AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

The Rundown: Time for Cubs to Go Big or Go Home, Plenty of Pitching Available, World Series Game 1 Starters Announced

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 22, 2026

“But don’t ask me what I think of you I might not give the answer that you want me to.” – Oh Well by Fleetwood Mac

I’d like to get excited about the upcoming offseason, but it just seems like we’re living the same November-to-April rerun every winter. Jed Hoyer’s offseason to-do list is akin to any crusty handkerchief you see some octogenarian blowing his nose into at the grocery store checkout. I know that’s a tough visual, but please tell me when Hoyer isn’t seeking a top-of-rotation arm, bullpen help, a power-hitting outfielder, bench upgrades, and an answer to the abstract stumper that is his position player puzzle. That’s how he ends up with Matt Shaw playing right field and a never-ending parade of anonymous hurlers trying to protect Chicago’s leads.

That makes the lot of us fans gluttons for punishment, and truth be told, Hoyer has mastered the art of making despair convincing while teams like the Brewers and Rays make hope possible. It’s no fun carrying Monday morning doom and gloom into the middle of the week, and for me personally, it’s a sad state of affairs when a Bears win fails to restore my sports mojo. The Cubs are uninspiring because Hoyer prefers the warmth of a high floor beneath cross tees with dropped tiles over the uncertainty of an open ceiling.

That reminds me… I’ll probably do some writing over at Bears Insider if there is a work stoppage in December. Gotta hone my writing chops, right? You lose it if you don’t use it.

Anywho…

I once read a book called Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer, and I highlighted several passages, something I tend to do with everything I read that isn’t in digital format. Two sentences perfectly summed up the entire book, and I’d like to share them with you, because they aptly characterize Chicago’s front office.

  1. Monotony collapses time. When things become predictable, we lose focus on detailed memories. Days and weeks blur together and years feel like they’ve disappeared in an instant.
  2. Novelty unfolds it. New challenges force us to build detailed memories. That rich web of remembrances elongates our perception of time, creating substance and fulfillment.

In other words, it’s never too late to escape the humdrum existence of doing the same thing over and over and achieving nothing more than the expected results. Hoyer needs so much pitching that we’ve reached the point where we’re saying, “At least we’ve got Edward Cabrera.” That phrase should strike fear in the hearts of every Cubs fan, but Chicago’s president of baseball operations is staring at an opportunity unlike any he’s had since taking over for Theo Epstein: He gets to completely rebuild his rotation.

Hoyer will slide into November with a blank canvas and memories of the healthy arms of Justin Steele and Cade Horton. He’s also got $100 million or more to spend and enough youthful assets to trade for someone like Jacob deGrom, Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Reid Detmers, or José Soriano. Tarik Skubal, Michael King, Clay Holmes, Freddy Peralta, Casey Mize, Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray, Dustin May, and Matthew Boyd are all free agents. Hoyer could probably trade for Ronald Acuña Jr. if he is willing to take Spencer Strider, his problematic right elbow, and the $44 million the Braves owe him. Jed loves him a rehab project, and he grabs a player like Strider or Shelby Miller every year.

Hoyer, by the way, seems like a classic rock kind of dude and Tom Petty penned one of the better redemption narratives with the song Learning to Fly. Perhaps that can be Hoyer’s anthem once November brings us the end of saving daylight and the start of a new hot stove season. Those big-ticket pitchers are more likely to sign before the pending work stoppage than after it. Or as Petty succinctly put it, “The good old days may not return, and the rocks may melt, and the sea might burn.” So spend now, and worry later. Time and tide wait for no man.

I’m tired of Chicago’s redundant checklist and the short-term contracts that keep it recirculating. Go big or go home, Jed. Threading the needle has turned out to be nothing more than a calculated reaction to the baseball duality of life and death. One of our former writers reminded us of the perils of half-measures when Hoyer took over. Take a chance, Mr. Hoyer, or rather, take a few. The old way of doing things is a rickety rope bridge from one season to the next and nothing more.

Cubs News & Notes

Ball Four

What’s the going rate to acquire a baseball unicorn?

World Series News & Notes

The Brewers will start Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1 of the Fall Classic. No shocker there.

The Miz hasn’t been as dominant during the playoffs as he was during the regular season.

The Rays are expected to counter Misiorowski with Drew Rasmussen.

Expect a virtual track meet when these two teams play. Both teams are very aggressive on the basepaths.

Something else to keep an eye on: The Brewers have thrown 432 consecutive sinkers without allowing a home run (since September 25).

Tickets to Games 1 and 2 in Milwaukee cost thousands of dollars more on resale sites than tickets to Games 3, 4, and 5 in St. Petersburg.

Ouch. The Rays didn’t exist the last time the Reds won a playoff series. Tampa Bay has appeared in three World Series since.

The ABS Challenge System will be active for the first time in World Series history.

Thursday Stove

Matters are such that the owners are expected to implement a lockout of the players after the current CBA expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1 of this year, or a little more than a month after the World Series ends. It’s worth noting that in the run-up to the last lockout of 2021-22, we saw a swarm of free agent signings just before the lockout began.

Shohei Ohtani will not need surgery and is expected to pitch for the Dodgers in 2027.

Brian Cashman is returning for his 30th season as the Yankees’ GM.

Meanwhile… Taylor Smith is the new president of baseball operations for the A’s. The 31-year-old started his career with the Rays in 2017 and spent the last two seasons with the Red Sox, overseeing their analytics department.

Kurt Suzuki will not be retained to manage the Angels next season. Interim GM John Mozeliak is not returning, either.

A Boston writer has an idea to radically change October baseball. Purists may hate it, but it sounds like an exciting way to navigate the postseason.

An Ohio casino has banned a bettor who made violent threats against Blue Jays manager John Schneider during the 2025 World Series.

Extra innings

I have started a wishlist for the 2027 draft, and Sebastian Castillo could be available when the Cubs make their first selection. Another option is Graham Houston, a high-schooler and LSU commit who also plays shortstop. I also like Duke Stone (RHP).

Apropos of Nothing

I wrote the entire preamble while under the influence of cough syrup and antibiotics. I know that doesn’t give me the type of street cred that Dock Ellis had, but if you like it, then it at least qualifies as a minor miracle.

They Said It

  • “From a pitching standpoint this year, it was sort of a struggle from the get-go. Some of that was based on injuries to some guys we were really counting on. But some of it was based on poor performance, some poor acquisition. And so, I think that’s something we have to look at.” – Hoyer

Thursday Walk-Up Song

Winning the 2016 World Series seems like a dream 10 years on, and it truly feels like much more than a decade has passed.

Photo of Michael Canter Michael CanterOctober 22, 2026
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