Cub Tracks is shaping up

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.

Happy belated birthday to Dansby Swanson. Cub Tracks, it is known, is also in the best shape of its life — Round. I am so round I could sing Judith. It takes a lot of work to get this way.

Seiya Suzuki has also been working on it (see below). First dedicated camp activity will be Wednesday.

Real games will be coming soon.

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• Maddie Lee (Chicago Sun-Times*): Evaluating the Cubs’ offseason, from most improved to most pressing questions. “Pitchers and catchers are set for their first official spring training workout on Wednesday.”
• Aldo Soto (Sports Mockery*): Cubs win projection is pretty much what you expected. “According to these projections, the Cubs are set as the third-best team in the NL Central...”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): 3 questions the Cubs must answer this spring. “Ross has some thinking to do over the coming weeks as he weighs his batting order, especially with so many new additions.” Meghan Montemurro also has three.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): 2023 Spring Training Storylines to watch: New faces and WBC absences. “It was a busy winter for Jed Hoyer and his front office.”
• Michael Brakebill (Cubbies Crib*): 3 Chicago Cubs prospects to know heading into Spring Training. “... it’s great to see guys on the non-roster invite list that still have so much potential.”
• (Cubs Insider*): Cubs might not be done adding relievers as Andrew Chafin’s D-Backs deal signals deflated market. “... he settled for just $6.25 million guaranteed.”
• Kayla Skinner (Fan Nation*): All-Star closer was Chicago Cubs’ best ‘Under-the-Radar” acquisition during offseason. “Instead of flipping Brad Boxberger at the trade deadline, the Cubs hope he will pitch meaningful innings at Wrigley Field late in the season.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): It’s pretty difficult to know how good (or bad) Seiya Suzuki is on defense right now. “His only saving grace, defensively, last season was his arm.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Suzuki appears to have added some muscle. He’s in ‘the best shape of his life’.

Food for Thought:

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