Cub Tracks is shaping up

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.

The market certainly is heating up, with good players moving from team to team in blockbuster deals and free agents signing on dotted lines. The Cubs have even gotten into it, a little. Jesse Chavez and Robel Garcia might not be superstars, but they are serviceable for the positions they are penciled into. Andrelton Simmons likewise.

We await developments.

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“Our bullpen, I think it’s good. I’m not going to say it’s great, because we don’t have a lot of experience out of that. When we have experience, we can say we have a balance between the younger guys and the experienced guys. I think we need some more work in there, in the bullpen area. And I think they know, too.” — Willson Contreras.

• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Jed Hoyer says the Cubs are “certainly” going to add a “lot more players” from here. “... a surprising trade is always possible.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs’ Ian Happ, Adbert Alzolay report to spring training with injuries. “The injury news isn’t necessarily over, as the Cubs continue gauging players’ fitness levels coming out of a 99-day lockout.”
• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Marcus Stroman draws crowd with first Cubs bullpen session: ‘My arm’s ready to go’. ‘‘The athleticism is insane, just how well he moves and how in tune he is with his body in everything he does,’’ Tommy Hottovy said.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Reliever Jesse Chavez, Cubs reunite: ‘Feels like I didn’t leave’. “I just wanted a fit,” Chavez said.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Veteran reliever Chavez has the chance to provide valuable experience in his return to the Chicago Cubs. “There’s no wrong conversation we can’t have out there in the bullpen, especially for the young guys,” Chavez said. “The hardest part is asking a question. I’ve been there.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Contreras reports to camp with Cubs future up in air. “Whatever happens in the middle of the year is going to happen. Life goes on. You’ve got to keep going.” Brett Taylor has more. Andy Martinez fills things in. Sahadev Sharma says there haven’t been any talks {$}.
• Lance Brozdowski (Marquee Sports Network*): The Cubs’ dynamic and gamified infield defense training. “The machine stuff is a little different,” James Triantos said. “It’s very challenging, it’s high velo, and they can change the spin on the ball to be backspin, topspin, sidespin.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Shortstop? Cubs don’t need no stinking shortstop. “Yeah, I think we’re really happy with our middle infield right now,” Hoyer said.
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): Does crazy blockbuster means its Cubs or Astros for Carlos Correa? “Neither team is reportedly keen on giving Correa what he wants...”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Correa reportedly weighing possibility of one-year deal. “... only the Cubs and Astros remain as teams that have been heavily tied to the shortstop.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs’ Happ rehabbing from February elbow surgery. “He’s very confident he’ll be ready by Opening Day,” Hoyer said. Evan Altman cleans up.
• Michael Brakebill (Cubbies Crib*): Cubs, once again, at the forefront of the Seiya Suzuki sweepstakes. “... his market seems to have emerged in the form of five teams: the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, LA Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Cubs.”
• Jake Seiner (AP via Chicago Tribune* {$}): MLB will test pitch clock, anti-shift rules and bigger bases in the minors — with possible big-league use in 2023. “MLB announced a slate of rules trials Monday...”

Cubs birthdays: Roscoe Coughlin, Doc Casey, Dick Scott, Bob Locker, Bobby Bonds, Freddie Bynum, Jon Jay, Trayce Thompson. Also notable: Harold Baines HOF. Bonds should be in the Hall.

Food for Thought:

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