Cub Tracks adjusts the focus

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.

So here’s what we know so far, or at least, one scenario...

P (SP)

Stroman, Taillon, Steele, Wesneski, Smyly (Hendricks). 5 (6)

P (RP)

Alzolay, Assad, Boxberger, Fulmer, (Hughes), Merryweather, Rucker, Thompson. 7 (8)

C

Barnhart, Gomes, Torrens 3

IF

Hoerner, Hosmer, Madrigal, Mastrobuoni, Rios, Swanson, Wisdom 7

OF

Bellinger, Happ, Mancini, Suzuki 4

26 (28)

26 man — 26. Hendricks and Hughes will require moves to fit them on the roster. As always, we await developments. Torrens can man other positions than catcher.

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• Chicago Tribune* {$}): Photos: Chicago Cubs fans take batting practice at Wrigley Field.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Who will make the Cubs’ Opening Day roster? Where things stand with a few spots left. “... the Cubs would lose Leiter if he doesn’t make the team out of camp because he would absolutely opt for free agency rather than take an assignment to Iowa.” Brett Taylor has updates. “... Ryan Borucki, Mark Leiter Jr. and Tyler Duffey are among the guys on the fence.” James Neveau has roster talk. Maddie Lee has more.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Are Cubs ready to take the next step in ‘23? “We’ve got a lot of winners, former winners, hardware, World Series champions,” Cubs manager David Ross said.
• Paul Sullivan (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Jed Hoyer did things his way — and now the Chicago Cubs president awaits the results. “It does feel different, the third year in this role,” he said Monday.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): ‘I was speechless’: How Hayden Wesneski found out — and celebrated — that he was in Cubs’ rotation. “Tommy kinda caught me off guard,” Wesneski said.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Assad’s Classic ascension earns him bullpen role. “Cubs solidify bench depth, award Torrens, Mastrobuoni roster spots...”
• James Neveau (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs roster: Wick waived, Morel to Iowa. “The 26-man roster will need to be finalized prior to the team’s opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.”
• Dylan Svoboda (MLB.com*): Cubs, Hoerner agree to 3-year, $35 million extension (source). “The deal is expected to be worth $35 million through 2026 and buys out one year of free agency.” Josh also has highlights on the front page.
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib*): Ian Happ open to taking discount to stay with team. Based on Maddie Lee reporting. “There’s no right way to do it,” Happ told the Sun-Times when asked what he learned from observing his former teammates in their walk years, “and that it’s very true that you can only control what you can control.”
• Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma (the Athletic {$}): Cubs prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong is ‘on a great path’ to big leagues, but how soon? “... arriving at Wrigley Field late this season or early next season can’t be ruled out.”
• Kori Rumore (Chicago Tribune*): What’s the forecast for the Cubs home opener — and how has Chicago weather affected debuts at Wrigley Field since 1989? “You can leave the long underwear at home, but bring a poncho when the Chicago Cubs face the Milwaukee Brewers Thursday.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): How Chicago sports teams — and fans — are evolving in digital ticket age: ‘There’s more than one way to frame a memory’. “... what we found is if you printed a ticket ... it was ripe for fraud,” said Cale Vennum.
• Greg Zumach (North Side Bound): Reflecting on the 2020 Cubs draft. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MLB owners forced the draft to include only 5 draftable rounds followed by a post draft free agency period where any eligible non-drafted player would receive a maximum of $20,000.”

Food for Thought:

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