Cub Tracks feels better about Yu

Roster cuts Friday.

Hey, spring. Gorgeous day in south and central Arizona. I watched the game on my patio, in my jammies. The only way it could have been better is with a Cub victory. Still ... more prospects and suspects will be off to the minor-league complex soon. And then we’ll see.

Are you ready for Javy Cam? I am.

Here’s Cub Tracks News and Notes, the only links column that really matters. 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.

“If we all want to continue to play together, we just have to win. I guess it makes it more simple for us. There’s no outside factors involved. It’s just like, ‘If we want to continue to play together, let’s just win and that’s it. The rest takes care of itself.’” — Kris Bryant, on trying to keep the Cubs’ core together.

• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Report casts further doubt on Marquee Sports Network striking deal with Comcast by Opening Day. “... it might not be a binary matter of Marquee and Comcast working something out.” Jeff Agrest has thoughts.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Flu bug, bad blister knock 3 Cubs from lineup before 5-0 Cactus League loss to Rangers. “... Ian Happ continued his strong start to the spring, and bullpen newcomer Jeremy Jeffress pitched another scoreless inning ...”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Yu Darvish logs 6 strikeouts in 47-pitch sim game Friday morning. No fever, no flu, says Gordon Wittenmyer. Jordan Bastian offers a second opinion. Jesse Rogers concurs. Yu talks about it [VIDEO]. Paul Sulivan offers chicken soup.
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Ross-ter rundown: One pitch could hold key to Jose Quintana’s 2020 success. “... he’s at his best when throwing all his pitches and hopes a new changeup grip — similar to a four-seam fastball rather than two-seam — will help him disguise the pitch better.”
• 670 The Score*: Hottovy: No. 5 Spot in Cubs’ rotation remains open [AUDIO].
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Craig Kimbrel hopes to change the narrative after his ‘2 shots to the jaw’ ending with the Cubs in 2019. “The Cubs are counting on Kimbrel — a seven-time All-Star with 346 career saves — to return to form in 2020...”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Freddie Freeman says Anthony Rizzo is best person to talk to at first base. “Rizzo and I, we have a good time over here,” Freeman said.
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Former Cub Ben Zobrist isn’t retired, but he has no plans to play in 2020. “... Zobrist wants to keep his relationship with the Cubs organization going.”
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Javy Cam is coming soon to a Cubs telecast: Marquee Sports Network plans to use a new infield camera during a Cactus League game next week. “We were able to look at this Javier Baez fellow. He’s good at baseball is what this camera seems to illustrate,” said Mike McCarthy, Marquee general manager.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs reportedly “Talked to the Padres recently” about a Kris Bryant deal involving Dinelson Lamet and Luis Campusano. “… it’s not going to happen.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Thoughts of fatherhood keep Bryant focused. “The Bryants are expecting a son at some point in April ...”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): 26th men: Steven Souza Jr., Ian Miller trying to find a home on the Cubs’ roster. ‘I’m happy and excited to be out there playing,” said Souza.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs will have Rule 5 pitching prospect Michael Rucker returned. “Good to have him back in the organization.”
• Cubs birthdays: Merwin Jacobson, Ed Bouchee, Randy Stein, Joe Carter. Also notable: Soup Campbell.

Food for thought:

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