The Cubs got the kind of Thursday at Wrigley Field they’ll remember for a while: a postseason berth clinched after two hard-fought games against the Miami Marlins, Pete Crow-Armstrong reaching his 40th stolen base, and a final home-game celebration that turned into a champagne-soaked scene.
But alongside all that good news came a notable loss for the Marquee Sports Network booth.
Taylor McGregor told the Chicago Tribune that Thursday’s game would be her last covering the Cubs for Marquee, ending a seven-year run with the network. She is heading to ESPN full time, where she has already worked across college football, baseball and softball.
Her role there is set to grow even more, with NBA coverage, more college basketball assignments and even opportunities to host SportsCenter. McGregor has been with ESPN since 2019, and the move gives her a major national platform.
McGregor has been part of Cubs broadcasts since Marquee launched in 2020, and over that stretch she became a familiar part of the team’s television identity. Her chemistry with Boog Sciambi and Jim Deshaies helped make the booth one of the most respected in the sport, while she also kept building her profile as one of college football’s rising broadcasters. The past two seasons included playoff assignments, a sign of how far her stock has climbed.
Her departure landed with extra weight because she arrived at Marquee as a relatively inexperienced reporter, after stops at AT&T SportsNet in Denver, THV-11 in Little Rock, Arkansas, and KCWY-TV in Wyoming. What followed was a steady rise, powered by her energy, her comfort talking with players and fans, and the way she handled news from the team. Sciambi said her growth stood out.
"She’s unique, she’s fun and super likable, and that immediately - whether it’s on the air, off the air - connects her to the audience,” Sciambi said to the Tribune. “When you’re doing it every day, you are trying to find stuff, and she really learned to figure out what’s interesting."
McGregor also made her feelings clear on social media, posting: "Forever grateful. Thank you @Cubs + @WatchMarquee. pic.twitter.com/XUw3vFfUdL"
For Marquee and the Cubs, the next step is finding a replacement who can help absorb what McGregor handled so well. The network’s main crew is already extended through 2028, but the search is on for someone who can step into her role by spring training, whenever that arrives with the expected lockout.
That won’t be simple. The relationships McGregor built with the broadcast team and around the club took years to develop, and that kind of familiarity can’t be rushed.
Marquee could go after another young broadcaster and let that person grow into the job the way McGregor did. Elise Menaker could also take on a larger role, given how established she already is in the booth. Either way, the position will draw plenty of interest.
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Cubs Regular-Season Finale Just Got A Lot More Complicated
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Chicago and Boston still have to get through a doubleheader in Boston on Friday before heading south to finish things in Florida. Its a late twist to a series already carrying end-of-season weight, and it leaves both clubs dealing with a revised travel plan at the exact moment they were supposed to be wrapping up the schedule in familiar surroundings. [Read more 🡒]