Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs plan on offering catcher Willson Contreras a qualifying offer this offseason.

"We'll continue that dialogue," president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said while confirming as much, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune. "We've talked to Willson, we've talked to his representative, so I don't want to make any assumptions there."

Tim Stebbins of NBC Chicago noted the qualifying offer is for one year and approximately $19 million. What's more, the Cubs will receive draft pick compensation should Contreras turn it down.

It seemed like this past season was Contreras' final one with the Cubs a number of times.

There was surprise when he wasn't traded at the deadline considering Chicago was not a contender and could have landed prospects for the veteran backstop. Then there were multiple times when Contreras was visibly emotional in the dugout at Wrigley Field as it seemed like his tenure with the only Major League Baseball team he's known was drawing to a close.

"This is a spot that I wanted to be since I was a kid, and I did everything I could to reach free agency," Contreras recently said, per Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. "So it makes me proud.

"At the same time it makes me a little nostalgic to leave my team. But everything happens for a reason, and I'm ready for whatever comes next."

If Contreras does turn down the offer and hits free agency, it would be impossible to call his time with the Cubs anything but a success. His seven years with the team included three All-Star appearances and a World Series crown, which happened when he was a rookie and broke a 108-year championship drought.

He hit a home run in his first MLB at-bat during that 2016 campaign and was a key piece in the team's title run.

The 30-year-old slashed .243/.349/.466 with 22 home runs and 55 RBI this season. While the majority of his prime may be in the rearview mirror at this point, he is still a productive offensive catcher who figures to generate plenty of interest this offseason.

The Washington Nationals banned two fans from Nationals Park for five years after making inappropriate comments toward Chicago Cubs star Willson Contreras, according to the Chicago Tribune's Meghan Montemurro.

Following his team's 7-5 win over the Nationals on Tuesday, Contreras referenced an incident in which heckling by Nationals fans crossed the line:

Per Montemurro, the exchange came in the 10th inning. Contreras hit a sacrifice fly and began talking to one fan on his way back to the dugout. The report noted at least one fan was escorted away from their seat by security.

This comes two weeks after Kansas City Royals reliever Amir Garrett tossed his drink toward a fan behind the team's dugout during a game against the Chicago White Sox.

"Listen the disrespect is insane in these parks," Garrett wrote on Twitter in the immediate aftermath. "I really wish I could go to someone’s work and run my mouth. These are grown men talking slick. How miserable do you have to be with your own life?"

The southpaw subsequently apologized and received a three-game suspension, which is under appeal.

Contreras was rested for Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Nationals, with Yan Gomes getting the start at catcher.

The three-time All-Star has appeared in 98 games, batting .247 and slugging .455 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI.

Veteran outfielder Jason Heyward is set to find a new home this offseason.

Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer told reporters Monday that Heyward will not be on the team in 2023 despite having one year and $22 million remaining on his contract. Hoyer said there have been discussions with Heyward, who intends to keep playing, so Chicago will allow him to find a new team when the season is over.

Heyward, who is on the injured list with inflammation in his right knee, signed an eight-year, $184 million deal with Chicago in 2016. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Atlanta Braves and one year with the St. Louis Cardinals before joining the Cubs.

The 32-year-old has appeared in 48 games this year and hit .204/.278/.277 with one home run and 10 RBI. Hoyer said Chicago is focused on giving playing time to its younger players going forward, which allows the team to move on from Heyward.

"Given where we are as an organization, trying to give guys like [Nelson] Velazquez and [Christopher] Morel, guys like that, playing time, and there'll be more guys like that that we want to give playing time, it felt like the right thing to do," Hoyer said.

The Cubs (43-64) are on the verge of missing the playoffs for the third time in the last four years. Hoyer added that Heyward isn't completely happy with the situation, but as Chicago continues to make changes to its core, he understands the reasoning behind the decision.

"He doesn't like it, but he understands where we are. I think it's been a frustrating last year-and-a-half, a lot of the guys who were a big part of why he signed here were traded away," Hoyer said. "So I think it made sense for both of us and we've talked through it and we're in a good place with it."

Hoyer said he'd welcome Heyward back to the organization when he calls it a career, but he believes the five-time Gold Glove winner has a lot of playing time ahead of him.

"I'd welcome that, but I know he wants to play after this year," Hoyer said. "I always tell people, 'Make sure you know you're retired, make sure you know you're done,' and I think he's definitely not there, so I know he'll want to catch on with someone. And I hope for his sake, he has something left, because I think he has a lot to offer."

The Chicago Cubs designated veteran shortstop Andrelton Simmons for assignment Saturday after he was taken off the injured list, per Tony Andracki of the Marquee Sports Network.

Simmons had been on the 10-day IL with a left shoulder strain.

Simmons, who signed a one-year, $4 million deal with the Cubs ahead of the 2022 season, struggled in Chicago during his brief stint with the team, hitting just .173 with seven RBI, eight runs and a .431 OPS in 34 games.

With Nico Hoerner taking over at shortstop this season, the 32-year-old Simmons—a four-time Gold Glove award winner at the position—was serving as a second baseman as much as a shortstop when he saw the field.

Add in a number of flexible infielders on the roster, including Patrick Wisdom, Christopher Morel and Zach McKinstry, and the Cubs had a logjam.

Cubs manager David Ross told reporters Saturday:

"There's no room for him, to be honest. Look, he's nothing but a pro, but this year hasn't gone the way any of us expected, starting off hurt with the shoulder. He's never had a shoulder issue in his career and just dealing with that and trying to come back. Phenomenal person, great professional. I'm going to miss him personally."

In his prime, Simmons was a wizard at shortstop who wasn't a top offensive option but also wasn't a slouch (he's slashed .263 /.312 /.366 for his career).

For teams needing an upgrade in the form of a platoon infielder, Simmons could be an intriguing option.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will compete in London, England for a two-game series in 2023, MLB announced Thursday:

The matchup represents a return of regular-season games in England following the 2019 series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees at London Stadium.

Like the last set of games, the 2023 version will feature bitter division rivals and should generate plenty of excitement for both local and international fans.

Each of the Yankees-Red Sox games drew an attendance of more than 59,000, which was the most for any regular-season game since 2003. The Cubs and Cardinals could expect similar numbers as two of the more famous franchises in baseball.

The Cardinals currently rank second in the majors in attendance this season while the Cubs rank seventh despite sitting in last place.

Another thing we can learn from the previous London series is fans should expect a lot of offense. The Yankees won the first game 17-13 and the second 12-8.

While it will be just the second time MLB will be played in Europe, the league has scheduled games worldwide during the international series with games in Japan, Mexico and Australia.

Games were played in London, Tokyo and Monterrey in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic limited travel over the past three years.

The international series is now back, with the World Baseball Classic also set to return in 2023.

Few teams were under more of a spotlight than the Chicago Cubs as Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline approached.

After all, the rebuilding Cubs are nowhere near contention and featured a number of veterans who could contribute elsewhere in a playoff race and bring back prospects for a rebuilding club. That made them a natural seller with catcher Willson Contreras and outfielder Ian Happ as their primary trade candidates.

So much for that.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the Cubs elected not to trade Contreras and Happ ahead of the deadline in one of the bigger surprises around the league.

The decision not to trade Contreras, who is 30 years old and scheduled for free agency after this season, is perhaps the most surprising. He could leave for another club this offseason and may no longer even be in his prime when the Cubs contend again if they re-sign him.

Keeping him also goes against the club's recent decisions to trade franchise icons Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Baez last year and not re-sign Kyle Schwarber after the 2020 season.

They were all integral pieces in breaking Chicago's extended World Series championship drought in 2016. Contreras was as well, and any sentimental connections didn't figure to play much of a factor because they hadn't in those previous decisions.

Yet the three-time All-Star is still a member of the only Major League Baseball team he has ever known, even though he could have helped a catcher-needy contender and perhaps allowed the Cubs to restock their farm system with multiple additions.

The decision to keep Happ is somewhat less surprising since he is not scheduled for free agency until 2024 and is just 27 years old in the middle of his first All-Star season. He could be a major piece of the team for years to come and may even command a smaller salary to re-sign than Contreras eventually will.

He also made it clear he wasn't going anywhere after the deadline passed:

Happ could have been a backup outfield option for teams that lost out on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, but he too will play out the rest of the season for the third-place team in the National League Central.

Another Chicago Cubs reliever is on his way to the Big Apple.

The New York Mets acquired Mychal Givens from the Cubs for minor league pitcher Saul Gonzalez. MLB.com's Anthony DiComo first reported the deal.

The move comes one day after the New York Yankees landed Scott Effross from the Cubs.

Givens appeared in 40 games for Chicago and notched two saves. He posted a 2.66 ERA and a 3.83 FIP with 51 strikeouts across 40.2 innings.

The right-hander has been especially effective against right-handed hitters, who have had a .213/.296/.298 slash line in 108 plate appearances against Givens.

Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer listed a reliever as one of the Mets' biggest needs with the trade deadline approaching:

The Mets have a hole in their rotation right now, but they're due to fill that in-house once some guy named Jacob deGrom (shoulder) is ready to go. That should be shortly after the trade deadline.

Though the Mets also stand to get Trevor May (stress reaction in arm) back soon, they should be less willing to let it roll with the relievers they already have. Veteran closer Edwin Diaz has been scintillating all season, yet the bridge to him lacks a true shutdown setup man.

Losing Drew Smith to a strained lat muscle only heightened that need. Smith went on the 15-day injured list on July 28, and his absence offsets the impending return of Trevor May to the bullpen.

With Diaz in the middle of a career year (23 saves, 1.51 ERA, 0.96 FIP and 18.1 strikeouts per nine innings), general manager Billy Eppler didn't have to do anything radical with the bullpen.

Givens was the kind of marginal upgrade for Eppler to target. He brings the added benefit of having played under manager Buck Showalter with the Baltimore Orioles as well.

Nonetheless, fans are likely to feel a bit underwhelmed with the Mets' overall deadline haul.

New York is only up 3.5 games on the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East. While the team has a high probability of at least making the playoffs, the division certainly isn't in the bag.

As much as Givens helps, Eppler could come to regret not being more aggressive elsewhere on the field.

Amid injury concerns for George Springer, the Toronto Blue Jays are seeking to upgrade their outfield prior to the trade deadline.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi, the Blue Jays are interested in Chicago Cubs' All-Star Ian Happ in part because of his ability to play center field.

Springer sat out Toronto's win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday with an elbow injury. The four-time All-Star told reporters on July 22 he's "going to have to fight through stuff all year."

The expectation has been Happ and Willson Contreras will be traded by the Cubs prior to Tuesday's 6 p.m. ET deadline. Both players basically said goodbye to fans at Wrigley Field during Chicago's July 26 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates before the team went on a road trip that ends on Friday.

The Cubs have no reason to keep either player since they are in the early stages of rebuilding their farm system. Contreras is eligible for free agency after this season.

Happ could net the team a significant return in a trade by virtue of having one more year of team control in 2023 before he can become a free agent.

Springer has not been placed on the injured list, but the Blue Jays could make him their primary designated hitter to ease some of the burden on his body. He had imaging done on his ailing elbow on July 22.

After sitting out Toronto's first three games following the All-Star break, Springer returned to the lineup on July 26. He sat out two of the team's three games against the Detroit Tigers over the weekend.

Happ has been an incredibly versatile player for the Cubs over the past six seasons. The 27-year-old has started games in left field, center field and DH in 2022. He also has experience playing right field, first base, second base and third base.

In addition to his positional versatility, Happ is having a strong season with the bat. He is hitting .279/.360/.436 with 36 extra-base hits and 46 RBI in 99 games with the Cubs.

The Blue Jays (57-45) are a distant second place in the American League East, 12 games behind the New York Yankees. They do have a three-game advantage over the Tampa Bay Rays for the top wild-card spot.

While the San Diego Padres continue to be in talks for Juan Soto, they are also looking at potential alternatives ahead of the Aug. 2 trade deadline.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, the Padres are having discussions with the Chicago Cubs about All-Star catcher Willson Contreras.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune noted the Padres currently have "a lot of things going on" leading up to the trade deadline.

Soto is the biggest domino that could fall before Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital noted the Washington Nationals plan to make one more attempt at signing their 23-year-old superstar to an extension, and if no deal is reached, "he will be traded before the deadline."

The Athletic's Jim Bowden reported Friday that there are "strong indications" San Diego and the St. Louis Cardinals are the leading candidates to acquire Soto.

Contreras seems like he will be easier to get in a deal at this point. The 30-year-old essentially said goodbye to the Chicago fans in his final at-bat during Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. (The Cubs began a seven-game road trip Thursday that will finish two days after the trade deadline.)

The Cubs appear to have put a high price on Contreras in a trade despite seemingly having little leverage at this point. Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted that the New York Mets are also in on the veteran catcher, but the price is "still higher than they'd like."

Contreras, who can become a free agent at the end of this season, could be one of the most impactful hitters dealt prior to the deadline if he gets moved. The Venezuela native has a .252/.369/.460 slash line with 14 homers in 309 at-bats.

The Padres (56-45) are currently in the second wild-card spot in the National League. They lead the Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies by 2.5 games for the final playoff berth.