Cub Tracks gets a grip

`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.

Cole Hamels has signed with San Diego on a minor-league deal, according to Robert Murray. Dennis Lin says Manny Machado is going to opt out after this season. Nick Madrigal continues to work out at third base. Corbin Burnes has a sad. Willson Contreras is determined to be the player you hate on another team. Matt Moore is an Angel now.

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• Ryan Dreyer (Cubs Insider*): Cubs’ 2023 outlook still blurry, success may depend as much on what rivals didn’t do. “... a pragmatic assessment of the Cubs’ situation reveals a highly imperfect roster.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Cubs aiming to top preseason projections. “... let’s just say the algorithms are expecting another transition-type season for the North Siders.” Sahadev Sharma has thoughts {$}.
• Bradford Doolittle (ESPN+ {$}): Why your MLB team didn’t do what you wanted this winter. “Why the heck didn’t the Cubs get more impact free agent bats? The soothing response: We’re building a robust team culture here.”
• James Neveau (NBC Sports Chicago*): Marcus Stroman: ‘we’re ready to win now’. “When you pair that with the talent we have coming through our system…you never know how it’s going to play out. We’re built to win, and we’re built to endure adversity.”
• Marshall Harris (CBS News*): Cubs pitcher Justin Steele looks to continue quality play in Spring Training. “Something I want to do is have 34 starts, 180-plus innings,” he said. “You know if I do that, I think I can put myself and the team in a pretty good spot.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Jameson Taillon throwing new slider as normal spring allows Cubs to create better pitching plan. “I think from a training perspective, we can get into live BPs a little earlier and spread out that volume,” Hottovy told media members in Mesa. Meghan Montemurro has more. Maddie Lee checks in also.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Why Cubs are going against the grain with their Spring Training plan for pitchers. “Last year we were kinda rushed through everything,” righty Adrian Sampson said.
• Alex Shapiro (NBC Sports Chicago*): Contreras foresees making Cubs cry for long time, per tweet. “... the new Cardinals catcher is already talking a big game...”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): Inside the unconventional practice routine of new Cubs slugger Trey Mancini. “... Mancini prefers to wield a fungo off the tee first before moving to his normal bat.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Ian Happ is staying involved in any extension talks with the Cubs. “All that stuff plays out behind closed doors and different guys go about different ways, but I’ve always been involved in everything that I do,” Happ said, per Marquee. Maddie Lee has more.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Can the Cubs’ spring experiment with Nick Madrigal at third base actually work? “We knew athletically, everything is there (with Madrigal) to play the position,” bench coach Andy Green said.
• Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra (MLB.com*): These 30 prospects are vying for jobs in Spring Training. “Matt Mervis has little left to prove after slashing .309/.379/.605 with 36 homers and leading the Minors with 78 extra-base hits...”
• Marquee Sports Network*: Cubs players surprise elementary school in Arizona. “Patrick Wisdom, Adbert Alzolay, Brennen Davis and Pete Crow-Armstrong surprised students at Whittier Elementary School in Mesa, AZ for a special ‘Kids Only Press Conference.’”
• Jim Masters (Chicago Tribune*): 11-year-old Cubs fan from Crown Point gets a trip of a lifetime to spring training. “I was really surprised, excited and shocked,” said Gage Webber, especially when he saw him name flash on the Wrigley Jumbotron.

Food for Thought:

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