Cub Tracks’ business as usual

#Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news, notes, and commentary, four days a week, rain or shine. The World Series is set and the evil empires battle for supremacy.

WELCOME to today’s episode 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. No artificial intelligences were deployed, employed, entranced, or embalmed in the commission of this missive (apparently I might be training some though). Cub Tracks eagerly awaits the advent of robotic umpires and has already amended the three laws. The going is weird. Cub Tracks turned pro a long time ago.

Cub Tracks. Where the great ones run away.

Can both teams in the Series lose? If only. I’m sure that the powers-that-be are orgasmic over the Dodgers/Yankees in the World Series. I am not — these are the last two teams I want to see winning.

YMMV.

Let’s get it over with and get on to the offseason.

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• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): What the Cubs are looking for in free agents after signing Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon. “Adding a clear-cut starter is an obvious move.” Brett Taylor interprets.
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball*): Cubs should target these 3 Rays stars due for contract raises. “The Cubs have a wide range of needs and problems, but an equally varied array of potentially strong solutions this winter.”
• AP*: Cubs 2B Nico Hoerner had surgery on his right hand after the season ended. “The 27-year-old Hoerner had right flexor tendon surgery on Oct. 11…”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): These 5 prospects could make big-league impact for Cubs in ‘25. “There’s a balance there, but we should never underestimate the value of depth,” Hoyer said.
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Top 10 Cubs building blocks: No. 1 Pete Crow-Armstrong. “I mean, he showed what he can be in the second half of the season,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said.

Food for Thought:

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