Cub Tracks puts the pot on

Welcome to today’s episode of Cub Tracks news and notes™. Here we have material from current beat writers, bloggers, and the occasional in-house habitué, moonlighting. These pieces center around #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball.

In the absence of conclusions, there is speculation. The hard news: the Cubs have hired an assistant pitching coach, Daniel Moskos, a former Major-League pitcher, and the Detroit Tigers signed pricy left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, more or less officially opening the Hot Stove Season. Manny Piña signed with the Atlanta Braves. Cubs signed Tyler Payne on a minor-league deal. Patrick Wisdom came in fourth in the ROY vote. Frank Schwindel was seventh. Hey, to even be on the radar is a good thing.

The latest loud rumor has Corey Seager extending a tentacle. I’d like to believe it. It’d solve the shortstop question for now and/or maybe third base if Wisdom falters, and his lefthanded power stroke would look sweet in the everyday lineup. Bring his brother for a year or two, too.

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• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cubs hire Moskos as assistant pitching coach. A little more about him, and the Cubs coaching hires in general. Meghan Montemurro also enhanced.
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): Trading Kyle Hendricks now would be a massive mistake. “... there is no world where the Cubs trade Hendricks this winter and get anything that even feels like a solid return in exchange.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): OK, now there’s another Cubs-Corey Seager connection, and I’m officially paying attention. “... this has to be on our radars now.” Evan Altman had similar thoughts. Alexander Patt wrote it up, too.
• Thomas Erbe (Fansided*): 3 former players who could return to Chicago. “... this feels like it will be an internally driven slow-play in development below the majors.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): Cubs Rumors: “A lot” of teams are circling around Kyle Schwarber. “This winter’s free agent class certainly doesn’t lack impact bats...”
• Todd Johnson (Northside Bound): Northside Bound debuts its own top 20 prospects list. “We assigned a point value to each ranking by the four of us.”
• Tommy Birch (Des Moines Register* {$}): A change to the batter’s eye, video screen and more. Big changes possibly coming to Principal Park. “Principal Park, the third oldest Triple-A baseball stadium, could be getting a major league makeover.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Jason McLeod talking to ‘Three or Four Teams,’ Mets not involved. “There’s three or four teams I’m talking to a little more intently about potentially joining them in an executive position. It’s still determined what the exact roles would be,” McLeod said to Gordon Wittenmyer.

Today in Cubs history:

• 1954 - The Chicago Cubs trade future Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner to the Cleveland Indians for pitcher Sam Jones, minor league outfielder Gale Wade, and $60,000 in cash. Kiner will hit 18 home runs for the Indians in 1955, his final major league season.
• 2000 - The Chicago Cubs sign free agent pitcher Julian Tavarez to a two-year contract.
• 2002 - After piloting the San Francisco Giants for 10 years and winning the 2002 National League pennant, 53-year old three-time NL Manager of the Year Dusty Baker inks a four-year deal to manage the Chicago Cubs.
• 2014 - The Braves trade 2B Tommy La Stella to the Cubs in return for P Arodys Vizcaino. The two teams also exchange international signing bonus slots, giving the Braves more room to be active on that market.

Cubs birthdays: Joe Quest, Rollie Zeider, Tuffy Stewart, Clay Bryant, Garth Mann, Harry Chiti, Chris Haney. Also notable: Cristóbal Torriente HOF.

Food for Thought: