With the Earth having completed yet another orbit around the sun, there really hasn’t been that much to write about with regard to the Chicago Cubs. Other than Ryan logging all the public Hall of Fame ballots, there hasn’t been much news at all. After all, this is still the holidays, and while we have been vegging out, watching all the TV and movies we’ve missed during our day jobs, I’m sure the Cubs have been taking a well-deserved break…except if they want to get some exercise in, of course…
https://twitter.com/MacDime54/status/811780374242074625
There is at least one part of the Cubs franchise consistently at work through the winter:
Work at the left and right field walls suggest new bullpen locations. pic.twitter.com/r5Qq2yZMAo
— Wrigley Aerials (@WrigleyAerials) December 31, 2016
Addison & Clark site is cleared – commercial and residential development coming across from Wrigley. https://t.co/AG3GqXnujs pic.twitter.com/Th9qT6Siqo
— Wrigley Aerials (@WrigleyAerials) December 31, 2016
It will be a while before I’ll be able to head up to take a look for myself, and I imagine updates (and maybe some surprise transactions) will be announced by the Cubs Convention in a couple weekends. One transaction that we may expect to be officially announced fairly soon:
Cubs, Munenori Kawasaki on verge of minor-league deal: https://t.co/tBJFJasbbl
— Kazuto Yamazaki (@Kazuto_Yamazaki) January 3, 2017
This is great news for those of us who like fun, and Munenori Kawasaki isn’t exactly useless regardless. The fact that the Cubs are already so well-loaded, and their financial situation on solid footing, makes it essentially unnecessary to make huge moves this offseason…and splurge for the following offseasons as more intriguing free agents come into play. As the current crop of pitchers heads into free agency, the Cubs’ financial obligations also allows them to buy up pitchers on the open market while absorbing the arbitration salary increases of their young core. It’s been a great long time since the Cubs organization was in such good shape, and we should be thankful that it looks to stay that way for a long time to come.
And finally, with all the Cubs-centric attention after you-know-what, you can predict that babies would be made and named in honor of this achievement. The first Chicago-born baby of the year was named Wrigley, which is kind of fitting, if not unoriginal. In addition to all the permutations of “Addison,” “Clark,” “Waveland,” “Sheffield,” “Ivy,” and “Old Style,” there aren’t many other names that would work. There are approximately 23 million kids named “Ryne” running around already, and “Press Box” doesn’t really roll off the tongue. Something to think about before the next round of Cubs babies come due in July or so!
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