Cub Tracks keeps on tracking

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, two of which are in suspended animation at the moment.

The beats are mostly still on holiday. The bloggers, however, are as on-target as NORAD after Santa Claus, and we have quite a few good stories below.

The 12 Days of Cubsmas, cont’d on next rock.

On the sixth day of Cubsmas, Jed Hoyer gave to me:

One starting pitcher

Two hitting coaches

Three glove-first fielders

Four bullpen arms

FIVE COLLEGE SCOUTS

Six righty hurlers

and a beer

And with a blip and a bloop, we move on.

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 on this page as sarcasm font. (In the comments section, use @ before and after your remarks @ to produce sarcasm font. In the text body. It doesn’t work in the headlines). #IStandWithThePlayers.

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Another COVID-19 surge is wreaking havoc on the sports world as leagues try to keep up with updated protocols amid the omicron variant. “The only thing we’ve learned from 2021 is the much-anticipated “return to normalcy” was simply wishful thinking.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): MLB Pipeline Mock Draft: Cubs land the top pitcher. “Jim Callis mocked the first 10 picks of the upcoming 2022 MLB Draft.”
• Greg Zumach (North Side Bound*): The value of the Cubs’ 2022 second-round pick. “... while the baseball world waits for the official word let’s look at where things stand right now.”
• Maria Torres (The Athletic {$}): A Rule 5 draft candidate from every team in the National League. “... whenever the draft, originally scheduled for Dec. 9, takes place after it was put on hold as a result of the lockout.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): Don’t hold your breath on a Carlos Rodón signing. “The White Sox opted to not tender the left-hander a qualifying offer, which is worrisome, to say the least.” Evan Altman elaborates.
• Todd Johnson (North Side Bound*): 2022 could be a big year for lefty relievers. “Some of them are still developing while others could be pressed into service if needed.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Top draft pick Jordan Wicks joins deadlift craze. “He even did it wearing glasses to show that nerds can pump iron too.” More of this trend.
• Todd Johnson (Cubs Insider*): Chicago Cubs Organizational Breakdown, Pt 4: Miguel Amaya’s injury creates opportunities for other catchers. “How the Cubs go about assigning their various catchers will be something to watch for as spring training winds down.”
• Logan Whaley (Cubbies Crib*): Luke Voit makes for an underappreciated trade target. “Voit has been in the big leagues since 2017...”
• Bill Felber (Call to the Pen*): Frank Schwindel, Patrick Wisdom, and the Chicago Cubs’ big lineup gamble. “Jed Hoyer did nothing at all to bolster the projected lineup for the Chicago Cubs in 2022...”
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation*): Could the Cubs make a prospect-buying trade for Kevin Kiermaier this offseason? “They’re rare and difficult to pull off, but they do happen.”
• Jaclyn Hendricks (NY Post*): How Clint Frazier’s fiancée Kaylee Gambadoro factored into his Cubs decision. “My fiancée’s best friend dates Nick Madrigal on the Cubs,” Frazier began.
• Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic {$}): Why does David Ortiz have so much more support than Sammy Sosa? Exploring yet another Hall of Fame contradiction. “... the wide disparity in their expected vote totals is difficult to justify.”
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Cubs legends recall their toughest opponent to face. “Even the best of the best can face their match.”

Food for Thought:

Thanks for reading. Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the opinions of writers whose work is linked in this series of articles. We try to present a balanced view, and let the facts speak for themselves.