Cub Tracks rides it out

#Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news, notes, and commentary, four days a week, rain or shine. Things are picking up a little in Cubland, and the AFL is still going strong.

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.

The newspaper beats are still out. We don’t know if the NBC people will be returning in any incarnation. Our sources for content are much shallower than in the glory days when the Cubs were winning and everyone wanted to talk about them.

Nevertheless, there is some interest generated. Here’s a selection, gathered Friday.

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• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Bally Sports will become FanDuel Sports Network next week. “Officially, it’s a naming rights deal, but you can safely assume there will be game-related integrations…”
• Tony Andracki and Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Yin and Yang: Are the Cubs set up to be a playoff team in 2025? “As it stands, it’s hard to see a path towards the Cubs being a playoff team.”
• Jordan Campbell (Cubbies Crib*): Justin Steele contract extension may not be a priority for the Chicago Cubs. “The guess here is the idea of a Steele extension is tabled by the Cubs until Spring Training.”
• Jim Callis (MLB.com*): Young slugger Ballesteros leads Cubs’ Arizona Fall League contingent. “… Ballesteros along with Caissie and Shaw should push for big league jobs early next season.” Brett Taylor has more.
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): Dansby Swanson’s second-half surge with Cubs brings optimism for 2025. “Dansby had an injury this year and that kind of derailed him in late April,” Counsell said.
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*):: Hilarious Anthony Rizzo story reminds Cubs fans why we miss him so much. “… he’s always had a sense of humor.”
• Sam Dykstra (MLB.com*): No. 30 prospect carving out his place on the Cubs’ depth chart. “We built on the swing and all the analytics,” Long said, “and [they were] projecting me to be that corner infielder who hits for power.”

Food for Thought:

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