There’s a little Cubs talk here (full season preview coming next episode!), but today it’s mostly all WBC talk. The tournament that the best players in the world universally loved playing in ended with Japan defeating the USA in a one-run game that came down to a full count, between the world’s two best baseball players: Ohtani & Trout. If you don’t like this, unfortunately, you don’t like baseball. It ruled. And because it was a game that mattered, Kyle Schwarber also homered.

With the WBC done, now it’s time for the big show: CACTUS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!! Then, opening day.

Season Preview coming next week!

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5th starter talk — can you feel the excitement?! There actually IS some excitement among the three candidates for the role: Javier Assad is ripping 97 mph heaters in the WBC for Team Mexico, looking better than ever, Hayden Wesneski has been almost literally perfect (and seems to have a stranglehold on that #5 spot) and Adrian Sampson has been giving up just a St. Patrick’s Day appropriate amount of taters. We also talk a little bit about the winners and losers in the WBC so far, and go into the insane tie-breaker language for the tournament.

Season Preview coming…soon!

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Cubs Twitter favorite @InfieldFlyGrl joins Kevin to talk about the World Baseball Classic! We talk about the tournament format, what teams to look out for for both quality and fun, introduce some great players you might not know about (yet), and highlight some truly 80-grade, top-tier nicknames. IFG follows international baseball more closely than anyone we know and gives us a great primer on some March baseball that ACTUALLY matters to fans and players alike, especially the substitute teachers out there getting their moment in the spotlight.

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The (fake) games have begun, and Seiya Suzuki’s oblique has shut down. We talk about the impact of Seiya’s injury, the timetable for his return, and who might fill in in right field while he’s out. We also talk about the first week of spring games, the automatic ball and strike fiasco, and the Cubs who have been most fun to watch in the early going.

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The Cubs have signed a new reliever, bringing the Spring roster almost to completion with Michael Fulmer joining on a 1-year, $4 million deal. Baseball has announced a series of new rules that will begin with Spring Training game #1, including bigger bases, limited pickoffs, the (almost) elimination of the shift, and a pitch clock. And, we talk about the upcoming World Baseball Classic, and where you can find Cubs on each team.

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Our friend Ken Schultz (Outsports) joins us to give us a rundown of all the news and fun from this week’s Cubs convention: Ryno’s statue, Ian Happ’s live podcast, Tom Ricketts’ attempt at crowdwork, and Nico’s rugged look. Also, analyzing the Cubs new signing, 1B/OF Trey Mancini.

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On our first episode of the new year, we go in depth about new Cubs signings Tucker Barnhart (official) and Eric Hosmer (not quite yet, but, pretty surely a Cub). And because it might be a little more fun, instead of a “Happy New Year 2023,” we skip ahead to 2024, look in the crystal ball, and analyze where the Cubs are at in January of NEXT year.

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For the first time since Yu Darvish, the Cubs have signed a $100 million dollar player. Dansby Swanson signed a 7 year, $177 million dollar deal to presumably take over shortstop and join with Nico Hoerner in the league’s best defensive middle infield. Drew Smyly also reportedly has agreed to return, filling out the Cubs rotation and giving it truly solid depth. The offense? Well…it’s not there yet. We talk a little bit about rumored targets Michael Conforto and Trey Mancini, and we only talk about the remaining catching options as much as we legally have to. Welcome to Chicago, Dansby!

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With the top three shortstops off the board, it’s time to talk about how we got here, where we go from here, and we welcome the rest of Cubs world to the emotional state we’ve been occupying for about two years. Ricketts & Kenney say the money is there, Jed Hoyer seemingly can’t find it, and now we wait to see what combination of free agents left we can cobble together, and talk about how this year is shaping up to be one where we might — again — be flipping expiring contracts like Happ, Hendricks, and Stroman (who could opt out at the end of this year, and why wouldn’t he?). Oh, and the Cubs signed Brad Boxberger. That’s good.

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The Winter Meetings have been crazy: shortstops are all signing for 11 years, Willson Contreras is officially a Cardinal, and Cody Bellinger and Jameson Taillon are new Cubs. We talk through all of that, and ask where do we go from here? We’ve opened the checkbook…now It’s time to keep signing those checks.

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