Cub Tracks is all wet

Here at CUB TRACKS NEWS AND NOTES™, we have news for you. No Ben Zobrist news, and there won’t be any. Not much in the way of news, period. Rowan Wick was spotted at Wrigley and will likely be back soon.

Bad BCB says: The Cubs are bad and should feel bad. They are correct, sadly. Unless you embrace the Gordon Gekko model, the shame is inescapable.

I think I enjoyed the Romine and Sandberg segments (on the pregame) more than I would have enjoyed the game. I’m not sure I want them to reschedule. I’m for fast-forwarding to whenever the next season is... and maybe sign a couple of the top-tier free agents. Spotrac has a list to choose from. It isn’t real pretty beyond the top shelf, and the Cubs have a LOT of holes to fill. I have people in mind, and I bet you do, too.

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“It’s such a long road, and his stuff ticked up the last couple outings,” Ross said (about Wick), comparing the progression to the end of spring training. “I think he’s about ready, and I’m sure he’ll slot right back into the back-end of the bullpen.”

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Why keep watching the Chicago Cubs? The reasons may be hard to find, but young players can be worth keeping an eye on. “It’s definitely weird and definitely different,” Kyle Hendricks said.
• Mike McGraw (Daily Herald* {$}): Extensions talk sounds good, but seems clear Cubs were anxious to move on. “Figuring out the truth is likely impossible without subpoena power...”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Cubs are making changes now that the trade deadline has passed, and development is the top priority. “... a reflection of a team in transition that’s already used a franchise-record 57 players and marked 11 major-league debuts this season.”
• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Justin Steele will make first start for Cubs on Tuesday against Brewers. “Steele is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in 11 games as a reliever this season.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Codi Heuer was the piece that put the Nick Madrigal-Craig Kimbrel deal over the top. “The Cubs wanted Heuer, a big league reliever, to clinch the trade for their most valuable trade asset in July...”
• Maddie Lee (NBC Sports Chicago*): White Sox pitchers see high ceiling for Cubs’ Heuer. “He knows that he’s better than everyone out there,” Aaron Bummer said.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Should we tee up a Willson Contreras extension conversation? “... there’s little reason not to want the Cubs to marry up with Contreras for at least a few more years if a deal can be done.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): How Nick Madrigal fits into the Cubs’ long-term plans. “[He’s] someone who does a lot of the things you can’t measure well in baseball,” Hoerner said.
• Russell Dorsey (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Patrick Wisdom hoping to be part of Cubs’ future. “Wisdom has made a good first impression in his rookie season with the Cubs. He could fill a void on the Cubs’ 2022 roster.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Greg Deichmann eager to be part of ‘new core’. “There’s real opportunity to play here,” Cubs manager David Ross said.

Food for thought:

Thanks for reading.