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Here’s Cub Tracks News and Notes, your every-other-day-except-on-weekends escape from the humdrum, in the best shape of our lives (round is a shape, too), tanned, rested, ready. This ain’t workin’, that’s the way to do it.
Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow. That should generate at least a little optimism. Like most of you, I don’t approve of what MLB and ownership in general do and stand for, but that sentiment doesn’t always have to be in heavy rotation. Nothing for money and your checks for free. Oh wait. Sorry.
Like I wuz sayin’, reasons to be cheerful. You don’t have to be a blockhead to understand that the Cubs have holes, but so do the rest of the teams in the league. Some look better on paper than others.
We’ll have to see how it goes, on the field of play. Between the white lines.
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.)
Pending a physical, Jake Arrieta will be back with the Cubs. Jed Hoyer talks about that & more on Cubs 360 Daily.@Millerlite | https://t.co/t7BxcZez25 pic.twitter.com/3xXT4B4TgS
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) February 15, 2021
A little snow can’t stop Burl Carraway from getting work in
— Cubs Zone ™️ (@CubsZone) February 15, 2021
( : @ausleycarraway) #Cubs pic.twitter.com/4uMhOdtvxZ
Cubs make an addition to their baseball ops department ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/f2LIagVe3C
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) February 15, 2021
Front offices are divorcing themselves from risk. — Buster Olney.
Also can’t say enough good things about the @Cubs org. Absolutely loved putting on that uni.. and although it was a weird, shortened season w/o fans, I’m grateful it happened at all! Would’ve loved to experience a full Wrigley in cubbie blue #onedaymaybe
— Jason Kipnis (@TheJK_Kid) February 15, 2021
- Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Cubs among leaders in player payroll cuts that signal bad news for MLB’s future. “... both “dollars and years are disappearing from MLB free agents.”” References Buster Olney article {$}.
- Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): As Cubs camp opens, questions loom on free agency, extensions and the trade deadline. “... their best hopes are buoyed by playing in a bad division...”
- Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Will Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo be involved in trade rumors all season? Is Joc Pederson an underrated signing? 4 questions for the Chicago Cubs as spring training nears. “After a season in which the dugout chatter was on blast while the offense was on mute, seeing is believing.”
- Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation*): Think you’re getting the best Spring Training locker? Watch out for Rizzo. “And, hey, as far as I’m concerned, Rizzo has earned it.”
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Here are Cubs’ best homegrown Draft picks. Players who were drafted by a team and went on to stardom elsewhere — names like Joe Carter, Josh Donaldson, Jamie Moyer and Rafael Palmeiro for the Cubs, for example — do not make the list.
Food for thought:
Sorry, I'm trying to delete it! https://t.co/pkqnICiSqf
— Futurism (@futurism) February 15, 2021
Low carb diets are still a metabolic mystery https://t.co/ZxRRTttlHY pic.twitter.com/h859Iq0Udy
— Popular Science (@PopSci) February 15, 2021
Planet Nine Might Be a Giant Illusion, Scientists Say, And Here's Whyhttps://t.co/ZXTyIFBR63
— ScienceAlert (@ScienceAlert) February 15, 2021