With twelve Cubs (RHP Tony Barnette, OF Nicholas Castellanos, LHP Xavier Cedeno, RHP Steve Cishek, LHP Cole Hamels, LHP Derek Holland, RHP Brandon Kintzler, C Jonathan Lucroy, RHP Brandon Morrow, RHP David Phelps, RHP Pedro Strop, and INF-OF Ben Zobrist) having been declared MLB Article XX-B free-agents, another (RHP Kendall Graveman) declared a second-contract MLB free-agent, and 15 Cubs minor leaguers (INF Gioskar Amaya, 1B-OF Yasiel Balaguert, RHP Trevor Clifton, C-1B Taylor Davis, RHP Enrique de los Rios, INF Phillip Evans, OF Johnny Field, RHP Chih-Wei Hu, RHP Erick Leal, INF Dixon Machado, OF Chris Pieters, C Will Remillard, LHP Manuel Rondon, RHP Allen Webster, and RHP Alex Wilson) declared Rule 55 minor league 6YFA over the past ten days or so, the Cubs next order of business is sorting out their minor league reserve lists and deciding whether to add any Rule 5 Draft-eligible players to their MLB 40-man roster.

15 Cubs minor leaguers were declared MLB Rule 55 minor league free agents at 5 PM (Eastern) Monday 11/4.

10/30 UPDATE:

The Cubs officially signed two more 2019-20 J-2 IFA:

Gabriel Disla, OF 
R/R, 5'11 165, Age 18 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

Edgar Mercedes, RHP 
R/R, 6'8 190, Age 18 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

Both were "Signed for Future Service" (signed 2020 contract) and were assigned to DSL Cubs #1. 
 
The signing bonuses have not yet been reported. 

So the Cubs have signed eleven J-2 IFA (so far) in the 2019-20 ISP that began on July 2nd (see complete list-to-date below). 

The news broke today that the Cubs have concluded their managerial search and hired David Ross to a three-year contract with a club option on the fourth year. Thus concludes what should be one of the least interesting events of the offseason--and all before the postseason has even concluded! I invite you to share your thoughts on the hiring, the Astros-Nats World Series, and other late October baseball goings-on as you see fit.

UPDATED 10-13-2019

As things stand right now...

As things stand right now.... 

Welp, the Cubs were mathematically eliminated early in the last series and appeared to be completely broken in body and spirit thereafter. Perhaps they were reserving whatever fight is left in them for this final series against the Cards. The Cubs can still play spoiler to the team that swept them at home last weekend; the Cards lead the Brewers by only one game and could even fall behind the Nats in the Wild Card should the Cubs manage to play decent ball. Nothing will compensate for this team's horrendous couple of weeks, but any chance to scuff the Cards' boots is worthwhile. Read below for the match-ups.