Cub Tracks’ snappy comebacks

Here at CUB TRACKS NEWS AND NOTES™, we have news for you, sunshine. Today is the last day of the regular season. The Cubs will be going home. I know it feels weird but it is a fact. We live in interesting times.

Saturday night the Cubs played the stinkin’ Cardinals on the shores of the Missus Hip, in the penultimate game of the year for our boys in blue. Most of those Cubs won’t be back, at least not at the MLB level. I’m sure we wish them all well as humans, but would prefer that they ply their trade elsewhere. At least 27 (28? 29?) of the men who appeared in a Cubs uniform during the 2021 season are not going to wear it next year (a bunch anyway).

In the mean time, we will tread water until December, when we will presumably find out the status of CBA negotiations.

Speaking of ‘offing’, Trayce Thompson might have Bob Gibson’d Jon Lester. Trevor Megill seemed determined to cough up the lead asap but he curbed the impulse and only gave up two runs. Michael Rucker went one better and did give up the lead, but these guys have some snappy comeback to them.

Some of these guys will come back. The Cubs will likely try to extend a couple of players along with David Ross. Extensions are said to be in vogue right now. Other guys might get ST looks. Breakfast during the offseason will be roster turnover with a side of linked to unknown sources. The Cubs don’t have much trade bait. I don’t think Willson Contreras or Kyle Hendricks are going anywhere. Happ likewise — he looks to have played himself into the future.

It would be cool to meatloaf today. Free agents by team and by position, for your possible reading pleasure. As always, * means autoplay on, or annoying ads, or both (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. (In the comments section, use @ before and after your remarks @ to produce sarcasm font. In the text body. It doesn’t work in the headlines.)

• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): How MLB, union can learn from Cubs’ mistakes. “Literally and fiscally in this case.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago* {$}): Hoyer, Ross in ‘preliminary talks’ on contract extension. “Honestly, the last thing on my brain right now is myself,” Ross added.
• John Perrotto (Forbes*): Chicago Cubs starting over again five years after historic title.
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): The Chicago Cubs have clinched!!! … the number seven overall pick. “That seventh pick will be the Cubs’ highest first rounder in eight years.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Willson Contreras: ‘I’m happy to be here’. “It’s hard to accept going from a winning team to a losing team,” Contreras said. “It takes a while to accept that things turned around.”
• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Contreras thought he would get traded at deadline. “I wish I could have a timeframe for the rebuild,” Contreras said.
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs, at season’s end, are scrambling to contain a COVID-19 outbreak. “Our radar is up,” Ross said.
• NBC Chicago*: Trent Giambrone helps Cubs set remarkable National League record. “In case you’re looking to impress any of your friends, here are the names of every Cubs player that has made an appearance with the team this season.”
• Tommy Birch (Des Moines Register* {$}): Inspired by his mom, Iowa Cubs infielder Tyler Ladendorf delayed retirement for one more crack at big leagues. “Hopefully they will continue keeping me around,” Ladendorf said.

Food For Thought:

Thanks for reading.