Cub Tracks’ born to be mild

Not much on the docket this morning, your Honor. Matt Szczur has signed with the Diamondbacks and is headed for Reno. No Cubs anything. Here’s a picture of young Ernie Banks, in lieu of kittens:

Sad that there’s noting to report, unlike these two December 15ths:

Here’s today’s Cubs News and Notes. As always * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome).

• Jeff Burdick (Cubs Insider): Shouldn’t fame be a prerequisite for the Hall of Fame? “...members of a Hall of Fame should actually be famous for something versus merely being remembered fondly.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): As slow starts to baseball’s hot stove league become the norm, are the winter meetings still necessary? ““There’s a buzz today,” one TV host said Wednesday, clearly trying to create interest with an absence of real news.”
• James Neveau (NBC Chicago*): Chicago Cubs barely avoid 2018 luxury tax. “The Cubs had the fifth-highest payroll in all of baseball last season.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): With full tank, MLB spending limits driving baseball toward next big labor fight. ‘‘We’ve got to get rid of the noncompetitive cancer,’’ powerful agent Scott Boras said, hinting at an issue that is creating increasing rancor among the well-heeled rank-and-file of the Major League Baseball Players Association.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Troy Tulowitzki, Daniel Descalso reportedly on Cubs’ radar. “...the team also wants to add more depth this offseason.”
• Aldo Soto (Spots Mockery): Bryce Harper still hasn’t signed and the Cubs may be lurking? “...would you really be surprised if Theo pulled it off?”
• Cubs birthdays: Sammy Strang, Tony Kaufmann, Joe Berry, Adolfo Phillips, Paul Noce, Tyler Chatwood.

Food for thought: