Last weekend, the Cubs and Bears came together to provide Chicago with one of the most memorable and consequential sports nights for this city in a long time. One week and one day later, and it’s all on the Bears. I am nervous. I am excited.
And I am ready to Bear Down.
You’ve got a must-read of the day, today, from Patrick Mooney, who got the inside scoop on how the deal with Alex Bregman came together last weekend during the Bears game. From the sound of it, Bregman was VERY close to returning to the Red Sox, before Jed Hoyer turned around quickly to get things done: “That night, we called Jed because we had things that were operational,” Scott Boras told The Athletic.” And he had to make decisions. Otherwise, a different decision was going to happen.” But unlike last winter when the Cubs missed out on Bregman, Jed Hoyer was prepared this time around. Prepared because he “initiated discussions” earlier in the year with Crane Kenney and Tom Ricketts to explain why they needed to be more open-minded about deferrals. And prepared because his gut told him Bregman was going to decide that weekend, so he held staff meetings about Bregman the day before.Working from his suburban North Shore home, Hoyer went back and forth with Chiamparino over proposals. Boras looped in his analytics team and the Cubs did the same with their group, working toward the numbers that would determine the contract’s net present value and accounting toward the luxury-tax threshold.
With both sides agreeing to $70 million in deferred money, the last element of the negotiations would be finalizing the schedule for those payouts.
“We might have gotten a deal done before kickoff,” Hoyer said, “if it wasn’t for all the spreadsheets.”
That’s just a small part of the story, which also features margaritas with Jameson Taillon. It’s a really great narrative look behind the scenes from Mooney. You’ll want to check that one out today, for sure. Justin Steele threw off the mound yesterday, which feels like a very significant development in his return to the team.Justin Steele threw off the mound for the first time since his surgery in a bullpen session yesterday. pic.twitter.com/WSk167pcWB
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) January 17, 2026“I miss being a baseball player”Steps to go, but Justin Steele’s chomping at the bit to get back on the mound pic.twitter.com/RqUOUkLDpD
— CHGO Cubs (@CHGO_Cubs) January 18, 2026 From what I understand, the goal for Steele is to return to the rotation sometime in June, which still gives him plenty of time to contribute, but also absolutely erases a large chunk of the season. With Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, and Edward Cabrera (plus depth arms like Javier Assad and Colin Rea), the Cubs are well situated to work through that absence, but (1) not everyone I just listed has the upside of Justin Steele, and (2) not all of those guys will necessarily be healthy, themselves. Bottom line, I’m eager and anxious for Spring Training to start so we can get an updated projected timeline for Steele. Speaking of the Cubs starting pitchers, this is hilarious.Edward Cabrera says he can throw his change as fast as 98 mph.
— Evan Altman (@DEvanAltman) January 17, 2026 And this is informative:Matthew Boyd breaks down what’s different in his preparation this year before he pitches in the WBC pic.twitter.com/OAj4bAzi7b
— CHGO Cubs (@CHGO_Cubs) January 17, 2026 I have a really tough time knowing what to expect from Matthew Boyd this season. He was so utterly dominant in the first half and then so clearly gassed in the second half. But was that a sign of what to expect this year? Or is he now going to be even more built up after a full season of contributions and thus better able to contribute meaningfully in October? This is part of why it’s so nice to have so many extra big league caliber arms. I wouldn’t be at all surprised – or upset – if the Cubs found a way to save some of these bullets for October by way of extra IL stints throughout the season (which is what the Dodgers did last year with Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, and Tyler Glasnow). Specifically, if Edward Cabrera or Matthew Boyd are feeling even the slightest bit of fatigue, the Cubs should seriously consider slowing them down. I much rather have them feeling 100% come playoff time than in June. It also makes me wonder if they’re actually done adding pitching this winter … Short-time Cubs closer Ryan Pressly has announced his retirement and is going to work for the Twins in some capacity (per Jon Heyman).Ryan Pressly announces his retirement pic.twitter.com/RtpjWe1uIn
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 17, 2026 His time with the Cubs was … not great, but he had a very long, very successful career before coming to Chicago. This is better suited for the Bears bullets, but I laughed too hard not to share. Tom Brady is just a full-on Bears fan, I think.“It’s going to be a Herculean task for the Rams to go in there and win..”Sounds like Tom Brady thinks the frigid temps sets up a Bears victory. Via @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/H8fDGzadKz
— Judson Richards (@JudsonRichrds) January 18, 2026MORE CUBS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter | Listen to the BN Cubs Podcast
Did you miss any of our Cubs content yesterday? There was sneaky a lot going on.
The biggest story was Matt Shaw and Nico Hoerner discussing the crowded infield and their plans for 2026. But we also took a tour around the league, including details on Kyle Tucker’s 10-year offer. We shared the news on the three members of the Cubs Hall of Fame. And finally, we enjoyed Jon Lester’s incredibly heartfelt comments on what it means to be inducted to the Cubs and Red Sox Hall of Fame (versus the proper Hall of Fame).Caleb Williams and #DaBears are set to face their biggest test — Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams.Are they ready for it?Are YOU?@PatrickKFlowers | t.co/hwm4ipk9vQ pic.twitter.com/6xelvR4QqY
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 17, 2026LOL: Matt LaFleur’s Coaching Buddies “Can’t Stand” Ben Johnson t.co/fTWeI2L3ez
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 16, 2026Rome Odunze Gets Upgraded on the Week’s Final Chicago Bears Injury Report t.co/svklYbmYJ8
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 16, 2026Hence then, the article about how the bregman deal came together steele progressing and other cubs bullets was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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