The Cubs’ Michael Busch, from left, Matt Shaw and Pete Crow-Armstrong celebrate after scoring on Miguel Amaya’s double during the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, in Phoenix. The Cubs won 10-6. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)

The Cubs’ Michael Busch, from left, Matt Shaw and Pete Crow-Armstrong celebrate after scoring on Miguel Amaya’s double during the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, in Phoenix. The Cubs won 10-6. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)

 

 

PHOENIX — Chicago Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya didn’t overthink the situation.

 

Amaya hunted for a pitch where he could do damage in the Cubs’ biggest spot of the game Thursday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old’s comfort and confidence at the plate can be traced back to his offensive turnaround last July. And when the moment found him with two outs and the bases loaded in a one-run game during the fifth inning, Amaya stayed patient and capitalized.

 

Amaya turned on a 1-2 fastball from Diamondbacks reliever Ryne Nelson and pulled it toward the left-center field gap where center fielder Jake McCarthy got his mitt on the ball but couldn’t reel it in. All three base runners scored to give the Cubs a cushion they ultimately held on to in a 10-6 victory in their domestic opener at Chase Field.

 

“That’s what I’ve been doing through the spring and now the beginning of the season,” Amaya said.

 

Amaya finished with two doubles and five RBIs, which tied his career high.

 

“We did a great job offensively tonight, just putting pressure on them,” manager Craig Counsell said. “And Miguel came up in a couple of big spots and delivered some big hits, just continues to swing the bat really well.”

 

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s speed and hustle set up Amaya’s clutch hit. A great secondary lead and jump towards second on Matt Shaw’s two-out grounder to Arizona shortstop Geraldo Perdomo helped Crow-Armstrong beat his throw to second base for the attempted force out to keep the inning alive and bring Amaya to the plate.

 

“We’re looking to extend any inning we can, and I think we saw that that was important tonight,” Crow-Armstrong said. “That was worked on plenty of times (in spring training), getting the right play to do that on, and it was nice it worked out that way. But that’s definitely something that is a team-wide understanding, and something that we want to make a part of our identity for sure.”

 

Ian Happ delivered two big hits, his two-run double in the second putting the Cubs ahead and a solo home run in the fourth to extend their lead.

 

Second baseman Nico Hoerner reached base three times and drove in a run in his season debut after missing the trip to Japan to focus on continuing to build up from his offseason flexor tendon surgery.

 

The Cubs (1-2) recorded 12 hits — with all but one starter tallying one — and went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

 

Cubs left fielder Ian Happ rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, in Phoenix.

Cubs left fielder Ian Happ rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, in Phoenix.

Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya hits a three-run double during the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, at Chase Field in Phoenix. Amaya drove in five runs in the Cubs’ 10-6 win. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya hits a three-run double during the fifth inning against the Diamondbacks on March 27, 2025, at Chase Field in Phoenix. Amaya drove in five runs in the Cubs’ 10-6 win. (Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Left-hander Justin Steele navigated around hard contact to hold the Diamondbacks to three runs in five innings. The bullpen held it together well enough to hold on for the win.

 

“(Amaya) was awesome behind the plate tonight, and when he gets going at the plate as well, he’s super dangerous,” Steele said. “Ever since he got to the big leagues, he’s just had this sense of maturity about him, kind of just a natural born leader. He’s able to lead by example. He works extremely hard.”

 

The Diamondbacks’ biggest threat came in the sixth, when reliever Nate Pearson loaded the bases following a walk, hit by pitch and another walk with the Cubs holding an 8-3 lead. Pearson recovered with three consecutive flyouts, including two sacrifice flies, to end the inning.

 

The Cubs didn’t want to overreact to their two losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tokyo Series last week. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer compared it to a pro golfer hitting a bad drive off the first tee.

 

“I don’t think they freak out and think the rest of the round is ruined,” Hoyer said Thursday. “It’s kind of the same thing. … Last year we lost our first two games against Texas, they didn’t feel that bad because you played on Sunday. I think the hard part was just kind of having a week just to sit on that. And therefore, candidly, we’re probably a little bit tired, a little bit irritable after the trip, so it wasn’t was the most comfortable week.

 

“It’s nice to get back to playing and realizing those are just two of 162.”

 

With the victory, the Cubs avoided their first 0-3 start since 1997, when they went 0-14 to open the season. Players are saying the right things as the Cubs face a challenging schedule in the first month, preaching the importance of not looking ahead and focusing on one game at a time. That doesn’t change this being a win-now season, and the expectations for what this group can accomplish are heightened.

 

“You have to be realistic with where you are,” Hoyer said. “I think that there have been years where you do (say), OK, we have to play probably exceptionally well to make it. And I feel like now we’re a team that obviously you need help, you need breaks, but I certainly think we’re a playoff-caliber team and so that does put more pressure on it.”

 

Thursday’s domestic opener admittedly felt a little different for Hoyer because of the uncertainty surrounding his future with the organization while in the final year of his contract.

 

“Jed’s part of the group that drafted me, I was able to sign an extension with Jed — I love Jed,” Happ said Thursday. “He’s been awesome to me and a part of building a lot of great teams that I’ve been a part of. We want to win for each other in this room, but I have nothing but respect for him and want to make sure he stays here.”

 

This Cubs team looks a lot more dangerous if the lineup can consistently click top to bottom as it did Thursday. Their younger players might prove to be the difference between a good and great season on the North Side.

 

From Amaya’s two extra-base hits and five RBIs, Crow-Armstrong reaching base twice and scoring both times, stealing a base and extending the fifth with his legs, and rookie Matt Shaw scoring three runs, the Cubs’ depth shined and could be a strength this year.

 

“That’s a big part of early in the season, getting off and getting some confidence offensively, guys getting some hits and feeling that is important,” Happ said.

 

 

 

The Chicago Cubs may have a need for a starting pitcher this season and if so this former Cy Young winner could be a target.

 

Feb 28, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn

 

With the start of the regular season right around the corner for the Chicago Cubs, the team must be focused on putting the best team possible on the field for 2025.

 

This winter, the Cubs had an excellent offseason to put themselves in position to be a contender in the National League.

 

While there are a lot of great teams in the league, Chicago is hoping that their improvements on paper will be enough to win the NL Central and compete with teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers.

 

The Cubs were able to change the outlook for the team with the trade that brought in Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros. Tucker is the type of superstar that can help elevate the lineup, and that is exactly what Chicago is hoping for.

 

However, while the star slugger is a great player, he is only under contract through the end of the season. With that being said, the Cubs must do all they can to capitalize on this campaign.

 

While there have been some strong additions elsewhere on the team, Chicago doesn’t feel like they have gone all-in this year. However, with some talented players likely to be available between now and the trade deadline, the Cubs might not be done trying to improve.

 

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the Cubs being an ideal fit for former Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcántara.

 

Potentially bringing in the former Cy Young award winner from 2022 would be a massive boost to a starting rotation that is already pretty good. Last season, this unit was arguably the strength of the team, and they fortunately brought the key members back.

 

However, if Chicago is going to realistically compete with the Dodgers or the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League, they likely need more star power in the rotation.

 

Those two teams especially have top-end talent throughout the rotation, and that might not be something that the Cubs could handle currently in a seven-game series.

 

Fortunately, even though the cost of bringing in the right-hander would be high, Chicago has a lot of young talent both in the Majors and in their farm system to pull off a trade.

 

While Alcántara is coming off missing the entire 2024 campaign due to injury, he has the potential to be one of the best pitchers in baseball if he’s healthy.

 

If the opportunity presents itself, the Cubs would be wise to make an aggressive push to bring him in.

 

It’s official: The pitching matchup between the Cubs and Dodgers will be Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The game will take place at the Tokyo Dome on March 18.

 

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) runs through drills during spring training camp on Feb 25.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) runs through drills during spring training camp on Feb 25.

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs are set to usher in the 2025 season on March 18-19 with a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.

 

And now we know the pitching matchup for the Opening Day contest: The Dodgers will send Japanese righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound while the Cubs will pitch Japanese lefty Shota Imanaga.

 

That matchup is set to create history on multiple fronts, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs Shota Imanaga in Game 1 in Japan will be:

 

– the first matchup of Japanese-born SP in a regular-season MLB game at the Tokyo Dome

 

-the first matchup between Japanese-born SP in an Opening Day game

 

Yamamoto, 26, signed a 12-year deal with the Dodgers last offseason and promptly helped them win the World Series for the first time since 2020. Though he dealt with an injury that limited him to just 90.0 regular season innings, he went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA. He also struck out 105 batters in those 90.0 innings, showing the kind of stuff that made him an ace in Japan.

 

Imanaga, 31, signed a more modest four-year deal with the Cubs last offseason, but he greatly outkicked that deal’s coverage by going 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA. He struck out 174 batters in 173.1 innings and earned an All-Star nod.

 

Furthermore, Imanaga finished fifth in the National League Cy Young voting.

 

The Asian connection doesn’t stop there, as Shohei Ohtani will be the DH for the Dodgers and Roki Sasaki will also take the mound for Los Angeles in the series.

 

 

DECISION TIME: Terry Francona of the Reds revealed his plan for former top prospect Matt McLain, who is coming back from injury.

HISTORIC HURLERS: Jacob deGrom, Chris Sale and Shane Bieber have each won Cy Young Awards in their careers. But they also have this in common.

TOP CANADIAN: Josh Naylor of the Diamondbacks was listed as the most influential Canadian in all of baseball by the Canadian Baseball Network. :

 

 

 

 

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) reacts after getting an out during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park.

Houston Astros relief pitcher Ryan Pressly (55) reacts after getting an out during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Minute Maid Park.

The Chicago Cubs continued their efforts to go all-in for next season on Sunday as they traded for two-time All-Star reliever Ryan Pressly from the Houston Astros.

 

Pressly was a key player in the Astros’ World Series run a couple of years ago and will return to being a closer after losing the job to Josh Hader last season.

 

The Cubs had been looking to beef up their bullpen all offseason and now do so with one of the best relievers available via trade.

 

Houston was not looking to trade him because they were unhappy with his performance. It was his $14 million salary that was keeping them above the luxury tax threshold.

 

The 36-year-old posted a 3.49 ERA last season, but even that doesn’t show just how good he was down the stretch. His numbers were inflated by his struggles in the first month or so in his return to a setup role. Over his last 32 appearances on the season, his ERA was just 1.99.

 

During the four-year run that he was the Astros’ closer, he posted a 2.99 ERA and had 102 saves. He had at least 30 saves in the last two years of that stretch.

 

Maybe most importantly for Chicago, he is a dominant postseason pitcher. He has 14 career playoff saves and just one blown save, which came last year.

 

Before that blown save he had not allowed an earned run in 20 outings. His postseason ERA is still just 2.78.

 

That type of experience and proven performance could be crucial come playoff time, if the Cubs get their wish and finally make a run.

 

It is likely the main reason that the team had opted to go with a veteran in the role rather than the young, but promising Porter Hodge.

 

Hodge took over closing duties towards the end of the year and looked solid there. He posted a 1.88 ERA on the year with nine saves and had three blown saves. Now, Hodge can take his limited closer experience and move into a set-up role. From there, the Cubs can re-arrange their bullpen arms in ways that make more sense.

 

The 23-year-old is clearly talented and could be the guy for the job after Pressly hits free agency next offseason. Another year of growth against MLB hitters could be crucial for his development before taking on the stress of being a closer for a playoff team.

 

In the Pressly trade, the Cubs sent over pitching prospect Juan Bello. He was an international signing back in 2022 and has a 3.66 ERA over his first three seasons in the minors.