Bleacher Nation

Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, Orioles 3 – August 3, 2025 THANK YOU, JUSTIN TURNER. The Cubs needed a huge moment after another challenging game and he stepped up with the walk-off blast. JUSTIN TURNER! WALK-OFF HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/Q1FD2Qab8R— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 3, 2025 Turner is of course the Ankin Law “Making It Personal” Player of the Game, and it took him seeing only one pitch in the entire game. Great work from the bridge relievers in this one, and it’s clear that Andrew Kittredge is immediately going into the setup group (TBD on Taylor Rogers). Daniel Palencia wasn’t at his sharpest to kick off the 9th, and still came really close to getting out of it with the save. That’ll happen – kinda like yesterday with Caleb Thielbar and Ryan Brasier – which is why it’s all the more important that (1) the Cubs added Kittredge and Rogers this past week, if not more, and (2) the offense steps up to create some less-tight games going forward. Speaking of the non-Turner offense, the Cubs had one of those days where they put a lot of guys on base (including with some help from the O’s defense) but didn’t get a lot of big hits to break things open. Gonna need that to turn around soon, and although RISP stuff is subject to a lot of noise, it does matter whether the middle-of-the-order guys are clicking. Full box score.

Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 5, Orioles 3 – August 3, 2025

JUSTIN TURNER WALK-OFF HOMER!!! This article is brought to you by Feldco, Chicago's Home Renewal Experts. Family owned since 1976, Feldco helps homeowners transform their homes with quality windows, siding, doors and roofing. Call 866-4FELDCO today! Say what you will about Justin Turner’s year with the Chicago Cubs, there have definitely been some huge moments. That includes now a second walk-off winner for the Cubs. After losing the lead in the top of the 9th, Justin Turner called game: JUSTIN TURNER! WALK-OFF HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/Q1FD2Qab8R— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 3, 2025 Unbelievable end. Turner was ready for that pitch and POUNCED. Bonus fun: the enormous bear hug from a very grateful Daniel Palencia. Double bonus fun: that is the first walk-off homer of Justin Turner’s long career!

JUSTIN TURNER WALK-OFF HOMER!!!

Chicago Cubs Lineup: Matt Shaw Gets His Breather CUBS LINEUP — Well, we blew it late yesterday, but the Brewers kept on winning. So the Cubs, who have not been more than 2.5 games out of first place all season (back in March …), are now 2.0 games out of the top spot in the NL Central. That makes today a bit of an inflection point for the Cubs, even as the five-game Cubs/Brewers series in a couple of weeks is going to be the great leveler. Today is hardly a “must-win,” but like it or not, time is starting to run out. It’s August. Here’s a look at the Cubs’ lineup for the finale against the Orioles at Wrigley Field. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Michael Busch, 1B Kyle Tucker, RF Seiya Suzuki, DH Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF Carson Kelly, C Ian Happ, LF Willi Castro, 3B Nico Hoerner, 2B Dansby Swanson, SS 26-year-old right-hander Brandon Young is starting for the Orioles this afternoon (more on him below), and here are his lefty/righty splits through eight starts this season: vsRHH: .308/.339/.519 (.365 wOBA) vsLHH: .313/.394/.594 (.421 wOBA) Clearly, all types of hitters are hitting him just fine, but lefties are having an especially good time, striking out far less, walking way more, and elevating more often with more hard contact. Thus, today’s Cubs lineup features another rest day for a right-handed regular, Matt Shaw, replaced by the switch-hitting Willi Castro. Castro is a good player all on his own, but his ability to spell any number of Cubs players for a slightly better offensive matchup any given day is a very nice perk. Cubs still didn’t do enough at the deadline (I know, I know, you’re sick of hearing about it), but Castro was a very good pickup. Baltimore Orioles Lineup: Jackson Holliday, 2B Jordan Westburg, 3B Gunnar Henderson, SS Adley Rutschmann, DH Jeremiah Jackson, RF Colten Cowser, LF Dylan Carlson, CF Coby Mayo, 1B Alex Jackson, C Pitching Matchup: Chicago Cubs: Colin Rea, RHP Colin Rea is kind of all over the place lately, and certainly miscast as a full-time starter on a playoff contender … hence our frustration with the Cubs’ deadline decisions. We appreciate his contributions this year; they’d be in big trouble without him, but he’s become pretty inconsistent of late. On June 22, he allowed 7 ER against the Mariners. Then he had four nice starts in a row, but has since given up 9ER in 9.0 IP over his last two outings. You just never know what you’re going to get. And until Jameson Taillon and/or Javier Assad come back, he’s not going anywhere (Mike Soroka will take Ben Brown’s spot). So we just keep hoping for the best as the Cubs fight to get back into first. Baltimore Orioles: Brandon Young, RHP Brandon Young, 26, is a rookie right-hander who has made eight starts this season, seven of which were not good. His first 7 starts: 25 ER in 30.2 IP (7.34 ERA) His eighth start: 6.0 IP, 6H, 2ER, 2BB, 6K Whether or not he “figured something out,” though, won’t be an excuse for the Cubs lineup. They have been FAR too quiet for too long, mostly because the primary contributors have disappeared. Broadcast Info: Chicago Cubs (64-46) vs Baltimore Orioles (51-60) at 1:20 pm CT – Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score Cubs vs Orioles – Key Injuries: Chicago Cubs: Miguel Amaya, C Jameson Taillon, SP Porter Hodge, RP Javier Assad, SP Eli Morgan, RP Justin Steele, SP Baltimore Orioles: Maverick Handley, C Gary Sanchez, C Cade Povich, SP Scott Blewett, RP Felix Bautista, RP Zach Eflin, SP Tyler Wells, SP Kyle Bradish, SP Grayson Rodriguez, RP Albert Suarez, RP Cody Poteet, RP Ryan Mountcastle, 1B Jorge Mateo, IF/OF Cubs vs Orioles – Wrigley Field Weather Report Location: Chicago, IL Temperature: 76 Wind: In from right/center (weak to moderate) Today vs Orioles: 76° ☀️ Wind blowing in from RF / CF at 8mph💨 Gusts up to 14mph #Cubs #Weather— Wrigley Winds (@WrigleyWinds) August 3, 2025

Chicago Cubs Lineup: Matt Shaw Gets His Breather

And Now the Brewers Are Losing Jacob Misiorowski for a While I did the full rival-injury preamble yesterday, so I’ll skip it for the short version today: I never root for an injury, yadda-yadda, but it’s still notable, blah blah, and we’ll take any advantage we can get. Yesterday, that was about an expected month-long absence for arguably the Brewers’ best position player, Jackson Chourio. Today, it’s about one of their best young starters and 2025 All-Star* Jacob Misiorowski. And both injuries happened during the Cubs-Brewers series last week in Milwaukee (So it wasn’t a total loss after all! (… Okay, I’m sorry, that’s it)). Jacob Misiorowski to the IL The Brewers have announced that Jacob Misiorowski is headed to the Injured List with a left tibia contusion, which was suffered on a comebacker off the bat of Seiya Suzuki on July 28. But because they waited to IL him (probably to preserve some leverage at the trade deadline), they can only backdate it to July 31. Here’s the play, in case you forgot: Here is the line drive that hit Jacob Misiorowski on Monday night against the Cubs. Today, the Brewers placed him on the IL with a left tibia contusion. pic.twitter.com/UAUcpaxiC5— Hunter Baumgardt (@hunterbonair) August 3, 2025 And because the minimum IL stint for a pitcher is 15 days, not ten like position players, he can’t return until the middle of August. Whether that gives him enough time to return for the FIVE-GAME series against the Cubs that starts on August 18 is unclear. I wouldn’t think he’d need a rehab assignment, especially because it’s just a contusion and not to his arm, but I guess we don’t know. I’m just going to be hopeful that he won’t be able to pitch in that series, because as we saw (after the first inning and in all of his other starts), he’s quite nasty. The counter-argument, however, is that this is just some very convenient load management that keeps him nice and fresh … just in time for that Cubs series, in particular. Which, crap, now that I think about it, that could be it. Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images In the meantime, the Brewers have recalled their top pitching prospect, Logan Henderson, who already made four really nice starts at the big league level earlier this year: 21.0 IP, 14H, 4ER, 6BB, 29Ks (1.71 ERA). And besides him, they have Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Jose Quintana, and Quinn Priester, locking down the rotation. And Chad Patrick is around, too. So while it doesn’t help to lose Jacob Misiorowski for the next 2+ weeks, they are certainly well-situated to weather that storm. Unrelated, but I missed that Sal Frelick was removed from yesterday’s game, as well. He’s just day-to-day, but was a key part of the Brewers’ replacement plans for Jackson Chourio. Sal Frelick was removed from today's game as a precaution due to left knee soreness— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 2, 2025

And Now the Brewers Are Losing Jacob Misiorowski for a While

Boyd Again, Honoring Ryno, Nico Steady, Iowa Depth, and Other Cubs Bullets Recovering pretty well post-Blogathon this year, which is quite comforting. I had some real trouble getting my body, brain, sleep, etc. back on track last year, and I was kinda dreading it this time around. So far, though, so good. Cubs lefty Matthew Boyd was outrageously good once again, bouncing back after the rough outing in Milwaukee. It sucks that that one happened, but it’s comforting to know it was probably a one-off. His 2.34 ERA is now second best in the National League, behind only Paul Skenes. A win would’ve been nice, though. Thoughts on the loss here. Great game for Nico Hoerner, who just keeps on being steady: he’s hitting .293/.339/.385/106 wRC+, which is just about what he always hits, and is playing his typical superlative defense (yesterday filling in at shortstop). He’s on pace for another 4-ish WAR season, and increasingly feels pretty underrated. The Cubs honored Ryne Sandberg in the game by wearing number 23: © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Welcome, Willi Castro: Willi Castro rips a triple in his 2nd at-bat as a Cub pic.twitter.com/8PfpDrKZmM— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 2, 2025 Spencer Turnbull has arrived at Iowa to begin starting in that rotation and, as has happened several times already this year, it corresponds with a different pitcher on a minor league deal opting out. Kenta Maeda had some decent outings with Iowa, but never really got to a place where you could see him coming up to make a big league start with the Cubs. So he’s opted out of his deal, and heads back into free agency. The good news is that the Cubs’ depth has improved dramatically over the last month, with Javier Assad and Jameson Taillon arriving for rehab stints, and Brandon Birdsell finally returning. Throw in the Mike Soroka trade, and the presence of Jordan Wicks and Connor Noland at Iowa, and the Cubs now go roughly 12 deep in theoretical starting options in MLB/Triple-A. Speaking of which, Taillon is scheduled to make the start for Iowa today. It’s conceivable that he could be back after just one rehab start since it was a lower-half injury and he hasn’t been out THAT long, but I’d tentatively expect at least two. We’ll see how many pitches he throws today. The Bristol Motor Speedway game didn’t last an inning before the rains banged it. Shame that it got interrupted, because it did look very cool. It’ll resume today. MUST SEE: A NASCAR pit crew helped introduce the starting lineups for the Speedway Classic pic.twitter.com/LkuumAOOpZ— MLB (@MLB) August 2, 2025 MORE CUBS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

Boyd Again, Honoring Ryno, Nico Steady, Iowa Depth, and Other Cubs Bullets

Enhanced Box Score: Orioles 4, Cubs 3 – August 2, 2025 Because the bullpen blew it late, it won’t feel like it, but the Cubs were so close to getting out of this one with a smooth win. An 8th inning, two-out, three-run homer was the difference. That’s just not a common ending. To put it another way, although I’m mad the Cubs lost, I have a hard time beating up on a bullpen that has been so very good, and nearly got out of this one, too. Ryan Brasier has been outrageous this year. Caleb Thielbar has been outrageous this year. Today they were not. It’s going to happen. Related point, Matthew Boyd was incredible again today. So much so that people might be upset that he was pulled after the 7th inning in the first place. But with a three-run lead and the Cubs having to be judicious about his workload this year down the stretch, I don’t have any issue whatsoever with the pull. He did his job, and the bullpen is there to finish the job. What sucks a lot more from where I sit is that the Cubs’ offense continues to struggle. For all the talk of what the Cubs didn’t do at the deadline, that’s two post-deadline games where the starting pitching was brilliant, and the offense mostly didn’t do bupkis. They got where they got this season MOSTLY on the strength of the offense. It needs to return. Quickly. It’s a shame that this one got spoiled by Gunnar Henderson (who feels like he has to be the Ankin Law “Making It Personal” Player of the Game), because it felt appropriate that Nico Hoerner had a big day when the Cubs were honoring Ryne Sandberg. Hoerner was playing shortstop, but, you know, he’s their “second baseman.” Also, Willi Castro was making his Cubs debut at second base, and he had a two-hit game. Again, that would’ve felt a lot nicer if the Cubs had won. Taylor Rogers made his debut, too, and threw a scoreless 9th in a losing effort. Just kind of a bummer of a loss all around. Full box score.

Enhanced Box Score: Orioles 4, Cubs 3 – August 2, 2025

Cubs Lineup: Willi Castro Makes His Cubs Debut CUBS LINEUP — The Cubs squeaked out a 1-0 win against the Orioles in the opener on Friday. But I’d love to see them score a few more runs than that today. Matthew Boyd is on the mound for Chicago, looking to bounce back from his worst start of the year last week. And a new name is making his debut in the Cubs lineup. Let’s go. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Michael Busch, 1B Kyle Tucker, RF Seiya Suzuki, DH Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF Ian Happ, LF Willi Castro, 2B Nico Hoerner, SS Reese McGuire, C Matt Shaw, 3B Because the Cubs bench had been so … ineffective this season, we rarely saw any daily modifications to the Cubs lineup. But with the switch-hitting and positionally versatile Willi Castro in the fold, that’s about to change. Today, that means a day off for Dansby Swanson, who is replaced at short by Nico Hoerner, who is, himself, replaced at second by Willi Castro. The move gets an extra left-handed bat (Castro) in there against Orioles traditional split righty Tomoyuki Sugano (.347 wOBA vs LHH this season) and also gives Swanson a needed breather. Today, it’s Swanson, but I’d expect to see more days off for Matt Shaw and Nico Hoerner, as well. The corner outfielders are already a little well-rested, by way of Seiya Suzuki moving in and out of DH, but Castro could factor in there, as well. Go win another game, Cubs. Baltimore Orioles Lineup: Jackson Holliday, 2B Jordan Westburg, 3B Gunnar Henderson, SS Adley Rutschman, C Tyler O’Neill, RF Coby Mayo, 1B Colton Cowser, LF Dylan Carlson, CF Jeremiah Jackson, DH Pitching Matchup: Chicago Cubs: Matthew Boyd, LHP Matthew Boyd had been incredible for the Cubs all season and was on a particular heater over his last ten starts before the game in Milwaukee: 63.1 IP, 52 Ks, 9BB, 1.14 ERA. But that game in Milwaukee … woof. If you remember back, the Cubs jumped out to an early lead over Jacob Misiorowski, who imploded in the first inning with wildness and errors, throwing 40+ pitches and setting the Cubs up for what looked like an obvious opening win. But Boyd came out and had absolutely no command, walking as many batters in that start (5) as he had in his previous six games combined. And unfortunately, it never got better. Boyd’s final line: 5.0 IP, 6H, 5ER, 5BB, 2K. So let’s just say I’m a little anxious about his outing today, particularly after the Cubs failed to add an impact starter at the deadline. Of course, it’s possible Boyd just had a random bad day, it happens. But he’s also turned into arguably the Cubs most important pitcher this season, so any sign of trouble as he continues to blow past his inning total from the last three years (… combined) makes me nervous. The good news is that the Orioles (84 wRC+) have been very weak against left-handed pitching this season, and that was before they traded away Cedric Mullins (143 wRC+ vsLHP), Ramon Laureano (119 wRC+ vs LHP), and Ramon Urias (108 wRC+ vsLHP). Plus, the wind is blowing in today. So this really is a good opportunity for Boyd to bounce back. Baltimore Orioles: Tomoyuki Sugano, RHP Sugano, 35, signed a one-year, $13M deal with the Orioles this past offseason, coming over to the states for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite worked out the way the Orioles were hoping: 4.38 ERA (5.21 FIP) over 20 starts. Sugano does have nine quality starts to his name and just threw a nice game against the Rockies (6.0 IP, 4H, 1ER, 2BB, 8K). But the rest has been either poor or short outings. Sugano doesn’t walk many batters, but he can hardly strike anyone out (15.2 K%) and allows more than his fair share of barrels (11.3%) with a below-average groundball rate (41.2%). Lefties are also hitting him particularly well this season (.347 wOBA), which bodes well for a Cubs lineup that has a lot of lefties. Broadcast Info: Chicago Cubs (64-45) vs Baltimore Orioles (50-60) at 1:20 pm CT – Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score Cubs vs Orioles – Key Injuries: Chicago Cubs: Miguel Amaya, C Jameson Taillon, SP Porter Hodge, RP Javier Assad, SP Eli Morgan, RP Justin Steele, SP Baltimore Orioles: Maverick Handley, C Gary Sanchez, C Cade Povich, SP Scott Blewett, RP Felix Bautista, RP Zach Eflin, SP Tyler Wells, SP Kyle Bradish, SP Grayson Rodriguez, RP Albert Suarez, RP Cody Poteet, RP Ryan Mountcastle, 1B Jorge Mateo, IF/OF Cubs vs Orioles – Wrigley Field Weather Report Location: Chicago, IL Temperature: 76 degrees Wind: Blowing in from right-center, moderate Today vs Orioles: 76° ☀️ Wind blowing in from RF / CF at 9mph💨 Gusts up to 12mph #Cubs #Weather— Wrigley Winds (@WrigleyWinds) August 2, 2025

Cubs Lineup: Willi Castro Makes His Cubs Debut

Jackson Chourio’s Hamstring Injury is Worse Than the Brewers Thought You never root for an injury to your opponent, but you always acknowledge the potential impact of one. And today, Brewers Manager Pat Murphy (who eats pocket pancakes) revealed that outfielder – and arguably top offensive contributor – Jackson Chourio could miss more than a month. Jackson Chourio to the IL Pat Murphy told reporters that Jackson Chourio could miss a month due to a hamstring strain pic.twitter.com/rdqlRbU067— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 1, 2025 Chourio, 21, had been having an excellent sophomore season for the Brewers, fulfilling (again) the promise of his lofty prospect pedigree: .276/.311/.474 with 17 HRs, 18 SBs, and 67 RBI. But on Tuesday, Chourio limped into third base (safely for a triple …) at Wrigley Field and was pulled from the game. He has since hit the IL, while Murphy suggests the injury is a little worse than they expected. The Brewers can make do in Chourio’s absence with some combination of newly acquired Brandon Lockridge, plus Sal Frelick and Blake Perkins, but the upside is definitely limited, and obviously so is the depth. And remember, this is a Brewers’ offense that had already been lacking overall. Not to mention, Chourio had been hitting his stride lately: .367/.408/.600 (180 wRC+) over the last month. So again, you don’t ROOT for an injury ever, but this is inarguably an ENORMOUS development in the extremely tight NL Central race, which also happens to be a race for the best record (and first seed) in the National League.

Jackson Chourio’s Hamstring Injury is Worse Than the Brewers Thought

Brewers Manager Pat Murphy Eats Pocket Pancakes No, that’s not some sort of innuendo or veiled insult. Brewers Manager Pat Murphy, the heir to Craig Counsell’s thrown in Milwaukee, literally keeps cold pancakes (and other food, according to him) in his pocket to eat during games. Weirdo. 🥞 Anyone else keep pocket pancakes, handy? No? Just Pat Murphy? Most iconic in-game manager interview you’ll watch. pic.twitter.com/vjce2teRBo— Tricia Whitaker (@TriciaWhitaker) August 2, 2025 “I like a lot of different things during the game,” Murphy said. “There’s pancake … actually I got a little pocket pancake right here that I munch on. Their wonderful, you want some?” “What else do you keep in your pocket?” Murphy was asked by Tricia Whitaker, before responding, “Whatever fits.” Gonna have to try this pic.twitter.com/hutCMug7Hz— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) August 2, 2025 This is funny, and I’d like to find it endearing, but I hate Pat Murphy with a burning passion. Maybe it’s because he has resting bully face. Maybe it’s because he’s been a more effective manager in Milwaukee than I was hoping he’d be. But I’m just going to choose to hate him for this and call him weird for eating, and sharing, food out of his back pocket with an AppleTV+ sideline reporter. With that said, kudos to her for … taking a bite out of his pocket pancake. Because that’s dedication. Matt Erickson couldn’t believe Pat Murphy grabbed a pancake out of his pocket🤣 pic.twitter.com/r7dVFTxqrK— Hunter Baumgardt (@hunterbonair) August 1, 2025

Brewers Manager Pat Murphy Eats Pocket Pancakes

Cubs Roster Moves: Mike Soroka Added, Brooks Kriske DFAd The Cubs added most of their trade deadline acquisitions to the active roster in a series of moves yesterday, but Mike Soroka was one guy left behind. No longer! The Cubs’ scheduled starter for Monday’s game against the Reds, Soroka, has been officially added to the Cubs’ active roster. And this time around, reclamation reliever Brooks Kriske is the sacrificial lamb. Here’s the official move via Taylor McGregor: #Cubs have designated Brooks Kriske for assignment. Michael Soroka added to the 40-man roster.— Taylor McGregor (@Taylor_McGregor) August 2, 2025 It’s hard not to feel bad for Kriske, the platonic definition of a journeyman, reclamation reliever, who has just had an impossible time catching on long-term with a big league team throughout his career, both here and overseas. But after six scoreless innings with the big league Cubs over two brief stints in the majors, he has been DFA’d. HOWEVER, this is actually the second time the Cubs have DFA’d him this year. Kriske does not have any minor league options, so the Cubs can’t just send him back to Iowa. But if he clears waivers a second time, he can elect free agency, since he’s been outrighted to the Minors before. It’s just as possible, however, that he decides to stay with the Cubs if he thinks this is the best opportunity to get another chance to come back up at some point. I guess we’ll see.

Cubs Roster Moves: Mike Soroka Added, Brooks Kriske DFAd

Horton Stays Hot, Brilliant Debut, Tagging Up, an Other Cubs Bullets The day after the day after the Blogathon: the fog has lifted somewhat, but because of the 48-hour nature of sleep cycles, I feel like absolute craaaaaaaap today. Cheers. Ryne Sandberg Forever: The @Cubs honored Ryne Sandberg with a tribute video before today’s game pic.twitter.com/7llYPqcN7o— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 1, 2025 © David Banks-Imagn Images The Cubs will be further honoring Ryne Sandberg today: Our Saturday attire, for Sandberg. pic.twitter.com/mWqFqNUHVW— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 31, 2025 After his scoreless outing yesterday, Cade Horton is down to a 3.42 ERA on the season, or 16% better than league average by ERA-. Kinda awesome for a rookie, yes? He’s posted a 1.26 ERA since that ugly outing in Houston six starts ago. Just one other rookie starter – Noah Cameron of the Royals – has at least 70 innings pitched and a better ERA than Horton. New Guy Number One had a perfect debut: Andrew Kittredge has a 1-2-3 inning in his Cubs debut pic.twitter.com/KErWajdKrl— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 1, 2025 "Awesome, I could get used to this." Andrew Kittredge enjoyed his first outing as a Cub pic.twitter.com/5IHJRq8V6b— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 1, 2025 Craig Counsell on Andrew Kittredge's Cubs debut: "It was great. Did you like it?" pic.twitter.com/IEpz59LMbd— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 1, 2025 This is why you sometimes do send a guy on a very shallow fly ball: Happer gets us on the board. pic.twitter.com/yVAUhmgVjX— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 1, 2025 The current plan is for Mike Soroka to start for the Cubs on Monday. Craig Counsell on the day after the Trade Deadline (Sun-Times): “I love this day because this is our group. This is the group that we’re going forward with. For the guys in the room, that’s a really good feeling. That’s my message to them today: ‘This is who we’re going to have the fun with, man. This is who we’re going to go through it with.’ We’ve got a great three months ahead of us. It starts today.” It’s been a largely forgettable year so far for James Triantos, but it’d be great to see him get hot the rest of the way: TRIANTOS TIES THE GAME! pic.twitter.com/P11LtBDhqN— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 2, 2025 Rockies-Pirates was absolutely bonkers: Un. Real. You turned off the Rockies when the Pirates went up 9-0 in the first, right? Well, they scored five in ninth to win 17-16 on a walk-off home run by Brenton Doyle. Colorado just doesn’t quit. pic.twitter.com/GK9icVmHEn— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) August 2, 2025 Rockies trailed 9-0 after the top of the 1st They trailed 16-10 entering the bottom of the 8th They trailed 16-12 entering the bottom of the 9th They won 17-16. pic.twitter.com/HuoJcfmtBK— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 2, 2025 THIS IS COMPLETELY INSANE pic.twitter.com/bUC2forXIi— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 2, 2025 This is pretty funny: The Yankees traded for four players yesterday. All four played today: Jake Bird 4ER over 1/3IP David Bednar 2ER over 1 2/3IP Camilo Doval 3ER over 1/3IP and Jose Caballero did this in the field pic.twitter.com/FvhA0GnSUu— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) August 2, 2025 MORE CUBS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

Horton Stays Hot, Brilliant Debut, Tagging Up, an Other Cubs Bullets

Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 1, Orioles 0 – August 1, 2025 WHEW on that final deeeep fly out, eh? Not a huge offensive day at Wrigley Field today, with just seven hits total in the game. The only run came on an Ian Happ sac fly, and no one could get too much cooking. It worked out in the end today, but obviously we want to see this offense start to heat back up. Wednesday was a great start. Keep it going. Cade Horton was really good today. The efficiency still needs to improve and eventually you’ll want to see a little more in-zone swing-and-miss, sure. But he’s clearly getting better and better as the season goes on, learning more about how he can effectively attack hitters. He’s the Ankin Law “Making It Personal” Player of the Game for this one, but obviously shouts to the entire pitching staff. Nice to see Andrew Kittredge making his Cubs debut, and dominating against the team that just traded him to the Cubs … Full box score.

Enhanced Box Score: Cubs 1, Orioles 0 – August 1, 2025

Welcome to the Cubs, Andrew Kittredge! Dominant.

Did You See Owen Caissie’s Insane Diving Catch!? So that’s why the Cubs didn’t trade Owen Caissie! On the same day as a controversial deadline for the Cubs, their top prospect had one of the best catches of the season in Triple-A. Facing off against the Indianapolis Indians on Thursday, Matt Frazier had a hitter’s count before sending the ball toward a gap in right field. Looking destined to drop into play, Owen Caissie broke out into a sprint and left his feet for a full Superman dive. Lost hat! Caught ball! All things considered, Caissie could not have timed this thing better. OWEN CAISSIE MAKES A DIVING CATCH TO END THE INNING #SCTopTen pic.twitter.com/ZF89polRJ5— Iowa Cubs (@IowaCubs) August 1, 2025 The I-Cubs would go on to win the game 6-2 and improve to two games over .500. Caissie would also finish the game with two hits, a walk, and a strikeout. Look, most of us are going to agree that Jed Hoyer should have done more at the trade deadline. When you have a team that is on the cusp of finishing as the best in the National League, you should be going all-in. At the same time, Owen Caissie is a Top 40 prospect in baseball for a reason. Letting him go would be a tough pill to swallow, and his ability to make plays like the one above is precisely why. © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Did You See Owen Caissie’s Insane Diving Catch!?

A Funny Thing About the Cubs’ Trade Deadline – It Marked One of the Biggest Improvements in Baseball I hope you have by now read my take on the Trade Deadline overall, and thus know that what follows is not an apologia for yesterday’s failings. The Cubs clearly needed to add an impactful starting pitcher and they clearly did not. There are reasons, excuses, justifications, etc., but it was a failing. That said, the Cubs clearly did improve at the Trade Deadline. Both things can be true. Willi Castro is a perfect fit as a part-time bench, part-time starter, switch-hitting, super-utility guy. Taylor Rogers and Andrew Kittredge are solid additions to the bullpen. And I do like the potential there with Mike Soroka. Here’s a really funny thing about those improvements: by one measure, the Cubs did the most to improve their team of any club not in San Diego. At FanGraphs, Dan Szymborski ran his ZiPS projection system after the Trade Deadline moves for every team, and a really funny thing happened: the Chicago Cubs had the second biggest improvement in their chances at winning the division. I couldn’t help but laugh. There are some caveats, of course. First, the improvement in division odds was quite small at 2.6 percentage points, compared to the Padres at the top of the list at a whopping 8.9 percentage points. Most teams were in the range from 2 points up to 2 points down. The Yankees were the only other club that saw a boost above 2 percentage points, for what that’s worth. Second, the Cubs (49.0%) still trail the Brewers (50.4%) in the division odds, per ZiPS. The Trade Deadline tightened that up, but it’s still the Brewers that get the nod in the simulation world. Second, although improving the Cubs’ division odds is extremely important when that could mean a top-two record and a bye, the Cubs’ odds of going all the way did not improve by much. In fact, thanks to other movement around the National League, the Cubs’ chances of winning the World Series, according to ZiPS, went DOWN by 0.3 percentage points. By contrast, a team like the Mets, whose divisional odds did not go up, improved their World Series odds by 0.4 percentage points. Adding multiple impact relievers is pretty good in the playoffs, you know? The Cubs also saw the 7th largest playoff odds boost overall, by the way, at 0.7 percentage points, though they didn’t really have much room to grow – they are already at a 97.3% chance to make the playoffs one way or another, per ZiPS. The Padres were in the top spot across the board, increasing all of their odds dramatically. Funny, though, that even after a 3.4 percentage point boost, the Padres’ World Series chances (7.3%) are still lower than, for example, the Cubs (7.5%). There’s only so much you can do at the Trade Deadline, even if you go absolutely nuts. You can see the full slate here at FanGraphs. Because they are essentially competing with the Cubs for the division, the Brewers’ odds went down by just about the same amount the Cubs’ went up. Their World Series odds dropped at the deadline by 1.3 percentage points to 6.1%.

A Funny Thing About the Cubs’ Trade Deadline – It Marked One of the Biggest Improvements in Baseball

Chicago Cubs Lineup: No Willi Castro Today CUBS LINEUP — Okay, the Chicago Cubs are through the deadline and locked in with the team they’ve got. Let’s see if they can take down a massively downgraded (via trade) Orioles squad this weekend at Wrigley Field. Here’s a look at the Cubs lineup for Game 1. No new names. Chicago Cubs Lineup: Nico Hoerner, 2B Kyle Tucker, RF Seiya Suzuki, DH Carson Kelly, C Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF Dansby Swanson, SS Ian Happ, LF Michael Busch, 1B Matt Shaw, 3B Although he’s been closer to split neutral (and slightly below average) for his career, new Cub Willi Castro is really handling lefties well this season: .278/.337/.500 (131 wRC+). He is not, however, in the Cubs lineup today. I do think the Cubs will probably work him in against lefties – and just regularly overall – as the season goes on. Maybe it was just too quick of a turnaround for him. No big deal. With a lefty on the mound, Nico Hoerner is leading off, replacing Michael Busch. But Busch is still in the Cubs lineup, batting eighth, just ahead of Matt Shaw. Speaking of Shaw, did you realize he’s pretty solidly above-average (112 wRC+) versus left-handers this season? His nine-game hitting streak came to an end during the first game of the Brewers series, but he had a couple more hits in the last two games, continuing a really nice post-break performance: 14 hits (3 doubles, 4 homers) in 40 PA. And all of that followed an extended break (and more swing changes) just before the All-Star break. So hopefully, something has really changed. Baltimore Orioles Lineup: TBA Pitching Matchup: Chicago Cubs: Cade Horton, RHP Cade Horton had a rough outing (in terms of results) a few games back against the Twins, but he bounced back nicely against the Sox, both Red and White, his last two times out: vsBOS: 5.2 IP, 2H, 0ER, 3BB, 4K @CHW: 6.1 IP, 4H, 0ER, 1BB, 3K I remain pretty surprised by the lack of strikeouts overall (Horton was K-ing guys out no less than 27% of the time throughout his minor league career). But (1) maybe that’ll come and (2) he’s succeeding nonetheless. The Orioles have been good against right-handed pitching this season, but they traded Ryan O’Hearn, who was one of the guys doing the most damage. So we’ll see if that makes them more mowable for Horton. Baltimore Orioles: Trevor Rogers, LHP He’s made only eight starts this season, but Trevor Rogers is on one hell of a heater: 1.49 ERA (2.88 FIP) over 48.1 IP. That said, he hasn’t exactly faced the best offenses yet: Red Sox: 104 wRC+, 10th in MLB Rays (x2): 100 wRC+, 17th Rangers (x2): 89 wRC+, 25th Braves: 99 wRC+, 18th Marlins: 96 wRC+, 22nd Rockies: 76 wRC+, 30th The Chicago Cubs, by contrast, have the top offense in the National League this season (116 wRC+) and are just barely behind the Yankees for the best offense in baseball (117 wRC+). Maybe they can help that absolutely ridiculous 85.6% strand rate come down. He has no business stranding that many runners with a 22.0% strikeout rate. Broadcast Info: Chicago Cubs (63-45) vs Baltimore Orioles (50-59) at 1:20 pm CT – Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score Cubs vs Orioles – Key Injuries: Chicago Cubs: Miguel Amaya, C Jameson Taillon, SP Porter Hodge, RP Javier Assad, SP Eli Morgan, RP Justin Steele, SP Baltimore Orioles: Maverick Handley, C Gary Sanchez, C Cade Povich, SP Scott Blewett, RP Felix Bautista, RP Zach Eflin, SP Tyler Wells, SP Kyle Bradish, SP Grayson Rodriguez, RP Albert Suarez, RP Cody Poteet, RP Ryan Mountcastle, 1B Jorge Mateo, IF/OF Cubs vs Orioles – American Family Field Weather Report Location: Chicago, IL Temperature: 75 degrees Wind: Blowing in, moderate to strong (12-16 MPH)

Chicago Cubs Lineup: No Willi Castro Today

Cubs Roster Moves: (Most of) The New Guys, Hollowell, Ballesteros Thanks to the trades this week, the Cubs had to make a series of 26-man roster moves to bring some of the new guys onto the active roster (the 40-man component was handled yesterday). So, the full slate of moves today: Utility man Willi Castro added to the 26-man roster. Righty reliever Andrew Kittredge added to the 26-man roster. Lefty reliever Taylor Rogers added to the 26-man roster. Righty reliever Gavin Hollowell optioned to Triple-A Iowa. Catcher Moises Ballesteros optioned to Triple-A Iowa. First thing you’re wondering: how are there three being added and only two being subtracted? Well, you have to remember, the Cubs had to DFA Ryan Pressly last night to open up a 40-man spot, and that also already removed him from the 26-man roster. So there was an open spot there already for one of the pitchers. Second thing you’re wondering: where is Mike Soroka? The Cubs have a little window of time before they have to add a newly-acquired player to the active roster. And since Soroka just started a game on Tuesday, he won’t be fresh again to pitch until Sunday or Monday. My guess is the Cubs wait to activate him until then. And they get a free reliever in the meantime. Third thing you might be wondering is why Ballesteros is going out, but this was always the plan. Ballesteros was a short-term fill-in because the Cubs wanted to be sure they had his bat for Wednesday’s very important game against the Brewers (with Ian Happ unable to start). So they DFA’d Vidal Brujan, knowing full well that they might add another position player at the Trade Deadline. That guy was Castro, who is more directly replacing Brujan, in terms of how we think about that bench spot, not Ballesteros. You are probably not wondering too much else, except perhaps still wondering why the Cubs didn’t add another starting pitcher yesterday.

Cubs Roster Moves: (Most of) The New Guys, Hollowell, Ballesteros

Back to Baseball: Cubs vs Orioles Series Preview Cubs vs Orioles — Turning the page. Back to baseball. That’s that. And other cliches. The (slightly) new and (modestly) improved Cubs are back at Wrigley Field this afternoon for the first of a six-game homestand against the Orioles (this weekend) and Reds (starting Monday). Although it feels like it happened about a month ago, the Cubs are coming off a series loss to the Brewers and have a one-game deficit in the division. It’s officially scoreboard-watching season, so lock in on your MLB at-bat app. This weekend, Cade Horton gets the first crack at the Orioles, who’ve been surprisingly strong versus right-handed pitching this season (107 wRC+, 8th in MLB). HOWEVA, they traded away one of their biggest offensive contributors, Ryan O’Hearn (143 wRC+ vs RHP), as well as eight other players/pitchers, including one reliever, Andrew Kittredge, to the Cubs! Oh, and Charlie Morton was scheduled to pitch against the Cubs on Sunday, but was also traded. So that’s some good timing for the Cubs. On Saturday, Ben Brown will get another crack at starting, though with Mike Soroka in the fold and Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad not too far off, that could be one of the last starts for him for a while. God willing. 🙂 And then, on Sunday, Matthew Boyd will get a chance to shake off his brutal start against the Brewers, which featured zero control. The Cubs bet heavily this week that his last start was a total fluke. Let’s hope they were right. Cubs vs Orioles – Pitching Probables: Game 1: Friday, August 1 at 1:20 pm CT at Wrigley Field Broadcast Info: Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score Cubs: Cade Horton, RHP Orioles: Trevor Rogers, LHP Game 2: Saturday, August 2 at 1:20 pm CT at Wrigley Field Broadcast Info: Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score Cubs: Ben Brown, RHP Orioles: Tomoyuki Sugano, RHP Game 3: Sunday, August 3 at 1:20 pm CT at Wrigley Field Broadcast Info: Marquee Sports Network, 670 The Score Cubs: Matthew Boyd, LHP Orioles: TBD Cubs vs Orioles – Key Injuries: Chicago Cubs: Miguel Amaya, C Jameson Taillon, SP Porter Hodge, RP Javier Assad, SP Eli Morgan, RP Justin Steele, SP Baltimore Orioles: Maverick Handley, C Gary Sanchez, C Cade Povich, SP Scott Blewett, RP Felix Bautista, RP Zach Eflin, SP Tyler Wells, SP Kyle Bradish, SP Grayson Rodriguez, RP Albert Suarez, RP Cody Poteet, RP Ryan Mountcastle, 1B Jorge Mateo, IF/OF © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Back to Baseball: Cubs vs Orioles Series Preview

It’s Official! The 2027 MLB All-Star Game is Coming to Wrigley Field! For the first time in 37 years, the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field will host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The announcement came at a special ceremony at Wrigley Field this morning: It's official! pic.twitter.com/D8HowTP7F2— Jeremiah Paprocki (@jtheannouncer) August 1, 2025 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred awards the 2027 All-Star Game to Wrigley Field and the Cubs! The game will be played on July 13th, 2027. pic.twitter.com/XJCmIxshWV— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 1, 2025 I cannot wait to go to all of it. Now we just have to desperately hope that the post-2026 lockout doesn’t bleed so far into the 2027 season that we all get screwed. © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

It’s Official! The 2027 MLB All-Star Game is Coming to Wrigley Field!

The Day-After Reactions, Not Doing Enough, But Hoping for the Best and Other Cubs Bullets Hey there. Michael here. I’m taking over the morning bullets today for Brett, who is very sleepy … the bum. He writes 72 articles and stays up for 40 hours straight ONE TIME, and suddenly he can’t be bothered to get up and back to work. It’s just lazy. In all seriousness, following one last push last night after Brett went to sleep, we were able to set a NEW BLOGATHON RECORD for money raised for Make-A-Wish: $33,410. He was very surprised and happy when he woke up this morning. So thanks for that. The 2025 #BNBlogathon was a massive success. As for the Cubs trade deadline … I’m really getting tired of fighting the same battles over and over. Yes, the Cubs are better today than they were on Tuesday, and did so without sacrificing much prospect currency. They got a perfect fit in Willi Castro, who can fill a lot of roles on this roster, and they added three useful pitchers, one of whom, Mike Soroka, at least has the look of someone who could be a little more with the Cubs than his results with the Nationals. BUT ALSO, they absolutely, positively did not do enough. And I don’t think it’s even debatable. Hell, Jed Hoyer basically conceded as much himself when he spoke about what the Cubs weren’t able to do on the pitching side. Justified or not, the Cubs did not add a sure-fire starter who could start in a playoff series; they did not add a shutdown or late-inning reliever to help an inexperienced Daniel Palencia (who is one of like two or maybe three arms in the pen you can trust in a huge moment). And they didn’t improve the offense enough (think Eugenio Suarez) to paper over those shortcomings with an even more fearsome lineup than they already have. I’m tired of having to answer questions like “who was traded that they should’ve gotten?” or responding to rebuttals like “You don’t do a trade just to do a trade.” The Cubs have a real shot to win the first or second seed in the NL, and when that’s the case, you need to lean more into the “sacrifice the future for the present” than you normally do. But just like the offseason, it feels like they stopped just short of what needed to get done. And now, we have 50-some games left with Kyle Tucker, and we have to hope that the Cubs have enough to make a deep run. And if you’re still not buying that, think about it this way: How do you think the Brewers feel about the Cubs’ deadline activity? My bet is they’re happy the Cubs didn’t do more. If prices are high, negotiate better. If you can’t negotiate better, have more good prospects so you can afford to pay higher prices. And if you don’t have more good prospects to pay higher prices, have some guts. Of course, the Cubs CAN still win it all. They are a very good team, and it’s always going to be at least somewhat up to “chance.” It is baseball. But the difference is that they could have improved their odds with more significant moves, and they didn’t. Gleyber Torres was an overpay for Aroldis Chapman … and also the price paid to win a World Series. I actually have even more to say than that (how do you not line up for at least someone like Adrian Houser?). And I am mostly just tired of this promise that it’s all for a future that is absolutely, positively not guaranteed – but it won’t change anything. Also, Brett did a great job of running down everything in total right here, if you want more. So did Patrick Mooney: Why didn’t the Cubs get another starting pitcher at the trade deadline? https://t.co/mIPDoqme7u— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) August 1, 2025 And Jon Greenberg: On a trade deadline day that called for action, the Cubs hugged their prospects tight. My column:https://t.co/gh57cnDf1p— jon greenberg (@jon_greenberg) August 1, 2025 And Jesse Rogers: News story on Cubs moves or lack thereof yesterday: https://t.co/yI0ynJCWmL— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 1, 2025 And Sahadev Sharma: The Cubs are a better team today than they were earlier this week. But failing to acquire a no-doubt, playoff-caliber starting pitcher stings and surely infuriates fans who were expecting bigger things this deadline. https://t.co/bQt8zYEdUi— Sahadev Sharma (@sahadevsharma) July 31, 2025 I also really like what Ken Rosenthal had to say here about Craig Breslow’s disappointing deadline with the Red Sox. Not only are there some obvious parallels with (and connections to) the Cubs, but there are also a few direct Cubs mentions in here. Ken Rosenthal shits all over Craig Breslow pic.twitter.com/d3LbOmVlQP— Savage (@SavageSports_) August 1, 2025 The general consensus is that the Cubs played it safe. But at this point, they did what they did (and didn’t do), and now it’s time to root for them to win it all anyway. So let’s turn our attention to the rest of the season, which begins today with the first of three games against the Baltimore Orioles, who traded the Cubs a reliever this week. Speaking of which, this weekend will be all about Ryne Sandberg, whose number will be lining the grass behind home plate. For the love of Ryne. pic.twitter.com/5fOubhwF1J— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) August 1, 2025 The Cubs are also going to wear his number on every jersey on Saturday: Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney announced the team will wear blue #23 jerseys without last names at Wrigley Field on Saturday to honor Ryne Sandberg 💙 pic.twitter.com/ifSM4TGNNr— Cubs on CHSN (@CHSN_Cubs) July 31, 2025 Other Ryno stuff: Luke Combs closing out day one of Lolla. Singing Fast Car. In a Ryne Sandberg jersey ♥️ pic.twitter.com/aI2afSZoxL— Heidi Stevens (@HeidiStevens13) August 1, 2025 Might I also suggest grabbing one of these Obvious Shirts if you haven’t already (the proceeds for which are being donated): An incredible Ryne Sandberg shirt from @obvious_shirts is now available: HERE: https://t.co/5SrRRxMzsf pic.twitter.com/Gq9QSwQxeJ— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 30, 2025 Justin Steele and Tom Brady is a sight: Cubs Justin Steele and Tom Brady locked in a deep convo about ripping packs. Brady is opening a store across the street from Wrigley. About 10 Cubs were here for the grand opening. pic.twitter.com/QkN7n3sUIp— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) August 1, 2025 Owen Caissie, still a Cub, doing cool things: Owen Caissie makes a miraculous diving catch in the outfield! pic.twitter.com/OBPUhFwK2B— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) August 1, 2025 I don’t know if Caissie will come up at all this season, even when rosters expand, unless there is a need. But for now, I’m glad the Cubs have him. I hope, however, that his presence does not give the Cubs a reason not to re-sign Kyle Tucker this offseason. I am also really curious to see how, if at all, the Cubs use Moises Ballesteros from here. In case you missed it in the madness, the Cubs DFA’d Ryan Pressly: That’s Over: The Cubs Are DFA-ing Ryan Presslyhttps://t.co/wchaHV6e4t— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) July 31, 2025 Yes, he had a good stretch there for a minute, and yes, I thought he had figured enough out to be useful (and even wrote articles about it). But I was wrong, circumstances changed, and he did not look like he had enough over the last couple of weeks. Okay, I think that’s about enough for right now. I gotta go do the series preview, and the lineup will be out soon enough. Go Cubs. Win it all. Then go re-sign Kyle Tucker. Cool? MORE CUBS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter

The Day-After Reactions, Not Doing Enough, But Hoping for the Best and Other Cubs Bullets

2025 Bleacher Nation Blogathon - Make-A-Wish Foundation We All Have the Power to Grant a Wish�. Help grant wishes by donating to my fundraising page today!

Holy what - I just woke from my post-Blogathon slumber to see that the fundraiser for Make-A-Wish has exploded past $33,000! You all are incredible. site.wish.org/goto/2025bnb...

a red and blue background with the words that 's all folks on it ALT: a red and blue background with the words that 's all folks on it

And now, after 40 hours, the BN Blogathon is at a close. Thanks again for everything and super duper goodnight.

The 2025 BN Blogathon: Final Tallies, Final Thoughts, and Big Thanks Hour 39 is here. Just about 30 more minutes of staying up, musing on the Cubs, and considering the action (or inaction) from the day, before I can lay down for a glorious sleep. Before I do that, though, I needed to tell you all how much I love and appreciate your support throughout the Blogathon. Your kind words, your generosity, your attention – it means so much to me as I’m grinding through the toughest parts of this stunt. I know that I could not have made it through one of these things, much less 15 of ’em, without the great people of this community. Thank you for supporting Make-A-Wish Illinois throughout the Blogathon fundraising process. I believe deeply in their mission to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. I believe that these are experiences that these kids and their families need, and it doesn’t happen without the support of people like you. Thanks to your generosity, the BN Blogathon this year has raised more than $28,000 to support Make-A-Wish, which is a staggering figure, and I believe it’s right around the record (maybe we can still get to $30,000 to set a new record!). The total sum we’ve raised over the years of the Blogathon is now past $241,000. It’s jaw-dropping. I was honored this year to receive the 2025 Volunteer Fundraiser Award from Make-A-Wish Illinois, but I hope you folks really do know that it’s all you. I may do some typing and whatnot, but without this generous community, none of it matters. And, by all means, if you haven’t yet given to Make-A-Wish and feel compelled to do so, you can go right here and support the cause. As for the substance of this year’s Blogathon, my initial measure of success is always simply whether I can pull off the 40 hours or not. I haven’t been defeated yet, though I’ll admit that certain physical elements – the ‘ole body just not feeling very good by Day Two – get tougher each year. Hey, it’s not supposed to be easy. Of course it’s not just about staying awake for 40 hours; it’s about covering the action. This year’s total post count was 72, including this one. I have no idea how or why there was so much more content this year (it was 54 posts last year), but I guess the action did pick up a lot at the end of the first day. And then today really was crazy in the final hour, even if we were left feeling disappointed about one specific part of the Cubs’ deadline efforts. Oh, hey, and there were 10 live streams and a live podcast recording! Whew. Very full two days. I know I just said it, but I’ll say it again, because it’s the biggest piece of how I feel right now at the close of the Blogathon: I’m just so grateful. To all of you. To Make-A-Wish Illinois. To Michael. To Reid. To the rest of the crew here at BN. To my wife. To my kids. All of you together are what make this event possible, and I’m happy to do my part with all of your blessings. I am so grateful for your support throughout the #BNBlogathon, and so proud that we get to support such a wonderful organization as @MakeAWish & @WishIllinois. Hour 39, here I come. pic.twitter.com/wHnXe0hdFj— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) August 1, 2025

The 2025 BN Blogathon: Final Tallies, Final Thoughts, and Big Thanks

Jed Hoyer Speaks About Why No Additional Starting Pitcher Trade Some initial post-Trade Deadline comments from Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer on the way the pitching moves sorted out … Jed Hoyer: "From a SP standpoint, it was a really tight market. Very few rental starters. Of the marquee controllable starters, none of them changed hands. We didn’t acquire them but no one else did either. We felt the asking price was something we couldn’t do to the future.”— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 31, 2025 As for rentals, Hoyer wouldn't talk on Merrill Kelly specifically but said: "Sometimes you line up with teams and sometimes you don't."— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) July 31, 2025 “We actually tried to sign him this offseason … he’s a guy we’ve liked for a long time.” Jed Hoyer on Michael Soroka. pic.twitter.com/NEntsQnNBN— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 31, 2025 “The focus was starting pitching, and it was a tight starting pitching market.” Jed Hoyer on the MLB trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/OMUGyBHCJ8— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) July 31, 2025 No real surprises in the comments there. The inventory was tight (mostly fair), the prices were very high (was true on many), and none of the controllable starters were traded to any team (fair). And the Cubs did make four individual trades that made sense, netted quality players, and improved the team. But, like I wrote earlier, the job was nevertheless to bolster an area of the greatest hole on the roster. And for as much as you might like Mike Soroka, I don’t feel like the Cubs accomplished it.

Jed Hoyer Speaks About Why No Additional Starting Pitcher Trade

That’s Over: The Cubs Are DFA-ing Ryan Pressly Although the Cubs did add two and a half relievers at the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline (depending on how they use Mike Soroka), they did not get a sure-fire, back-end arm that could either set up or share the load with Daniel Palencia. And now, their first choice at closer this season, Ryan Pressly, is being designated for assignment per Patrick Mooney. Cubs DFA Ryan Pressly After whiffing on a few other high-profile free agent relief targets this winter (not all of those were bad whiffs, in hindsight…), the Cubs swung a trade for displaced Astros closer Ryan Pressly in late January. It was the second-straight offseason in which the Cubs got an over-the-hill, probably-not-the-same guy, former Astros late-inning reliever, following the Hector Neris deal in 2024. And for the second straight year, that former Astros reliever has been let go two-thirds of the way through the season. This time, to make room for newly acquired reliever Taylor Rodgers. The Cubs will remain on the hook for the prorated portion of the $8.5M they owed Pressly this year, minus possible the Major League minimum if he picks up elsewhere. As for the decision to jettison Ryan Pressly at all, I’m not sure many will be surprised. © David Banks-Imagn Images Opening the year as the closer, Pressly got off to a horrific start with the Cubs, allowing 11 runs to score over his first 13.0 IP. Worse than the results, he just didn’t look very good at all. So around mid-May, the Cubs handed the closing duties over to Porter Hodge, while Pressly got a mini reset and tried to reestablish himself in the middle innings/bottom of the Cubs pen. And for a while, it seemed to be working. From May 9 through July 18, Pressly had a 0.77 ERA with a 55.1% groundball rate. But anyone actually watching these games could tell you that with the exception of a few outings when he looked like something closer to the guy he was last year, Pressly just didn’t have it. And in the five appearances he’s made since that cutoff, it all started catching up with him: 4 walks, 4 homers, 7ER in 5.0 IP. So without much other optional flexibility in the pen (and three new pitchers added to the staff), Ryan Pressly was the odd man out. And it’s a shame. There was always a chance that Pressly could have been a useful part of this bullpen, even if he wasn’t the closer. But it just wasn’t happening. So now, for the second straight year, the Cubs are ditching their highest profile offseason addition to the pen with nothing to show for it. At least they got a sure-fire, late-inning reliever at the deadline to make up for it!* *They did not.

That’s Over: The Cubs Are DFA-ing Ryan Pressly

Last-Minute Trades Around the League (And Surprising Non-Trades) Those last 20 minutes were pretty crazy, with the Cubs acquiring Willi Castro and Taylor Rogers, and a whollllle lot of other action going on around the league. It’s impossible to catalogue it all in real-time while trying to write up the Castro and Rogers trades (and my overall take on the Cubs’ deadline), so I wanted to round up the moves that I hadn’t written up elsewhere in case you missed any … Let’s start with the Brewers, who picked up very-good-again reliever Shelby Miller from the Diamondbacks, together with … Jordan Montgomery? He’s out after Tommy John surgery, so this has to have been some kind of procedural/financial maneuvering. Miller has been out with a forearm strain, by the way. Weird trade all around. But I expect it to work out incredibly for the Brewers. The Brewers also sent Nestor Cortes and a top-20 prospect in their system, Jorge Quintana, to the Padres for outfielder Brandon Lockridge. He hits a bit at Triple-A, hasn’t yet in the big leagues, and runs well with good outfield defense. A very Brewers profile. The Rays picked up Griffin Jax from the Twins in a straight up swap for Taj Bradley, which feels like an opportunistic play by the Twins (and few other teams could’ve matched the potential upside in Bradley). The Twins sent Alex Coulombe to the Rangers as part of their massive sell-off. The Yankees acquired reliever Camilo Doval from the Giants, and that would’ve been a nice get. They also got utility man Jose Caballero in a swap with the Rays for Everson Pereira. So much intradivisional trading this year. You notice that? The Cardinals didn’t go too much deeper in their sell-off today, sending out rental reliever Phil Maton to the Rangers and that was it. Miguel Andujar isn’t much of a defender, but he can play multiple spots and is hitting above average overall. A nice get for the Reds, who added around the margins. The Phillies take a chance on Matt Manning, who just couldn’t stick with the Tigers. Meanwhile, those Tigers traded for Charlie Morton. The Dodgers traded for outfielder Alex Call, the kind of complementary fourth outfielder whom most teams would love to have. On the flip side of things, there were some surprising non-moves. Neither of the Marlins starters, Sandy Alcantara or Edward Cabrera, was ultimately traded. Prices must have stayed very high, because I know there was a lot of interest. Similarly, Zac Gallen didn’t go, and I expect the Diamondbacks simply couldn’t find a trade return that they preferred to the possibility of just making him a Qualifying Offer after the season and seeing what happens. Obviously MacKenzie Gore and Joe Ryan did not get dealt. Luis Robert stays with the White Sox, who seemed destined to decline his option after the season and make him a really interesting free agent story. The Guardians, despite their troubles, didn’t really sell off other than trading away a rehabbing Shane Bieber. For all their additions, the Padres didn’t wind up subtracting as many expected. Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez stayed. It cost the Padres a mountain of prospects to do it, but they dramatically improved today. Mason Miller, JP Sears, Nestor Cortes, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Will Wagner, and Freddy Fermin. It’s really almost a different team. Nearly a third of the active roster is turning over in one day!

Last-Minute Trades Around the League (And Surprising Non-Trades)

Thinking Through the Things the Cubs Did and Didn’t Do at the Trade Deadline This exercise is as much for me as it is for you. I want to walk through what the Chicago Cubs did and did not do at this year’s Trade Deadline and see if I land on an overall sense of what just happened (or didn’t). In terms of volume, hey, the Cubs actually had an extremely active Trade Deadline, which is going to require opening up a lot of spots on the active roster before tomorrow’s game. The Cubs acquired righty Mike Soroka, righty Andrew Kittredge, lefty Taylor Rogers, and utility man Willi Castro. In isolation, I can talk myself into each and every one of those moves as ranging from “fine” to “good.” The Cubs needed more depth and impact in the bullpen, and although the additions are a little more match-up-oriented than I’d like to see, both arms have been quite successful over the years. The Cubs needed a starting pitcher or two, and they added a guy who offers some reasons under the hood to believe he could be very good for the Cubs (and/or could swing into the bullpen and be very good there). And then you have the one positional addition, who was one of the best position players traded this year. Very happy to have him, as he’s a great complementary fit on this roster. But when you step back and look at the whole of the deadline, you see a series of moves that were clearly designed to bolster/support/supplement/patch holes, rather than really make an outsized impact on the team’s performance down the stretch and into the postseason. I don’t love that. I know that the prices are the prices, and impact players are definitionally few and far between, and it takes a willing trade partner to get a deal done, and all that. But this Cubs team is a game out of the division and the best record in the National League. If that doesn’t call for being really aggressive to add impact, I don’t know what does. Of course, it’s also only fair to say that if you have a roster this good, you also want to make sure you protect against downside risk in the months ahead, when you can no longer make trades. The Cubs certainly did a good job of that today. It isn’t as sexy (or important?) as impact, but it definitely matters. All right. I can see inside my own brain what is happening. I’m stalling. I’m stalling because I don’t want to overreact to the most obvious failing when I’m sitting here on zero sleep and a severely reduced capacity for logic. But I have to say it: how on EARTH do you go through this deadline without adding a more sure-fire starting pitcher than Soroka? For all the reasons we’ve discussed, this Cubs rotation is laden with tremendous risk in the regular season and in the postseason. It’s a rotation that was SCREAMING for at least a mid-rotation arm. And instead, the Cubs got a flyer. It’s a flyer I might like in Soroka, but it’s not a sure-fire guy you know can start a playoff game for you. That’s what they needed. There were several on the market this year. The Cubs did not get one. That’s a failing. I won’t beat up on the front office too badly for not getting one of the controllable front-two-type starters since none of those guys were ultimately traded. I’m sure the prices were just too obscene for any team to seriously contemplate this time around. And I’ll also note that many of the good-to-interesting other starters who’ve come up in rumors – Zac Gallen, Dylan Cease, Zach Eflin, Andrew Heaney, Mitch Keller, Jeffrey Springs, etc., etc. – didn’t get traded either. I don’t know how I would’ve felt about some of those guys anyway. But Merrill Kelly did get traded. Adrian Houser did get traded. Charlie Morton did get traded. Zack Littell did get traded. Dustin May did get traded. Some starting pitchers of consequence did get traded. Lots were available and didn’t move, but maybe they could have. Lots were available and did get moved, and maybe the Cubs could’ve swooped in. I’m sure we’ll find out in time that the Cubs did try, and the prices were prohibitive, and they really like Soroka, and Javier Assad and Jameson Taillon are coming back, and on and on. It’s fine. It’s all true. But I don’t really need to hear it. I’m disappointed in this moment about the starting pitcher approach, specifically. Also, I’m kinda bummed that the Cubs couldn’t have topped what the Yankees sent to the Pirates for David Bednar. I wanted that guy. Cubs could’ve used another late-inning arm. OK. I said my peace on that front. Stepping back, would I say this was a successful Trade Deadline for the Cubs? Pretty hard to go that far when they didn’t add an impactful starting pitcher, and that was the most obvious need. But I will credit them that adding four useful players in a single deadline is actually pretty rare, and these are definitely four useful players. They could, together with an already-strong roster, help these Cubs win the division. I don’t want to discount that part, or lose sight of it through my frustration. We’ll see how I feel once I’ve gotten some sleep. The Blogathon has a few more hours to go, though …

Thinking Through the Things the Cubs Did and Didn’t Do at the Trade Deadline

Chicago Cubs Acquire Lefty Reliever Taylor Rogers That’s funny. When Taylor Rogers was included in the Ke’Bryan Hayes deal yesterday, I said it was purely about salary offset and that the Pirates would probably try to trade him from there. Didn’t think it would be to the Cubs: Taylor Rogers, who was acquired by the Pirates in the Ke'Bryan Hayes deal yesterday, is being traded to the Cubs, per source.— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 31, 2025 Rogers, 34, is the lefty version of the twin-hurlers who were traded yesterday. There was money involved in the Pirates-Reds trade, so I’m not sure how much salary he’s coming with. The peripherals this season are not what you’d want to see – especially the 13.0% walk rate – but the results have been great for most of his career: (via FanGraphs) It’s a bit more luck this year than you’d like to see, but obviously he has a long track record of success. With Drew Pomeranz on shaky ground and Luke Little leaving his last outing at Iowa with the athletic trainer, I believe, it’s easy to see why the Cubs might want another veteran lefty in the mix just in case. More soon.

Chicago Cubs Acquire Lefty Reliever Taylor Rogers

Pitcher Trades: Nester Cortes to the Padres, Dustin May to the Red Sox – Ope, Also Houser to the Rays Things are flying so fast right now, with 7 minutes to go before the deadline. Padres acquiring LHP Nestor Cortes Jr. from Brewers, source tells @TheAthletic— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2025 The Boston Red Sox are acquiring right-hander Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers, sources tell ESPN.— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 31, 2025 That’s two playoff teams sending away starting pitchers for which they weren’t going to have a spot. And the Padres getting Cortes makes me think all the more that Cease is about to be traded. As I type, Adrian Houser is sent to the Rays, who are buying and selling.

Pitcher Trades: Nester Cortes to the Padres, Dustin May to the Red Sox – Ope, Also Houser to the Rays

BREAKING: Chicago Cubs Reportedly Acquiring Utility Man Willi Castro Next to Eugenio Suarez, this was the realistic positional trade I was hoping the Cubs would make. I am very happy (pending the return, as always). Willi Castro to Cubs for prospects— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 31, 2025 Willi Castro, 28, is a switch-hitting super-utility guy who can play any position (though a little less well at shortstop or in center field), and who is hitting .245/.335/.407/109 wRC+ on the season. That basically matches what he’s hit the last two seasons, too. He’s just a good player to have on your roster. With the Cubs’ extreme bench problems this year, Castro immediately represents a massive upgrade to the group. Moreover, on days he starts at third base, he is very likely to provide much more offense than the Cubs had been seeing at the position before Matt Shaw’s recent surge. And, by the way, if Shaw has given the Cubs reason to believe he’ll keep surging, then they can keep starting him a lot! Castro can play all over, and starts can be chosen judiciously to maximize matchups. That’s part of the value of having a guy like Castro. You don’t just have to plop him into one spot and bounce another guy. Castro is making $6.4 million this year before hitting free agency. More coming soon.

BREAKING: Chicago Cubs Reportedly Acquiring Utility Man Willi Castro