Cub Tracks hatches plots

Oooo Pat Hughes’ dulcet tones on the broadcast. That’s my jam. Strange game. Some very interesting plays and calls, seemingly from beyond. It ended badly.

But Jake Arrieta’s transformation into a groundball machine (Arrieta has the 18th highest ground ball percentage among qualified pitchers in MLB over the last four years at 49.5 percent, and since 2018, Arrieta is 4th in MLB with a 51.5 percent ground-ball rate) continues. His deliveries still have superior movement — all he needs to do is locate. The ball is up a touch more than I’d like but hey, if Jake can thread the noodle, then I’m good with the occasional meatball. Honestly, despite my fondness for herb, I’m more of a Pastafarian than a Rastafarian. But I still didn’t shoot the deputy.

If these guys play at career average, they’ll be pretty good. A good start and some heart and scrap could go a long way. There’ll be a few more cuts. The Cubs’ steadfast refusal to score came back to bite them Friday. But ... like the old Gahan Wilson saw about open-casket funerals — “remains to be seen”. Robert Bloch will take care of the heart, little boy. Igor has the scraps.

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 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.)

“Jake’s breaking ball is a real weapon. I think talking to him and watching him throw, it’s a really good breaking ball. It’s just about how he’s using it and using it to the right guys. We’re looking for Jake to be able to use his entire mix. When he’s at his best, he does that.” — David Ross

“Just for me and everything I put into my teammates, they deserve all I have this year and I’ll give that to them and our fans. Once April 1 comes it’s all about baseball. It’s not about money. It’s not about a contract extension, the future. It’s about April 1 and winning that game and getting the best out of everyone on the team.” — Anthony Rizzo.

• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Stay or go? Insights into how the Cubs run the contract extension process. Jed Hoyer called spring training “the best time of year to have those conversations.”
• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Jake 2.0? Arrieta confident he can reinvent himself and thrive in second stint with Cubs. “I still have great stuff, but don’t necessarily need the stuff that I used to have in order to pitch well,” Arrieta said.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): How Cubs’ maligned rotation might follow floor plan to October. “Try to build a higher floor that’s solid enough to keep the rotation from sinking the team’s chance to compete.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): 5 Cubs you’ve never heard of having good spring trainings. Intrigue abounds, especially in the bullpen.
• Bryan Smith (Bleacher Nation*): Building something special: The story of Max Bain’s journey to 99 mph. “The 23-year-old righty is the guy other prospects trust for pitch design advice.”
• Connor Byrne (MLB Trade Rumors*): Cubs return Rule 5 Pick Gray Fenter to Orioles. “The O’s have assigned the right-hander to major league spring training as a reserve.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Why Anthony Rizzo is ‘very optimistic’ about getting extension done. “We’ve had really good conversations top to bottom.” But he doesn’t want to talk in-season, says Meghan Montemurro. Russell Dorsey adds on.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Hot Joc Pederson fitting in right away with Cubs. “He’s even picking on the manager a little bit. He’s a fun guy. He keeps things loose,” said David Ross.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Jason Heyward is poised for another strong offensive season for the Chicago Cubs: ‘His swing is at a good place’. “He’s swinging at good pitches,” Anthony Iapoce said.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Heyward adopts vocal leadership role. “He is the guy that we want representing the team,” Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks said. “He’s the perfect pro, man.” It’s his time, says Maddie Lee.
• Greg Zumac (Cubs Insider*): A year after the shutdown: 4 stories of COVID’s impact on amateur baseball careers. “... players throughout the professional and amateur ranks had questions about the long-term implications of the shutdown.”

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading!