The Rundown: Cubs Find Long-Lost Swagger, Sosa Breaks Silence on Steroid Era, Sasaki Makes Spring Debut

I think Matt Shaw is going to be fine, but Cubs fans may regret losing Alex Bregman to the Red Sox. Like his ex-Astros teammates, Bregman brings a winning attitude to a clubhouse. The Cubs have been lacking player leadership for several seasons, and Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly have immediately filled that void. When you add Justin Turner and a rejuvenated Pete Crow-Armstrong to the mix, the gap closes quickly.

The Cubs have — dare I say — the type of swagger we haven’t seen since 2016, with Justin Steele being the lone exception. A team that is expected to play beyond its projections needs somebody to fire up the boys, so to speak. Bregman might have been the final piece, though we’ll never know what difference he might have made.

That’s not a knock against Shaw, who could eventually be better than Bregman, but he will have to be outstanding to outpace his veteran counterpart this season. The Cubs figure to clinch the NL Central if Shaw is part of the NL Rookie of the Year conversations come August and September. Veteran leadership will help Shaw transition to the bigs, and the expected uptick in offense by his teammates will keep pressure to produce off the rookie’s shoulders.

Put another way, Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner could be the weak links in Chicago’s lineup. It’s fair to add Miguel Amaya to that group, too, but I don’t like picking on catchers. I’ll go to war with that type of firepower, especially because Swanson and Hoerner are Gold Glove middle infielders who have specific skillsets at the plate. It’s reasonable to expect 20 home runs and 80 RBI from Swanson, with 30-40 stolen bases from Hoerner once he’s healthy.

The Cactus Cubs have been on fire this spring, and though I personally credit the influence of Sammy Sosa, Tucker, Turner, and Pressly are the type of veterans Chicago has been missing. The team is having fun again, and I believe Chicago is one top-of-rotation starter shy of being a top-two National League team. They’re beating the crap out of their opponents despite Tucker’s struggles. Even though exhibition games mean nothing, winning is always contagious.

Cubs News & Notes

• The Cubs are bringing back reliever Yency Almonte on a minor league deal. Almonte was 1-0 with one save and a 3.45 ERA in 17 appearances last season,
• MLB Pipeline placed seven Cubs prospects in its updated Top 100 list. Shaw leads the contingent at No. 19, followed by Cade Horton (51), Owen Caissie (53), and Moises Ballesteros (68). They’re followed by James Triantos (72), Kevin Alcantara (89), and Jefferson Rojas (96). Graduates from last year’s list include Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch. Cam Smith, who was traded for Tucker, is ranked No. 58. Former Cubs Jackson Ferris (70) and Zyhir Hope (74) also made the list. The Cubs have obviously drafted well under Jed Hoyer.
• Chicago’s position player prospect talent is reminiscent of the 2014-15 class that led the Cubs to a championship in 2016.
• Jameson Taillon pitched a sim game on Monday rather than face the Diamondbacks. He’s already faced Arizona once, and he’s lined up to start against the D-backs when the regular season gets underway at the end of March. Caleb Kilian took his place in the Cactus League contest.
• Gage Workman has had a great spring and deserves to make the team, but he may not have a path to a roster spot. As a Rule 5 pick, the Cubs must keep Workman on the 26-man roster all season or else return him back to the Tigers.
• Workman and Vidal Bruján are fighting for the final spot on the 26-man roster manager Craig Counsell is expected to field in Tokyo in two weeks.
• Bruján and Jon Berti add a significant amount of speed to Chicago’s lineup when they take the field.
• Chicago’s travel roster will include 31 players, including some who are still non-rostered. That will allow the team to make some of its more difficult decisions after the two-game set with the Dodgers.
• Workman has made an impression in spring training, batting .364/.423/.682 with two homers and eight RBI in nine games thus far. His defense has also been solid for the Cubs.
• Pitching prospect Riley Martin was headed for a career as a pharmacist, but baseball — and COVID — kind of derailed him, at least for now.
•  Minor league hitting coach Rachel Folden is bonding with Chicago’s prospects as she and they forge their paths to Wrigley Field.
• Sosa broke his silence over baseball’s steroid era and remains hopeful the Hall of Fame will eventually recognize his accomplishments. “I read Mark McGwire‘s interview,” Sosa said. “I agree with what he said. There was no testing. There were no rules. We didn’t break any laws…but come on, nobody was blind.”

Odds & Sods

Nothing says “I love baseball” better than John Candy playing Babe Ruth. Don’t be alarmed that he’s wearing No. 4, a jersey that belonged to Lou Gehrig, or that the kid he’s visiting has a Brooklyn Dodgers pennant on his wall. That was all intentional.

"The Babe Ruth Story" ~ All-time classic SCTV sketch starring the great John Candy! #Comedy #Legend #MLB #Baseball #RIPJohnCandy pic.twitter.com/MHcnfky8qk

— Baseball by BSmile (@BSmile) March 4, 2025

Central Intelligence

• Milwaukee: The Brewers have agreed to terms with ex-Cub José Quintana on a one-year deal. The 36-year-old played for the Mets last season and was their best pitcher down the stretch. Quintana allowed just three earned runs in 36.1 September innings.
• St. Louis: Third baseman Nolan Arenado will probably remain with the Cardinals unless the front office is willing to eat most of his remaining contract.
• Cincinnati: MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is mulling a petition to reinstate Pete Rose so that the all-time hits leader may be posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame.
• Pittsburgh: The Pirates have been named MLB’s worst franchise of the last 25 years.

Spring Training News & Notes

Rōki Sasaki made his spring training debut and left spectators in awe.

You can’t stop the Dodgers. You can only hope to contain them.

For the third straight season, the Mets are baseball’s top spending team. Since 2022, New York’s payroll and luxury tax commitments have totaled $1.356 billion.

The days of the classic first baseman such as John Olerud, Don Mattingly, Anthony Rizzo, Mark Grace — long, rangy, great hitter, and left-handed — seem to be over.

The Brewers and White Sox are among a handful of teams that could seek new stadium deals or relocate to other cities.

Kris Bryant is healthy and is swinging with the velocity that drove the early part of his career.

Sliding Into Home

What will it take to extend Tucker? I’m no expert, but I’d bet nine years and $345 million will keep the outfielder in Chicago. Had that offer been available in 2019, the Cubs would have signed Bryce Harper. The 12-year veteran is hoping to extend his current deal with the Phillies, which runs through the 2031 season.

Extra Innings

PCA is better with a bad wheel than most players with two good legs.

Pete Crow-Armstrong turned on the jets🥵 pic.twitter.com/2oob6bxz6b

— MLB (@MLB) March 4, 2025

They Said It

• “It was nothing out of the ordinary. I tend to operate off of some natural tightness. That’s why I’m quick off the ground and everything so it wasn’t concerning. Just thought it was something to be aware of, and I have really good athletic trainers here that noticed, and they got me to make the mature decision.” – Crow-Armstrong
• “I love to win. We got goals here. Win a division, yeah, that’s one of the goals. But winning the World Series is our ultimate goal. And you can’t do that if you’re not competitive. When you push each other — and push each other hard — good things happen.” – Pressly
• “It’s just a good baseball group, man. A lot of guys that love the game, love talking the game, love practicing, wanting to get better. So that’s always nice to be around. You don’t have guys in here that think they’ve got it all figured out. Everyone’s curious, everyone wants to get better every single day and the baseball conversations have been off the charts so far.” – Turner

Wednesday Walk-Up Song

Let’s hope a hot spring means an even hotter start to the regular season.