Cub Tracks thanks YOU

#Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news, notes, and commentary, four days a week, rain or shine. Take a bow, readers. You earned it by putting up with us for another year!

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.

We continue to await developments — the World Series still plays on, with the ex-Cub factor reportedly affecting events. And Cub Tracks continues to run lean, rejecting those spicy meatballs unless they actually further a running narrative.

Soon enough we’ll have meaty selections about who does what, who goes where, when they’re going, and why that was a good or bad idea.

We also eschew Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, BVM Sports, and anything ‘penned’ by Field Level Media, and we urge you to do the same, unless you prefer your ‘content’ artificially generated.

We thank the excellent writers at various blogs and the Cubs’ beat writers for the unique perspectives, and of course we thank you, the reader, for your time and attention, since October 27, 2015.

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• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Key dates to follow this Cubs offseason. “First day after the World Series: Eligible players become free agents….”
• Jake Misener (Cubbies Crib*): MLB Rumors: Cubs will ‘almost certainly’ trade at least one of their top prospects. “We’ll soon turn our attention to the Hot Stove – where the Cubs are expected to be a key player.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Let’s play a little ‘Would You Rather?’ with various hypothetical Cubs moves. “Keep in mind that the nature of the questions means we have to imply a lot of context or perhaps suspend our disbelief in order to address them.”
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Jameson Taillon’s good year, and great finish to the season. “He sent out a clip yesterday about already having that itch to throw and start gearing up for 2025…”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball*): Moises Ballesteros continues to terrorize Arizona Fall League, and Cubs might have an arm there, too. “… let’s recap some of the trends we’ve seen from the Chicago Cubs contingent spending their October (and part of November) in Mesa.”
• Andy Martinez (Marquee Sports Network*): Top 10 Cubs building blocks: No. 6 Ian Happ. “… his production and consistency are nothing to scoff at.”

Food for Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. Thanks for reading!

Happy birthday to me.