JED HOYER

If the universal designated hitter returns to the National League for good next season as many people believe, don’t be looking for the role to be filled with prototypical aging superstars who no longer play a position.

Dodgers ace Max Scherzer got the last three outs in the thrilling Game 5 of the NL Divsion Series and is now lined up to throw the first pitch for Los Angeles in the NL Championship Series.

The Chicago Cubs have hired Carter Hawkins as general manager, dipping into Cleveland’s front office in an effort to bolster their own player development system.

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer missed the team’s 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates after they tested positive for COVID-19.

Chicago Cubs manager David Ross and president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer have tested positive for COVID-19.

Luis Urías tied a major league record with five extra-base hits and Manny Piña drove in six runs, leading the Milwaukee Brewers to a 17-4 romp over the Chicago Cubs.

Right-hander Jake Arrieta has been released by the Chicago Cubs.

The Houston Astros have planned a weekend of giveaway items at Minute Maid Park that’s sure to pique the interest of the visiting New York Yankees.

Brad Miller hit three home runs in a game for the first time in his career, and the Philadelphia Phillies routed the sinking Chicago Cubs 8-0.

Two more Major League Baseball teams have been able to relax coronavirus protocols after 85% of their players and other on-field personnel completed vaccination, raising the total to 14 of the 30 clubs.

Chicago Cubs executive Jed Hoyer is disappointed with the team’s COVID-19 vaccination rate, and he isn’t sure if it will ever reach Major League Baseball’s threshold for relaxing some of its coronavirus protocols.

Whatever the future holds, Kris Bryant is giving the Chicago Cubs plenty of production so far in 2021.

Hoyer insisted the Chicago Cubs are taking a different approach this time. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)CHICAGO – Jed Hoyer insists this time won't be like 2011 for the Chicago Cubs. Along the way, Cubs fans endured a painful rebuild that included a 101-loss 2012 season. “We know that we're coming to the end of this group of players — a wildly successful, franchise-changing run with this group of players,” Hoyer said. "We haven't gotten extensions, and as a result, there are contractual realities to how long we control some of these players,” Hoyer said.

The San Diego Padres traded for another big arm on Tuesday night, Dec. 29, acquiring Darvish in a blockbuster deal with the Cubs. The Padres got Darvish, catcher Victor Caratini and cash from the Cubs for right-hander Zach Davies and four young minor leaguers. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)San Diego Padres general manager A.J. The aggressive Padres got Yu Darvish in a trade with the Chicago Cubs, adding another ace to their rotation after announcing a deal for Blake Snell earlier in the day. San Diego also completed a big trade with Tampa Bay for Snell.

FILE - In this Friday, March 15, 2019 file photo, Chicago Cubs' Kyle Schwarber bats during a spring training baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Glendale, Ariz. Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. became free agents Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020 when the Chicago Cubs declined to offer contracts to two key players from their historic 2016 World Series championship. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)CHICAGO – Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora Jr. became free agents Wednesday when the Chicago Cubs declined to offer contracts to two key players from their historic 2016 World Series championship. While Schwarber, Almora, slugger José Martínez and pitcher Ryan Tepera were non-tendered, the Cubs offered 2021 contracts to infielders Kris Bryant and Javier Báez, catchers Willson Contreras and Victor Caratini, and outfielder Ian Happ. He also played in the 2016 World Series after missing most of the season with a left knee injury. Almora then scored the go-ahead run on Ben Zobrist's double in the Cubs' 8-7 victory over the Indians.

CHICAGO – Listening in on fans' conversations during his walks home from Wrigley Field, Theo Epstein could sense their excitement as the Chicago Cubs set themselves up to capture that long-awaited World Series championship. “It became really clear that we'd be facing some significant long-term decisions this winter, decisions with long-term impacts,” Epstein said. Epstein, who won’t be paid for 2021 by the Cubs, said Ricketts did not bring up his salary when they discussed his future. The Cubs fell behind 3-1 to the Indians in the World Series before beating them in seven games, ending a title drought dating to 1908. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Chicago won the NL Central but got swept by Miami in the first round of the playoffs.

Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Mike Clevinger delivers in the first inning in a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Cleveland. Mike Clevinger, Starling Marte, Archie Bradley and Todd Frazier were on the move. Baseball's pandemic-delayed trade deadline was quite a day. The contending Padres got Clevinger in a multiplayer trade with Cleveland, bolstering their rotation Monday in a rare deadline deal between contenders. The trade deadline is normally July 31, but it was pushed back when the start of the season was delayed because of the coronavirus.