Cub Tracks’ new blood

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May I be of some assistants? Ah, new blood, in time for Samhain. The Cubs are still trying to piece together their organization.

If only there were a way to give them a little peace. Ev’rybody’s talking ‘bout Epstein, Schmepstein, Series, Queries, Hoyer, Heuer, Schwarbism, Kbism, Rizz-schism, Báez, Schmaez, Fly-ez, My-ez. All we are saying is give Frank a Chance.

He’s tanned, he’s rested, he’s ready.

He can play left out. Don’t let a crisis go to waste. Yes, that’s Boris Karloff, a man after my own heart. Enjoy your Saturday. Svengoolie has “House of Frankenstein”.

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• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): A rebuild by any other name smells just as bittersweet. “Free agency’s valuable. Free agency’s also dangerous,” Jed Hoyer said.
• Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): The Cubs’ wave of young talent is far away, but their hitting prospects are progressing. “The sell-off pumped a lot of young talent into an organization thirsty for new blood.”
• Gordon Wittenmyer (NBC Sports Chicago*): How ‘crazy’ day in July set new tone for Cubs prospects. “It’s rare that you’ll be sitting in your war room during the trade deadline and a new trade will come across the ticker and everybody goes, ‘Oh, my gosh,’ “ Carter Hawkins said.
• Thomas Erbe (Cubbies Crib*): If the Chicago Cubs mean business, the time to act is now. “Signals have so far been mixed from the front office when talking about the planned course of action.”
• Evan Altman (Cubs Insider*): Japanese OF Seiya Suzuki would be great fit for Cubs if posted. “... he’s a very balanced athlete who’s only 27 years old.”
• Tony Andracki (Marquee Sports Network*): What the final two months of 2021 taught us about the future of the Cubs offense. “... you’ll see a noticeable jump in offensive production from July 30 on.”

• Tim Stebbins (NBC Sports Chicago*): Cubs key prospects looking to make impressions in AFL. “The AFL is especially important this year after the 2020 minor league season — including last year’s AFL — was lost due to COVID-19.”
• Bryan Smith (Bleacher Nation*): Five Cubs last night in the Arizona Fall League and other Cubs prospect notes. “... a big comeback victory for the Mesa Solar Sox with lots to discuss...”
• Sam Dykstra (MLB.com*): Cubs’ Velazquez off to strong start in AFL. “... he sits 6-for-18 (.333) with three doubles and an early .868 OPS.”
• NBC Sports Chicago*: MLB Offseason: Key Dates for Cubs on MLB Calendar.
• Jeff Agrest (Chicago Sun-Times* {$}): Marquee Sports Network announces offseason programming. “The lineup includes a weekly show covering offseason news that starts next month and a documentary on Hall of Famer Billy Williams that will debut in the winter.”

Food for Thought:

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