Cub Tracks weekend edition

Welcome to today’s edition of Cub Tracks news and notes™, a greatest-hits collection of Chicago-style beat writers and bloggers, ground from #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball, overheated, and then cold-brewed overnight for maximum flavor.

I saw a report that the White Sox are going to interview Ozzie Guillen. I could not roll my eyes fast enough. Hoo boy. Jon Heyman reported that “Ron Washington, Joe Espada and Pedro Grifol are “among many” in the mix.” Holy cats! But no Joe Maddon, yet.

Dang. That’s savage. I love it.

Hurry up, playoffs, and be over. I just want the Yankees and Padres and Astros to lose. That means the Phillies back into the championship. I don’t hate them. I’m ready for some hot stove action.

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• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Justin Steele, who is very smart, wants to see the Cubs add to the front of the rotation. “... once you slot in a front-of-the-rotation starter for the Cubs, it’s not that hard to see how the rotation could be, as Steele put it, something really special.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Why Cubs’ Marcus Stroman, Seiya Suzuki are good examples of ‘intelligent spending’. ““Intelligent spending” doesn’t have to mean discount shopping.”
• Marquee Sports Network*): Why it’s ‘a good time to be a hitter’ in the Cubs farm system. “The Rachel Folden way of hitting is to catch as many barrels as possible,” she said.
• Michael Brakebill (Cubbies Crib*): Cubs could shore up the hot corner by adding Brandon Drury. Or, “... it makes more sense for Drury to fall into that ‘backup plan’ bucket...”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Why one Cubs coach compared Christopher Morel to Kris Bryant. “Is Christopher Morel’s future in the infield, outfield or both?”
• Ryan O’Rourke (Cubbies Crib*): Cubs need one of the big shortstops and Trea Turner seems likeliest. “... Turner really seems to fit the gameplan Hoyer has laid out while still providing that star power.”
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): State of the Cubs: Left field is set for 2023, but what happens beyond that? “That’s when Ian Happ is scheduled to become a free agent.”
• Bryan Smith (Bleacher Nation*): The unexpected problem that plagued Nelson Velázquez in 2022. “... a .281 wOBA against fastballs.”
• Lee Bosch (Marquee Sports Network*): Fall League Fridays: Trio of Cubs prospects standing out. “Through 31 at-bats in Arizona, Mervis is slashing .290/.361/.742 with a 1.103 OPS...”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): AFL successfully tests ball-strike challenges in Solar Sox game. “... don’t expect the automated ball-strike (ABS) technology to be implemented in the big leagues anytime soon.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Joe Maddon has not spoken to White Sox about manager job. “Of course, I’d be interested,” Maddon said of the Sox on the podcast. “But I’ve not heard from them at all.” Maddon on Cubs Talk [VIDEO].
• Richard Johnson (Cubbies Crib*): How William Hulbert forged the team that would become the Chicago Cubs. “... the first, and in some ways still most influential, Chicago baseball owner.”

Food for Thought:

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