There were stories just about everywhere today that revolved around Kris Bryant, Mike Olt, and Travis Wood. Not all of them are included here but if you have a source that you like more than others, odds are pretty good that you can go there and find a story about them.
Here's the latest from around the web, including stories about players other than those three:
From Comcast SportsNet Chicago:
- Trading Travis Wood would provide the Cubs with financial flexibility to make a bigger deal down the road, writes Patrick Mooney. As for Wood's thoughts about being traded, he's not looking too much into it.
- Mooney also looks at the reasons why Jon Lester and David Ross work so well together.
- Lester's jersey is also ranked number seven in sales at Fanatics.com. No word as to where Ross' jersey stands.
- The Cubs also have a plan this season for Jorge Soler which will hopefully keep him on the field and off of the disabled list.
- Hey, look! It's another story about whether or not Kris Bryant can make the roster on Opening Day! And I bet you'll never guess what Bryant's answer was.
- Also in case you were wondering, the tampering investigation is... Still. Not. Over.
- Chicago magazine released its fourth annual Power 100 list of Chicagoans with the most clout in the city. Tom Ricketts and Theo Epstein were both on that list at number 41 and number 79, repsectively.
From Cubs.com:
- More comments from Joe Maddon about Kris Bryant, including a nugget about him possibly seeing some time in the outfield this spring but most likely focusing on third base.
- One of Maddon's messages when he addresses the full squad this Wednesday: He wants the Cubs to play as hard in March as they would in the regular season.
- C.J. Edwards is making the most of his first spring training and he's keeping a watchful eye on the veterans.
- After seeing the amount of money that the Red Sox are reportedly going to be paying to Yoan Moncada, Phil Rogers is convinced that Jorge Soler looks like one of the best bargains in baseball.
- Jake Arrieta is a believer in having not only a strong body but also a strong mind, something that he learned in his sophomore year at Texas Christian University.
- David Ross agrees with Joe Maddon's belief that playing with the Cubs is the place to be.
- He's also on a mission this spring -- to find the best catcher's helmet.
From ESPN Chicago:
- [VIDEO] Well, it's been a week or two since we had one of these... Jesse Rogers breaks down the race for the fifth spot in the rotation.
- Rogers also has some notes from Spring Training including some memorable quotes from Joe Maddon in the first few days of camp.
- With all of the talk surrounding Kris Bryant, Mike Olt is still looking for his shot at redemption after his disastrous 2014 campaign.
- [AUDIO] Pedro Strop spoke with Jesse Rogers about his offseason car accident and the personalities in the Cubs bullpen.
- What's in C.J. Edwards' diary? Among other things, he's taking a lot of notes and eating a lot of ice cream.
From the Chicago Tribune via RedEye Chicago:
- One thing that Jed Hoyer is hoping to avoid in his continuing pursuit of top-tier pitching is excessive backloading of contracts, especially in the face of a new media deal after 2019.
From the Chicago Sun-Times:
- Travis Wood isn't looking back on the four-year deal that he reportedly turned down last year. As he says, it was part of the game and he's moving on.
From the Daily Herald:
- Joe Maddon is taking a hands-on approach in Spring Training in several ways, including using his experience as a catcher to help out with catching drills.
From Cubs Den:
- John Arguello presents his list of scenarios that would have to fall into place in order for Kris Bryant to make the Opening Day roster.
From Bleacher Nation:
- Joe Maddon really likes reverse-split relievers... but do the Cubs have any?
- Theo Epstein spoke on Saturday with Bruce Levine and Wayne Randazzo on The Score 670. Brett Taylor provides some highlights and analysis.
From Chicago Cubs Online:
From Cubs Insider:
- Nate Schmidt looks at some of the numbers in the career of Edwin Jackson in the quest to answer the lingering question: What exactly do the Cubs do with him this year?
Today's food for thought:
- If you're a fan of colorful architecture, you'll probably enjoy this photo series of brightly-colored buildings in Bolivia.
- From the "Did you know" department: Blue jeans actually start out yellow when they're first dyed.
- And, finally... A new restaurant is opening up this spring in Woodfield Mall, and if you're the kind of arcade rat that I was back in the '80s you'll probably love this. It's called Level 257 and is themed after the classic Pac-Man arcade game.