Pretttaaaaay big game tonight, eh? In less than 12 hours, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers will square up for the third time this season. They split their first two contests, each game coming down to the final seconds/play of the game. And they’ve reignited the rivalry with accusations of dirty plays and late hits (the Packers are delusional on this point, mind you, but it’s out there).
Now they’ll get a win-or-go-home playoff matchup that’s basically bigger than any Bears game in recent memory. I am very nervous, but also … it kinda feels like we’re playing with house money, right?
This franchise has FINALLY found its quarterback *and* its head coach. In the NFL, that goes a long way. Of course, the Bears also have a ton of extremely exciting rookie/young players, too, and this is all basically Year 1 of this potential window of contention.
It really reminds me a lot of the Cubs in 2015, when they, with top pick Kris Bryant and new manager Joe Maddon in place, marched their way to the NLCS a year ahead of schedule by beating their historic (and historically more successful) rivals from St. Louis in the first round.
The Bears have to win this game (and then the next) to claim an equivalent level of success, but the parallel is there, and the future is bright.
Speaking of that era of Cubs baseball …
Yesterday, we discussed which Cubs World Series champs would be attending CubsCon 2026, and how Addison Russell was a surprising inclusion. If you want to read more about his invite – or talk more about that in general – just go to the original post. We don’t need to re-hash it all here. In the meantime, some good news, per Bruce Levine, who reports that Ben Zobrist WILL be in attendance, despite not being on the guest list released yesterday.Despite not being on the Cubs guest list, 2016 WS MVP Ben Zobrist is expected to attend Cubs Con next weekend.Most of the entire championship team expected to attend private event at Wrigley next Thursday.
— Bruce Levine (@MLBBruceLevine) January 10, 2026 Some other notable players not in attendance: Jake Arrieta, David Ross, plus the active players (Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Aroldis Chapman, Willson Contreras, Javier Baez, Carl Edwards Jr., Jorge Soler). I’m glad those guys are still playing, but I gotta say … it doesn’t quite feel like a real reunion without most of them in the house. Who knows, maybe the 20th will be better, when we’re also celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Cubs’ 2026 World Series championship. I’ll take one a decade. Some good news on two other notable absences, Moises Ballesteros and Daniel Palencia. Both players are Venezuelan, so there were some concerns about their general safety and absence from the attendance list. However, I’m told that all of the Cubs’ Venezuelan players (big leaguers and prospects) are safe and have been in contact with the organization. Likewise, neither Ballesteros nor Palencia was ever planning to attend CubsCon this year (so it’s not like they weren’t able to make it because of the conflict).According to a source, all of the Cubs Venezuelan players are safe and have been in contact with the organization. Neither Daniel Palencia nor Moises Ballesteros is coming to CubsCon this year, but they weren't planning on it even before the conflict.
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) January 10, 2026 Free agent reliever Ryne Stanek has signed with the rebuilding St. Louis Cardinals, who are undoubtedly looking at him as a big-time mid-season trade chip.Free-agent reliever Ryne Stanek and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a contract, according to sources familiar with the deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 10, 2026 The Cubs used to do this all the time when they were in their true rebuild (signing low-risk, high-upside free agents, especially relievers, they could flip at the deadline), so I kinda hate this deal because I think it’s smart. I also hate it because Stanek was a theoretical Cubs option this offseason and someone they’ve seemingly targeted for a long time. After rebuilding their bullpen pretty significantly, the Cubs didn’t necessarily need Stanek, but I liked the upside. And because he signed with the Cardinals, even if he IS traded mid-season, the Cubs won’t be the team to get him. Oh, well. The Marlins are reportedly VERY happy with their end of the Edward Cabrera trade, according to The Athletic: “Club officials view the deal as a potential bonanza, perhaps even starting next season.” And there’s certainly been a LOT of excitement around Caissie from Marlins corners of the web. Which, hey, good for them. Frankly, I see this as a pretty solid trade all around. I think the Cubs got a potentially great starting pitcher (with three years of control), and I think the Marlins extracted a steep, but fair price from the Cubs. It was the right move for both teams, and I hope both Caissie and Cabrera dominate next season. The Dodgers have the No. 1 farm system in MLB, according to a poll of MLB executives. Bully for them. But remember, this is not just about maintaining a good scouting and player development system (which they undoubtedly have). It’s also about how much they spend in free agency. If you don’t have to trade prospects for star players because you sign free agents, you can keep more talent in your system for longer. Cubs would be wise to remember that.The No. 1 farm system according to a poll of MLB executives? The Los Angeles Dodgers ? pic.twitter.com/8xhS7hLIZs
— MLB (@MLB) January 9, 2026MORE CUBS FROM BLEACHER NATION: Go Ad Free | Subscribe to the BN Newsletter | Listen to the BN Cubs Podcast
Bears vs. Packers Preview: The One That Defines the Season t.co/GlF79iP7jj
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) January 9, 2026The D-Rose Hype is taking over Chicago once again! Take a look at what we spotted outside the United Center this morning ?#Drose pic.twitter.com/XP44NVlguw
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) January 9, 2026Chicago Sports Equinox, Everybody’s Sick, Prospects in Action, and Other Blackhawks Bullets #blackhawks t.co/KMmQkeFAGf
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) January 10, 2026Hence then, the article about venezuelan cubs safe good news for world series reuinion stanek signs 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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