Cub Tracks’ based on facts

Welcome to today’s episode of Cub Tracks news and notes™. Here we have material from current beat writers, bloggers, and the occasional in-house habitué, moonlighting. These pieces center around #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball.

It’s been mooted about lately that the owners might not be in lock-step. Brett Taylor has some thoughts about that. I don’t know about you, but I’m not surprised. They never really have been, according to all of the data I’ve amassed while on the baseball history beat.

Lots more lockout talk and some actual baseball speculation on tap. Pull up a stool and I’ll serve some up.

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• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): MLB says “It Doesn’t Have the Votes” on at least one key issue – this hints at a major problem. “... the owners of some teams may have wildly different interests than the owners of other teams.” Builds on some ideas from Jesse Rogers’ article.
• Jesse Rogers (ESPN*): How can the MLB lockout end? Baseball insiders weigh in on potential compromises. “New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and Chicago Cubs center fielder Ian Happ have been among the players in attendance over the first two days...”
• Buster Olney (ESPN+ {$}: A hurricane of activity: 8 things that will happen once the MLB lockout ends. Elaboration on an idea touched on in my Cubbies Crib article from last issue.
• Ryan O’Rourke (Cubbies Crib*): Expect David Ross to deploy a DH carousel in 2022. “They could mostly use the spot for utility, getting guys off their feet after days of play and playing to the strengths of some of their newly acquired pieces.”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): Marcus Stroman is a vocal proponent of free agent Michael Conforto. I wouldn’t be averse to that idea, either. “Conforto is tied to draft pick compensation after turning down a qualifying offer from New York at season’s end – but, again, that could change.”
• Mark Powell (Fansided*): Anthony Rizzo feeds Cubs rumor mill in BP session with former teammate. “In the social media age, every post is meaningful.”
• Jim Callis (MLB.com*): These are baseball’s best defensive prospects. Pete Crow-Armstrong gets some love.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Jared Banner, the Chicago Cubs’ new VP of player development, emphasizes an ‘evidence-based’ approach to cultivating the next group of core players. “We want to have real research reasons for doing the things that we do,” Banner said.
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ minicamp opens as MLB labor talks make slow progress. “Minor-league camp is embracing normalcy, while the lockout pushes back major-league spring training.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): 5 Chicago Cubs prospects to watch at minicamp in Arizona, including 1st-round pick Jordan Wicks. “The Cubs are banking on their young talent continuing to progress in 2022.”
• Jon Greenberg (The Athletic {$}): Ball and chain: How an Indiana photographer created the stock photos of MLB’s lockout. “As it so often does, this baseball story begins at a Little League park.” He’s a Cub fan.

Cubs birthdays: Wilbur Cooper, Pinky Pittenger, Lynn Nelson, Earl Grace, Mike Sember, Rob Bowen. Also notable: Honus Wagner HOF, Eddie Murray HOF.

Food for Thought:

Thanks for reading. Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the opinions of writers whose work is linked in this series of articles. We try to present a balanced view, and let the facts speak for themselves.