Cub Tracks goes ape

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.

A lot of our content these days comes via tweet. Cub Tracks makes it our business to follow the best AND the worst, and filch the finest pieces. You’re welcome? Sorry if it makes the page looks like a late-90s GeoCities site. I don’t know how to embed midi to play automatically on this platform, or I probably would. I work with midi extensively for another of my side-hustles.

Monday afternoon, the Cubs played the Reds at Sloan, and looked pretty good doing it. They prevailed in a well-played game in front of a nearly-full house. Details in Al’s recap.

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• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Cubs legends and HOFers return to spring training : ‘Nothing better than that’. “Health and safety protocols at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic had limited the personnel allowed at 2020 summer camp and 2021 spring training.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs made their pitch to free agents, trying to build a staff for whatever this season brings. “It’s good to feel wanted in this game,” Daniel Norris said.
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs’ big roster question of Spring Training: Who are these guys? “... the Cubs added eight big-league players in eight days.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): A shorter spring schedule means tough decisions for the Chicago Cubs in figuring out their opening rotation. “The top three rotation spots are locked in with Kyle Hendricks, Marcus Stroman and Wade Miley.” Maddie Lee had similar thoughts. Andy Martinez also addresses this issue.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Here’s how Cubs’ rotation is shaking out. “The key to all of this will be remaining flexible...”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Report: Cubs prospect Márquez had myocarditis in ‘21. “The 23-year-old said he’s vaccinated and is feeling good now.” Evan Altman amplifies.

“When the heart issue popped up, it wasn’t something that went through my mind that it was going to be career-ending,” Márquez told the Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro. “But definitely as the process kept going, I made sure to pay attention to it, that it could be something and to make sure that we took care of it.”

• Bruce Levine (670 the Score*): Willson Contreras understands he could soon be an ex-Cub. “... he’s in the final season of his contract and isn’t engaged in extension discussions.” The Yankees and the Padres are or were interested, says Brett Taylor. Jake Misener agrees.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Carlos Correa to the Twins? The factors that went into the Cubs’ shortstop decisions. “The Cubs valued the draft pick they would have to give up in order to sign Correa — and the corresponding money they would lose in their pools for draft bonuses and international signings — at around $20 million.” (see also Michael Conforto).
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Cubs’ valuation of QO compensation losses helps explain offseason strategy. “... the Cubs are still sitting there with a glut of players on the 40-man roster and not much time to figure things out.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): Why Bryant might get Hall pass with Rox deal.

Cubs birthdays: Bill McClellan, Al Schroll, Gene Oliver, Dick Ellsworth, Glenallen Hill, Joe Smith, Dexter Fowler.

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.