👋 Good morning!
What in the world is happening at 1901 W. Madison St?
The Bulls are 6-1!
Josh Giddey is the first Bulls player with consecutive triple-doubles since Michael Jordan recorded 10 in an 11-game stretch back in 1989!
Oddsmakers set their win total at 33.5 before the season started. Now they’re alone atop the Eastern Conference!
D-Line Depth at The Deadline
Ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Bears acquired DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka from the Cleveland Browns for a sixth-round pick. The Bears also received a seventh-round selection from the Browns.
Background: Tryon-Shoyinka is a former first-round draft selection, taken No. 32 overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. In four seasons with the Buccaneers, Tryon-Shoyinka totaled 15 sacks, 35 QB hits and 21 tackles for loss in 66 games, including 45 starts.
The Browns signed Tryon-Shoyinka to a one-year deal worth $4.75 million when free agency opened in March. He has appeared in eight games with no sacks and just one QB hit.
This season, Tryon-Shoyinka has played just 6.4% of the Browns’ defensive snaps and 27.1% of their special teams snaps.
Roster Finagling: To make room for Tryon-Shoyinka on the 53-man roster, the Bears officially placed DE Dayo Odeyingbo on injured reserve. Odeyingbo suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The team also placed practice squad IOL Ricky Stromberg on the IR and signed IOL Kyle Hergel to take Stromberg’s place. Hergel last appeared in the NFL last season with the New Orleans Saints.
What Could’ve Been: Amidst the New York Jets’ fire sale that saw CB Sauce Gardner sent to the Indianapolis Colts and DT Quinnen Williams dealt to the Dallas Cowboys, the Bears reportedly attempted to make a play for Jets DE Jermaine Johnson II, per Jordan Schultz.
However, the Jets sought a future second-round pick for Johnson, ultimately causing the Bears to pivot to Tryon-Shoyinka.
As for the three players that Adam Hoge, Adam Jahns and I suggested the Bears consider kicking the tires on in yesterday’s newsletter (Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, Raiders DE Tyree Wilson, Saints CB Alontae Taylor), all three stayed put past the 3 p.m. deadline.
While the idea of taking a massive swing on a player like Hendrickson or Raiders DE Maxx Crosby was certainly enticing, adding a “low-risk, low-reward” depth piece like Tryon-Shoyinka always made the most sense for the Bears.
If Ben Johnson or Ryan Poles’ backs were against the wall and they needed to make some sort of splash, the acquisition would be somewhat disappointing. But that’s not the situation for the Bears.
It’s a process. And while the move isn’t a sexy blockbuster, it’s valuable depth behind Austin Booker, Dominique Robinson and Daniel Hardy.
Jahns’ Five Takeaways: Bears linemen handing out pancakes, while rookies look like mainstays
Bulls 113, 76ers 111: This Bulls team does. not. quit.
For 35 minutes, it felt like the Philadelphia 76ers were simply establishing their dominance over the Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Sixers shot a ridiculous 52.9% from three and 55.1% from the field in the first half, taking a 19-point lead into the break. 76ers G Tyrese Maxey was unstoppable in the half, collecting 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting (5-for-7 from three).
But as the third quarter progressed, the Bulls slowly but surely began to crawl their way back into the game, cutting the 76ers’ lead to 11 at the end of the period. Then, it was go time.
Josh Giddey and Nikola Vucevic picked things up, and the Sixers went ice cold, failing to make a field goal for the final 6:26 of the game.
Vucevic buried a three-pointer in the corner off a sweet dish from Giddey with 3.2 seconds left to put the Bulls on top. It was the first lead the Bulls had all game.
The assist was Giddey’s 12th of the game, part of his 20th career triple-double. Giddey also scored a team-high 29 points and pulled in 15 rebounds.
Once trailing by 24 in the first half, last night’s win marked the Bulls’ largest come-from-behind victory since erasing a 25-point deficit against the Detroit Pistons on February 17, 2021.
Ayo Dosunmu missed his second straight game with a quadriceps injury.
Sayonara Or See You Later? The Cubs rejected a fifth-year option in LHP Shota Imanaga’s contract on Tuesday, allowing the starter to decide whether or not to exercise a $15 million player option for 2026. Imanaga declined and is now a free agent.
The Cubs can still extend a qualifying offer worth $22.025 million in 2026 before a 4 p.m. deadline on Thursday. The team is also expected to extend a qualifying offer to OF Kyle Tucker.
Imanaga was a key cog in the Cubs’ rotation coming into the year, but struggled mightily in the home stretch of the regular season. In his final 12 starts of the year, he allowed 20 home runs in 12 starts.
In a critical Game 5 of the NLDS last month, Imanaga, who was on normal rest, was not among the six pitchers manager Craig Counsell opted to use.
Return To Sender: The Cubs traded RHP Andrew Kittredge to the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday. The Orioles are expected to pick up Kittredge’s $9 million club option.
Kittredge, who was acquired from the Orioles at this year’s trade deadline, owned a 3.32 ERA in 23 appearances with the Cubs.
Picked Up: The White Sox officially picked up a $20 million club option for OF Luis Robert Jr. on Tuesday.
Robert, 28, struggled early this past season, sporting a sub-.200 batting average from April 1st until July 19th, limiting the White Sox’s ability to trade the outfielder for any meaningful return at the deadline.
But his game improved as the season progressed, eventually slashing .286/.331/.420 over the final 30 games of the season. Robert also set new career highs with 33 stolen bases and 40 bases on balls.
The Sox could try to move Robert Jr. again this offseason but couldn’t risk losing the former core centerpiece for nothing in free agency.
Meanwhile, LHP Martín Pérez declined a $10 million mutual option for 2026 and will receive a $1.5 million buyout from the club. Pérez started just 10 games for the Sox, missing several months due to a forearm strain before a shoulder strain ended his season in September.
You’re Hired! The White Sox officially hired Kansas City Royals assistant pitching coach/director of major league strategy Zach Bove as their pitching coach on Tuesday.
The team is also expected to hire Miami Marlins assistant hitting coach Derek Shomon as the club’s new MLB hitting coach, according to Sox Machine’s James Fegan.
Shomon is a native of Glenview, Ill. and attended Glenbrook South High School.
🐻 Hoge & Jahns
12:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Bears
1:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Cubs
2:00 on YouTube
📺 CHGO White Sox
4:30 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Bulls
4:30 on YouTube
📺 CHGO Blackhawks
Pregame at 8:30 on YouTube
🏒 Blackhawks at Canucks
9:00 on CHSN
📺 CHGO Blackhawks
Postgame on YouTube
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Talk to you tomorrow!
– P.N.
