Cub Tracks’ puff piece

Well, here we are again, on the day after the second anniversary of the Cubs winning the pennant, trying to make sense of speculation and preparing to enter into the hot stove season with our potholders ready to go. At least, I’m holding my pot — I dunno about you — but the big question of the day is whether the Cubs still have their stuff after an early exit this year...

Before this devolves into a Cheech y Chong routine, let’s address that and the other important questions of the day (that we don’t have any answers for) with the help of our usual panel of experts. We’re still not oversupplied with articles, but there are some quality efforts today. BP Wrigleyville’s Ken Schultz wrote a good joint and the ubiquitous Todd Johnson has a nice sleeper pick. Vinnie Duber and Phil Rosenthal provide the doom and gloom over the ‘Joe Girardi thing’ and Tony Andracki handles the ‘rest’. ESPN and the Sun-Times are still absent and Cubs Den has been hibernating for quite a while. Dave’s not here.

As always * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

1. With reference to ongoing commentary: Cub Tracks’ full 40-man as of 10/13.

Cubs News and Notes:

• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Do the Cubs still have the foundation to support another World Series team? “...the Cubs will have to take a hard look at the financials behind their core of arbitration-eligible players.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Cubs have followed Red Sox blueprint for success, but they still have work to do. “The Cubs have been to the postseason four straight years, but their 2018 season ended with a loss to the Rockies in the wild-card game, and Theo Epstein must contemplate significant changes to the roster to get them back to the World Series in 2019.
• Phil Rosenthal (Chicago Tribune* {$}): If Girardi really wants to manage again, is his TV analyst job a conflict? “Frankly, there must be people willing to work for MLB Network without seeing it as waiting room or springboard back into a dugout position.”
• Vinnie Duber (NBC Sports Chicago*): People around baseball believe Girardi is waiting for managerial job with Cubs or White Sox. “Jon Heyman cites “industry speculation” that Girardi might want to remain a free agent so he can land the job of skipper in Chicago.”
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Maybe the early exit was just what the Cubs needed. “...there’s a lot of value in extra time off...”
• Moshe Wilensky (Cubs Insider): Cubs can’t afford not to pursue Bryce Harper or Manny Machado. “To genuinely improve, the Cubs need to target All-Star level players...”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Running down the Cubs’ nine free agent decisions – Who stays? Who goes? “...as soon as six days from now, the Cubs could have as many as nine outgoing free agents.”
• Tony Andracki (NBC Sports Chicago*): Should the Cubs bring Daniel Murphy back in 2019? “I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Epstein said.
• Carrie Muskat (MLB.com*): Inbox: What’s the Cubs’ closer situation? “Beat reporter Carrie Muskat answers questions from fans.”
• Todd Johnson (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): Could Michael Rucker be a bullpen sleeper for 2019? “...Rucker could be pushed back to the bullpen, and that might be a good thing considering his ability to throw strikes at a higher rate.”
• Ken Schultz (Wrigleyville-Baseball Prospectus): Anthony Rizzo and the greatest mulligan of all time. “...the very fact that Rizzo’s numbers look exactly like what you’d expect from him is what made his performance in 2018 so extraordinary.”
• John Byrne (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Parking meter surge pricing around Wrigley Field for games and concerts to end this year. “Ald. Tom Tunney, 44th, said local businesses were tired of being the only ones in the city where “surge pricing” was in place.”

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading.