall prospect according to MLB.com. There are options for Chicago, and this does not mean their season is over.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Craig Counsell looks for silver lining in Justin Steele’s season-ending surgery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-make-sneaky-pitching-move-amid-wild-dodgers-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs make sneaky pitching move amid wild Dodgers series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Caleb-Kilian-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Cubs make sneaky pitching move amid wild Dodgers series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-13T22:33:28-07:00">April 13th, 10:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-13T22:33:28-07:00">April 13th, 10:33pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mookie-betts-drops-eye-opening-dodgers-claim-after-brutal-losses-to-cubs">Cubs were busy dominating headlines with their historic beatdown</a> of the Dodgers over the weekend, the front office quietly made a move that could reshape their pitching depth. Right-handed pitcher Caleb Kilian, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-cubs-boosts-pitching-depth-padres-trade">once considered a centerpiece in the 2021 Kris Bryant trade</a>, has <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/cubs-release-caleb-kilian.html" rel="noopener">officially been released</a> by Chicago after clearing waivers.</p><p>Kilian, 27, had been designated for assignment earlier in the week when the Cubs acquired lefty reliever Tom Cosgrove from the Padres. The transaction marks a definitive end to Kilian’s Cubs tenure, which started with promise but ultimately never panned out.</p><p>Originally drafted by the Giants in 2019, Kilian came over to Chicago alongside outfielder Alexander Canario in a deal that sent Kris Bryant to San Francisco. At the time, Kilian was considered a fast-rising arm with a solid mix of pitches and plus command. In his first year within the Cubs’ system, he impressed with a 2.42 ERA and nearly 30% strikeout rate across High-A and Double-A.</p><p>His initial MLB debut in 2022 showed flashes, but inconsistency quickly became a theme. Kilian struggled mightily in subsequent appearances, ending that year with a staggering 14.21 ERA over his final two starts. His struggles didn’t stay confined to the majors — after being sent back to Triple-A, his walk rate ballooned, and his strikeouts fell off.</p><h2><b>All players acquired in the Kris Bryant trade are no longer in the Cubs’ organization</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Caleb-Kilian.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Injuries also played a role in Kilian’s derailment. A teres major strain sidelined him for much of 2024, and although he bounced back with a respectable 3.22 ERA in 44 2/3 Triple-A innings, his stuff never quite returned to pre-injury form. His Spring Training this year hinted at improvement with a high strikeout rate, but opposing hitters still teed off on him. A disastrous 2025 debut — six runs and three homers allowed in just 2 1/3 innings — was enough for the Cubs to move on.</p><p>The decision to release Kilian entirely, rather than outright him to Triple-A Iowa, suggests the organization no longer viewed him as a viable long-term piece. With his release, Kilian is now a free agent and can sign with any of the 30 MLB teams without a roster commitment. A return via a minor-league deal isn’t out of the question, but it seems Chicago is ready to close the book.</p><p>Meanwhile, Cosgrove joins the Cubs as a low-risk bullpen flier. The 28-year-old lefty had a stellar 1.75 ERA in his 2023 rookie season but faltered in 2024 and was recently DFA’d by the Padres. The Cubs hope a change of scenery will spark a turnaround — and at the very least, he adds a left-handed arm to a bullpen that’s been tested early.</p><p>While fans were understandably distracted by the Cubs torching the Dodgers’ pitching staff for a record-breaking 16-0 win on Saturday and a series victory on Sunday, the front office was playing the long game — making the kind of under-the-radar move that could pay dividends later.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs make sneaky pitching move amid wild Dodgers series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/pete-crow-armstrong-keeps-it-real-about-dodgers-crowd-after-cubs-win-series-in-la');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps it real about Dodgers crowd after Cubs win series in LA');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pete-Crow-Armstrong-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps it real about Dodgers crowd after Cubs win series in LA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-13T21:34:22-07:00">April 13th, 9:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-13T21:34:22-07:00">April 13th, 9:34pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-news-chicago-sets-incredible-benchmark-16-0-win-over-dodgers">Chicago Cubs made a loud statement in Los Angeles</a> over the weekend — and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong made sure to savor the moment. After helping lead the Cubs to a series-clinching 4-2 victory over the Dodgers on Sunday, the 23-year-old outfielder <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/04/13/chicago-cubs-los-angeles-dodgers-pete-crow-armstrong/" rel="noopener">offered an honest assessment</a> of playing at Dodger Stadium.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I love playing here. It’s a fun crowd … and I think the Cubbies like playing here too.”</p><p>The Cubs have left Dodger Stadium with series wins the last 3 seasons 🤫 <a href="https://t.co/YTtbTEsnv5">pic.twitter.com/YTtbTEsnv5</a></p><p>— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchMarquee/status/1911609256702333184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“I love playing here. It’s a fun crowd … and I think the Cubbies like playing here too,” Crow-Armstrong said postgame.</p><p>That confidence wasn’t misplaced. The Cubs have now left Chavez Ravine with a series win in each of the past three seasons. And this year, it came on the heels of a record-breaking 16-0 rout on Saturday — the worst shutout loss at home in Dodgers franchise history.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mookie-betts-drops-eye-opening-dodgers-claim-after-brutal-losses-to-cubs">The Cubs’ offense exploded for 21 hits in the blowout</a>, but Sunday’s finale belonged to Crow-Armstrong. After a slow start to the season at the plate, he broke out with two solo home runs and a triple, powering the Cubs to their fourth consecutive series victory and improving their record to 11-7.</p><h2><b>Cubs dominate the Dodgers in LA</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pete-Crow-Armstrong-1.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“To have a game where you’re kind of the guy that drives the bus offensively, so to speak, that’s a really good thing and great for your confidence,” said manager Craig Counsell.</p><p>Crow-Armstrong’s performance comes at a pivotal moment. MLB.com reported that the Cubs have engaged in early discussions with his camp about a possible long-term extension. The outfielder, currently under team control through 2030, didn’t shy away from the idea.</p><p>“I would obviously love to do it here,” he said. “It’s all just a big old compliment. They’ve been nothing but really complimentary of who I am and what I mean to the organization.” While he acknowledged the talks, Crow-Armstrong made it clear that contract discussions won’t be a distraction.</p><p>“There’s been a general consensus that we’re not going to let it be a distraction throughout this year because I’m here to play baseball,” he said. “Simple as that.”</p><p>Despite entering the series finale hitting just .194 over his last eight games, Crow-Armstrong stayed locked in, thanks in part to veteran teammates like Dansby Swanson and Ian Happ offering encouragement.</p><p>“They’ve all been in my ear the last couple weeks,” he said. “It definitely just gives you that little extra bit of conviction to go out there and just try and produce when you feel everybody backing you up.”</p><p>After his go-ahead homer in the seventh inning, Crow-Armstrong turned to the stands and blew a kiss to his parents behind home plate — a fitting cap to his Dodger Stadium homecoming.</p><p>Whether it was the LA energy or just a player finding his rhythm, one thing’s for sure: Crow-Armstrong looked every bit the long-term piece the Cubs hope he becomes. And based on the way Chicago has played — leading MLB in runs scored and thriving in high-leverage moments — the belief in the clubhouse is growing louder with each win.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pete Crow-Armstrong keeps it real about Dodgers crowd after Cubs win series in LA

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-3-best-trade-targets-to-replace-justin-steele-after-season-ending-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ 3 best trade targets to replace Justin Steele after season-ending injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cubs-SP-Justin-Steele.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ 3 best trade targets to replace Justin Steele after season-ending injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-13T19:21:08-07:00">April 13th, 7:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-13T19:21:08-07:00">April 13th, 7:21pm</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>At the moment, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs-2025-over-under-win-total-prediction-odds-pick">the Chicago Cubs sit at</a> the top of the NL Central. They hold a game and a half lead over the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds and are facing off against the Los Angeles Dodgers to decide the winner of their three-game series. However, despite this excellent start, the Cubs now face a significant obstacle. Left-hander Justin Steele, who has been the leader of the Chicago rotation for the last couple of seasons, is lost for the season <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44661007/cubs-justin-steele-elbow-surgery-season" rel="noopener">due to elbow surgery.</a></p><p>This is a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-rumors-why-jed-hoyer-chicago-are-facing-immense-pressure-in-2025">huge blow for the Cubbies,</a> as they now have a big hole near the top of their rotation. Japanese sensation Shota Imanaga is picking up where he left off following an excellent rookie campaign in 2024. Free agent pickups Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea have been solid thus far, and Ben Brown has staked his claim to a rotation spot. Jameson Taillon has yet to prove that his big deal given to him a couple of winters ago was worth it.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-news-justin-steele-devastating-season-ending-injury-update">So, even with Steele’s injury,</a> the Cubs do have the arms to fill the rotation. However, outside from Imanaga, they need impact arms. Ones that can deliver in October. It might be time for general manager Jed Hoyer to reach into the Ricketts’ pocketbooks and swing a trade to solidify their starting staff. It would allow them to not be so reliant on arms that haven’t proven themselves on the postseason stage. Here are three arms that Hoyer should ask about, starting with the biggest one potentially available: Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara.</p><h2><b>Sandy Alcantara would give Cubs the ace they sorely need</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Marlins-SP-Sandy-Alcantara-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-miami-sandy-alcantara-nationals-series">Alcantara would give them a</a> starter that is already better than what they are losing in Steele. He’s already shown a return to form, and he’s a former NL Cy Young Award winner. He’s a true ace, a throwback to the workhorses of the past. When it comes to a pitcher that should perform under the bright lights of October, it feels as if Alcantara will fit that mold.</p><p>He will be expensive. That’s without a doubt. He’s still under contract for a couple more seasons and is a steal at his current salary. Especially with the contracts that free agent pitchers are receiving. On the open market, Alcantara would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars over a long period of time. It will also cost a few prospects. However, this is a team built to win now. Furthermore, Hoyer is in the last year of his contract. Swinging a deal <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/marlins-news-sandy-alcantara-trade-rumors-intriguing-reaction-marlins-president">for an ace like Alcantara</a> to give the Cubs not only a better chance to win the NL Central, but a stronger chance to win come October.</p><h2><b>Luis Castillo could make NL Central return with Cubs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mariners-SP-Luis-Castillo.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With George Kirby out, the odds of the Mariners trading another one of their starters at the moment is slimmer than it was in the offseason. After all, with a quartet of Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller, they still have one of the best rotations in the baseball. Their starting rotation is the reason why they are in still in the hunt, even if it’s early in the season. They finished off a sweep of the Texas Rangers on Sunday and only sit a game and a half behind the Los Angeles Angels in the division.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-rumors-what-mariners-told-luis-castillo-trade-suitor-despite-key-injuries">Yet, Castillo is the oldest</a> and most expensive of the quartet. The Mariners also have Emerson Hancock waiting in the minors, and he should be the next man up in the rotation. If president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto wants to improve his offense, then the most prudent course of action would be trading one of his pitchers. Although it would hurt, the Mariners’ offense would improve with adding a veteran bat like Seiya Suzuki or Ian Happ as part of a package for Castillo. If they can do that, plus a couple of prospects, then it might be time to move on from Castillo. Placing a call to Hoyer would be a good idea for both parties, the sooner, the better.</p><h2><b>Jake Irvin would be an intriguing addition to Cubs rotation</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Nationals-SP-Jake-Irvin.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As seen above, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-news-cubs-boosts-pitching-depth-padres-trade">the Cubs have the depth.</a> They have five starters ready for the rotation. A trade isn’t the most necessary thing in the world right now. However, the sooner they add to the rotation, the better it can be. Even if they don’t go big game hunting for arms like Alcantara and Castillo might be too much for Hoyer’s (and the Ricketts, for the matter) wallet. The amount of money and prospect cost would be high. However, swinging a deal for a mid-tier rotation arm would be both cheaper and easier.</p><p>Although the Washington Nationals are trying to reach the next stage of their rebuild, there are still some pieces needed to finish it off. Moving a commodity <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-nationals-prediction-odds-pick-4-9-2025">like starter Jake Irvin</a> or Mitchell Parker could bring back another controllable piece or two that can help that rebuild reach its completion. The Cubs would be more likely to ask for Irvin, who does have a longer track record at the major league level. As they strive for an October return, more proven talent is needed. It’s time for Hoyer to hop on the phone and make a move. His roster deserves that much, and so does a fanbase that is once again calling for postseason glory.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ 3 best trade targets to replace Justin Steele after season-ending injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-justin-steele-devastating-season-ending-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Justin Steele hit with devastating season-ending injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cubs-pitcher-Justin-Steele.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Justin Steele hit with devastating season-ending injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-13T13:44:43-07:00">April 13th, 1:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-13T14:27:08-07:00">April 13th, 2:27pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs are 10-7 to start the season and in first place in the National League Central. But a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-justin-steele-goes-on-il-concerning-elbow-injury">massive injury may be crushing their chances at a playoff push later in the year</a>. Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced Sunday that Justin Steele suffered an elbow injury that <a href="https://x.com/PJ_Mooney/status/1911518071657046028" rel="noopener">will end the starter’s season</a>.</p><p>“Justin Steele will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his left elbow, Cubs manager Craig Counsell announced today at Dodger Stadium,” Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported.</p><p>ESPN’s Jeff Passan <a href="https://x.com/JeffPassan/status/1911519922091704496" rel="noopener">followed up with more</a>. “Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele will undergo reconstructive elbow surgery and miss the remainder of the 2025 season. Unclear yet whether it’s a full Tommy John or primary repair, but his season is over regardless.”</p><p>The 29-year-old Steele was fresh off his best start of the season Monday against the Texas Rangers. He shut out the 2023 champs in seven innings of work, allowing just three hits and two walks. It was his third win in a row, all coming after a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-overreactions-ugly-tokyo-series-dodgers">rocky start against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series</a>.</p><p>Steele was an All-Star in 2023 and ended the season with 16 wins and a 3.06 ERA in 30 starts for the Cubs. When he came back the next year, he wasn’t the ace anymore. Shota Imanaga came to Chicago before last year, and he and Steele combined for a solid one-two combo.</p><p>Steele thrived in that role as well, with a 3.07 ERA in 24 starts but no All-Star appearance or Cy Young votes. This year was slated to be a breakout campaign for the lefty, but it came to a screeching halt. He has two seasons of arbitration left before hitting unrestricted free agency. So if he does need Tommy John, he will still have a contract for next year.</p><p>The Cubs play the Dodgers on Sunday Night Baseball.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Justin Steele hit with devastating season-ending injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/cubs-news-seiya-suzuki-injury-update-dodgers-series');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki gets injury update amid Dodgers series');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Seiya-Suzuki-with-Cubs.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki gets injury update amid Dodgers series</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-13T13:29:09-07:00">April 13th, 1:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-13T13:57:05-07:00">April 13th, 1:57pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs are in Hollywood for a big series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. After losing Game 1, almost everything went right on Saturday for the Cubbies. They<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-chicago-sets-incredible-benchmark-16-0-win-over-dodgers"> won 16-0, dominating LA’s bullpen and smoking the World Series favorite</a>. But the Cubs lost Seiya Suzuki to an injury in the middle of the game after he started 0-2.</p><p>Marquee Sports Network’s Taylor McGregor <a href="https://x.com/Taylor_McGregor/status/1911269777055826205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1911269777055826205%7Ctwgr%5Ee151faa8725ab365b1bbe1c93a633a281a2cca97%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fathlonsports.com%2Fmlb%2Fchicago-cubs%2Fcraig-counsell-announces-major-seiya-suzuki-injury-update" rel="noopener">has the latest</a> on Suzuki ahead of Sunday night’s matchup.</p><p>“Per Craig Counsell, Seiya Suzuki is day to day with his wrist injury. He originally injured it Monday against the Rangers and aggravated it again tonight,” McGregor reported.</p><p>Suzuki’s injury did not impact his box score stats until Saturday. He dominated the Rangers, going 7-11 with two walks, four RBIs, and one strikeout. That ballooned his batting average to .300 and brought his RBI total to 15 just 15 games into the season. But his performance against the Dodgers has not been as good, going 1-5 in the first two games.</p><p>The Cubs have not released their lineup for the Sunday Night Baseball game yet, so Suzuki may be in. If not, Miguel Amaya was the one to sub in at designated hitter for Suzuki on Saturday. The Cubs do hope that Suzuki can play, as he has been key to their success so far this season.</p><p>The Cubs have one of the best outfield units on paper, and that has proven itself so far this year. Pete Crow-Armstrong is an early contender for centerfield gold glove, Ian Happ continues to dominate on both sides, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-contract-extension">Kyle Tucker is fitting right in</a>. Suzuki is a part of that as well, even though he spends most of his time as the designated hitter.</p><p>After finishing up with the Dodgers on Sunday, the Cubs head to San Diego for a difficult series against the Padres.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki gets injury update amid Dodgers series

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-chicago-sets-incredible-benchmark-16-0-win-over-dodgers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs set incredible benchmark with 16-0 win over Dodgers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Miguel-Amaya-of-the-Cubs.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs set incredible benchmark with 16-0 win over Dodgers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-12T22:20:57-07:00">April 12th, 10:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-12T22:20:57-07:00">April 12th, 10:20pm</time><address><a>Matty Breisch</a>Matty Breisch is a Senior Editor who specializes in NFL and WWE content at ClutchPoints. He can be read at Heavy, FanSided, The Needle Drop, Philadelphia Sports Network, and right here at ClutchPoints. Are you ready to read about football and wrestling? Well, you've come to the right place.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-hit-historic-feat-in-stunning-home-loss-against-cubs" rel="noopener">Chicago Cubs took the field on Saturday night</a>, it looked like the Los Angeles Dodgers were playing a different game.</p><p>Maybe they had Coachella on the mind, with Weekend 1 of the festival happening during the game, or maybe the slightly above-average temperature had the team feeling summer vibes, but for whatever reason, after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-news-dave-roberts-nice-words-for-roki-sasaki-after-best-mlb-start-yet">rookie starter Roki Sasaki</a> only gave up one run through five innings, the game ended 16-0, with the Cubs dishing the Dodgers their worst home loss in franchise history.</p><p>The Cubs out-hit the Dodgers 21-6, three different players hit home runs, and the Cubs fans in Los Angeles got savage revenge one day removed from Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stellar performance on Friday.</p><p>Taking to social media to break down the historic significance of the game, Bob Nightengale of USA Today highlighted just how impressive the Cubs’ start to the season has been, with their run total <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1911266265865601161" rel="noopener">lapping the field thanks to their win over LA</a>.</p><p>“The Chicago Cubs have now outscored the opposition by a whopping 41 runs this season, nearly twice as much as any team in baseball after bludgeoning the Dodgers 16-0,” Nightengale wrote. “No one else has outscored their opponents by more than 22 runs.”</p><p>Now granted, adding 16 runs to their total will help to pad the Cubs’ run total ever so slightly, as they were <i>only</i> averaging 6.57 runs per game before that mark jumped to 7.2 thanks to the win over the Dodgers, but that performance wasn’t even Chicago’s best of the season. No, the team actually scored 18 against the Athletics last month, with their 35 runs over three games forming a tough mark to beat for a season series.</p><p>Will the Cubs keep their scoring up against the Dodgers in the series’ rubber match, or will the tides teeter-totter back into LA’s court, with Yamamoto holding Chicago scoreless in their first game of the series? While only time will tell, it’s safe to say both teams are among the best in MLB, so this series likely won’t define either season either way.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs set incredible benchmark with 16-0 win over Dodgers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-pete-crow-armstrong-team-fail-agree-75-million-contract-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs fail to agree on $75 million contract extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Cubs-Pete-Crow-Armstrong-slides-into-home.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs fail to agree on $75 million contract extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-12T14:22:09-07:00">April 12th, 2:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-12T14:22:28-07:00">April 12th, 2:22pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kyle Tucker’s contract status looms large, as the Chicago Cubs contemplate reaching <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-contract-extension">a new deal</a> with their prized offseason acquisition before he hits free agency after the 2025 MLB campaign. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has other matters on his agenda, though. Adhering to the modern practice of locking up promising players early in their MLB career, the organization has attempted to sign Pete Crow-Armstrong to an extension. He is keeping his options open for now, however.</p><p>The Cubs offered the 23-year-old center fielder <a href="https://x.com/Feinsand/status/1911117213073051759" rel="noopener">a new contract</a> that could have paid him $75 million– assuming all option years would have been exercised– but the two parties could not come to an agreement, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. Crow-Armstrong is rolling the dice that he can secure a better offer down the road.</p><h2><b>Pete Crow-Armstrong could be a key part of a Cubs resurgence</b></h2><p>The No. 19 pick in the 2020 MLB Draft displays top-notch defense and exceptional speed, but he has struggled to consistently generate offensive production. Crow-Armstrong has just a .224 batting average, .280 on-base percentage and .635 OPS through his first 152 games with the Cubbies. It is understandable why he would hesitate to put pen to paper, considering how much his value would increase if he just exhibited competent abilities at the plate.</p><p>Crow-Armstrong put together a terrific August in his rookie 2024 season, batting .314 with four home runs, so he at least has a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-pete-crow-armstrong-pirates">small sample size of offensive brilliance</a> to draw from as he continues his development. The Los Angeles, California native will receive the necessary amount of opportunities to figure things out at the plate, and if he does, Chicago will fork over more than $75 million.</p><p>Regardless of if and when a contract extension is inked this year, management clearly views Pete Crow-Armstrong as a key piece of their future. He seeks an upturn in his hometown, as the Cubs (9-7) battle the LA Dodgers (11-4) on Saturday night, starting at 9:10 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs fail to agree on $75 million contract extension

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-contract-extension');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Cubs must sign Kyle Tucker to contract extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Chicago-Cubs-outfielder-Kyle-Tucker-30-scores-during-the-fifth-inning-against-the-Texas-Rangers-at-Wrigley-Field.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Cubs must sign Kyle Tucker to contract extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-11T14:40:36-07:00">April 11th, 2:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-11T14:40:36-07:00">April 11th, 2:40pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There is something to say about being at the right place at the right time. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-week-vladimir-guerrero-jr-extension-award">Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker has arrived</a> at the right place following the announcement of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s $500 contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-breaks-silence-chicago-astros-blockbuster-trade">Cubs acquired Tucker in a trade</a> with the Houston Astros this past winter. He is under a one-season contract with the Cubs and will become a free agent in the winter.</p><p>Guerrero’s security with Toronto means that Tucker will have greater leverage to demand more money.</p><p>That is, if the Cubs were to follow suit and extend his contract to ensure he is around for the long haul. Cubs management is “<a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/chicago-cubs/news/cubs-already-discussing-blockbuster-extension-kyle-tucker/ebe498a4356f3e1200db94d7#:~:text=According%20to%20MLB%20insider%20Mike,career%20highs%20across%20the%20board.&amp;text=Tucker%20noted%20earlier%20this%20week,is%20and%20see%20what%20happens.%22" rel="noopener">already discussing</a>” a potentially major deal with Tucker per Aaliyan Mohammed of The Sporting News.</p><p>In truth, it would be in the Cubs’ best interest to extend Tucker’s contract.</p><p>So far, Tucker is leading the National League in certain offensive categories, including hits, runs, RBIs, total bases, and OPS. This week, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-2-former-superstars-win-awards-after-exits">Tucker was named the NL player of the Week</a> alongside his former Astros teammate, Alex Bregman of the Boston Red Sox.</p><p>There is no question he is off to an incredible start.</p><p>He also brings plenty of hardware. He is a 3-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger winner, and a Gold Glove winner. A player who can hit for average and power and is a defensive asset.</p><p>Tucker is also a proven winner. In 2022, he was integral to the Astros winning the World Series. Tucker <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-tucker-2022-world-series-game-1#:~:text=Kyle%20Tucker%20homers%20twice%20in%20World%20Series%20Game%201" rel="noopener">hit two home runs</a> in the first game and made the final out to win the series.</p><p>Any team looking to get back in playoff contention (e.g., the Cubs), he is the player who rises to the occasion when it matters most, something the team can certainly feed off of.</p><p>His talent combined with his positive aura is endearing to the friendly fans at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Those tangibles are what is needed for a franchise player.</p><p>Tucker has already demonstrated his ability to fulfill that role by leading by example in more ways than one. If the Cubs don’t snatch him up, another team will certainly enjoy the fruits of his labor.</p><p>So this is the Cubs chance to do right by their fans and the organization by ensuring that Tucker can call the Windy City home.</p><p>He may not make Guerrero money or have the namesake, but he is surely making a name for himself.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Cubs must sign Kyle Tucker to contract extension

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-cubs-boosts-pitching-depth-padres-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs boost pitching depth with Padres trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tom-Cosgrove-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Cubs boost pitching depth with Padres trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-10T22:22:59-07:00">April 10th, 10:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-10T22:22:59-07:00">April 10th, 10:22pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-news-justin-steele-goes-on-il-concerning-elbow-injury">low-risk move aimed at bolstering bullpen depth</a>, the Chicago Cubs have acquired left-handed reliever Tom Cosgrove from the San Diego Padres in exchange for cash considerations. <a href="https://x.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1910476517576237111" rel="noopener">To make room on the 40-man roster</a>, Chicago designated right-hander Caleb Kilian for assignment.</p><p>Cosgrove, 28, was recently DFA’d by San Diego <a href="https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/cubs-acquire-tom-cosgrove-from-padres.html" rel="noopener">following a rough spring </a>and slow start to the Triple-A season. The southpaw gave up seven runs in just 5 1/3 innings during Spring Training and has allowed three earned runs in four appearances for Triple-A El Paso this year. Still, his prior success makes him a worthwhile reclamation project for the Cubs, especially with a minor league option still in play.</p><p>The Cubs immediately optioned Cosgrove to Triple-A Iowa, where he’ll try to regain the form that made him a standout rookie in 2023. That year, Cosgrove posted a 1.75 ERA across 54 appearances for the Padres, holding hitters to a .173 batting average and showing strong ability to suppress hard contact. His strikeout and walk numbers weren’t elite, but his effectiveness against hitters from both sides of the plate made him a valuable piece of the Padres bullpen.</p><h2><b>The Cubs acquire southpaw reliever for bullpen depth</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tom-Cosgrove.jpg"><figcaption>Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Things unraveled last season, however. Cosgrove posted an 11.66 ERA over 18 big league outings in 2024, and his velocity and swing-and-miss numbers dipped noticeably. He finished the year mostly in Triple-A, where he carried a 4.85 ERA with a solid 26.8% strikeout rate. While his recent performance has been underwhelming, the Cubs are betting a change of scenery might help him get back on track.</p><p>Kilian, 27, is the corresponding roster casualty. Once viewed as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-news-cubs-trade-kris-bryant-to-giants-in-blockbuster-deal">a key return piece in the 2021 Kris Bryant trade with the Giants</a>, Kilian has struggled to establish himself in the big leagues. Over eight MLB appearances (five starts), he has pitched to a 9.22 ERA in 27 1/3 innings, walking 20 and striking out just 21. His lone outing at Triple-A Iowa this year didn’t go much better—he gave up six runs in just 2 1/3 innings, surrendering three home runs.</p><p>While Kilian still possesses a mid-to-high-90s fastball and a varied pitch mix, his inability to consistently miss bats or command the zone has kept him from sticking at the MLB level. Given his past prospect pedigree and the remaining option year, it’s likely another club could claim him off waivers. If not, the Cubs could outright him to Iowa and retain him as organizational depth.</p><p>This trade amounts to a simple change-of-scenery swap: two pitchers in their late 20s, both out of options after this year, both in need of a spark. For the Cubs, Cosgrove brings much-needed lefty depth with a strong track record—albeit a short-lived one—at the major league level. And for a bullpen that has lacked consistency, any upside is welcome.</p><p>It also subtly marks the end of an era. If Kilian is lost on waivers or released, the Cubs will have parted ways with the entire return from the Kris Bryant trade within a matter of months.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs boost pitching depth with Padres trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-justin-steele-goes-on-il-concerning-elbow-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Justin Steele goes on IL with concerning elbow injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Justin-Steele.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Justin Steele goes on IL with concerning elbow injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-09T09:19:39-07:00">April 9th, 9:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-09T09:19:39-07:00">April 9th, 9:19am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-dansby-swanson-reveals-big-deal-after-clutch-heroics-beat-rangers">Cubs have gotten off to a strong start</a> to the season as they hold a 1.5 lead in the NL Central. Things have clicked with the current rotation, and they recently got a win against the Texas Rangers. It was Jameson Taillon who had a nice game, as he went six innings and allowed three runs on five hits, while also striking out six in the win.</p><p>Though they have started off strong, they recently got some bad news regarding one of their pitches because of injury. Justin Steele was <a href="https://x.com/sahadevsharma/status/1909988965588885861" rel="noopener">placed on the 15-day IL</a> with left elbow tendinitis, according to The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma. To take Steele’s spot, right-handed reliever Ethan Roberts was called up.</p><p>In Steele’s last part, he went seven scoreless innings in their win against the Rangers on April 7, as he struck out eight and only walked two batters. This season, he has a 3-1 record with a 4.76 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in four starts. It will be interesting to see who steps up in Steele’s place, and it could be somebody such as Colin Rea.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-justin-steeles-silver-lining-scratched-start">Steele had the same injury last season</a>, and hopefully, he can come back at full strength as the Cubs continue their solid start to the year. His injury came at a bad time for the team last season, but it looks like they may be able to rally without him this time around.</p><p>The Cubs are 9-5 and look like they’re ready to make some noise this season. With how long the season is, it’s good to get ahead of the competition early and maintain throughout the year as injuries and other things can come up. The Cubs will have a lot of competition as the season continues, but if they can stay healthy and hot, they shouldn’t have a problem holding their own.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Justin Steele goes on IL with concerning elbow injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-dansby-swanson-reveals-big-deal-after-clutch-heroics-beat-rangers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Dansby Swanson reveals the ‘big deal’ after clutch heroics to beat Rangers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Dansby-Swanson.jpg"><figcaption>© Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Dansby Swanson reveals the ‘big deal’ after clutch heroics to beat Rangers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-09T07:59:02-07:00">April 9th, 7:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-09T07:59:02-07:00">April 9th, 7:59am</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs are off to a good start this season as they improved to 9-5 on the season on Tuesday with a 10-6 win over the Texas Rangers. Dansby Swanson came up with the big hit in the game as his two-RBI triple in the eighth inning when things were all tied up put the Cubs up for good. Swanson had a huge game as he also hit a home run and ended up having four RBIs.</p><p>Dansby Swanson had surgery in October because of a hernia, but he is clearly feeling a lot better now. Not only is <a href="https://www.marqueesportsnetwork.com/dansby-swanson-craig-counsell-kyle-tucker-chicago-cubs-offense-mlb/" rel="noopener">being healthy</a> freeing him up physically, but it has also gotten rid of a mental barrier.</p><p>“Just starting out, like I said, being healthy is such a big deal,” Swanson said on Tuesday after the win, according to an article from <i>Marquee Sports Network</i>. “Kind of has been a really good reminder of this is what it’s supposed to feel like to be healthy and to be able to play freely mentally, but also physically. And I’m just so grateful to be in this position and to be here with these guys, being able to do this.”</p><p>Swanson is noticing a big difference this year, and so are his teammates and coaches. He is finally getting back to his true form.</p><p>“I think he’s just being himself,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “He’s obviously off to a good start and driving some baseballs. He’s putting some balls in the air and driving the ball. He’s definitely off to a big start.”</p><p>The start of the 2025 season has been kind to Swanson, and it has <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-offensive-explosion-makes-unwanted-athletics-history">been kind to the rest of this Cubs team as well</a>. Chicago is the favorite to win the NL Central, and so far, they look like the best team in the division.</p><p>“I think just the consistency and the intent has been so tremendous from our group,” Swanson added. “Just not taking at-bats off, no matter what the score is, no matter what the situation is, just looking to do a job, being intentional, running the bases. All those things are huge. I think that that has just shown what it takes for this group to be good, and we’ve done that so far, throughout this year and it’s been a joy to be a part of.”</p><p>Dansby Swanson and the Cubs have already taken the first two games against the Rangers in the three-game series, and they will be going for the sweep on Wednesday. The two teams will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/cubs-vs-reds-prediction-odds-pick-4-9-2025">get underway from Wrigley Field in Chicago</a> at 1:20 CT.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Dansby Swanson reveals the ‘big deal’ after clutch heroics to beat Rangers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-true-feelings-vladimir-guerrero-jr-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kyle Tucker’s true feelings on monster Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kyle-Tuckers-true-feelings-on-monster-Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr.-extension.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kyle Tucker’s true feelings on monster Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-07T22:40:44-07:00">April 7th, 10:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-07T22:40:44-07:00">April 7th, 10:40pm</time><address><a>Tristin McKinstry</a>Tristin McKinstry is an experienced sports writer who got his start back in 2014. He is a Senior Editor with ClutchPoints and is one of the staff's NHL experts. Tristin has worked professionally with The Inquisitr and GIVEMESPORT in the past, and his work has also been featured on Last Word On Sports, XFL News Hub, and USFL News Hub. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Communications at Southern New Hampshire University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-vladimir-guerrero-jr-500-million-extension-contract-blue-jays">Toronto Blue Jays signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr.</a> to a massive $500 million contract on Sunday night. This deal keeps Guerrero off the free agency market this winter. And one player who <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-rumors-insider-owner-weeping-vladimir-guerrero-500-million">benefits from this is Chicago Cubs star Kyle Tucker</a>.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-breaks-silence-chicago-astros-blockbuster-trade">The Cubs traded for Tucker this past winter</a> in a deal with the Houston Astros. Chicago hopes his impact bat propels them to the postseason. The Cubs have won 83 games in each of the last two seasons. At this point, the playoffs are the next step.</p><p>However, Chicago may only have the star outfielder for one season. Tucker is in a contract year, meaning he will hit free agency this winter. With Guerrero off the market, Tucker is likely to command more money if he has success in 2025. For now, the Cubs star <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-tucker-discusses-potential-future-with-cubs" rel="noopener">is focused on</a> what’s ahead for him this season.</p><p>“It’s what he wanted to do,” Tucker said of Guerrero’s extension on Monday, via MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian. “I’m sure he loves playing in Toronto and everything, so that’s great for him. But everyone’s a little different. Right now, I’m here to play this year and play for the Cubs.”</p><p>Confounding this situation is the status of general manager Jed Hoyer. Hoyer is also in a contract year, putting pressure on him to deliver. It’s unclear if there are any concrete extension talks with Tucker at this time. However, the Cubs certainly want to keep him around.</p><p>“He’s a great player — that’s why we traded for him. Clearly he’s the kind of player you want to build a lineup around, build a team around. I think any conversations we have with him, we’ll keep internal,” Hoyer said, via Bastian.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-week-vladimir-guerrero-jr-extension-award">Tucker has hit the ground running</a> on the North side of Chicago. He has five home runs, 16 RBI, and a slash line of .327/.453/.712 in 13 games. The Cubs star can continue his impressive start on Tuesday when Chicago continues its three-game set with the Texas Rangers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kyle Tucker’s true feelings on monster Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-week-vladimir-guerrero-jr-extension-award');   ga('set', 'title', 'Kyle Tucker’s week gets better after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension with award honor');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kyle-TuckerKyle-Tucker.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Kyle Tucker’s week gets better after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension with award honor</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-07T12:28:12-07:00">April 7th, 12:28pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-07T12:28:12-07:00">April 7th, 12:28pm</time><address><a>Russell Steinberg</a>Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/grading-vladimir-guerrero-jr-blue-jays-500-million-contract">massive contract extension</a> with Toronto was great news for Blue Jays fans. It’s also great news for every <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-rumors-insider-owner-weeping-vladimir-guerrero-500-million">upcoming free agent hitter</a>, especially the Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Tucker.</p><p>With Guerrero locked up, the <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1909313379044671707" rel="noopener">newly minted</a> NL Player of the Week Tucker is set to take the mantle as the best hitter available this coming offseason, giving him a ton of leverage in negotiating his next deal.</p><p>Tucker is off to a scorching start for the Cubs, hitting .319 with a 1.202 OPS through 12 games. He’s also hit five home runs, stolen three bases and played nearly flawless defense in left field.</p><p>If his season-long numbers mirror what he’s done the last three years as an All-Star for the Houston Astros, he could be looking at a payday not far off from what Guerrero received.</p><p>And if the Cubs don’t want to lose him, they should try to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-fans-kyle-tucker-demand-tom-ricketts">work out an extension</a> before October hits. Team president Jed Hoyer knows that and indicated to Marquee Sports Network that <a href="https://www.chicitysports.com/chicago-cubs-kyle-tucker-extension-jed-hoyer" rel="noopener">those discussions will happen</a>.</p><p>“Obviously he’s a great player, that’s why we traded for him. I think, clearly he’s the kind of player you wanna build a lineup around, build a team around,” Hoyer said. “I think any conversations we have with him we’ll keep internal, so there’s no point in asking all the time I guess, I know you will…Listen I’m excited, I think he’ll learn what Wrigley’s all about over the next few months, which I think is really important. There’ll be nicer days than this that he’ll enjoy. But I’m excited to have him, and obviously like I said, you know, anyone wants a player like that long term.”</p><p>Spotrac pegs Tucker’s value <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/player/market-value/_/id/17620/kyle-tucker" rel="noopener">at around $44 million</a> per year, putting him in line for a deal that could eclipse $500 million depending on its length. We’re a long way from October, so that can change depending on his health and performance, but it’s a great starting point for someone with all the leverage right now.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Kyle Tucker’s week gets better after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extension with award honor

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-rumors-insider-owner-weeping-vladimir-guerrero-500-million');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs rumors: Insider claims owner is ‘weeping’ over Vladimiro Guerrero Jr.’s contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kyle-Tucker-at-Wrigle-Field.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs rumors: Insider claims owner is ‘weeping’ over Vladimiro Guerrero Jr.’s contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-07T07:00:49-07:00">April 7th, 7:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-07T07:00:49-07:00">April 7th, 7:00am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs are off to a nice start to the 2025 MLB season. Kyle Tucker has been excellent to start his Cubs career and his contract year. He leads the National League with five home runs and 15 RBIs through 12 games. On Monday morning, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/grading-vladimir-guerrero-jr-blue-jays-500-million-contract">Toronto Blue Jays signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr to a 14-year, $500 million</a> deal. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal says that Chicago owner Tom Ricketts <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6260632/2025/04/07/vladimir-guerrero-blue-jays-extension-free-agency/" rel="noopener">should be nervous</a> after that Guerrero contract.</p><p>“The Guerrero agreement is great news for right fielder Kyle Tucker, a superior all-around player to Guerrero, and bad news for the Chicago Cubs, the team that acquired Tucker entering his walk year,” Rosenthal wrote. “Tucker, 28, is two years older than Guerrero, so the deal he gets probably will not be as long. But in open bidding, his AAV figures to be at least $40 million. And maybe a good bit higher. Twelve years, $42 million a year, a $504 million guarantee? Cubs owner Tom Ricketts already is weeping.”</p><p>Guerrero did not get to the open market, where he could have driven his price up. Tucker may get there, which is what could drive the price up. The Cubs made a big trade for the outfielder and cannot afford to lose him.</p><h2><b>The Cubs will be the focus of the 2025 offseason</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kyle-Tucker-with-Chicago-Cubs-2.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When the Cubs traded for Tucker, many people were surprised at the package that went the other way. Hayden Wesneski is a part of their rotation, Isaac Paredes is their starting third baseman, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-star-prospect-kyle-tucker-trade-opening-day-roster">Cam Smith made the team out of camp</a>. They need to keep Tucker to make that trade worth it in the long term.</p><p>Rosenthal’s mock contract for Tucker seems like a fair place to start. He is one of the premier sluggers in the game and has won Gold Gloves in right field. He was having a dominant season last year, with 23 homers and 49 RBIs in 78 games before fracturing his shin. If he has a similar season in a 162-game sample at Wrigley Field, he would earn that $40 million annual payday.</p><p>If the Cubs cannot lock up Tucker before the season ends, he will be the prized free agent of the class. Guerrero is off the table, and many of the other big names have options. If Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, Cody Bellinger, Edwin Diaz, and Chris Sale all have options that could end with them in the free-agent pool.</p><p>The Cubs have to find a way to keep Tucker, even if it costs $500 million.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs rumors: Insider claims owner is ‘weeping’ over Vladimiro Guerrero Jr.’s contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-all-star-3-time-gold-glover-1000-game-milestone');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ All-Star, 3-time Gold Glover reacts to 1,000-game milestone');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ian-Happ-recognized-for-1000-games.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Marton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ All-Star, 3-time Gold Glover reacts to 1,000-game milestone</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-06T18:08:23-07:00">April 6th, 6:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-06T18:08:23-07:00">April 6th, 6:08pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs took a weekend series against the San Diego Padres, winning two of three games. Their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-mic-drop-hot-streak-brutal-spring-training">offense, led by Kyle Tucker, has been hot,</a> and the pitching is off to a solid start as well. On Saturday, the Cubs faithful honored outfielder Ian Happ for playing 1000 games in the majors, all in Chicago. He spoke with Jay Cohen of The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-cubs-ian-happ-mlb-b4381cd5b94ec5f11d874eead05b633d" rel="noopener">about the accomplishment</a> and what the Windy City means to him.</p><p>“I think the one thing that means a lot about it is doing it all here,” Happ said of his run with the Cubs. “I think that’s the thing that means a ton.”</p><p>He continued, “The work that it takes to be healthy and be out there and be available, you know, everything that goes into it, whether that’s pregame for a day like today or whether it’s in the offseason, there’s a lot of work that goes into being available that much. That part of it is kind of what I think about.”</p><p>According to Cohen, Happ is the third player in Cubs history to be drafted by the team and play 1000 games for the team. He followed Mark Grace and Shawon Dunston in that accomplishment.</p><h2><b>The Cubs have high expectations in 2025</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ian-happ-with-chicago-cubs.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite a poor season last year, the Cubs are expected to win the National League Central this year. Their trade for Tucker was one of the biggest moves of the offseason, and they brought up top prospect Matt Shaw. But their outfield might be one of the strongest in the league, led by Happ.</p><p>Happ is a gold-glover and All-Star who has put up excellent hitting numbers in a difficult environment to hit in. Early in his career, Pete Crow-Armstrong has been one of the best defensive centerfielders in the league. And <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-rumors-kyle-tucker-pressure-big-trades">Tucker is one of the premier sluggers in the game</a>. While they have a lot to prove in the postseason and throughout the year, they are elite on paper.</p><p>Happ came to the Cubs as a highly-touted prospect in 2017, hoping to provide a spark to the championship squad. But that core fell apart around him, and he is left standing to lead a new core to the playoffs. While the Cubs build their team, the fans still cheer for Happ, who is their last connection to the title team.</p><p>The Cubs welcome the Texas Rangers into Wrigley for a three-game set starting Monday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ All-Star, 3-time Gold Glover reacts to 1,000-game milestone

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/giants-news-matt-chapman-cubs-cheapness-details-failed-pursuit');   ga('set', 'title', 'Giants’ Matt Chapman highlights Cubs’ cheapness with details of failed pursuit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Matt-Chapman-with-SF-Giants-2.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Giants’ Matt Chapman highlights Cubs’ cheapness with details of failed pursuit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-04T08:46:41-07:00">April 4th, 8:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-04T08:46:41-07:00">April 4th, 8:46am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs made one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-news-cubs-astros-both-earn-praise-for-kyle-tucker-trade">trades of the offseason, bringing in Kyle Tucker</a>. They made runs at other free agents, notably Alex Bregman, but did not land them. Now they have Tucker as a pending free agent playing on their team. The Athletic interviewed people around the league talking about the Cubs’ cheapness in recent years,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6251343/2025/04/04/chicago-cubs-payroll-revenue/" rel="noopener"> proven by a lack of deals in recent winters</a>. Giants third baseman Matt Chapman spoke about his contract with the Cubs, and his quotes should make fans concerned.</p><p>“The Cubs had a lot of interest in me,” Chapman said. “They were willing to do a one-year deal with me. There was just no way I could take the Cubs’ one-year deal, just for protection purposes. I was definitely considering it. I thought it would have been a good place to play. I thought they were a good team.</p><p>Chapman continued, “Even if it was two with an opt-out after the first year, I would have really had to take a look at it. But they said with the way their money was, they could only do a one-year. I was just like, ‘That’s just too risky.’”</p><p>The Cubs will have to watch as Chapman plays up to his $151 million contract. Can they fix their problems before Tucker’s negotiations?</p><h2><b>The Cubs must find a way to keep Kyle Tucker</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/yle-Tucker-with-Chicago-Cubs.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite Tucker’s status as the best player in the trade, the Cubs did give up a lot to get him. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-prospect-joined-historic-company-making-opening-day-roster">Prospect Cam Smith made the Astros out of camp</a>, Isaac Paredes can be a solid power hitter, and Hayden Wesneski is in their rotation. They have to keep him to make the deal worth it because they will not pivot like the Yankees did after losing Juan Soto.</p><p>While fans worry about the Tucker contract, he is off to a great start for the Cubs. He has four homers and five doubles with 11 RBIs through nine games. Tucker will get a rousing ovation when he helps the Cubbies open Wrigley Field for the 2025 season on Friday.</p><p>But every Cubs fan would tell you that the 2025 team would be better with Chapman or Bregman. Matt Shaw can become a good third baseman, but it is a risky bet in an important season. For a team in such a big city with a massive fan base, they are not spending the money on their roster necessary to compete with the Dodgers. They must fix that to keep Kyle Tucker this offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Giants’ Matt Chapman highlights Cubs’ cheapness with details of failed pursuit

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-kyle-tucker-mic-drop-hot-streak-brutal-spring-training');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Kyle Tucker has mic-drop moment amid hot streak after brutal spring training');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kyle-Tucker-with-Chicago-Cubs-1.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cubs’ Kyle Tucker has mic-drop moment amid hot streak after brutal spring training</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T06:29:53-07:00">April 3rd, 6:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T06:29:53-07:00">April 3rd, 6:29am</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Chicago Cubs swept the Athletics in their first trip to Sacramento. Their 10-2 win on Wednesday was their fifth of the season, bringing them over .500 for the first time. Their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-news-cubs-astros-both-earn-praise-for-kyle-tucker-trade">offseason was highlighted by Kyle Tucker, who came to the Cubs in a trade from the Houston Astros</a>. He had a poor spring training and a bad Tokyo Series, but has been dominant ever since. Tucker had his mic-drop moment after the game, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.</p><p>“I didn’t necessarily worry about it, but at the end of the day, it was spring training. I felt good in spring training.” Tucker said, “I hit some balls that I thought were hit well, and they just didn’t fall for a hit. So, I didn’t care too much. Besides, I’d rather show them during the season.”</p><p>The Cubs scored 35 runs in the three games against the Athletics and Tucker was a big reason why. He hit two homers, knocked in four runs, and scored six runs. The trade to get him was one of the biggest deals of the offseason, and the Cubs have to get a great season out of him to make it worth it. It’s been a good start despite a poor spring for Tucker.</p><h2><b>The Cubs’ tough schedule continues</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kyle-Tucker-bat-flip.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There may be no more difficult way to start the season than<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-overreactions-ugly-tokyo-series-dodgers"> traveling to Japan to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers</a>. The Cubs lost both games but came back to the States with the same high expectations they left with. After splitting a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, they traveled to Sacramento for the first time.</p><p>The ball was flying out of Sutter Health Park, mostly off of Cubs bats. The Athletics may be building something this year, but it was a tough series for the team against Chicago. But the NL Central favorites won’t have many slugfest games coming up. They are opening Wrigley Field for the 2025 season, and a cavalcade of NL powerhouses are walking through those doors.</p><p>The Cubs open Wrigley Field with a three-game series against the San Diego Padres. They are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/san-diego-padres/padres-news-join-dodgers-historic-start-season-seen-22-years">7-0 after sweeps of the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Guardians</a> to start the year. Their next opponents are the Texas Rangers, Dodgers again, Padres again, Diamondbacks again, and the Phillies. That is a who’s who of World Series contenders that could leave the Cubs with ground to make up.</p><p>If Kyle Tucker continues this stretch, the Cubs could get hot at just the right time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Kyle Tucker has mic-drop moment amid hot streak after brutal spring training

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-cubs-seiya-suzuki-accomplishment-vs-athletics');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki hits major accomplishment vs. Athletics');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Seiya-Suzuki-hits-major-accomplishment-vs.-Athletics.jpg"></figure><h1>Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki hits major accomplishment vs. Athletics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T20:27:59-07:00">April 2nd, 8:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T20:27:59-07:00">April 2nd, 8:27pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Athletics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Seiya Suzuki is heating up — even if Chicago isn’t just yet. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-news-carson-kelly-feat-triple-athletics">Following the Cubs’ 10-2 win over the (Oakland) Athletics</a> in West Sacramento on Wednesday, Suzuki asked, via interpreter Edwin Stanberry, “Is Chicago warm yet?” The answer might be no, but Suzuki’s <a href="https://x.com/BNightengale/status/1907536743664136601" rel="noopener">bat is scorching hot</a>, regardless.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-offensive-explosion-makes-unwanted-athletics-history">Cubs’ outfielder launched two home runs in the series finale</a>, including a three-run shot in the second inning and an opposite-field solo blast in the fourth, powering the Cubs to a series sweep and giving him four homers in the past four games.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Seiya Suzuki hits homeruns both ways in one game 🙌<a href="https://t.co/ikKt3ChtWH">pic.twitter.com/ikKt3ChtWH</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1907536518383808808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>As Bob Nightengale noted on X, “The Chicago Cubs hit 6 home runs in the first six games of the season. They have 8 home runs in 22 innings in Sacramento, two HRs today by Seiya Suzuki.”</p><p>Suzuki’s second-inning blast left the bat at 112.9 mph and traveled 401 feet over the left-center field wall, coming on the first pitch from A’s lefty Jeffrey Springs. It was exactly the kind of aggressive approach the Cubs have been waiting to see from the slugger.</p><h2><b>Cubs dominate A’s in win on Wednesday</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Seiya-Suzuki-1.jpg"><figcaption>Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“I love it when he’s aggressive,” Cubs starter Jameson Taillon said. “He’s got some crazy pop. I love it when he gets a swing off because he can do what he’s doing. He’s an impact bat for us.”</p><p>After starting the season 1-for-14, Suzuki has recorded multiple hits in each of his last four games, boosting his average to .275 with a .958 OPS. He also added a walk and an RBI single in Wednesday’s rout, a sign that he’s settling into a rhythm just as the Cubs return home.</p><p>“He’s a big part of our offense, so getting him off to a good start and getting him confident just bodes well for the rest of the season, for sure,” manager Craig Counsell said.</p><p>Part of Suzuki’s turnaround may be attributed to his mindset shift. After Tuesday’s game, he admitted that when he’s struggling, he tends to be too selective at the plate. “I think one of my characteristics is when I’m not going well, I’m too selective, so just keeping that approach of staying aggressive,” Suzuki said.</p><p>Another factor? Watching teammate Kyle Tucker — who had a four-game home run streak entering Wednesday — go about his at-bats has helped Suzuki gain clarity in his own.</p><p>“Him and Tucker going at the same time lets everyone else relax at their spots in the lineup,” Taillon said. “They can carry a lineup by themselves.”</p><p>The Cubs’ offense exploded for 35 runs over three games in Sacramento, tying the ninth-most runs scored in a three-game set in franchise history. And they weren’t just beating up on bullpen arms, either — they tagged A’s starters Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs for a combined 11 runs over nine innings.</p><p>With Suzuki locked in, the Cubs return to Wrigley Field for Friday’s home opener against the Padres, carrying momentum — and power — into the Friendly Confines.</p><p>“It’s going to be the coolest [Opening Day],” Taillon said. “I’m really excited to get back to Wrigley.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki hits major accomplishment vs. Athletics

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/chicago-cubs/cubs-news-fans-kyle-tucker-demand-tom-ricketts');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cubs fans make Kyle Tucker demand to Tom Ricketts');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Fans-make-Kyle-Tucker-demand-to-Tom-Ricketts.jpg"></figure><h1>Cubs fans make Kyle Tucker demand to Tom Ricketts</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T09:41:23-07:00">April 2nd, 9:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T09:43:19-07:00">April 2nd, 9:43am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt started as an editor at ClutchPoints in 2018 and became the head of the editorial team in 2022. He also co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Cubs</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>While new Chicago Cubs star Kyle Tucker struggled in spring training, his contract year is officially off to a rip-roaring start now that real games are happening. Tucker homered for the fourth straight game on Tuesday night in Sacramento, part of a 7-4 Cubs victory over the Athletics. The 28-year-old slugger is hitting .353 with four home runs, 11 RBI and an OPS over 1.3 in eight games so far.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/cubs-rumors-kyle-tucker-pressure-big-trades">With Tucker set to hit free agency</a>, there’s concern in Chicago that he’s going to be just a rental after the Cubs gave up All-Star Isaac Paredes and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/astros-news-star-prospect-kyle-tucker-trade-opening-day-roster">star prospect Cam Smith</a> to get him from the Houston Astros. With Tucker tearing the cover off the ball to start the season, fans want to see Cubs owner Tom Ricketts pay up to keep the star around for the long haul.</p><p>Namely, longtime Chicago sports radio host David Kaplan is <a href="https://x.com/thekapman/status/1907293884859732306" rel="noopener">making demands to Ricketts</a>: “Attn. Tom Ricketts. The time to begin contract negations with Kyle Tucker is now. The price is only going to go up.”</p><p>Kaplan’s replies were largely in agreement, and pretty much any Cubs fan will tell you they need to do whatever they can to keep the star outfielder. Losing Tucker after trading an All-Star third baseman in Paredes and a prospect with so much upside like Smith would be a tough pill to swallow.</p><p>But is Ricketts willing to play ball at the highest levels of free agency? Tucker will be one of the hottest players on the market in the winter, and some are even <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-rumors-604-million-kyle-tucker-prediction-will-make-cubs-sad">predicting a $600 million contract</a>. The Cubs, despite being in a huge market like Chicago and raking in the dough as a franchise, have been a bit more frugal in recent years, leading to the concerns about them not being willing to do what it takes to keep Tucker.</p><p>There’s always some risk in offering gigantic long-term contracts in baseball, but the Cubs should be looking to compete for World Series right now and in the immediate future. That means paying Kyle Tucker a boatload of money in his prime. If he winds up choosing elsewhere, so be it, but it shouldn’t be due to a lowball Chicago offer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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