Cub Tracks’ cold brew crew

“Frazier goes down.” — Jim Deshaies.

That was some good baseball. Enjoy it while it’s there.

Here’s Cub Tracks 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.

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Commissioner’s reported threat to shut down the season amid the COVID-19 crisis is the latest in a series of wake-up calls for MLB. ‘“Asked if he was optimistic the season would make it to the finish line, David Ross said: “Outside of the Chicago Cubs, I can’t speak for the league and what everybody is trying to do.”” Steve Greenberg discusses this.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): What happens to player service time and salary if the season is shut down? “... everything is governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the March Agreement ...”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): One week into a season on the brink, how do you feel about the Cubs? “... simply blaming the Marlins is also too easy when there has not been a coherent, sustained national strategy to combat the coronavirus.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cubs add a familiar former closer. “... the Cubs agreed to a Minor League contract with former closer Cody Allen.”
• Mark Gonzales (Chicago Tribune* {$}): The struggling Cubs bullpen must right the ship — and fast: ‘We’re going to need to find roles for these guys,’ Ross says. “We’ll be able to find out who can pitch for us in the big moments and who may have to give a little bit more of a leash at certain times,” Ross said. Evan Altman has more. Russell Dorsey adds on. Brett Taylor tops it off.
• RJ Anderson (CBS Sports*): Cubs star Anthony Rizzo blasts MLB for lack of player safety protocols during rain delays. “Jamming 30-plus individuals into the standard big-league clubhouse for hours at a time would seem to be a questionable idea.”
• Richard Justice (MLB.com*): Nico Hoerner making the most of opportunities. “Hoerner entered play on Thursday having hit in all five of his starts, batting .389.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Kris Bryant thanking Mike Moustakas for self-reporting symptoms might actually help Cubs. “Bryant ... told the media after the game that he gave the Reds star props for being honest about his symptoms and sitting out as a result.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs’ Steven Souza Jr. calls on MLB players to ‘take a hard look’ at off-field actions. “Your decisions off the field will put all of our seasons in jeopardy this year.” Russell Dorsey has more.
• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs radio voice Pat Hughes monitoring games in a whole new way. “In my mind, I’m still a worker, and I feel a responsibility,” said Hughes, 65. “If I’m healthy and there’s a ballgame on the air, I should be there.”
• Cubs birthdays: Ed Gastfield, Harry Croft, Howard Freigau, Wayne Tyrone, Greg Gross, Brandon Kintzler.

SimNews:

The mighty simCubs issued a proclamation Friday afternoon in simWrigley, erupting for sixteen runs even though two runners were thrown out at the plate. Ryan Yarbrough celebrated his extension by driving in the first run with a sac fly to cap off a nine-pitch at-bat and pitching a one-run quality start to boot. SimKB’s hitting streak ended at 18 but he walked and scored three times as the Brewers flat-out refused to pitch to him. Jesus Luzardo celebrated his extension by throwing a three-inning save and driving in three with his first major-league hit, a double into the right-center gap.

SimJavy was 4 for 4 as the simCubs poured it on. Lots of highlights!

Tomorrow Alec Mills (4-1, 5.19) will face Brewers ace Brett Anderson (12-6, 3.43) in the middle game of the series in beautiful Wrigley Field. Rizzo is freezing, so Victor Caratini is playing first against the tough lefty, with Almora playing right field again. Nico Hoerner is playing second and batting second.

The simCubs front office was busy as well, with the trade deadline approaching and contract extension time on the front burner as well.

I’ll be running this sim next year — whether or not it is ‘televised’, well, that depends. But I took a lot of care to make reasonable deals and to stay under the luxury tax limit. I’ll say right out that I plan to shed Yu Darvish’s salary, which would make the rotation Kyle Hendricks, Yarbrough, Alec Mills, Jesus Luzardo and a wild card, which conceivably be Jon Lester, who wants $5 million or so for a year, or whoever I can get for Yu. Or Max Fried, who wants $7.7 million. He’d have to improve a great deal in August and September to be worth that, given the play money we just spent.

OF/ 1B Noel Cuevas (Triple-A) to Baltimore for RP Tanner Scott, who is on the 40 and will figure in next year’s pen.

RP Luis Avilan (who I signed as a non-roster FA and stashed in Iowa) to Mets for RP Daryl Thompson, who is also likely to figure in next year’s bullpen.

OF Greg Allen from Cleveland for OFs Donnie Dewees and Chad Fritz (NPC). Allen’s cheap and a good switch-hitting fourth or fifth outfielder with a little pop and some wheels. Cleveland has been after Dewees all year. I dunno what they see but ok.

I extended Bryant ($155m for 5 years), Contreras ($111m for 5), Rizzo, ($35.9m for 2 years), and Yarbrough ($44.5m for 5). Those were the big money deals, with Baez and Schwarber still available for arbitration (we’ll probably have to lose one of them, which we knew going in).

Smaller deals (some great ones):

Ian Happ $6M for 3, Alec Mills $5.5m for 2, Hoerner $5m for 3, Luzardo $3.6 for 2, Brad Wieck $4.5 for 3, Brett Phillips $2.2 for 2, Tanner Scott $2.2 for 2.

Likely to leave the simCubs:

Albert Almora Jr, Johan Camargo, Max Fried. They all want ‘starter money’ and they haven’t shown that they’re worth it. Iowa is 71-33 — some of those guys deserve promotion. Dan Winkler wants Kimbrel money, and he’s likely headed elsewhere. Jason Kipnis is probably headed out — his fine year with the bat and glove mean he wants a payday and the simCubs are loaded with good infielders. You’ll see some of them when September callups roll around.

We’ll skip the food for thought due to length — it’ll be back tomorrow. Thanks for reading!