Sources confirmed on Sunday that the Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing a seven-year, $177 million deal with free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. This deal is expected to include a full no-trade clause.

After hitting .277 with a .776 OPS for the Atlanta Braves last season over the course of 162 games, Swanson is expected to become a key member of the Cubs’ rebuilding effort as they look to challenge for another World Series title. As the reigning Gold Glove winner with a Championship ring to his name, Swanson will be a key source of experience for the Cubs over the coming season.

The $177 million agreement for Swanson is set to be the largest deal concluded by the Cubs since 2016, when they signed outfielder Jason Heyward on an eight-year, $184 million contract.

While Swanson’s arrival in Chicago will go a long way to building the Cubs’ defensive capabilities, the team’s offense will still be in need of some repair. In addition to being in need of a left-hander, the Cubs are also in the market for a new catcher following the departure of Willson Contreras.

The post Dansby Swanson to Join Cubs on $177 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have tapped into the Cleveland Indians’ front office in order to find their new general manager. The team confirmed on Friday that their new GM would be Carter Hawkins, who comes to Chicago after previously serving as the Indians’ assistant general manager.

The Cubs were without a GM for almost a year, with the position becoming vacant after Jed Hoyer was promoted to president of baseball operations in November. Hoyer was the one leading the lengthy search for his successor and eventually settled on Hawkins as the best option.

“I am thrilled to bring Carter into our organization,” Hoyer said in a statement. “He has earned a fantastic reputation as a leader through hard work, open-mindedness, humility, and intelligence.”

Hawkins joined the Indians in 2008 as an advance scouting intern and worked his way up through the organization’s ranks quickly. He became assistant director of player development two years later before getting promoted to director of player development in 2014. The 37-year-old served as Cleveland’s assistant general manager since 2016.

The Chicago Cubs had a disappointing campaign in 2021, finishing with a 71-91 record. This was their worst outing since 2013, when they went 66-96.

The post Cubs Hire Carter Hawkins as New General Manager appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After five seasons in which Joe Maddon took the Chicago Cubs franchise to heights that it hadn’t seen in over a century, the two parties have decided to move on.

At a press conference on Sunday morning before Chicago’s season finale against the St. Louis Cardinals, Maddon and team president Theo Epstein announced that the veteran manager would not be back for the 2020 season.

Maddon’s current contract expired at the end of this year, and both parties agreed that it would be best not to pursue a contract extension.

2019 was the first blemish on what had been a strong record for the affable Hazleton, Pennsylvania native with the Cubs, as he failed to lead them to the playoffs for the first time since taking over as the team’s manager in 2015.

While with Chicago, Maddon won two NL Central championships and two NL Wild Card berths, taking the Cubs to the 2016 World Series and winning the team a title for the first time since 1908.

After a disappointing 2019 that saw the Cubs miss the playoffs and go 84-78 despite a high payroll and a lot of talent, it became clear that Maddon’s good run was going to come to an end.

Maddon says that he wants to manage again next year, and he will certainly be a hot commodity on the market this winter.

The post Cubs, Manager Joe Maddon Part Ways After 5 Seasons appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Sources confirmed on Sunday that the Chicago Cubs are close to finalizing a seven-year, $177 million deal with free agent shortstop Dansby Swanson. This deal is expected to include a full no-trade clause.

After hitting .277 with a .776 OPS for the Atlanta Braves last season over the course of 162 games, Swanson is expected to become a key member of the Cubs’ rebuilding effort as they look to challenge for another World Series title. As the reigning Gold Glove winner with a Championship ring to his name, Swanson will be a key source of experience for the Cubs over the coming season.

The $177 million agreement for Swanson is set to be the largest deal concluded by the Cubs since 2016, when they signed outfielder Jason Heyward on an eight-year, $184 million contract.

While Swanson’s arrival in Chicago will go a long way to building the Cubs’ defensive capabilities, the team’s offense will still be in need of some repair. In addition to being in need of a left-hander, the Cubs are also in the market for a new catcher following the departure of Willson Contreras.

The post Dansby Swanson to Join Cubs on $177 Million Deal appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Chicago Cubs have tapped into the Cleveland Indians’ front office in order to find their new general manager. The team confirmed on Friday that their new GM would be Carter Hawkins, who comes to Chicago after previously serving as the Indians’ assistant general manager.

The Cubs were without a GM for almost a year, with the position becoming vacant after Jed Hoyer was promoted to president of baseball operations in November. Hoyer was the one leading the lengthy search for his successor and eventually settled on Hawkins as the best option.

“I am thrilled to bring Carter into our organization,” Hoyer said in a statement. “He has earned a fantastic reputation as a leader through hard work, open-mindedness, humility, and intelligence.”

Hawkins joined the Indians in 2008 as an advance scouting intern and worked his way up through the organization’s ranks quickly. He became assistant director of player development two years later before getting promoted to director of player development in 2014. The 37-year-old served as Cleveland’s assistant general manager since 2016.

The Chicago Cubs had a disappointing campaign in 2021, finishing with a 71-91 record. This was their worst outing since 2013, when they went 66-96.

The post Cubs Hire Carter Hawkins as New General Manager appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After five seasons in which Joe Maddon took the Chicago Cubs franchise to heights that it hadn’t seen in over a century, the two parties have decided to move on.

At a press conference on Sunday morning before Chicago’s season finale against the St. Louis Cardinals, Maddon and team president Theo Epstein announced that the veteran manager would not be back for the 2020 season.

Maddon’s current contract expired at the end of this year, and both parties agreed that it would be best not to pursue a contract extension.

2019 was the first blemish on what had been a strong record for the affable Hazleton, Pennsylvania native with the Cubs, as he failed to lead them to the playoffs for the first time since taking over as the team’s manager in 2015.

While with Chicago, Maddon won two NL Central championships and two NL Wild Card berths, taking the Cubs to the 2016 World Series and winning the team a title for the first time since 1908.

After a disappointing 2019 that saw the Cubs miss the playoffs and go 84-78 despite a high payroll and a lot of talent, it became clear that Maddon’s good run was going to come to an end.

Maddon says that he wants to manage again next year, and he will certainly be a hot commodity on the market this winter.

The post Cubs, Manager Joe Maddon Part Ways After 5 Seasons appeared first on SportzBonanza.