Roundup
Chicago Cubs
Pittsburgh Pirates
Baltimore Orioles
Boston Red Sox
New York Mets
Minnesota Twins
Cubs lose assistant GM to Orioles — NL Central roundup
No NL Central games were played yesterday, but the Cubs lost a key front-office voice to Baltimore and former Pirate Josh Bell is in the spotlight again.
By the PickALeague Newsroom · Published · Source: PickALeagueSummary written with AI assistance — how we workLire en français →
It was a quiet day on the field in the NL Central, with no teams in action. Off the field, though, the Chicago Cubs saw a key front-office executive poached by an American League club, while a former Pittsburgh Pirate drew attention for how he keeps producing in new uniforms.
Cubs’ assistant GM Jared Banner headed to Baltimore
CBS Sports reports that the Baltimore Orioles have hired Jared Banner as their new general manager under top executive Mike Elias, as Baltimore looks to get back on track after a stalled rebuild. MLB Trade Rumors also reports the move, noting that Banner had been serving as an assistant general manager with the Chicago Cubs and previously worked for the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox. For a Cubs club that just finished 89-73 in the NL Central, it’s a notable loss in the baseball operations department.
The hiring underscores Banner’s standing within the game, as he continues to climb the front-office ladder after stops with multiple organizations in both leagues. For Baltimore, his arrival further structures the decision-making group around Elias, while Chicago now faces the task of filling a significant hole in its leadership group.
Former Pirate Josh Bell keeps getting it done
In Pittsburgh, there was no on-field or transactional news, but a familiar name to Pirates fans resurfaced in the news cycle. MLB Trade Rumors highlights Josh Bell, pointing out that he spent his first five big-league seasons with the Pirates before bouncing around the league. The piece notes that Bell, now with the Minnesota Twins, has been a frequent trade-deadline mover over the past six years as he’s shifted from club to club.
Even if he’s not a top-tier free agent name, MLB Trade Rumors emphasizes that Bell has come through for each new team he’s joined. For Pirates fans, whose club finished 82-80 this season, Bell’s continued impact elsewhere is a reminder of a player who first broke through in Pittsburgh.
Status quo for the rest of the NL Central
There were no specific headlines involving the Milwaukee Brewers (103-59), Cincinnati Reds (75-87), or St. Louis Cardinals (77-85) over the last 24 hours. With no games on the docket, those clubs continue a low-key portion of the offseason while much of the attention falls on Chicago’s front-office change and on former Central standout Josh Bell making noise with his latest team.