Chicago Cubs

Some Chicago Cubs fans will be living in luxury when they visit Wrigley Field during the 2025 season.

As Major League Baseball relayed Wednesday, the Cubs will offer new seats in center field that come with unlimited drinks—including beer, seltzer and wine—and meals for each guest.

The seating area can fit as many as 50 fans in all with groups of four to six guests being the ones who can purchase the tickets up to 90 minutes prior to the start of the game:

Brett Taylor of Bleacher Nation shared more information from the official press release for the seating area that is being called "The Yard."

The private rental areas were added in a way that none of the previous bleacher seats were removed, so it won't impact attendance and the number of general-admission seats in the outfield that can be sold.

The Cubs have done similar things like that in the past with private rental areas such as the Hornitos Hacienda in left field and the Budweiser Patio in right field.

Every rental features a table with high-top seating, and those in attendance can choose their meal option from a menu that includes a Small Cheval burger, Vienna Beef hot dog or vegetarian option.

"Fans often tell us that Wrigley Field is their summer home, so we wanted to create a space that feels like their own backyard," Cubs Senior Vice President of Ticketing Cale Vennum said. "The Yard not only offers a cozy and intimate setting, but also addresses feedback we've received about creating bleacher options for smaller groups.

"The historic Budweiser Bleachers have a unique energy unlike anything in Major League Baseball. The Yard sits in the middle of the action but provides an elevated gameday experience in an all-inclusive and reserved space for a few friends or family members."

Cubs fans who purchase tickets in "The Yard" will surely hope to see a playoff team this season after Chicago missed out on the postseason in each of the last four campaigns. Its last playoff win came during the 2017 run to the National League Championship Series, which was the season following its 2016 World Series title.

The Cubs' biggest offseason move with that playoff goal in mind was trading for star outfielder Kyle Tucker. They also added pitchers Ryan Pressly and Colin Rea, although Cody Bellinger is no longer on the team.

Chicago starts it season with two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Japan on March 18 and 19, and its home opener is April 4 against the San Diego Padres.

The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros agreed to a trade Tuesday that sent reliever Ryan Pressly to the Windy City.

The Astros announced they acquired minor league pitcher Juan Bello in exchange for Pressly and cash considerations.

One possible motivation for the Astros could be moving on from Pressly and offloading his salary to facilitate a deal to bring back third baseman Alex Bregman.

Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters this weekend that the the door was "cracked" open for a potential reunion, though he called it a "long shot."

"The interesting thing is when we made some trades and some moves this offseason, we never realized that Bregman would still be on the market at this time," he added. "I think we've had some conversations, and I can leave it there. As I mentioned, the interesting thing is that he's still available. It's not as if we're not talking about it. We've had some conversations."

According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, the Astros already offered Bregman a six-year, $156 million deal this winter and reportedly "wouldn't say 'no'" if he chose to accept that deal. Moving on from a portion of Pressly's salary could perhaps further facilitate talks.

The Astros did prepare contingencies for a potential Bregman departure, signing first baseman Christian Walker and trading for Isaac Edgardo Paredes as part of the deal that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. But retaining Bregman would still be a best-case scenario.

As for Pressly, 36-year-old was 2-3 in the 2024 season with a 3.49 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, four saves and 58 strikeouts in 56.2 innings in a setup role. The long-time closer gave up ninth-inning duties to Josh Hader, however, making him somewhat expendable in the back-end of Houston's bullpen.

For the Cubs, he would likely be the frontrunner to handle the closer's role.

A Houston Astros pitcher is reportedly drawing trade interest this offseason.

Per the New York Post's Jon Heyman, the Chicago Cubs "and many other teams" have inquired about reliever Ryan Pressly. The veteran has a no-trade clause, however, meaning any team that wants to deal for him would first need his approval.

While a handful of teams reportedly asked about Pressly, the Cubs appear to be making the most headway. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Thursday that Chicago is "on the verge of acquiring" Pressly from Houston.

Any deal for Pressly requires him to waive his no-trade clause, but The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported that he hasn't done so yet. Rome also noted that "no deal is imminent."

The Cubs could be a team Pressly is willing to waive his no-trade clause for if they make Houston an offer it agrees with. Chicago is looking to add a reliever to look to in the late innings, which could give Pessly a chance to return to a closer role.

Pressly was a closer for the Astros from 2020 to 2023 and excelled in that role, posting 71 saves and keeping his ERA at 3.58 or lower. Last season, Pressly posted a 3.49 ERA in 59 appearances in a setup role for Houston.

As the Astros try to find a trade for one of their veterans, they're looking to bring back another veteran in free agency.

According to Rome, Houston re-engaged in talks with free agent third basemen Alex Bregman on Thursday. Bregman reportedly declined a six-year offer worth around $156 million from the Astros earlier this offseason and is seeking a deal worth around $200 million.

Bregman, who slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI in 2024, has been a cornerstone for Houston over the past decade but has garnered interest from a handful of teams, namely the Detroit Tigers. If Houston is interested in re-signing Bregman, it will likely need to act fast.

On the weekend of the annual Cubs Convention that serves to get fans excited for the upcoming season, Tom Ricketts did a good job of pouring cold water on any positive vibes that might have been building up.

Appearing on 670 The Score on Saturday, Ricketts pushed back about criticism of the team's perceived lack of spending by saying the Cubs don't have the "dollars" like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and New York Mets when asked about pressure from fans to spend more on payroll.

"They think somehow we have all these dollars that the Dodgers have or the Mets have or the Yankees have and we just keep it," Ricketts said. "Which isn't true at all. What happens is we try to break even every year, and that's about it."

In a separate conversation with The Athletic's Patrick Mooney, Ricketts did state the Cubs would have some payroll flexibility during the season if they wanted to make an addition before the trade deadline.

"We always have the ability to add payroll if we need to at the deadline," Ricketts said. "And if there's a piece we need to keep winning, there's always that option."

Per Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Cubs' 2025 payroll is projected to be $214.4 million. That would rank ninth based on current estimates, but there are still several notable free agents available who will change things.

Mooney did note Ricketts anticipates the payroll will end up around the $241 million luxury-tax threshold, depending on how the rest of free agency goes, what happens at the trade deadline and if they compete for a playoff spot.

The Cubs haven't had a top-five payroll since 2020, per Cot's. They ranked outside the top 10 in each of the previous three seasons.

Ricketts has been one of the MLB owners at the forefront suggesting they never have enough money. He infamously told ESPN's Jesse Rogers the league would suffer losses on a "biblical" scale during the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the same discussion with Rogers, Ricketts said MLB "does not make a lot of cash." MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters during the World Series that league revenues were going to be higher in 2024 than 2023 when it made $11.6 billion.

While it's certainly true there is a huge gap in terms of revenue and operating income between the top and bottom teams in the league, the Cubs should behave much closer to the clubs that Ricketts cited.

Using Forbes' franchise valuations, the Cubs are the fourth-most valuable team in MLB at $4.22 billion. Their revenue of $506 million during the 2023 season ranked behind only the Yankees ($679 million) and Dodgers ($549 million).

The Mets are an outlier in any equation because Steve Cohen is the second-richest owner in American pro sports, trailing only Steve Ballmer of the Los Angeles Clippers, and he's shown a willingness to use his immense wealth to sign players like Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto.

Even when the Cubs made their big offseason move to acquire Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros, they offset his addition by moving Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees in what was essentially a salary-dump deal.

Bellinger didn't replicate his great 2023 performance last season, but he was hardly a bad player with a 111 OPS+ in 130 games. The only Cubs players who had a better OPS+ with at least 500 plate appearances were Seiya Suzuki (138), Ian Happ (120) and Michael Busch (118).

No one is saying the Cubs need to be spending close to $300 million every year like the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets are doing in 2025, but this idea they can't seems foolish for one of the marquee franchises in the sport.

The Cubs haven't made the playoffs since 2020 and haven't won a playoff series since 2017.

Sammy Sosa commented Friday on his induction into the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame, more than 20 years after last playing for the team.

According to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, Sosa addressed fans at the Cubs' annual fan convention, saying: "I've been out for 21 years. I believe the time was right. I'm looking forward to continuing with the great fans."

Sosa played 13 seasons for the Cubs from 1992 to 2004, establishing himself as one of the best and most productive players in franchise history.

For years, Sosa was scrutinized for his suspected use of performance-enhancing drugs. Sosa's attorney testified on his behalf before Congress in 2005, saying he never took PEDs, but the New York Times published a list in 2009 of MLB players who tested positive in 2003, and Sosa was part of it.

That was enough to keep him out of the Baseball Hall of Fame and on the outs with the Cubs until recently.

Per Rogers, the Cubs long hinted that Sosa would have to apologize before being welcomed back into the fold, and he did so last month, saying: "There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games. I never broke any laws. But in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize."

On Friday, Sosa explained why he finally decided to take the steps needed to fix his relationship with the Cubs, noting: "People grow up. That's what happened to me. To give that statement out, it was the right time for me. The response right away was incredible. Now, the door is open, I have to continue to contribute [to the organization]."

Sosa, 56, is one of the most prolific sluggers in MLB history, as his 609 career home runs are ninth on the all-time list.

He is the only player in MLB history with multiple 60-homer seasons, accomplishing the feat three times in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

In 1998, Sosa and then-St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire both had a season for the ages, as they battled it out to set the single-season home run record. Both broke Roger Maris' record of 61 homers, but McGwire ultimately won out with 70 home runs compared to Sosa's 66.

Sosa won the National League MVP Award that season, though, and over the course of his time with the Cubs, he was a seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

He is the Cubs' all-time leader in home runs with 545 and third on the team's all-time RBI list with 1,414.

All told, Sosa slashed .273/.344/.534 with 609 home runs, 1,667 RBI, 2,408 hits, 1,475 runs scored and 234 stolen bases in 18 MLB seasons with the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Cubs and Baltimore Orioles.

As part of his return to the organization and induction into the Cubs Hall of Fame, Sosa and longtime first baseman Derrek Lee will be recognized at a game at Wrigley Field this coming summer.

It will mark the first time Sosa has been at Wrigley Field since he last played for the Cubs in 2004.

The Chicago Cubs will be debuting a new look for the 2025 season.

The Cubs unveiled "Blues Alternate" uniforms in a video posted to X on Thursday.

The jerseys pay homage to Chicago's road uniforms from the late 1970s and are set to replace the team's City Connect uniforms in 2025. The Cubs will be wearing powder blue jerseys for the first time since the 1981 season.

The jerseys feature a new logo that combines details from "blues-era Cubs uniforms with inspiration from music instrument brands," per the team.

The sleeve patch also includes custom lettering on a guitar pick, while the socks feature a six-string guitar stripe.

Chicago will be looking to end a four-year postseason drought in 2025 after finishing each of the past two seasons with 83-79 records. The Cubs have already made one of the major splashes of the offseason so far, acquiring three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a Dec. 13 trade with the Houston Astros.

As Chicago attempts to find its way back into the postseason picture, the team will also be wearing new alternate uniforms.

The Chicago Cubs and outfielder Kyle Tucker reportedly agreed to terms on a contract for 2025 after all and avoided an arbitration hearing

ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported Thursday the two sides agreed to a $16.5 million contract for the upcoming season. Since there will not be a hearing, it also frees Tucker up to be included in the Cubs' fan convention during the coming weekend.

That the number settled in at $16.5 million isn't shocking considering the developments from earlier this month.

Rogers reported on Jan. 9 that the two sides did not come to an agreement after the Cubs filed at $15 million and Tucker's representatives filed at $17.5 million. It seemed to set the stage for an eventual arbitration hearing before he even played a game for the National League Central team.

It also seemed less than encouraging for the Cubs' long-term prospects of signing Tucker to a contract extension down the line if they were haggling over a $2.5 million difference shortly after trading for him.

However, Thursday's news means there won't be a potentially contentious hearing and both sides can now turn their attention to the 2025 campaign.

After all, Tucker has been Chicago's major addition this offseason. The team traded infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third base prospect Cam Smith to the Houston Astros for the 27-year-old in a move that immediately bolstered its chances in a National League Central that appears to be wide open.

Even if Tucker is only with the Cubs for this one season before he hits free agency, he raises their ceiling to a potential playoff team.

The three-time All-Star has a World Series title, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger on his resume with the ability to anchor a team's lineup. While he was limited to just 78 games last season, he still launched 23 home runs after hitting 29 and leading the league with 112 RBI in 2023.

Tucker hit 30 homers in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022 and will make Chicago's lineup far more dangerous in 2025.

And now he and the team know what he will be making as he does so.

As Alex Bregman continues to wait for a contract in free agency, the Chicago Cubs could be an option for the two-time All-Star if the interest from the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers doesn't lead to a deal.

Per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score, the Cubs recently had "casual conversations with Bregman's agent, Scott Boras."

Levine did note the Cubs aren't interested in a long-term deal for Bregman, but they would be willing to talk if he wanted to think about a short-term offer.

The Tigers feel like a natural fit for Bregman given their need for more hitting after making the playoffs last season, combined with his already-established relationship with manager A.J. Hinch from their time together with the Houston Astros.

Boston is trying to figure out what to do about third base going into the 2025 season. Rafael Devers has spent the majority of his career at the position, but he's been the worst defensive third baseman by defensive runs saved in MLB since his rookie year in 2017.

Recently, USA Today's Bob Nightengale cited the Toronto Blue Jays as having the "strongest interest" in Bregman.

Nightengale also noted Bregman was receiving interest from multiple clubs, but his price tag will likely end up lower than the $200 million he was seeking when the offseason started.

Per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal on the Foul Territory podcast (starts at 4:55 mark), the Red Sox are operating with the approach they don't think Bregman wants to play in Toronto and the Tigers won't make an aggressive offer to sign him.

Levine suggested the Cubs could look to offer Bregman a deal similar to their pact with Cody Bellinger when he signed a three-year, $80 million contract last offseason with player opt-outs after each of the first two seasons.

Bregman would almost certainly require a higher average annual salary than Bellinger did, but it's getting to the point in the offseason when the market might require him to settle for a short-term contract.

The first two teams to report for spring training are the Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers on Feb. 9 and 11, respectively. The remaining teams will open camp on Feb. 12 or 13.

After trading Isaac Paredes to the Houston Astros earlier this offseason as part of the Kyle Tucker deal, the Cubs could go into 2025 with top prospect Matt Shaw as their starting third baseman.

If the Cubs can convince Bregman to take a short-term deal that might allow him to test free agency again next offseason, they could try to plug in Shaw at second base and attempt to move Nico Hoerner in a trade for pitching help.

Given where the market appears to be at for Bregman, there's no reason for the Cubs not to at least explore options for him with the NL Central looking wide open in 2025.

The Chicago Cubs announced Sunday that seven-time All-Star Sammy Sosa will appear at their Cubs Con event in January.

Relations between the franchise and Sosa had been frayed for some time. That changed when the 1998 National League MVP released a statement this month in which he appeared to admit to using performance-enhancing substances.

"There were times I did whatever I could to recover from injuries in an effort to keep my strength up to perform over 162 games," he said. "I never broke any laws, but in hindsight, I made mistakes and I apologize."

Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts pointed toward a thawing of the cold war with Sosa after the statement and said the organization hoped to include him at Cubs Con.

Sosa is the franchise's all-time leader in home runs with 545, and his prodigious slugging helped excite the fanbase amid a relative fallow period for the Cubs. Chicago made the playoffs just twice in his 13 seasons in the Windy City.

Like so many other stars from that period, however, the specter of PED usage has cast a cloud over Sosa's achievements. The 56-year-old denied using banned substances during Congressional testimony in 2005 but reportedly had a positive test two years before that.

The Ricketts family didn't purchase the Cubs until 2009, long after Sosa played for the franchise. His last year in Chicago was in 2004 and he was subsequently gone from MLB altogether after the 2007 season.

Still, Sosa's prolonged exile from the Cubs spoke volumes about how ownership viewed him and his alleged indiscretions.

At Cubs Con in 2023, Ricketts answered a fan question on Sosa and remained noncommittal about any official reunion.

"I'd like to get it behind us as well," the team executive said, per The Athletic's Patrick Mooney. "But I just want to be thoughtful about it and do it in a way that's respectful of both the people that love Sammy as a player, as I did, and people that respect the game, too. I think there's a balance in there somewhere, and maybe we'll find that at some point."

Even under normal circumstances, Sosa would court a warm reception from fans. His Cubs Con appearance is likely going to garner a raucous reaction given what it symbolizes.

Andre Dawson, Kerry Wood and Billy Williams are among the other Cubs legends who have been confirmed for next month's three-day festivities.

Despite making a splashy move this offseason to add Kyle Tucker to their lineup, the Chicago Cubs still look like a team trying to find a direction with a roster full of solid players and few stars.

Speaking to ESPN's Jesse Rogers, one agent sarcastically said this offseason is the Cubs' "version of going all-in" to try winning.

The Tucker trade with the Houston Astros was a great move in isolation. He's exactly the type of star-level player the Cubs have been lacking for years. His 180 wRC+ last season was tied with Juan Soto for third in MLB (min. 300 plate appearances). The only players ahead of him were Aaron Judge (218) and Shohei Ohtani (181).

Chicago did have to give up a top-100 prospect in Cam Smith, but the other pieces in the deal were non-essential players (Isaac Paredes and Hayden Wesneski).

Five days after the Tucker trade, though, the Cubs turned around and basically gave Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees in a salary dump. They received Cody Poteet, a 30-year-old reliever with 83 innings of MLB experience, back in the deal.

Rogers did note the front office could reallocate some of the money they saved by swapping out Bellinger's $25 million salary in 2025 for Tucker's estimated $16.7 million salary to other areas of the roster, but there's no indication they are in on any of the top remaining free agents.

Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer raised a lot of eyebrows at his end-of-season press conference in October by saying their players "have to beat projections" for them to be a contending team.

Hoping that players exceed what's expected of them is not a successful organizational strategy, or at least it shouldn't be for one of the marquee franchises in MLB.

A team like the Cubs should have been in on Juan Soto before he signed and should be in on Corbin Burnes, but The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney reported on Nov. 8 they were ruling out pursuits of either player.

As things currently stand, the Cubs are projected to spend $54 million less on payroll in 2025 ($174 million) than they did in 2024 ($228 million). This makes it even more baffling they traded for Tucker, who has one year of team control before hitting free agency next offseason.

Tucker is the type of player a team trying to contend for a World Series adds to put them over the top. The Cubs have a shot to challenge for the top spot in the NL Central because the Milwaukee Brewers lost Willy Adames in free agency and traded Devin Williams to the Yankees.

But the Cubs roster, even with Tucker, isn't close to being at the level of top-tier NL contenders like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies or San Diego Padres. The Atlanta Braves could join that group in 2025 depending on how quickly Ronald Acuña Jr. and Spencer Strider return from injuries.

If Hoyer's hope that at least some players exceed projections comes true, the Cubs might be able to compete with that group of teams. It's a dangerous way for him to operate since he's entering the final season of his contract in 2025 with no playoff appearances since being promoted to his current job in November 2020.