Cubs Talk Podcast

Ep. 145: GM Meetings Primer & The Value of Defense

Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan, and Mark Potash get you ready for this week’s GM meetings by discussing big-name free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. The trio also debates the excitement of signing a marquee player against the long-term ramifications, and reacts to Javier Baez not winning a Gold Glove award.:50 - are baseball's GM meetings actually productive?2:50 - excitement of signings vs long-term ramifications4:05 - big-money deals for Harper or Machado?5:50 - should Cubs fans be worried about White Sox getting Machado or Harper?8:50 - are the Cardinals legitimate threats to sign Harper?10:20 - how important is the situation vs money?12:40 - what's the value of defense in today's game?15:25 - Gold Gloves discussion17:40 - how much value should Cubs place on defense up the middle?

Ep. 144: Scariest moments in Cubs history and the haunting of the championship window

What are the scariest moments in Cubs history? Where does Rajai Davis’ home run, Steve Bartman’s foul ball and Kris Bryant’s hit-by-pitch rank? Plus, with the end of the Cubs championship window now in sight, is that haunting what the Cubs do this winter?David Kaplan, Luke Stuckmeyer and Tony Andracki debate these topics and more, including how to give the Cubs lineup stability, Jason Heyward’s contract, Kyle Schwarber’s trade value and the need for a leadoff hitter.:45 – Scariest Cubs moments4:45 – Brewers talkin’ smack5:45 – Closing of Cubs’ championship window haunting this offseason?10:05 – How do the Cubs achieve lineup stability?13:26 – Leadoff woes15:06 – Should Albert Almora Jr. be the everyday centerfielder?17:26 – Do the Cubs have too much position player depth?20:06 – Kyle Schwarber’s trade value21:56 – Jason Heyward’s salary24:56 – Favorite Halloween candy

Ep. 143: Are Bryce Harper and Manny Machado worth the money?

Bryce Harper (2:00, 3:55) and Manny Machado (5:40) are both about to be set up for life with the contracts they'll sign this winter but does that mean they're worth the exorbitant amount of money they're going to get? And is it worth it to the Cubs to pay that much for one player? (7:10)David Kaplan, Luke Stuckmeyer and Tony Andracki debate and provide a comprehensive preview of what may be in store for the Cubs this offseason (14:20).

Ep. 142: Bold predictions for the Cubs offseason

With the MLB offseason about to kick off, we run down the boldest predictions for the Cubs winter from around the NBC Sports Chicago content team. Topics include where Bryce Harper and Manny Machado will sign, how much money they’ll get, what the Cardinals will do this winter, Cubs offseason trades and how Theo Epstein’s front office may add to the pitching staff.3:10 Will Sammy Sosa be welcomed back into the Cubs family?4:10 Anthony Rizzo receives wedding gifts via social media5:50 Joe Girardi's status for the 2018 season6:30 How much will Machado and Harper sign for and will it be with the Cubs and will Machado become a special member of the Cubs "family"7:50 Kap: 'Kyle Schwarber has played his final game in a Cubs uniform'9:05 Could Josh Donaldson be coming to the north side?10:25 Will David Ross be on the Cubs coaching staff in 2019?11:30 Is Andrew McCutchen a target for the Cubs in free agency?13:55 Could the Cubs trade Jose Quintana?15:25 Is Andrew Miller a target for Theo and Jed?17:30 A familar name to be the new leadoff hitter21:10 Who will lead the Cubs in saves in 2019?23:00 What will the Cardinals do to keep up with the Cubs and Brewers in the NL Central?24:00 Will the Brewers fall prey to the "Chuck Tanner Rule?"

Ep. 141: Manny Machado’s value and other Cubs offseason wish list items

Did Manny Machado’s value take a hit at all after he openly admitted hustling isn’t his “cup of tea”? Our Cubs team (David Kaplan, Kelly Crull, Tony Andracki, Jeff Nelson) debate that, plus the potential fit of Machado or Bryce Harper for the 2019 Cubs and beyond.The crew also runs down the top items on the Cubs’ offseason wish list – ranging from bullpen help to infield depth to a set leadoff hitter – in what may be the most impactful winter in Theo Epstein’s tenure in Chicago.

Ep. 140: In light of recent hitting coach turmoil, who’s to blame for Cubs offensive struggles?

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull, Luke Stuckmeyer and Tony Andracki discuss the comments Chili Davis made after being fired as Cubs hitting coach, ask if the Cubs struggles on offense were Davis' fault or the players and Anthony Iapoce will be walking into as he tries to gets the team back on track a the plate.

Ep. 139: Analyzing Theo Epstein’s end-of-season press conference

Kelly Crull, Tony Andracki and Vinnie Duber recap and analyze Theo Epstein’s end-of-season press conference in which the Cubs president of baseball operations addressed topics such as Joe Maddon’s managing, the team’s season-long offensive woes, Addison Russell’s suspension and looking ahead to the franchise’s offseason. Plus, Luke Stuckmeyer and David DeJesus join Mark Schanowski to discuss potential shifts in the Cubs 2019 roster.

Ep. 138: Rapid reaction to Cubs’ early exit and takeaways from the postgame clubhouse

The Cubs had strong reactions to their shocking exit from the postseason after only one game, losing a hard-fought game to the Rockies. Listen to reaction from Javy Baez and Jon Lester and hear from Kelly Crull, Luke Stuckmeyer and Tony Andracki as they break down what went wrong and what's next for this team.

Ep. 137: Previewing the Cubs-Rockies Wild Card Game

David DeJesus and David Kaplan kick things off by previewing the Cubs-Rockies Wild Card Game. Then hear what Joe Maddon and some Cubs players have to say about the crucial game. Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki report from Wrigley on the state of the Cubs.

Ep. 136: Get ready for a hell of a weekend at Wrigley

Could the Cubs eliminate the Cardinals from postseason contention for the third time in the past four years? They have a chance to do so this weekend in what figures to be the most intense Cubs-Cards series since the 2015 NLDS.Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki break down the final weekend of the season, provide updates on Pedro Strop and Kris Bryant and analyze where this team - especially the offense - is at right now.