Cubs Talk Podcast

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, David Kaplan, Tony Andracki and Jeff Nelson discuss the assistant coaches under David Ross, how the Cubs aren't the only NL Central team facing budget constraints, and Yu Darvish-social media darling. 02:00David Ross filling out his coaching staff 07:30What to expect from next week's GM Meetings 10:00Cardinals facing budget issues 13:00Can the Reds be the surprise team in the division? 17:30Possible offseason moves the Cubs could make 20:30Which Cub do you most want to see stick with the team? 22:00Yu Darvish-Social Media star

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, former Cub Ryan Dempster joins David Kaplan to discuss how David Ross will handle managing his former teammates, why the Cubs can turn things around quickly, and being part of the trade that brought Kyle Hendricks to the Cubs. 03:30Will David Ross hold his teammates accountable 05:00Why can Cubs turn things around quickly 06:00On a free agent's decision on where to play 07:30On being traded for Kyle Hendricks

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss what the coaching staff might look like under David Ross, who is most likely to sign an extension this offseason and if the team will have money to make moves this offseason. 02:30Theo looking to remake the roster this offseason 04:00Darvish decides not to opt out of contract 05:30Possible changes to the coaching staff under Ross 07:30Is John Farrell the leading candidate to be the bench coach? 11:00Will the Cubs get younger in 2020? 13:00How do the Cubs upgrade the starting rotation? 15:00Who is most likely to sign an extension with the Cubs? 17:00Will Theo have the money to make moves this offseason? 21:00The front office has been too stubborn the last couple seasons 23:00Ross and the need to hold players accountable

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, David Kaplan gives his thoughts on the biggest question marks on the current roster and what possible free agents the team may target this offseason. 01:00Kap expects team to take a step back in free agency 03:00Biggest positional questions for the 2020 roster? 10:00The team needs 2 arms in the rotation this offseason 11:00Free agency market and who the Cubs might target

On the latest Cubs talk podcast, Kelly Crull goes 1 on 1 with new Cubs manager David ross, plus Tony Andracki and Vinnie Duber join Kelly to react to the introductory press conference. 01:00 One on one interview with David Ross 08:30 Ross on Lester now calling him "Manager David" 10:00 On getting past using 2016 season as a crutch 12:30 Ross on holding guys accountable 16:30 Is this a change big enough to get Cubs back on track 20:30 Ross won't be a puppet for the front office 22:30 How much is riding on this hire for Theo & Jed 24:40 Ross' reputation will change from here on out 26:30 Ross is completely different than Joe Maddon

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki react to the news of David Ross becoming the new manager of the Cubs and the upcoming arbitration process with Kris Bryant regarding his delayed callup back in 2015. 01:30Was it always David Ross' job? 04:00Ross having to do a mock press conference as part of his interview process 10:00Theo and Jed's interview process 13:00How will Ross hold his former teammates accountable 17:00How active will the team be in free agency this offseason 21:00Kris Bryant's grievance over his service time 28:00Chances Kris Bryant (or a core player) gets traded this offseason

3:00 - Listener question: Espada or Ross? Kelly Crull shares some inside info on Joe Espada 7:30 - Kelly talks about David Ross' second interview for the Cubs managerial job. 11:30 - Listener question: Say it is Espada, do you see any way David Ross comes on as a coach behind Espada? 13:30 - Listener question: Could the team regress further due to a lack of familiarity with a new manager? 20:10 - Listener question: How hard will Theo and Jed go after Gerrit Cole? And if he's not available who else is? 23:30 - Listener question: Are you trying to extend Castellanos? 26:00 - Listener question: If you sign Castellanos are you also trading Kyle Schwarber? 28:45 - Listener question: Should the Cubs trade Kris Bryant? What would they get back in return? 33:00 - Lighting round: Will Nico Hoerner be the opening day second baseman and keep the job in 2020? 33:10 - Lightning round: Will the Cubs bring back Cole Hamels? 33:45 - Can we and should we clone Javy Baez so we have a fresh Javy when he retires, or is that unethical?

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Tony Andracki, Kelly Crull, Scott Changnon and Jeff Nelson give us their memories of Joe Maddon's time with the Cubs and discuss David Ross and Joe Espada's candidacy to be the next manager. 01:30Kelly's memories of Joe from the perspective of a reporter 06:00Going back to Hazleton with Joe 07:45Joe's legacy as manager of the Cubs 16:00How Joe impacted Javy Baez' career 18:00David Ross and Joe Espada may be the leaders to replace Joe Maddon

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull, Tony Andracki and Jeff Nelson offer up their bold predictions for the Cubs offseason, including the futures of Willson Contreras. 01:30 - Are the Cubs preparing to take a step back in 2020? 07:45 - Willson Contreras' future with the Cubs 09:00 - Will the Cubs trade one of the core 4 11:00 - Has Jose Quintana thrown his last pitch for the Cubs? 14:30 - Will Javy Baez agree to a contract extension this offseason? 15:30 - Will Theo Epstein still be with the club in 2022? 18:00 - Will David Ross be the next manager? 25:30 - Are the Cubs trailing the rest of the league in anayltics?

David Kaplan shares his thoughts on the Cubs, the decision to move on from Joe Maddon (0:50), the process in hiring a new manager (2:40), and who should be in the dugout next season (4:05).

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss the biggest need this offseason and who they think will manage the team in 2020. 01:30What is the biggest need this offseason 02:30The need for another starter in 2020 04:00Putting priority on building the farm system 05:30How do they solve the leadoff hitter problem 10:00Chances Castellanos returns 13:00The need to rebuild the bullpen 18:00Picks for who will be the Cubs manager in 2020

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, David Kaplan talks with Joe Girardi, now working for MLB Network, about the possibility of returning to the dugout, how the Cubs job is perceived around baseball and his thoughts on the Cubs roster. 01:00Girardi on state of managing 02:00What goes into a manager's job off the field? 04:00Can today's players be managed the same way former players were? 05:30On nickname "Binder Joe" and analytics in baseball 07:00On how Cubs job is perceived around baseball 08:00Does Joe lobby for jobs? 10:00Joe's thoughts on the Cubs roster 11:00Joe's World Series pick 12:00On how managing changes in the playoffs 13:30Did he ever dream of standing in Wrigley dugout

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Tony Andracki and Kelly Crull react to Theo Epstein's season-ending press conference, and touch on David Ross being a candidate for the manager job, what type of team the next manager will inherit, and if there will be changes on the coaching staff 02:00 - "We're starting something anew" 03:00 - What Theo is looking for in a new manager 05:00 - Theo looking for more team-centric work 08:00 - David Ross is a candidate for the manager's job 11:00 - What type of team will the next manager inherit 13:00 - Are there really any untouchables on the club? 16:00 - Did the Cubs fall into a winner's trap 18:00 - How will the Cubs address the leadoff spot? 22:30 - Cubs struggles to develop a pitcher 24:00 - Will there be changes in the coaching staff?

Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki wrap up an eventful day in St. Louis where the Cubs officially parted ways with manager Joe Maddon, thus ending the most successful five-year run in Cubs franchise history. Crull and Andracki also relay reaction from Cubs players on Maddon’s departure as well as their own takeaways and memories from the Maddon era. Plus, what’s next for the Cubs as they enter an offseason of change? 1:00 – The Maddon reaction 4:00 – What Maddon meant to these Cubs players 6:00 – Maddon let Javy Baez realize his potential as “El Mago” 8:00 – Maddon’s life lessons 9:00 – Maddon’s message to Kris Bryant 10:40 – Maddon’s lasting impact 13:45 – What Kelly will remember most about Joe’s time here 20:00 – Reality check for this franchise 22:00 – Are huge changes coming for the Cubs? 24:00 – The futures of core players with this franchise 25:30 – Zobrist farewell? 28:00 – Strop farewell? 30:00 – Appreciate this era of Cubs baseball

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Tony Andracki and Kelly Crull discuss the Cardinals sweep, Yu Darvish taking the loss so hard, and what to look for over the final six games of the year. 01:00 - Reaction to being swept by the Cards 03:30 - Darvish taking the loss really hard 05:30 - This is the Yu Darvish Cubs fans thought they were getting when he signed with the Cubs 07:00 - Almora's miscue in the 9th inning of the loss 08:00 - It feels like the end of an era 12:00 - Is this the end of an era for the Cubs? 16:00 - Surprised Rizzo was available on the field for the entire Cardinals series? 20:00 - There is no one thing you can look to that didn't work this season 22:00 - What do you want to see over the final six games? 25:00 - Seeing a cornerstone being helped off the field for a second Sunday in a row 29:00 - How much will we see the injured guys on the field?

01:00 Is this the biggest series ever against the Cardinals 07:15 Would you have pinch hit for Chatwood in the 8th inning Wednesday 10:15 Will Dexter Fowler be a factor in this series? 11:30 Are you surprised where the Cubs are at this season? 16:00 Is Kris Bryant injury prone or just unlucky? 19:00 How many will the Cubs win in this series vs STL? 21:00 If there was to be a sweep, which team is more likely to sweep

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Anthony Rizzo talks about his ankle sprain, Theo Epstein reacts to the injury and Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan and Tony Andracki discuss how the Cubs will fill the void in the lineup. 01:00 - How Rizzo is doing a day after the injury 03:30 - Anthony Rizzo discusses his injury 06:00 - Will we see Rizzo again in the regular season 08:00 - Theo Epstein discusses Rizzo's injury 10:00 - Who will play first base in Rizzo's absence? 12:00 - Need to continue the offensive surge

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss the injury to Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs offense coming alive against the Pirates and the playoff chase with 2 weeks left in the season. 01:00How worried are you about Rizzo's injury 05:00Wrigley's reaction to Rizzo's injury 08:00Bryant leads the Cubs offense against the Pirates 10:00Heyward's resurgence after moving out of leadoff spot 12:00Nico Hoerner's looks impressive in first series at Wrigley 15:00How do Cubs stand with 2 weeks left? 17:00Cubs have a chance to make up ground with Cardinals playing Nationals 18:30Brewers staying in race without Yelich

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan, David Dejesus, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki react to Theo Epstein's comments about his club, changes in the scouting department and struggles at the leadoff spot. 01:30 - Latest odds to win the NL Central after the Yelich injury 03:00 - Brewers make up 5 games in the standing in 6 day 04:00 - Reaction to Theo's comments on defensive struggles 08:00 - How do players change the narrative of the season? 10:00 - Was 2016 the outlier year for the Cubs? 12:00 - Jason McLeod's new title with the team and a new look in the scouting department 16:00 - Struggles at the leadoff spot 19:30 - Who is the player who runs the clubhouse? 21:00 - Since 2017 did the Cubs believe they could turn it on when they had to? 24:00 - Cubs broadcast bumped for "Bachelor in Paradise" 27:00 - Darvish bounces back to be their best starting pitcher this season

00:01:00 Luke, Kelly and Tony talk with Mick Gillispie - play-by-play voice of the Tennessee Smokies - who saw every Double-A game that Nico Hoerner ever played. 00:07:00 Mick talks about who Nico Hoerner is as a person and what should make him a successful MLB player. Mick gives a great example of what makes Nico a great leader on the field. 00:12:24 Mick talks about Nico's defensive abilities - including playing shortstop, second base and center field. 00:15:00 Asked if Hoerner has any glaring weaknesses in his game, Mick says he doesn't see any. 00:20:00 Luke, Kelly, Kap and Tony discuss Kris Bryant's knee issues, K.B. getting a cortisone shot, and what it could mean for Bryant as the Cubs 2019 hits the home stretch. 00:23:00 Tony talks about the seriousness of the Bryant knee injury - and how much the Cubs need their former MVP down the stretch. 00:31:15 The state of the Cubs infield and not putting too much pressure on Nico Hoerner after his MLB debut.

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Kelly Crull, David Dejesus and Tony Andracki discuss the Cubs struggles in Milwaukee, the numerous injuries the Cubs are facing, and if there is enough time to catch the Cardinals in the NL Central

00:42 - Craig Kimbrel gives an update on his right elbow. The Cubs closer sounds very optimistic after an MRI came back clean. 04:03 - Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan and David Dejesus discuss "Plan B" if Kimbrel is out for the stretch run or a possible playoff series. 06:51 - Luke breaks down the incredible story of the Cubs most recent call-up, Danny Hultzen. Included is a portion of Luke's 1-on-1 with Hultzen from July with the Iowa Cubs. 10:14 - Luke, Kap and David talk about what a special story Hultzen's comeback has been - and could be if he turns into a big factor for the Cubs in September. 14:34 - The guys discuss the Division race. How close do the Cubs need to be to the N.L. Central leading Cardinals before the first game of their series at Wrigley Field September 19-22?

00:00 - Luke Stuckmeyer, Doug Glanville and David Kaplan break down the Cubs injury situation with Kris Bryant, Javy Baez and Yu Darvish banged up. 05:15 Offense gets Ben Zobrist and Willson Contreras back - but how will Willson's hamstring hold up in the cold weather down the stretch? 08:20 - Appreciating the Cubs trainers, getting a lot of work this season. Doug talks about his experiences in the trainer's room. 12:30 - Kelly Crull sits down and talks with Nick Castellanos in the Cubs clubhouse.

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, David Kaplan, David DeJesus, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki try to figure out what is wrong with the Cubs offense, discuss Ben Zobrist's return to the Cubs and Darvish missing Sunday's start 01:00Ben Zobrist reurns to the Cubs 04:00How Zobrist can help the team's struggles at the leadoff spot 07:30Baez injury scare 10:00Darvish missing Sunday's Start 15:00Cubs chasing the Cardinals in the Central 18:00The Cubs offense looked worse on Sunday than they did on Saturday 23:00What should the offense's approach be at the plate? 25:00This isn't the fault of the hitting coach 27:00Cubs getting solid pitching 29:00How should the Cubs approach the Mariners the next 2 games 30:00Do you start pressing looking at the scoreboard?

Nick Castellanos is still red hot since being acquired at the trade deadline. Luke Stuckmeyer, Eric Strobel & Nate Poppen compare Castellanos' start with the Cubs to other similar "hot starts" in Cubs history. We also catch up with Castellanos in the Cubs clubhouse after their big win over the Brewers. 00:00 - We break down what continues to be an unbelievable start to Nick Castellanos' career with the Cubs. 04:08 - Comparing Castellanos' red-hot start to his Cubs career with past similar hot starts - including Aramis Ramirez, Kerry Wood and Kyle Schwarber. 12:13 - Nick Castellanos talks to reporters in the Cubs clubhouse after hitting 2 home runs in the Cubs 7-1 win over the Brewers on Friday. 17:10 - We discuss the roller coaster ride that has been the Cubs 2019 season. Getting swept by the Nationals, then sweeping the Mets and beating the Brewers.

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, Kelly Crull, Tony Andracki and The Kaplan discuss the latest Yu Darvish outing, the team's struggles at the leadoff spot and what to expect from Ben Zobrist when he makes his return. 01:00Do we call Kap & Yu Darvish, Kaplish or Darvlan? 04:00Is Darvish's lack of walks hurting him on the mound? 05:30Darvish's addition of a knuckle-curve 07:30Would Darvish be a game 1 starter in the playoffs? 09:00Advantage of pitching Hendricks in a high-leverage game 10:30Concerns about Anthony Rizzo's back 12:00How does the team solve it's struggles at the leadoff spot 21:00What to expect from Ben Zobrist when he returns 24:00The Cubs need Javy Baez to get hot over the last month 27:00Every single game feels important this time of year

Fresh off the heels of the Cubs’ worst series at home in nearly two years, Luke Stuckmeyer and Tony Andracki tackle the most important topics surrounding this team right now. 0:30 – CubsTalk Podcast from an alternate universe where Nicholas Castellanos’ 10th-inning fly ball was actually a walk-off. 2:00 – A tale of two offenses. 5:00 – What’s the cure for what ails the Cubs lineup? 7:00 – Cole Hamels looks to be rounding into form. 9:00 – The Mets are shaping up to be another formidable matchup for the Cubs this week in New York. 11:00 – An update on Anthony Rizzo and his back injury. 13:30 – The Cubs badly need Javy Baez to get hot. 15:00 – Wrapping up with some positives, including Craig Kimbrel and the Cubs defense.

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by David Kaplan and Doug Glanville to discuss Yu Darvish responding to Kap on Twitter after his home run-plagued outing Wednesday night. Kap gives the reasoning behind his initial tweets (2:15), before Joe Maddon humorously weighs in during his pregame media session (4:15). Then, the guys debate how Twitter has changed the game and its media coverage (6:30), before Kap recalls another, more anger-filled media/player interaction involving Kent Mercker in 2004 (17:30).

00:00 Luke & Kap talk about Nick Castellanos, the impact he has had on the Cubs offense, and the possibility of signing him before he hits free agency this winter. 10:34 Kelly Crull sits down with Kyle Schwarber. Topics include the team’s return to Wrigley Field, the Cubs quest for the N.L. Central title, and “Schwarber’s Block Party” – Kyle’s third annual fundraiser to help first responders. 20:35 Luke & Kap chat about the Cubs bullpen, including Craig Kimbrel, Rowan Wick, and which starting pitcher would move to a relief role IF the Cubs make it to the postseason.

Luke Stuckmeyer sits down with David Kaplan, Chris Kamka and Nate Poppen to discuss Jose Quintana's dominant stretch, the importance of this upcoming homestand, and the best moments of the LLWS Classic. 00:00:25 Examining the roller coaster week that ended with the Cubs winning their first road series since 00:02:21 Jose Quintana appreciation: Chris Kamka delivers some spectacular stats to back up Q's tremendous run since June 29th. 00:07:28 If the Cubs make the playoffs... would you pitch Quintana in Game 1? 00:08:28 The guys pick their favorite moments from the Little League World Series Classic. 00:10:03 Since we are talking about Little League... will we ever see a return to "situational hitting" and "small ball" in Major League Baseball? 00:12:53 Since the ball is "juiced" in 2019 - why are Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo not hitting more home runs? Chris Kamka thinks he has the answer to that question. 00:14:57 Chris Kamka examines the Cubs awful road record - which could have more to do with bad luck than people think. 00:18:16 Preview of this week's homestand, keeping in mind that the Brewers and Cardinals will face each other 6 times over 10 days. 00:20:53 Kap gets in his time machine and plays "what if" the Cubs didn't make a few trades/signings before and after the 2016 World Series. 00:24:45 Kap discusses the "level of expectations" that Cubs fans have now.

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, we get to know Kelly Crull. Kelly tells Luke Stuckmeyer about her love of bowling growing up, why she became a reporter and some of her favorite moments covering the Cubs. 01:00Kelly's love of tennis at an early age 04:00Following basketball while growing up in Indiana 06:00Possible tennis showdown between Kelly and Megan Mawicke 09:30Kelly talks about working in London & interviewing J.K. Rowling 14:00When did she decide to become a reporter? 15:00What is her favorite food? 16:00Kelly's go-to karaoke song 18:00Kelly's favorite NBA story (it involves Kevin Durant) 21:00Favorite moments covering the Cubs 24:00Dealing with the weather at Wrigley Field 28:00Something we don't know about Kelly 31:00What does Kelly enjoy watching at home the most?

David Kaplan explains to Luke Stuckmeyer and Tony Andracki all the reasons why he's so down on the Cubs right now. 01:00Kap has lost confidence in the Cubs 04:30The road woes are totally in their head 06:30What happened to "R-E-L-A-X" Kap? 08:20Why does this feel different than the 2015 team? 13:30Do last year's struggles give you hope for this year? 15:45Kap doesn't want to see Almora starting games 16:40Tony wants to see Bryant leading off 20:20Kap's message to Cubs fans

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, Doug Glanville, Tony Andracki and Chris Kamka discuss the legend of Kyle Schwarber, break down his stats and discuss what type of player he can be. 01:00 - How the legend of Kyle Schwarber grew 04:00 - A career is built on a series of moments 07:00 - Schwarber is perfect for Chicago 08:00 - Can Schwarber be an everyday player and will it be for the Cubs? 10:00 - Schwarber may be the beneficiary of analytics 12:00 - Schwarber would be the greatest backup catcher in MLB 14:00 - What former player does Schwarber compare to the most? 16:00 - What are realistic expectations for Schwarber for the future? 18:00 - Schwarber's improvement in the outfield 19:30 - How do you summarize Schwarber's career 24:00 - Will Schwarber be with the Cubs for 5 more seasons?

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss what bullpen moves the Cubs will have to make when guys get healthy, Kris Bryant being a clutch hitter and Joe Maddon's future. 01:30Dillon Maples struggles at the major league level 03:00Who gets sent down when Kintzler and Kimbrel get healthy 05:00The Cubs all-time all-lefty lineup 09:00Highlights of the 2020 Cubs schedule 13:00More spread out off days in next year's schedule 16:00Kris Bryant is clutch 18:00Joe Maddon's future with the Cubs 21:00The possibility of David Ross managing the Cubs

Luke Stuckmeyer talks with Doug Glanville about baseball, life, Hamilton... and Hall & Oates. 0:38 - Doug discusses "Hamilton" - his favorite Broadway play 2:59 - Doug talks about how the band Hall & Oates helped him become a Major League baseball player. 6:55 - Doug discusses his favorite early baseball memories - including imitating Mike Schmidt. 9:24 - Doug talks about some of the coaches that helped him the most when he was a young player - including Billy Willaims, Jimmy Piersall and Shawon Dunston 11:30 - Find out which managerial job Doug interviewed for. 12:58 - Doug discusses how much the game has changed since he was still a player - and dreaming about "knocking 'the Wizard' back to Oz." 16:27 - Doug talks about the defining moments from his career in MLB - including the night he collected his 1,000th career hit - and the spiritual side of baseball. 20:39 - Doug discusses being the first African-American Ivy League graduate to play Major League baseball, and what that means to him now. 22:45 - Doug talks about the process of writing an Op-Ed for the New York Times - regarding the subjects of racism, ambiguity, commonality, and empathy - and how baseball can be a common ground for fans everywhere.

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David DeJesus and David Kaplan discuss the addition of Jonathan Lucroy, how many MLB players wear a cup, the state of the bullpen and how they will do on their road trip. 01:00Cubs add Jonathan Lucroy as a backup catcher 02:30What do you like most about the addition of Nicolas Castillanos? 05:00Would you bring Castillanos back next season? 07:00How many guys in the majors wear a cup? 09:00Injuries to the Cubs bullpen give opportunies to young pitchers 10:30Duane Underwood's stellar performance vs the A's 13:00Are the Cubs staters good enough to make up for the troubles in the bullpen? 15:00How will the Cubs do on their 10-game road trip?

After the Cubs put the finishing touches on a sweep of the Brewers and a 5-4 record overall in the tough stretch against divisional foes, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki broke down the key takeaways from the last week-plus. The duo also discusses the incredible run Yu Darvish and the Cubs pitching staff has been on, plus Jason Heyward's star turn atop the lineup and how the new pieces like Nick Castellanos and Derek Holland are fitting into the puzzle.

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by William Marovitz, the producer of "Miracle," a musical about the 2016 Cubs currently playing at the Royal George Theatre. Marovitz details the origins of the show (1:30), the generational impact of the Cubs winning the World Series in 2016 (5:30), the crowd reactions to the show so far (11:00), and the shared emotional experience of winning the World Series (17:30). Tickets are available at miraclethemusical.com.

Luke Stuckmeyer and David Kaplan break down all the Cubs' moves at the trade deadline, including Nicholas Castellanos' impact on the offense, especially against left-handed pitching (2:00), what current Cubs players need to step up down the stretch (4:30), the change of scenery for Carl Edwards Jr. and the new-look bullpen (6:00), and how much pressure now rests on the shoulders of Joe Maddon (9:15).

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, Tony Andracki and Nate Poppen discuss the series against the Brewers, the series against the Cardinals and what the Cubs may do at the trade deadline. 01:00 - How disappointing was dropping 2 of 3 in Milwaukee 03:00 - Pedro Strop's struggles 05:30 - Pitching matchup preview for Cardinals series 08:00 - Who is bigger threat in NL Central, Cardinals or Brewers 10:00 - Will the Cubs struggle on the road decide whether or not the Cubs win the Central? 12:00 - Which team in the Central will make the biggest move at the trade deadline? 13:45 - Is Syndergaard on the Cubs radar? 16:00 - Would Syndergaard put the Brewers or Cardinals over the top? 19:00 - What is the Cubs priority at the trade deadline? 21:30 - How adding Zobrist and Happ will affect how the Cubs approach the trade deadline 23:00 - Will Whit Merrifield stay with the Royals the rest of the season?

Ever wanted to know the story behind Kap? You've come to the right place. Luke Stuckmeyer and David DeJesus sit down with Cubs Pre/Post host David Kaplan to learn what makes Kap tick. The trio cover the origins behind his Twitter handle & nickname, @thekapman (1:30), his heart issues and near-death experience on the operating table during heart surgery in 1991 (5:30), how Ron Santo helped set him on a course toward good health (21:00), his ultimate goals in life and his love of people (26:00), and what tattoo he plans on getting sometime soon (33:00).

Tony Andracki, David Kaplan, and Kelly Crull dive into everything going on with the Cubs at the moment, including Addison Russell's struggles and the team's other personnel issues (1:10), whether some trade targets are realistic for the Cubs to acquire (7:30), the ultimate role for Robel Garcia (11:15), how the Cubs will structure the bullpen with Pedro Strop's struggles (14:30), and what the roster could look like after the trade deadline (18:30).

Listen to Cubs legend Lee Smith's entire Hall of Fame induction speech.

Get to know Gary Pressy: Luke Stuckmeyer sits down with Cubs organist Gary Pressy. 1:00 - Find out when Gary started playing the organ. 2:40 - Gary discusses his "consecutive games streak. 4:10 - Gary talks about some of the new songs he mixes in with the old classics. 7:15 - Gary picks his favorite moment from the Cubs 2016 World Series Championship season. 9:20 - Gary plays "Beer Money" - answering Cubs trivia questions.

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Kelly Crull and Tony Andracki discuss Yu Darvish's 1st win at Wrigley, Cole Hamel's status, and Kris Bryant playing better than he did in his MVP season. 01:00Darvish picking up 1st win at Wrigley 03:30Cole Hamels injury update 05:00Starting rotation after the All-Star break 06:00Cubs defense looking sharp 07:30How the Cubs will approach the weekend and the expected heat 09:30Kris Bryant playing above his MVP level 12:00How the NL Central stacks up 14:00Upcoming road trip to San Francisco, Milwaukee and Saint Louis 16:00Addition to Martin Maldonado

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, David Kaplan and Doug Glanville discuss the deal that sent Mike Montgomery to the Royals for Martin Maldonado, the injury to Willson Contreras, and how this affects the trade deadline. 01:00 - Any concern about the Willson Contreras injury? 03:00 - Was giving up Montgomery too much to get a catcher? 05:00 - What were the talks with KC 06:00 - How do the Cubs balance 3 catchers once Contreras comes off the IL? 08:30 - Will the Cubs make a significant addition to the roster before the trade deadline? 10:30 - Ben Zobrist is the x-factor for the Cubs down the stretch 12:00 - Do the Cubs have assets in the minor league to make a deal at the deadline? 14:00 - Will what the Brewers do impact the Cubs in the trade market

Luke Stuckmeyer and David Kaplan are joined by Jason McLeod, the Cubs' Senior VP of Player Development & Amateur Scouting. The trio cover a lot of ground within the Cubs organization, including the rapid rise of Robel Garcia (1:15), the current status and massive potential of infielder Nico Hoerner (5:00), 2019 1st-round pick Ryan Jensen & the importance of power arms in today's game (17:00), and what Kris Bryant's ultimate position in the field might turn out to be (21:45)

On the latest Cubs Talk Podcast, Luke Stuckmeyer, Tony Andracki and Ben Finfer try to answer some of the big questions surrounding the Cubs heading into the second half. 01:00 - Is a major move coming? 02:30 - What if any prospects would the Cubs be willing to trade 04:30 - Will the rotation hold up in the second half? 07:15 - Will Joe Maddon be the Cubs manager the rest of the season? 12:00 - Who will play the most games at second base the rest of the season? 14:00 - Can Ben Zobrist make an impact in the second half? 15:45 - Will the division come down the the final week of the season again? 17:30 - Should Baez have been benched after not running out of he box in Pittsburgh? 20:30 - Will the Cubs win the division?

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by David Kaplan to assess where the Cubs stand at the unofficial halfway point of the 2019 season (2:00), including Kap's plan to fix the Cubs (8:30) and potential trade targets (11:00) before hearing from the three Cubs All-Stars in Cleveland: Javy Baez, Kris Bryant, and Willson Contreras (16:00).

Luke Stuckmeyer is joined by Iowa Cubs reliever Danny Hultzen, and the 2011 first-round pick goes over his entire comeback story, including twice undergoing major shoulder surgery and keeping a positive attitude (2:00). Then, Luke welcomes Tony Andracki to discuss whether Hultzen could be a factor for the Cubs later this season, how much Cubs fans are looking forward to seeing Robel Garcia get a shot, and Ian Happ's struggles at Iowa (11:45).