Chicago Cubs: All quiet on the Hot Stove front on Christmas

As much of the country celebrated Christmas, there were few reports on the Hot Stove front – as all remained quiet when it comes to the Chicago Cubs.

We hope everyone had a happy, healthy Christmas with friends and family. There wasn’t much going on (at least that we know of) when it comes to the Chicago Cubs or the Hot Stove, but that doesn’t mean GMs weren’t on the horn in between dinner and opening gifts laying the groundwork for future deals.

The biggest story here at Cubbies Crib came via the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Steve Greenberg, who chatted with one of our site experts, Nicholas Blazek, earlier in the week. For those of you who may be new to Cubbies Crib, Nicholas was diagnosed with Grade IV glioblastoma earlier in the year and has been battling ever since. Not only has he and his wife had this fight on their hands, but they also welcomed their first child into the world earlier in December.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs starting pitching has been thriving on the North Side
• Make no mistake: the Cubs are very much about power hitters
• Cubs are giving pitcher Javier Assad a deserved shot
• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis

Needless to say, it’s been a busy year for the Blazek family. So, if you’re looking for a feel-good holiday piece to keep the spirit alive a little longer post-Christmas, definitely check it out below.

Back to the baseball front. Although no major moves came to fruition, the Detroit Tigers continue to talk with clubs about outfielder Nicholas Castellanos, one of the higher-end right-handed bats available via trade this winter. With Detroit far from contending, getting a solid return on their young slugger makes plenty of sense for the organization.

The Cubs, meanwhile, are still working quietly behind the scenes to improve the roster. The only acquisitions made to-date include rehabbing hurler Kendall Graveman, left-hander Conor Lillis-White and veteran infielder Daniel Descalso – the latter of which drew either praise or ire from Cubs fans.

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These & Other Stories You May Have Missed

Cubs ink Graveman to deal with an eye to 2020 – Cubbies Crib

An ailing Cubs family that won’t ever quit – Chicago Sun-Times 

Will Baines help McGriff reach Cooperstown? – Cubbies Crib

Report: Team met with Scott Boras, Bryce Harper – Cubbies Crib

This was easily the best moment of the Cubs’ season – Cubbies Crib

What’s Next?

We’ll see how the rest of 2018 shakes out. The Cubs need relief help badly – the options they’ve added aren’t going to get the job done. And, here we are, still clinging to a desperate hope that Chicago somehow, someway makes it work and lands Bryce Harper.