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Coming into the 2025 MLB regular season, the Chicago Cubs were viewed by many people as the favorites to win the National League Central.
They made the biggest move out of any franchise in the division, acquiring right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros in a blockbuster trade over the winter.
But, there were some skeptics because of how the rest of the offseason unfolded.
More News: Former MLB Exec Lists Rangers Ace As Potential Cubs Trade Target Ahead of Deadline
Despite trading for Tucker and only guaranteed to have him for one season, since they didn’t agree to an extension with him as part of the deal, they scaled back their payroll compared to what it was in 2024.
It was an unprecedented move, leaving agents and fans perplexed. Despite being in one of the biggest markets in the league, ownership was pinching pennies and scaling back spending.
President Jed Hoyer and general manager Carter Hawkins were not phased, making the most of the situation with some stellar bargain bin signings that have produced incredible results.
More News: Ian Happ Walks It Off As Cubs Keep Rolling With Another Series Win
Starting pitcher Matthew Boyd has been excellent, anchoring a rotation that has been hit hard by injuries. He has remained healthy, producing a 2.79 ERA across 80.2 innings.
Catcher Carson Kelly, who signed a two-year, $11.5 million deal, is having a career year and is a borderline All-Star.
He has been a big part of an explosive offense, which has benefited the most from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong emerging as a bona fide star and NL MVP candidate.
More News: Chicago Cubs Monitoring Health Status of Important Trio of Stars
Everything has gone right for Chicago when it comes to their additions, as even Drew Pomeranz and Chris Flexen, who were in the minor leagues to start the 2025 campaign, have helped stabilize the bullpen. That duo has yet to allow an earned run in 36.2 combined innings.
Brad Keller has been a great find for the bullpen as well, with a 2.16 ERA across 33.1 innings with a 0.5 bWAR.
That has helped the team exceed all expectations thus far this season, with their focus now shifting to cementing their status as legitimate World Series contenders.
More News: Pittsburgh Pirates Could Satisfy Chicago Cubs’ Pitching Needs at Trade Deadline
“It doesn’t appear that anyone else in the Central is going to threaten them. The focus is now on setting up the roster at the trade deadline to be built for a deep October run,” wrote Levi Weaver of The Athletic (subscription required) in the most recent edition of their MLB power rankings.
The theme for this week’s rankings was comparing where teams stood coming into the year and their place in the hierarchy now.
The Cubs were No. 12 in the preseason and have vaulted up the rankings, currently sitting at No. 5.
If they want to stay near the top, ownership needs to loosen the reins a bit on the front office and allow them to spend what is necessary to bring in upgrades.
A true front-line starter and another late-game option for the bullpen would solidify their standing.
For more Cubs news, head over to Cubs On SI.
More must-reads:
- Yankees' historic home run barrage reminder of October potential
- Tigers pull one-time All-Star pitcher off rehab assignment
- The 'Active 20-home run MLB seasons' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Former St. Louis Cardinals Outfielder Thriving in Triple-A With Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds claimed infielder/outfielder Ryan Vilade off waivers in the middle of June. Since being with the Reds organization, Vilade has thrived in Triple-A Louisville. In 43 games with Triple-A Louisville, Vilade is slashing .293/.390/.587 with 22 extra-base hits in 43 games. He is also walking over 10% of the time. Vilade has played all over the field for Triple-A Louisville. It wouldn't be surprising to see Vilade with the Reds once the rosters expand in September. The 26-year-old was a former second-round pick by the Rockies and their fourth-ranked prospect in 2020. Vilade has appeared in just 28 games in the majors, going 9-71 with five walks and 18 strikeouts over three seasons with Colorado, Detroit, and St. Louis. Regardless of whether Vilade ever plays a big part for the Reds, he was a great waiver pick-up and someone worth taking a shot on.
Chicago Sky Deliver Strong Message to Angel Reese With WNBA History in Sight
Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky are looking to get back to winning ways on Monday as they host the Las Vegas Aces in a home game at Wintrust Arena. This matchup follows the Sky’s disappointing 94-84 loss to the league-worst Connecticut Sun on Saturday, which marked Chicago’s eighth loss in its last 10 games. The Aces, on the other hand, are the hottest team in the WNBA right now, logging a record 10 straight wins. The Sky will need to come up with something special to snap Las Vegas’ win streak on Monday night. Chicago Sky Turn to Angel Reese Reese will play in her fourth game on Monday following a lengthy injury spell. The two-time All-Star missed seven straight contests due to a back injury, but she’s been as good as ever in her return. Reese has logged back-to-back double-doubles in her last two appearances, and the Sky are now looking for her to keep it rolling on Monday night against Las Vegas. “let’s run it back tonight 5,” the team posted on Instagram as it flexed Reese’s 45 career double-doubles as the stat of the week. Reese on Brink of WNBA History Again In the second photo of the post, the Sky revealed that Reese is on the brink of another historic milestone. If she logs another double-double against the Aces, Reese’s career tally will rise to 46, allowing her to displace Tina Charles in the WNBA history books as the player with the most double-doubles in their first two seasons. As an added bonus, Reese will surpass Aces star A’ja Wilson and Alyssa Thomas of the Phoenix Mercury for the most double-doubles this season if she can record her 20th double-double on Monday night. This is despite the fact that Reese has already missed 12 games this season. Reese’s Strong Play Still Not Enough for Sky The harsh reality, however, is that not even Reese’s historic play has been enough to salvage the season for the Sky. Even though the 23-year-old has posted averages of 14.5 points, a league-best 12.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game, the Sky still possess one of the worst records in the entire league. Entering Monday’s contest, Chicago has a 9-27 record. The Sky are just one game ahead of the Sun, who are currently at 9-29. Unless Reese and Co. get their act together in the final stretch of the season, they could very well finish at the bottom of the barrel once it is all said and done.
Packers have a new quarterback, and it's a player Brian Gutekunst has been targeting for a long time
Micah Parsons hits DFW airport for latest bizarre twist in Cowboys' contract saga
The Dallas Cowboys are currently working to play roster gymnastics while figuring out the initial practice squad roster for the 2025-26 NFL season, but there's something bigger going on. Micah Parsons' ongoing contract saga continues to be a major storyline for the team ahead of the Week One opener against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Will he or won't he be suited up on Thursday, September 4, at Lincoln Financial Field? That's what everyone wants to know, and on Wednesday afternoon, the soap opera took another dramatic turn when a photo of Parsons at DFW airport began to circulate online. According to Jane Slater of the NFL Network, Parsons is "getting a second opinion on his back per a source informed." Parsons underwent an MRI on his sore back last weekend that came back clean, according to the team. He was then cleared to practice. It looks like Parsons has other plans and may want to drag out the situation a little longer if he is seeking a second opinion on his back, which was used as the reason he did not participate in practice during training camp. Parsons seeking a second opinion on his back could also hint that he is exploring all options as his hold-in is closing in on a crucial point. With Dallas returning to practice on Friday and the season opener just over a week away, Parsons will need to decide if he's going to fold or dig in and continue his game of chicken by missing games and forfeiting nearly $1.5 million per game. It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out or what bizarre twist comes next, but at least he's not on a plane to Green Bay. —
Jets Struck NFL Draft Gold; Top Rookie 'Ready To Start'
The New York Jets came into the offseason with a lot of holes on their roster. They swiftly added players like Justin Fields to fill some of these holes. But even after free agency, there were some holes on the roster. At the top of the NFL Draft, the Jets opted to select Missouri offensive tackle Armand Membou rather than going after a star edge rusher, wide receiver, or tight end. At the time, this was a controversial pick, as the Jets passed on players like Tyler Warren to land their new offensive tackle. But Membou has already been one of the more impressive players for the Jets this preseason. He's shown quite a bit of dominance up front. The Athletic's Nick Baumgardner recently shared some high praise of the Jets' top draft selection and went as far as to state that he's a shoo-in to start for Aaron Glenn's offense to open up the season. Armand Membou is ready to start for the Jets "Membou was pretty good early as the Jets’ starting right tackle when he wasn’t lunging in the run game. His power showed up in the run game, and he’s had some very good pass-protection reps (albeit among some sloppy ones)," Baumgardner wrote. "It doesn’t look like anything’s really overwhelming Membou, though. The only time he struggled on tape came when his shoulders pushed way too far out in front of his feet and he got tossed. He’s got plenty of time to correct bad habits and looks ready to roll for Week 1." It's not often that a team is in a position to land a franchise offensive tackle. The Jets found themselves in the perfect position to land Membou, while also filling out the other holes on the roster in the later rounds. Instead of reaching for a tight end like Warren, the Jets were able to wait and land Mason Taylor in the second round. Taylor and Membou both look like day one starters for the Jets. The NFL Draft was the ideal outcome in New York, and Membou's preseason dominance is further proving that point.
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