Chicago White Sox and Cubs Eagerly kick-off Spring Training

By: Anthony Tirado

As the Chicago Cubs and White Sox prepare for the 2025 season, they aspire to bring success to the Windy City. Ending an offseason filled with highs and lows.

Wilbur Wright College students are thrilled with the decisions the Cubs and Sox teams have made. From veteran signings to picking up key players. 

For the Cubs, the 2025 offseason was filled with excitement and worries. Resulting in a huge trade of their third baseman Issac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and top MLB prospect Cam Smith in exchange for Kyle Tucker. 

The Houston Astros have one year left of arbitration in 2025 before needing a new contract. Other major moves were adding Closer Ryan Pressley, a former two-time all-star, who provided pitching assistance. The end result is to pick up players to add their depth. 

While shipping out Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees for RHP Cody Poteet. Regarding salary, the Yankees would’ve been paying $52.5M with 2 years remaining, which includes a $25 million option for 2026 that can be bought out for $5 million. 

Business economics major, Christian Montalbano shared his thoughts on the trade “I hated when we got rid of Cody Bellinger since he was my favorite player on the Cubs”. 

Shota Imanaga is an elite pitcher, he ended the season with an impressive resume, finishing the season 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 174 strikeouts. Imanaga was a part of a combined no hitter vs the Pirates alongside relievers Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge. 

Security Hector Delvalle voiced his concerns saying “they still have some holes missing in the lineup. They might make the playoffs but there's a minimal chance that they would.” 

Meanwhile on the South side, the White Sox are trying to bounce back from a historical losing season going 41-121, surpassing the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in modern-day Major League Baseball History. So it’s only up from here. 

Notable pickups the White Sox have acquired are OF Michael A. Taylor, and trading starting left-handed pitcher Garret Crochet to the Boston Red Sox for catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and right-handed pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez.

Crochet had a breakout year in 2024 despite being on the White Sox, going 6-12  with a 3.58 and 209 strikeouts and still joining the all-star games. On paper, these stats aren’t as impressive as Imanaga, he is still looked at as a top left-handed starting pitcher.

Business major, Endy Jimenez shared his thoughts on the Crochet trade saying “I have no idea what we are doing, how do we go from the worst team in MLB to trading our top pitcher for bums. However, how can we get even worse than last season, we are up from here.”

For Now, these offseason moves have injected new feelings and concerns for the upcoming season. With the Cubs adding veteran players mixed with younger experience and the White Sox focusing on adding and building for the future.

Illustration by Tito