The Cubs’ preparation for the upcoming Tokyo Series began before the players were required to show up for Spring Training. Pitchers began ramping up earlier than usual, understanding that their season would begin in mid-March.

Roberts, who is expected to become the highest-paid manager in MLB, says talks are “on the 1-yard in football (terms).” An announcement is expected before the team leaves for Japan next week.

Pete Crow-Armstrong has a pretty good view of Sloan Park from his spot in center field for the Cubs. On Saturday afternoon, it was hard for him to not notice the outfield berm packed from line to line with fans.

The Chicago Cubs have hyper-focused on depth this offseason. Specifically, they’ve pursued pitching depth. Last season, the front office came under fire after the full-on collapse of the bullpen put the team in a hole from which they couldn’t emerge.

At one point, the Chicago Cubs thought they would have Alex Bregman at the hot corner in 2025. Now that they missed out on Bregman, their starting third baseman should be set in stone but manager Craig Counsell is having issues committing to a decision.

Staging Opening Day in Japan speeds up some personnel decisions that can typically wait until the end of March.

Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes spent the offseason assuring manager Dave Roberts would be signed to a contract extension at some point before his current deal expires with the 2025 season.

Craig Counsell discusses how Pete Crow-Armstrong returns to the lineup to face the Padres in a spring game and what his recovery has been like

The Dodgers and Dave Roberts are inching closer to agreeing to a new contract, with the hope that a deal can be reached by next week before the team leaves for Japan.