IT HAS BEGUN! Cubs Make First BIG Offseason Move!

IT HAS BEGUN! Cubs Make First BIG Offseason Move!

From the heart of Wrigleyville, where legends are born, this is Chicago Cubs News Today. Hey Northsiders, welcome back to the channel, your number one source for in-depth news and analysis on our Chicago Cubs. It’s your fellow fan here, bringing you the details that matter in the style you’ve come to expect. Direct, wellfounded, and with the perspective of someone who lives and breathes this team. Before we dive into the first big move of this off season, I need to ask you something. If you want to get the hottest news, the fastest analysis, and the exclusive insights before anyone else, do yourself a favor, and hit that subscribe button right now. Turn on the bell so you don’t miss a thing. Believe me, you won’t want to be on the outside looking in on what’s coming this winter. Trust me, the off season has begun and things are already heating up at Wrigley. Let’s get straight to it. The off season has barely started. We’re in early November and Jed Hoyer is not wasting any time. Confirmed sources and now officially announced by the Orioles. We have just completed our first trade. The Chicago Cubs have sent right-handed relief pitcher Andrew Kitridge to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations. And now, let’s break this down. Kitridge, you’ll remember, was a piece we ironically acquired from the Orioles at the last trade deadline. and he was without a doubt an important piece in stabilizing our bullpen down that crucial 2025 stretch. A key point here uh and the reason this move happened so quickly is his contract. Kitridge had a $9 million contract option for 2026. Let’s be frank. Northsiders, my sources were already indicating and Hoya’s business logic confirmed there was almost no chance we were going to exercise that option. Therefore, getting any return for him in this case, freeing up the salary and perhaps receiving a a small financial kicker is in the front office’s view a strategic win. But let’s look closely at the numbers because that’s what we do here. Kitridge’s performance in a Cubs uniform was a tale of two halves. During the regular season after the trade, he was excellent. In 23 appearances, he posted at a solid 3.32 erra. But what truly impressed me was the whip, 0.831. That is elite. In 21.2 innings pitched, he struck out 32 batters and issued only three walks. That control was essential. He was exactly what we needed. However, and this is a significant however, October arrived. The playoffs are a different animal. In five postseason appearances, his erra ballooned to 540. The control was still there. He wasn’t walking guys, but he got hit. He allowed five hits in those five innings. And in high leverage spots, that’s simply not good enough. That postseason performance combined with his age, he’s 35. And most importantly, uh that $9 million price tag made Hoya’s decision much easier. $9 million is money you pay for an elite setup man or an established closer. Kitridge, as solid as he was in the regular season, does not fit into that elite category at this stage of his career. He was a good rental, but the price of renewal was simply too high for the value he would deliver. So, what does this trade really mean for the Chicago Cubs moving forward? This is the crucial point. On the surface, it seems like a minor roster move, but I see this as the first domino Jed Hoyer is pushing this winter. Letting Kitridge go makes sense from a financial standpoint, but it creates yet another clear need. Let’s be honest with each other, Cubs fans. Our bullpen was at times an absolute disaster early in 2025. It took a combination of internal promotions, surprises, and external additions like Kitridge himself to patch things up and turn that group into a solid unit in the second half of the season. Now, one of those reliable pieces is gone. Hoya must have a very clear plan to fill this gap. And not just with one player, but with several. But the Kitridge trade cannot be viewed in isolation. It’s part of a much bigger picture. And that picture screams, “We need pitching.” The real problem is that our bullpen now needs work. But our starting rotation, which was already thin, just got even thinner with the news from Tuesday. And we’ll talk more about that in the next video. Therefore, the emphasis this winter, the absolute focus of Jed Hoyer’s front office has to be and I believe it will be on adding multiple quality starters and at the same time reinforcing the bullpen with high leverage arms, guys who can come in and shut the door in the eighth or ninth inning. The money saved on Kitridge, that $9 million, isn’t just money saved in my analysis. It’s money that is being immediately reallocated to a war chest to go after bigger fish in the market. Hoya is clearing payroll uh creating maximum financial flexibility. He’s signaling that he’d rather use that $9 million perhaps combined with other funds to pursue a tier 2 starter or a true closer rather than overpay for a reliable but non- elite middle reliever. To sum up the main news, the trade of Andrew Kitridge to the Orioles for cash is a strategic and financial move. It’s Hoya being Hoya. He’s selling an asset he likely wouldn’t have kept, clearing $9 million in future obligations and setting the table for more significant moves. He is prioritizing flexibility to attack the team’s real needs, the starting rotation and the back end of the bullpen. It’s a logical professional move, but it puts even more pressure on him to hit on the next acquisitions. He has a plan, I believe that, and it won’t be long until we find out what it is. And now I want to hear from you Northsiders. What did you think of this first move by Jed Hoyer? Was it a smart financial decision to move on from Kitridge now and free up that cash? Or do you think we’re letting a reliable arm go too soon? A guy who proved his worth down the regular season stretch. Leave your opinions, your analysis in the comments below. Let’s debate it. Thanks for watching. Stay locked right here on the channel for every update, every rumor, and every deep dive analysis. The off season is just getting started, and I’ll bring it all to you as it happens. Hit the bell, follow me on social media, and as always, go Cubs. Go.

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