Setting Expectations For A Very Weird Cubs Winter

Monday Morning Cubs Show · Nov 17, 2025 · 1h 1m · transcript

Expect a strange winter on the North Side. We unpack why the Cubs’ path runs through pitching, controlled contracts, and a defense-first identity while the 2027 labor storm gathers on the horizon. With only Dansby Swanson guaranteed through that window and uncertainty around caps, floors, and tax dynamics, Jed and Carter look far more likely to trade for a top-three starter than drop half a billion on a right fielder. That’s not timid; it’s portfolio management in a volatile market.

We break down the fork in the road at DH and right field—Seiya Suzuki plus low-cost internal options like…