Cub Tracks’ well, we’re waiting — when does the winning start?

Welcome to today’s episode 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 just going to go right ahead and say it. Ozzie Guillen is a nincompoop. I mean that only in the best possible way. Buy you knew that.

Mmm, roster jenga, smell it. We’ll have prospect profiles coming up to whet your appetite. Bailey Horn especially has come up for discussion, so he’ll be first. Michael Arias and Porter Hodge after. P.J. Higgins won’t be back. He’s a Reds minor-leaguer now. So the Cubs will need a break-glass backup at Triple-A.

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• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Jed Hoyer, Tom Ricketts again indicate Cubs’ willingness to spend. “Tom has shown over and over that he’s willing to pay for talent,” Hoyer told Patrick Mooney and other reporters.
• Vincenzo Marco Santoro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Here’s why the Chicago Cubs had to move on from manager David Ross. “Throughout the season, Ross lacked simple adjustments...”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): New Cubs skipper Counsell finishes 2nd in 2023 NL Manager of the Year voting. “It’s hard to rank managers,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “But very clearly he’s at the very top of the game.”
• Steve Greenberg (Chicago Sun-Times*): New Cubs manager Craig Counsell wants the pressure? Good — because it’s not going anywhere. “All president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and Counsell have to do now is win big — Theo Epstein and Joe Maddon big, if not bigger — or it’s a bust.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Why Cubs believe Craig Counsell is right manager to lead next wave of young talent. “Player development does not stop when it gets to the big leagues,” Counsell said.
• Jared Wyllys (Forbes*): How will Craig Counsell impact the Cubs In Free Agency? “Having Counsell as their manager signals to those free agents that the Cubs are at least willing to make hard decisions in order to contend again.”
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): After Craig Breslow’s departure, where does Cubs’ pitching infrastructure go? “He left us in a really good shape,” Hoyer said. He can’t poach the Cubs’ staff.
• Chad Jennings (The Athletic {$}): Pitching market supply and demand: Which teams will be left standing when music stops? “... the Cubs could use some impact atop their decent rotation depth...”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs seeking two starting pitchers this offseason? I think they are (and should!). Should be, says my inner editor. But anyway. “I think the Cubs are probably out there trying to add an impactful front-of-the-rotation type, and also more of a back-of-the-rotation type.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Bellinger declines qualifying offer from Cubs. Because of course he did.
• Michael Cerami (Bleacher Nation*): Report: Cubs have what the Padres would want in a Juan Soto trade. “... cost-controlled, young starting pitching.”
• Jonathon Mayo (MLB.com*): Here’s the 2023 All-Arizona Fall League Team. “2B: James Triantos, Mesa.”

Food for Thought:

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