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With the season not off to the start that the Chicago Cubs would have liked, the franchise is hoping to turn things around quickly.
The Cubs started off the campaign at a bit of a disadvantage in Japan against the defensive World Series champions.
Chicago was unable to win either game in that short series and then returned to the United States for a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Diamondbacks could be a playoff contender in the National League, and splitting the series against them on the road should be considered a win for the Cubs.
However, the team sits with a 2-4 record, which isn’t where they want to be.
Fortunately, it is a long season and there is plenty of time to turn things around. After a great offseason, the franchise should still believe that they can compete in the NL despite a slow start.
The schedule certainly did them no favors this year, especially considering they have got another West Coast Trip coming up in April.
With expectations being high, panic could come quickly if the team does not turn things around quickly.
Jordan Bastian of MLB.com recently wrote about the one thing that needs to go right for the Cubs. He highlighted that the franchise has to make the postseason this year after the moves they made in the winter.
“Simply put: the Cubs need to make the postseason. All of the moves made by president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer this offseason pointed to a sense of urgency to return to the October stage," he wrote.
Making the playoffs is certainly the goal for Chicago in 2025. While this has been a franchise that has been pumping out a lot of young talent, the time to win is now for the Cubs.
With the addition of Tucker especially, Chicago has placed themselves in a win-now mode this season.
After being over .500 the past two seasons, the additions made this winter have to result in a postseason berth for the Cubs.
When looking at the National League Central in particular, it is the weakest division in the league compared to the East and the West.
The Milwaukee Brewers will likely have taken a step back, and they didn’t get off to a great start to the campaign against the New York Yankees.
Since Chicago made a significant decision to trade for a superstar in the last year of his contract, there is a lot of long-term risk with that.
If the Cubs were to miss the postseason after trading young assets for Tucker, it could set the franchise back quite a bit.
Overall, Chicago needs to snap their postseason drought this year, otherwise it could have a serious negative impact on the team for quite some time.
More must-reads:
- Best MLB trades from the last decade: American League
- Best MLB trades from the last decade: National League
- The '250-strikeout MLB seasons' quiz
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Milwaukee Brewers: Nestor Cortes Makes Big Admission About Sudden Trade to Padres
As it turned out, veteran pitcher Nestor Cortes’ time with the Milwaukee Brewers was just a short one. Cortes, who was acquired by the Brewers via a trade with the New York Yankees in December and signed a one-year, $7.6 million contract with the Brewers nearly a month later, has been sent by Milwaukee to the San Diego Padres ahead of last week’s trade deadline. Cortes opens up about trade from Milwaukee Brewers to San Diego The 30-year-old Cortes recently shared how he learned he was on the move to San Diego, which came just minutes before he was to board the team bus for a road trip. “It’s been a little crazy, I was in Milwaukee and flew in last night,” Cortes said on Monday (h/t Marty Caswell of The Sporting Tribune). “But as soon as I got traded, a bunch of people reached out and made me feel like I was really welcomed here. And walking into the clubhouse today, obviously a lot of guys came up to me and presented me to all these places that we have here. It’s amazing for me now. Just happy to be here, happy for the opportunity.” Getting traded wasn’t exactly a surprise for Cortes, and he also seemingly got to an ideal situation with the Padres despite parting ways with a Milwaukee squad that is leading the big leagues in the standings with 67 wins through Sunday. “I was a little surprised. Even though I felt if there was a chance to get out of Milwaukee, it was going to be to a contender and I’m just happy to be here and happy to compete,” added Cortes. “I want to get the ball every five days hopefully and be able to give the best that I can.” Cortes appeared in only two games with the Brewers, as he landed on the 15-day injured list with an elbow flexor strain before getting placed on the 60-day IL.
Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh 'hopeful' deal is done with Keenan Allen after workout
The Los Angeles Chargers fanbase has been anxiously awaiting a potential deal with a fan favorite in former Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen. While nothing has yet to be announced officially, it feels that a reunion between the Chargers and Allen will be inevitable. Head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke to the media about Allen's recent workout, and the comments should make anyone happy who is hoping for this reunion. Harbaugh said the veteran receiver was doing "Keenan Allen things" during his workout, and the hope is that the team can get a deal done with Allen soon. Allen spent the first 11 years of his career with the Chargers. In that time, Allen earned six Pro Bowl selections and became one of the most popular players in franchise history. The Chargers attempted another reunion this offseason with receiver Mike Williams; however, Williams decided that it was time to move on from football, announcing his shocking retirement. The team has been looking for veteran leadership at wide receiver and may have found just that with someone who will be a future Chargers hall of famer. Adding Allen could be huge for players like Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who could learn from a talented veteran.
Steelers In Town Scouting Elite Top Quarterback Prospect For 2026 NFL Draft
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of excitement heading into the 2025 season with Aaron Rodgers in town, along with many other new faces. The team has Super Bowl expectations, but the fan base is still craving a true franchise quarterback to lead them for years to come. While rookie Will Howard has looked promising in training camp, he is not expected to be the long-term answer at quarterback. After the 2025 season concludes, the Steelers will be hosting the 2026 NFL Draft. Many pundits believe this event will be where the Steelers finally find their franchise quarterback, a player who can bring stability and success to the position. The anticipation is high, and the organization is clearly preparing to make a big move. On Monday, it was reported by Brad Denny, who provides excellent coverage of Arizona State football, that the Steelers have sent scouts to evaluate their prospects. Among those they are watching closely is the top quarterback prospect Sam Leavitt, indicating the team’s serious interest in securing a future star through the draft. In November of 2022, the Sun Devils hired Head Coach Kenny Dillingham, who has quickly transformed the team. What was once considered a struggling program has now become an exciting and competitive squad, with serious potential to contend for a national title heading into the 2025 season. Naturally, Steelers fans immediately think of Leavitt when they hear about scouts visiting, but the Sun Devils’ roster is loaded with NFL talent beyond just their star quarterback. It’s very possible the Steelers’ interest extends to other promising players as well. Chris Karpman gave more details about the amount of NFL scouts at the ASU practice on Monday. "There are 11 NFL scouts representing 10 teams at today’s ASU practice, the most at any practice since Dillingham became head coach," Karpman said on social media. It’s certainly interesting, but not surprising, to hear that the Steelers had scouts in attendance at the ASU practice. Sheldon White, the Steelers’ Director of Pro Scouting, is clearly involved in deciding who the organization will scout, when, and why. It’s no secret that the Steelers are in desperate need of a true franchise quarterback. Many believe the 2026 NFL Draft will be Pittsburgh’s biggest opportunity to find that quarterback since their attempt with Kenny Pickett in 2022. That experiment didn’t go as planned, and now, with 12 expected draft picks in a quarterback class that could be loaded with talent, the Steelers are getting an early look. They’ve begun scouting at ASU, keeping a close eye on potential prospects. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that former Steelers legend Hines Ward is still the wide receivers coach at ASU. His presence adds another layer of connection to the reports of Steelers scouts attending ASU practices, suggesting strong ties and serious interest in the program and its players. Steelers' Will Howard Has Looked Good In Training Camp Early reports out of camp are that sixth-round pick Howard has done a solid job with the opportunities he’s been given. The issue for Howard is that the Steelers are expected to draft a top quarterback prospect. Making such a big investment in a promising player will make it even harder for Howard to steal the starting job. Naturally, when more resources are tied up in a higher-end prospect, the team will do more to get the most out of that player. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible for Howard, but he will need to continue to thrive if he wants any chance to compete for the starting job after Rodgers.
Texas' Arch Manning has concern on OL after season-ending injury
Texas, the No. 1 team in the preseason coaches poll, has a big concern for its offensive line with a few weeks to go before it opens the season at Ohio State on Aug. 30. Per On Texas Football, right tackle Andre Cojoe suffered a season-ending injury. Per On3, the injury is believed to be a torn ACL. The third-year offensive tackle has played in four career games and was competing with Brandon Baker for the starting job on the right side. "Texas O-lineman Andre Cojoe suffered what’s feared to be a torn ACL, Inside Texas has learned," wrote Eric Nahlin of On3. "Cojoe was in competition with Brandon Baker for Texas’ right tackle role during preseason camp. Baker is set to win the starting job with Cojoe out for the season. The second-year offensive lineman played in eight games for the Longhorns in 2024, including against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal. The loss of Cojoe is a big blow to the Longhorns' depth on the offensive line that is tasked with protecting quarterback Arch Manning. On3 projects true freshman Nick Brooks to become the swing tackle behind Baker and starting left tackle Trevor Goosby, a tall order for an 18-year-old in the SEC. Texas comes into the season with high expectations in Manning's first season as a full-time starter. How comfortable Manning is behind his offensive line will play a key role in how efficient the offense is. Texas ranked 118th in sacks given up in 2024 with 37. Those hits took a toll on Quinn Ewers, who played through injuries while leading the Longhorns to the CFP.
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