Cub Tracks’ countdown to ecstasy

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.

Get your yacht-yachts out!

Spring Training is just around the bend, and...

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• RIP Andrew McKenna, former Cubs exec.

• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune*): Cubs and White Sox are equally eager for spring training to begin — regardless of how their offseasons went. “While some talented free agents remain unsigned, most teams are pretty set as they prepare to gather at their camps to begin the long journey to October.”
• James Neveau (NBC Sports Chicago*): Spring training preview: meet the newest Cubs. “... here is a refresher course on the new players that will dot the team’s roster.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Cubs should gain 4 roster spots once 60-Day IL becomes available. “Not only will the Cubs open up several roster spots via procedural moves, but the asking prices for those remaining free agents may be lower with camps opening up.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): New Defensive Metric says the Cubs have a stellar middle infield, so it must be right. “It’s complex stuff, but at its core, DRP and RDA attempt to use Statcast data to better evaluate defender performance, and create better year-to-year reliability in the statistical score (something we know is notoriously poor for advanced defensive metrics).”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): James Triantos ranks 4th in Keith Law’s Top 20 Cubs prospects. “... Triantos has the kind of offensive skills that Law says will make him “at least an average regular” at second base.” Keith Law here {$}. North Side Bound has thoughts.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Cubs land five of the Top 100 Dynasty Prospects at Baseball America. “Solid, but not overwhelming.”
• Jesse Borek (MLB.com*): Check out 10 prospects who JUST missed the Top 100 list. “To say that Cade Horton’s stock rose meteorically prior to the 2022 Draft would be no understatement...”
• Marquee Sports Network*: Cubs Weekly Podcast: Jeremiah Paprocki, Carlos Mármol.
• Logan Reardon (NBC Sports Chicago*): How to watch the 2023 World Baseball Classic. “... there will be an expanded field with games played in four stadiums across the globe.”

Food for Thought:

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