Cub Tracks’ nothing for money

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.

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Front offices are divorcing themselves from risk. — Buster Olney.

• 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: