Happ-y days are here again: Chicago Cubs in 2024

main offseason signings so far:
craig counsell - manager
shoto imanaga - SP
michael busch - 1B
yency almonte - RP
hector neris - RP

will they also sign cody bellinger and/or matt chapman? should they? will any of this be enough to win the seemingly up-for-grabs NL central?

I feel like Belli is 99% a Cub & they’re just waiting him out. Chapman is a Giant to me.

i don't know if i want them to re-sign bellinger, he's looking for a lot of money for a guy who had one decent bounce-back season and i wonder if it makes sense to get crow-armstrong more playing time instead. otoh, it's not my money and the division does still seem potentially winnable so maybe they should go for it

I think Wrigley is a good fit for him but his peripherals are kind of worrying & iirc he’s not great at hitting velo. However he’s a superb glove as well. I think they should resign him.

imanaga looking good in his first game (against the rockies, in the cold, but still)

perfect through 5 2/3, then gave up a couple of singles before striking out nolan jones

Little league home run was fun.

looking like a pretty good team so far. good run differential, better than the dodgers (small sample size obv, i expect that to last several more days only!), but i feel like they are well-rounded enough to sneak into the 'offs via a division crown. but it's a really unpredictable division...

Imanaga looks like a guy. Saw that Steele is rehabbing in Tennessee so hopefully not too long out.

Omar otm. Cubbies lookin' fire

the thing i'm happiest about is that whatever seiya suzuki figured out in the second half of last season seems to have carried over to this season so far

This was cute

Ichiro and Seiya Suzuki met for the first time yesterday before Game 1 pic.twitter.com/eucZ6zbBbN

— zachleft (@zachleft) April 14, 2024

Happ-y ending tonight.

It's always nice when teammates pick each other up after a bad outing (can't allow "Chris Flexen" hang an L on Shōta), even better redeeming themself, as Morel makes up for an error with a rally-starting HR. Hoping they can pick up some ground on the Brew Crew.

Imanaga only had one earned run. I bet Wrigley hot dog sellers have a desperate time selling when Morel is at the plate.

<3

Every time the THE SHOW thread is bumped, I'm like that's Shōta's music

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc6ymS4NGxg

Come inside, the Sho's about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart
Rest assured you'll get your money's worth
The greatest Sho in Heaven, Hell or Earth
You've got to see the Sho, it's a dynamo
You've got to see the Sho, its rock and roll, oh