Locked On Cubs

It's happening! The Cubs finally signed Yu Darvish, landing the top pitcher on the free agent market for just six years, $126 million. There are also incentives that could take the deal to $150 million, as well as a no-trade clause and an opt-out clause after the second year.I brought back my good friend and former BP Wrigleycast co-host Isaac Bennett to chat about the newest Cub, as well as the state of their rotation and how it matches up against the other playoff rotations in the National League. Isaac and I finished out by discussing the bullpen and the potential 25-man roster heading into the start of the season. If you like what you hear, please subscribe on iTunes and leave a review! You can follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and send any questions or comments to LockedOnCubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I welcomed reporter and rising star Robert Murray of FanRag Sports on the podcast to chat about Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta, and everything surrounding the Cubs and free agency. In our first segment, Robert and I chatted about the offers that are out there on Darvish and what might be the most likely scenario for the top free agent pitcher. Next, we looked at what the No. 1 backup option might be for the Cubs if Darvish gets away, as I seek validation on what I've heard about the Cubs and their preference for either Arrieta or Alex Cobb.Finally, I tried to pin Robert down with some free agent predictions. He gives me his locked up, definite, 100% sure-thing on where a handful of free agents are going to sign. It's can't miss podcasting! Please follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs, and don't forget to subscribe on iTunes and leave us some feedback. Any questions or comments can be emailed to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 Guess what? Yu Darvish still hasn't chosen a team. So instead, I looked at the PECOTA and ZiPS projections and pointed to a few items of interest. Next, I looked at Justin Grimm's arbitration case and another comparable reliever that may set the precedent that decides the outcome. Finally, I looked at the one surprising prospect that got ranked in the top-20 on ZiPS' top-100 prospect list.Please be sure to subscribe and leave a review for us on iTunes if you're enjoying the podcast! Also be sure to check out the site at www.lockedoncubs.com, because our writers are starting to put together some good stuff. You can tweet any questions for the podcast to @LockedOnCubs on Twitter, and you can email us any questions or comments to lockedoncubs@gmail.com.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation joined me to talk about the latest Yu Darvish rumors, including that he apparently wants seven years and $175 million. Is that rumor intended to get more money or years out of the Cubs? We agreed on the Cubs being front-runners for Darvish, but what if they don't add him? Is Jake Arrieta or Alex Cobb the Cubs' official Plan B?We finished out with an easy final segment, doing a few over/under predictions. That ended up lasting around 30 minutes, and somehow delved into some discussion about just how great Kerry Wood was in his peak. Follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email any questions or comments to LockedOnCubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's still not a whole lot going on in Cubs news, so I took some inspiration from David Kaplan of NBC Sports Chicago and ranked the best and worst players since I became a baseball fan. After listing out all of those, I took a question from a fan regarding Alex Cobb and whether the Cubs should skip on Yu Darvish to ensure that they don't end up walking away from free agency empty-handed. Rounding out the podcast, I looked back on the Alex Avila era with the Cubs. The catcher they acquired from the Detroit Tigers in the Justin Wilson deal signed a contract to be the regular starter for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and I wish him well. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email us any questions or suggestions at LockedOnCubs@gmail.com. Also be sure to leave us some positive reviews on iTunes! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I'm back from my trip to Florida, but I'm somewhat disappointed in the lack of Cubs news to discuss. The Brewers did make some moves to improve their roster, but they still have a few more moves to make to catch the Cubs in the NL Central. I took a look what what the Cubs, Brewers, and the Cardinals need to do still this offseason, and also how many wins I see for each team as things stand right now.Finally, I talked about the writers you'll be seeing on the site and did a short introduction for each one. Some will be familiar names, some less familiar. I'm excited to have each one, and really wish I had the capacity to have brought on even more. You can follow us @LockedOnCubs on Twitter or email your questions and comments to LockedOnCubs@gmail.com. As always, please go on iTunes and leave a good review if you enjoy listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I jumped on a quick podcast to discuss the news of the Cubs signing catcher Chris Gimenez (which I pronounced incorrectly as hih-MEHN-ehz instead of JIH-muh-nehz, for some reason). Gimenez was a catcher on the Texas Rangers back in 2014 with Yu Darvish, so could this be a David Ross/Jon Lester kind of scenario for the Cubs?I also looked at Jason Heyward's comments about being the Cubs' 2018 MVP, and why that might not be as crazy as some think. Last, I answer a question from the fans and read more five-star reviews from iTunes. Thanks for sticking with me on this one, it was thrown together last minute and my voice was a little gravelly. Follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email any questions or suggestions to LockedOnCubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jared Wyllys of the Sporting News joined me to talk baseball in episode 11 of Locked On Cubs. We started by dissecting a new Yu Darvish rumor and how it might impact Theo Epstein's pitching plans for the rest of the offseason. In the second segment, I tackled a question from the fans regarding prospects that could make an impact in 2018. I finished up by chatting with Jared about things that excite us about the upcoming season and the exciting growth I hope to see with the site this season. You can follow the podcast on Twitter @LockedOnCubs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Cubs signed left-handed reliever Brian Duensing to a two-year, $7 million contract, and that constitutes major news. Which is kind of sad. But at any rate, it gives me something to talk to you about. Later, I answered a couple questions from the listeners, read a few of my early reviews on Locked On Cubs, and talked about the bright future that is ahead of us.As always, please feel free to send questions or comments to LockedOnCubs@gmail.com or tweet me @LockedOnCubs on Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I went to the Cubs Convention this weekend, and finally we've been given some good stuff to talk about! There was no surprise Jake Arrieta or Yu Darvish announcement, but it was still a good time. First, I discuss Kyle Hendricks and a cool interview I did with him on Friday night at the media social event. I even tossed in a clip from that interview where Hendricks admitted that he's aware of the "Stoic Hendricks Meme" that has become popular among fans.In the second segment, I went into the interview I did with Jim Hickey (for a story you can read here). Hickey talked about his philosophy on pitching, his thoughts on the Cubs bullpen last season and their second half command problems, and what Cubs fans should expect to see with their most underrated signing: Steve Cishek.Finally, I gave my take on Tom Ricketts' Sammy Sosa comments and gave a rundown of the rest of the cool stuff I saw at the convention. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email them to me at LockedOnCubs@gmail.com, follow th

Once again, there is very little news to report on the Cubs front. With that in mind, I didn't bother to bring on a guest just to talk about The Simpsons, Star Wars, or whatever else interests me at the moment. I did, however, touch on Rene Rivera's deal with the Angels and the idea of re-signing Alex Avila. Later, I moved on to talk about reliever X-factors and the upcoming Cubs Convention in Chicago. There's a meet-and-greet that I and others will be attending Friday night, so join us if you're free! Thanks for listening, as always, and feel free to send any Cubs questions or topic ideas that you'd like me to cover to LockedOnCubs@gmail.com or on Twitter @LockedOnCubs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Evan Altman of Cubs Insider joins me once again to talk about the painfully slow offseason. The good news is that there are some recent Jake Arrieta rumors, as well as a conversation going on around Javier Baez. It has been said that the Cubs will need to trade from their positional depth to acquire pitching, but so far they've avoided doing that. Will the Cubs end up in a situation where they have no other choice but to make a deal?Last, Evan and I discuss the surprising results of a poll and a few of the trade options for starting pitchers. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to reach out to me directly at LockedOnCubs@gmail.com or @LockedOnCubs on Twitter. You can also follow me on Twitter @RyanQDavis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a major throwback, I welcomed my former BP Wrigleycast co-host Isaac Bennett to chat with me on Episode 6 of Locked On Cubs. We looked at the Wade Davis deal with the Colorado Rockies and whether the Cubs were right to stay away, then took a broader view at the Cubs bullpen going into next season. After discussing some pitchers the Cubs might want to sign, we gave our theories on owner collusion and why the offseason has been slow so far. Don't forget to follow along on Twitter @LockedOnCubs and email any questions to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There hasn't been a ton of credible Cubs rumors going around in recent days, with the whole world seemingly waiting on Yu Darvish. I picked a few questions sent along by the listeners to answer, including possible starting pitching trade options, the 2018 outlook on the Cincinnati Reds, and the next Cubs prospect that I expect to make it to the big leagues. If you want to send along a question or comment, you can follow me @LockedOnCubs or @RyanQDavis on Twitter or email at lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luis Medina of Bleacher Nation joins me for Episode 4 of Locked On Cubs. We kick things off by debating the Yu Darvish rumors and the dollar amount where he makes sense for the Cubs. Then, Luis and I get crazy! He proposed an "Addison Russell for Manny Machado" trade on Twitter, with mixed reactions. We talk about that, plus another seemingly fair fake trade for Machado. We finish out by tag-teaming an answer to a question from a fan. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs, where you can tweet us questions you'd like answered on the podcast. You can also email any questions to lockedoncubs@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Episode 3 of Locked On Cubs, Tom Loxas of Cubs Den joins me to talk about Alex Cobb, the Cubs' other rotation options, the bullpen, and more. We briefly talk about the improvements that the St. Louis Cardinals have made and where the division stands today, as of the end of the winter meetings. Tom and I finish out by answering a question from a fan and doing some over/under.Be sure to follow us on Twitter @LockedOnCubs, and me on my account at @RyanQDavis. Feel free to send questions or ideas for future podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I welcomed my very first guest to Locked On Cubs, Evan Altman of Cubs Insider. After some witty (OK, not that witty) banter, we discuss the Cubs latest free agent signing: Drew Smyly. Next, we move on to other winter meetings rumors and a brief discussion on rumor etiquette among baseball writers and reporters that aren't named Heyman, Morosi, Passan, or Rosenthal. We finished out with a question from a listener regarding punny baseball names. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the inaugural episode of Locked On Cubs! I start with a short introduction, then dive right into the good stuff. Part one features my thoughts on the risk involved with the Chatwood and Morrow signings. Then part two looks at what else might be happening for the Cubs at the winter meetings this week, and finally I discuss what the Cardinals and Brewers might be looking to do. This is my first ever solo podcast, so stick with me! I'll have frequent guests and will be working to make this better and better.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices