#Cubs, #MLB, and #MiLB news, notes, and commentary, four days a week, rain or shine. The Cubs have a new old pitcher and a new old catcher and the same old game plan.
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 offseason is rapidly morphing into the preseason and I’m not exactly gruntled with the results. A ‘real’ bullpen arm would be nice. A backup infielder with a good bat. Such are still available but there are complicating factors like where Roki Sasaki goes and who Alex Bregman signs with that make it more of a waiting game.
But Caleb Knight re-signed, so there’s some break-glass insurance.
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- MLB.com*: Batter Up: The Cubs Convention Lineup is here. January 17-19, 2025, at the Sheraton Grand Chicago.
- Phil Rogers (Forbes* {$}): Cubs’ payroll has dropped $60 million even with Kyle Tucker. “… it appears Hoyer and Hawkins may have threaded that needle.”
- Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball*): Cubs still have $30 million or more to spend this winter, but could be aiming lower for a good reason. “while the Cubs have a cluster of veterans under medium-length deals with high annual average values, they have almost no one on the books beyond 2026.”
- Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Former Cub Brooks Raley drawing interest from old club as Tommy John rehab continues. “ Brooks Raley is the Platonic ideal of a Jed Hoyer pitching acquisition…”
- Steve Adams (MLB Trade Rumors*): Cubs designate Michael Arias for Assignment. Fallout from Colin Rea signing. May be claimed on waivers. May not. Jordan Bastian on Colin Rea. Tony Andracki also reports.
- Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Here’s how the Cubs’ rotation stacks up. “… here is a look at how the Cubs’ rotation stands as of now.”
- Rich Eberwein (Cubbies Crib*): Ranking the last 10 Chicago Cubs first-round draft picks, from worst to best. “The Cubs are on a hot streak in terms of hitting on their first-round draft picks.”
Food for Thought:
One of the reasons that southern California’s wildfires have been so intense this year is “hydroclimate whiplash,” a sudden, intense swing between very wet and very dry weather. Thank you @weatherwest.bsky.social + others for great research and #scicomm.
www.earth.com/news/climate…
⚒️— Dr. Dawn Wright (@deepseadawn.bsky.social) 2025-01-13T18:58:34.538Z
BlueSky link for Apple News users: Here.
Astronomers using #NASAWebb identified two stars that generate carbon-rich dust in our Milky Way. When the stars in Wolf-Rayet 140 swing by one another on their elongated orbits, their winds collide and produce dust that expands outward: webbtelescope.pub/42bqgOP #AAS245
— spacetelescope.bsky.social (@spacetelescope.bsky.social) 2025-01-13T19:26:55.164Z
BlueSky link for Apple News Users: Here.
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. We are 100% in favor of human sportswriting and will not wittingly publish A. I. driven articles or content. Thanks for reading!