Cub Tracks Hits The Debate Trail

Ten BCB points if you know the source of the quote in the photo caption. You'll have to get them from Deputy, though, so I make no guarantees since I didn't ask him to give them up.

From Comcast SportsNet Chicago:

• With his strong outing on Sunday Travis Wood put himself well in the driver's seat for the final spot in the rotation, but it's not something that he's focusing on.
• Joe Maddon isn't surprised by the home run barrage from Kris Bryant this spring.

From Cubs.com:

• Maddon may not be surprised by Bryant's peformance this spring, but his teammates are certainly impressed by it.
• Another player who has been making a good impression this spring is Matt Szczur, who has hit .381 so far in Spring Training and has hits in four of his last five games, not including Monday.
• For those of you who are fans of the Cubs' flowing locks of hair, you'll be sad to know that they're going away. But it's for a good cause as the Cubs will be shaving their heads on March 22 to raise money for pediatric cancer. (Also covered by Bleacher Nation.)

From ESPN Chicago:

• The first round of roster cuts came on Monday with eight players being either optioned to Iowa or assigned to the minor-league camp.  The roster now stands at 53 players.
• In case you're unaware of why Kris Bryant may start the year in Iowa despite hitting more home runs than some teams have so far in Spring Training, Jesse Rogers explains the situation in detail. And I'm sure it will be brought up somewhere in the neighborhood of a million times over the next two weeks.

From CBS Chicago:

• Dan Bernstein understands the reasons behind Bryant's potential delay to his callup and says that it's both good business and good baseball.
• It may have just been a Spring Training game, but Jon Lester wasn't happy with his performance in the 7-0 loss to the San Diego Padres on Monday. (Also covered by the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times.)
• Kris Bryant in the outfield?  He's on board with the idea. (Also covered by the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times.)

From the Chicago Tribune via RedEye Chicago:

• Not only will Bryant see some time in the outfield, but so will Mike Olt.  No word as to what Chris Coghnorfia thinks about the development.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

• Well, you knew that someone had to take the opposite stance on the Kris Bryant debate.  And Rick Morrissey is the one to deliver.

From the Daily Herald:

• Bruce Miles sticks to his long view and says that if Theo Epstein is smart, he'll hold Bryant back "a few days". Actually he means long enough to delay the free agency clock a year, but you get the idea.
• Barry Rozner reminds everyone that it's wholly unrealistic to think that all of the prospects will produce quickly once they reach the big club.

From Cubs Den:

• John Arguello lists his five biggest surprises so far in Spring Training for the Cubs.

From Bleacher Nation:

• Michael Cerami looks at Kyle Hendricks and one area where he may be both elite and underappreciated: Consistency.
• The Minor League Ball list of top 175 prospects is now available, and the Cubs have three players in the top seven as well as seven players overall on the list.
• Luis Medina looks at the 2015 roster and the increase in roster depth the club has amassed compared to just three years ago.

From Chicago Cubs Online:

• Tom Usiak begins a three-part series previewing the 2015 minor-league season, with the first installment focusing on the Rookie League in Arizona and the Short Season A League in Eugene.

From Cubs Insider:

• What exactly is a month of Kris Bryant worth? Evan Altman looks at the numbers to give a potential answer.

Today's food for thought: