The Dog Days of Summer

👋 Good morning!

If you’re reading this, it means you’ve survived the toughest day on the sports calendar.

Today isn’t much better, but at least there are things tomorrow that we can think about for the rest of the day.

And before you know it, the Bears will be reporting for training camp. In fact, rookies report this Saturday — well, most of them at least.

– Patrick Norton

Hoge. Jahns. CHGO.

CHGO is the new home for Adam Jahns and the Hoge & Jahns podcast. And it can be your home for premium Diehard content all season long for $36 for the first year, too.

Become a Diehard for access to Limited Edition Hoge & Jahns merch, merch discounts, exclusive events, and top-tier written content!

Act fast — This deal ends July 31st!

A look ahead to the trade deadline

The MLB trade deadline is two weeks away, and the expectation is that both the Cubs and White Sox should be very busy before July 31 at 5 p.m.

For the Cubs, the hope is that by adding an arm or two and maybe a slugging third baseman, they can outlast the surging Milwaukee Brewers and win the NL Central.

For the Sox, it’s another year of selling aging assets. But the youth movement has at least begun on the South Side, and it’s yielding inconsistent yet promising results.

Let’s take a look at what we should be watching for over the next two weeks:

TO TRADE OR NOT TO TRADE: That is the question… If top prospect Owen Caissie is dealt before the deadline, I’m inclined to believe that the Cubs have a decent feeling that they can re-sign Kyle Tucker, who’s set to enter free agency this offseason.

Tucker, 27, will command a mammoth payday, and Caissie, MLB’s No. 41-ranked prospect, would be the heir apparent to right field should Tucker opt to leave in free agency.

So, moving Caissie, which would require a massive target back to the Cubs, could signal that strong belief in Tucker’s long-term return.
WHICH ARM IS IT ANYWAY? It’s somewhat of a foregone conclusion that the Cubs will add to their starting rotation in the coming weeks. Will it be a frontline starter having a down year like Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen? Or will GM Jed Hoyer look for long-term value in the middle of the rotation with somebody like Mitch Keller?

GO DEEPER: Four options the Cubs could target before the deadline

SELLING LOW: What options do the White Sox have when it comes to Luis Robert Jr? If they trade him, they’d be doing so at his lowest value. But if they keep him beyond July 31, they’ll either have to exercise his club option worth $20 million for 2026 or let him walk in free agency for nothing.

It’s not a good spot to be in for the Sox, but it’s tough to pin too much blame on the organization for failing to foresee Robert Jr. seemingly falling off a cliff. In 79 games this year, he’s accumulated 0.1 fWAR and a .190/.275/.325 slash line. Yeesh.

My prediction is that GM Chris Getz and the Sox cut their losses and sell to any willing buyer. And if the Phillies, Mets and Padres want to create a miniature bidding war, power to ‘em. According to Jon Heyman, up to eight teams are expressing some level of interest in Robert Jr. The more the merrier!
THE HOUSER THAT GETZ BUILT: Credit to Getz for finding a diamond in the rough to flip. Nobody could’ve predicted the level of quality pitching that Adrian Houser has provided the White Sox since he signed in May after parting ways with the Texas Rangers.

57.2 innings later, Houser sports an incredibly inexpensive 1.56 ERA with a crazy impressive 3.8% home run to fly ball ratio. Houser, 32, is as good as gone, but what can the Sox get in return? The Sox are likely looking at a couple of mid-level prospects with upside. Nothing wrong with that.

The Sox might also be interested in an innings-eating veteran starter to take some of the burden off of Shane Smith for the rest of the season. Houser checks that box, but his value has grown immensely, and his potential return is far too big to ignore for the sake of chewing up innings.

MORE: Sean Anderson explored what the Sox should expect in return for Houser

⚾️ DIEHARDS ONLY ⚾️

We’re knocking the Friday 1:20 Club out of the park and onto a Wrigley Rooftop.

Join DIEHARDS ONLY at this premium event when the Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 15th!

Your event ticket includes all you can eat and drink throughout the game, a CHGO Cubs shirt of your choice and a CHGO hat!

FIRST FLINCH? Another second-round pick has signed their rookie contract. Alfred Collins, selected 43rd overall in the 2025 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, signed his deal, which includes 88% of the money guaranteed, on Wednesday.

It’s not a full guarantee, but it’s still a big jump from the status quo for second-round picks.

The Bears still have not been able to reach agreements with second-rounders Luther Burden III, Ozzy Trapilo and Shemar Turner. That trio will be unable to participate in training camp until agreements are completed.

29/32 second-round picks remain unsigned. Could Collins’ signing create a domino effect?

FROM JAHNS: Can the Ben Johnson-Caleb Williams pairing break from Bears’ past mistakes?

SCHEDULE RELEASE: The NHL released its schedule for the 2025-26 season on Wednesday. I mentioned this one yesterday, but the Blackhawks will open the season on the road, facing the reigning back-to-back champion Florida Panthers on October 7th at 4 p.m. CT.

They’ll open the United Center a few days later on Saturday, October 11th, hosting the Montreal Canadiens. At the end of October, they’ll visit Winnipeg to face Jonathan Toews for the first time. Toews will make his triumphant and long-awaited return to the United Center on Monday, January 19th.

FULL SCHEDULE»»»