Enjoy the best hits of Chicago-style beat reporters and bloggers brought to you by the #Cubs, #MiLB, and #MLB baseball, overheated, soaked in writers’ tears, and then cold-brewed overnight for optimal flavour. This is the latest edition of Cub Tracks news and notesTM. Most likely, Dave is present. I appreciate you being here.
There isn’t much real news today, so the beats and blogs are just filling in the gaps. There is very little knotting up and a lot of loose story lines. It’s so horrible, really, that the Cub Tracks from yesterday appeared on the first page of returns, ahead of the flood of S. I. A. I.
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Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Unless the Emmanuel Clase trade rumours hold water, the Cubs seem to be sticking with their cheap bullpen strategy. Hoyer stated during the GM Meetings that “you have to be creative in the bullpen.”
Peter Marzano, Chicago-based NBC Sports*: Examining the possibilities still available to strengthen the Cubs’ bullpen now that Josh Hader is out of the picture. “The free agent market has seen an unusually slow offseason.”
Cavanagh Riley (Cubbies Crib*): MLB ranked Moises Ballesteros as one of the top 10 catching prospects. “You love to have a player like Ballesteros in your system.”
Bruce Levine (670 The Score*): The Cubs will serve up youth soon enough. The front office is looking ahead to 2024 as well.
Peter Marzano (NBC Sports Chicago*): Fans across the league are perplexed by the new MLB Network list that ranks the top 10 second basemen. “Fans have a right to expect representation from the stars of their favourite teams in a national dialogue.”
Actor Jake Johnson of Chicago shares a bizarre story of covertly transferring his father’s ashes onto Wrigley Field, as reported by Ryan Taylor (NBC Sports Chicago*). One method to respond to the question, “What do you think will happen when you die?” is in such manner.
(*Rockton-Roscoe News*) Jean Seegers: Ken Gill worked as a videographer for the Chicago Cubs and WGN. On “January 7, 2024, at the age of 94,” he passed away.
The Chicago Cubs most likely didn’t believe they had just acquired their future ace when they made their fifth-round selection in the 2014 MLB Draft.
Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks were added to their rotation a year later, but Jake Arrieta remained in it.
It’s possible that Justin Steele was viewed as a depth piece with the potential to move up into their starting rotation in the future.
After Marcus Stroman suffered an injury in the second half of the season in 2023, the left-hander was forced to assume the role of ace.
