KANSAS CITY -- After Kevin Gausman fired one of his trademark splitters beyond the reach of Royals outfielder Starling Marte’s bat, the new Cubs starter headed off the Kauffman Stadium mound. As Gausman walked back to the dugout following that seventh-inning strikeout, there were clear cheers from the Chicago fans

KANSAS CITY -- Kevin Gausman has been one of baseball’s more reliable starting pitchers over the past six years. During a season in which the Cubs have endured a litany of setbacks with their pitching staff, the kind of stability the veteran righty brings is much welcomed. “You start to

KANSAS CITY -- Edward Cabrera listened in from a neighboring locker inside Kauffman Stadium’s visitors’ clubhouse on Friday, as lefty Braxton Garrett discussed being traded to the Cubs at the Deadline. At one point, Garrett mentioned being excited to reconnect with Cabrera after coming up together in the Marlins’ farm

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CHICAGO -- Shohei Ohtani showed exactly why he has won four Most Valuable Player Awards on Wednesday afternoon, sending a pitch from lefty Shota Imanaga rocketing into Wrigley Field’s right-field bleachers to open the series finale between the Dodgers and Cubs. And then Pete Crow-Armstrong showed everyone that this year’s

CHICAGO -- The Cubs had an aggressive Trade Deadline that added veteran right-handers Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes to the rotation, and also brought lefty Baxton Garrett into the fold as depth in Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs also have starter Edward Cabrera due to come back at some point this

CHICAGO -- Kevin Gausman was on the Blue Jays’ team plane on Sunday night when word arrived that he was being traded to the Cubs. After five years and three playoff runs with Toronto, the veteran pitcher got to spend another couple hours with his former team before turning the

CHICAGO -- From the moment Tarik Skubal headed to the outfield to warm up before his Dodgers debut on Tuesday night, Cubs fans filled Wrigley Field with a chorus of boos. It continued all night, culminating in exaggerated cries of “Skuuubal! Skuuubal!” by the sixth inning. The latest ace acquired

CHICAGO -- Clay Holmes had a strong sense that he would be on the move at the Trade Deadline given how this season has gone for the Mets to this point. When the veteran righty heard it was the Cubs, he started to get excited. Beyond the chance to reconnect

CHICAGO -- There were clear needs for the Cubs heading into Monday’s Trade Deadline, but there was another layer to the work done by the front office. In a way, president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer wanted to repay the pitching staff for the work put in to date on

CHICAGO -- The Cubs’ bullpen has experienced a high rate of turnover, especially in the late-inning roles, as injuries have steadily impacted the group all season long. Adding a legit arm to the mix at the Trade Deadline was one of the top priorities for Chicago’s front office. Prior to

CHICAGO -- The Cubs headed into the Trade Deadline not only searching for an impact starter to help the rotation immediately, but with the goal of continuing to strengthen the rotation’s depth chart. The North Siders have found one potential answer for the latter. After pulling off big-ticket deals to

CHICAGO -- With the Trade Deadline fast approaching, the Cubs are looking to add talent for the final two-month sprint to the postseason, and they already started by swinging a deal with the Blue Jays for Kevin Gausman on Sunday night. While fans are focused on who else Chicago’s front

CHICAGO – At the mention of the Cubs’ trip to New York to play the Mets in late June – when the team added starters Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera to the already-lengthy list of injured pitchers – second baseman Nico Hoerner’s eyes widened and he gave a quick shake

CHICAGO – Pete Crow-Armstrong is no stranger to hearing the Wrigley Field crowd send chants of his initials through the old ballpark. With the calendar now flipped to August, repetitive cries of “M-V-P” might be around the corner soon as well. In the seventh inning Saturday night, Crow-Armstrong showed once

CHICAGO – Amid the Cubs’ search for rotation help before Monday’s Trade Deadline, Shota Imanaga once again put his importance to the team's playoff run on display. Imanaga has been pitching like an ace for several weeks now, adding another interesting layer for Chicago’s final two months. On Friday, he

ST. LOUIS -- When the Cubs were in New York to face the Mets late last month, the state of the rotation had reached an alarming level. Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera both landed on the injured list, joining a handful of other starters already on the shelf. Depth that

ST. LOUIS -- Alex Bregman pumped a fist in the air after sliding into second base in the 10th inning on Thursday afternoon, following his sixth double in the Cubs’ four-day stay at Busch Stadium. The hit sparked a late rally that helped the North Siders claim a series win

ST. LOUIS -- Pete Crow-Armstrong delivered a must-see moment for the Cubs in the 10th inning on Wednesday night, launching an emphatic two-run homer that temporarily jolted the North Siders out of an offensive lull. He flicked the bat hard to the dirt at his feet, backpedaling into his trot,

ST. LOUIS -- The strength of the Cubs’ offense has been the ability to have multiple hitters delivering on any given night. Of course, there has been the incredible step forward from center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, but Chicago’s lineup was built to be the sum of all parts, not a

ST. LOUIS -- There is no escaping the weight of each game in front of the Cubs over the next several days. With each win the players secure, it potentially increases the front office’s willingness to extend beyond a statistical comfort zone and try to seize this moment with an

ST. LOUIS -- The players inside the Cubs’ clubhouse began their day Monday by learning that starter Jameson Taillon -- a well-respected veteran and leader -- had been designated for assignment. It was the latest unexpected turn for a Chicago team that has weathered plenty of storms this season. Through

ST. LOUIS -- Given the goals that the Cubs have for this season, combined with the current moment in baseball’s calendar, the team was at a difficult crossroads with veteran starter Jameson Taillon. The ballclub determined there was simply not enough leeway to allow the pitcher to sort through his

The Cubs have tried a few things with their bench configuration while super sub Matt Shaw has remained on the injured list due to a sprained left hand. Prospect James Triantos will be the latest player given a chance to pitch in for the North Siders. The Cubs promoted Triantos

This story was excerpted from Jordan Bastian’s Cubs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.