Cub Tracks spends a poultry sum

Well, look. It’s the penultimate Cub Tracks of 2019. If you’re reading this, you woke up today. Congratulations! Now, let’s spend some of that precious time reading this stuff, what there is of it, as most of the beats are on vacation. Looks like no Shogo for Chicago.

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). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used here as sarcasm font.

• Kenny Kelly (Beyond the Box Score): The Cubs can still spend, they just don’t want to. “... it’s important to remember that the penalties for going over aren’t as back-breaking as owners would have you believe.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): The 2010s were the best of times for the Cubs, the worst of times for the White Sox. “Where the Cubs and Sox will go in the 2020s is anyone’s guess...”
• Brendan Miller (Cubs Insider*): Sustaining selectively aggressive approach key to Kyle Schwarber’s value. “If he’s able to continue his second-half in perpetuity, he’s one of the best-hitting left fielders in baseball.”
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider*): Cubs organizational breakdown, Pt. 6 – Outfield help coming, maybe by 2021. “Both Brennan Davis and Cole Roederer had interesting seasons...”
• Cubs birthdays: John Upham, Ken Rudolph, Kevin Hart.

Food for thought: