Cub Tracks’ working for the weekend

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, steeped in writers’ tears, and then cold-brewed overnight for maximum flavor.

I’m a longtime WXRT (@93XRT) listener. Frank E (with a period) Lee (@djfrankelee) used to play the studio version every Friday afternoon. It works for Saturday morning, too. Better than Loverboy anyway. Frank retired some time ago. But then, so did I. It hurts my motor to go so slow.

Sadly, Alfonso Rivas cleared waivers and was released, and was replaced on the roster by recent signing Anthony Kay. He never lived up to his line-drive hitter potential betrayed by a lack of power and the curve ball. The Cubs gave him a real chance, but it didn’t happen. I had thought they might assign him to Triple-A, but they chose instead to cut the cord. Good luck, Alfonso. The word gaijin might have some appeal.

Cub Tracks is in favor of renewing or extending Ian Happ. Your mileage may vary.

The Carlos Correa saga continues. Apparently the Twins are back in the mix.

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• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs’ moves show eye on competing in ‘winnable’ Central. “I’ve been around long enough to see and to realize you don’t make certain moves unless the eye is to start trending towards winning,” said Tucker Barnhart.
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): How Joe Mauer helped indirectly shape Jameson Taillon’s career. “... everything he did was calculated. From the moment he woke up, he knows how much water he’s putting in his body, he knows exactly what he’s eating, he knows what he’s working on that day. If he’s hitting batting practice, every swing has a purpose.”
• Michael Brakebill (Cubbies Crib*): A deep analysis of how Justin Steele can succeed. “As hitters become more privy to a higher two-pitch mix, I expect Steele to mix in a third offering a little more in 2023 to remain unpredictable.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): An old friend leads Barnhart to the Cubs. “I leaned on Wade Miley a lot,” Barnhart said via Zoom this week.
• Samantha Bradfield (Purple Row*): The Day After: Dom Nuñez on his first start in the major leagues. “Nuñez, much like Tony Wolters, was drafted as an infielder but has converted to catcher and has worked really hard to make the transition.” Aldo Soto has words.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Why the Cubs are taking a chance on Eric Hosmer for 2023. “Hosmer gives the Cubs some options and insurance.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs could still target Trey Mancini even after signing Hosmer. “... because the Padres are paying his contract, he costs the Cubs the league minimum.” Jordan Campbell has thoughts.
• Bradford Doolittle (ESPN+ {$}): The position that haunts all 30 MLB teams and what it means. “The Cubs’ outlook at second base improved markedly over the winter without bringing in anyone outside of the organization to take over.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Dansby Swanson and the Cubs’ strategy to add more leadership to their clubhouse. “... the Cubs are paying for intangibles...”
• Jack Vita (Fan Nation*): MLB Hot Stove: Will Chicago Cubs extend or trade Ian Happ? “... attention will soon shift to what the club plans to do with left fielder Happ...”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Cubs leaning heavily on defense, chemistry as means to raise performance floor. “Though team chemistry shouldn’t be looked at as a foundational building block, it can’t be dismissed as a legitimate factor.”
• AP*: Ohtani, Darvish, Suzuki on Japan World Baseball Classic team. “This is the fifth time the event has been held.”
• Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra (MLB.com*): These 30 prospects will break out in 2023. “The MLB Pipeline crew likes to start each new year by projecting prospects poised to break out in the upcoming season.”
• Evan Petzold (Detroit Free Press*): Detroit Tigers hire former Cubs hitting coach Anthony Iapoce as Triple-A Toledo manager. “Iapoce replaces Lloyd McClendon...”
• Vanessa Miller (The Gazette*): University of Iowa ER doc, Chicago Cubs physician calls Damar Hamlin response ‘fantastic’. “I think public awareness is fantastic,” Christopher Hogrefe said.

Food for Thought:

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