Rizzo Raising Funds, Cubs Prospect Raising Awareness, Cishek Raising Legs, and Other Bullets

The Cubs Convention is here!!! If you’re going to be around at the hotel today, look for me – probably with my phone in my face doing some kind of live stream – and say hey. The Opening Ceremonies are tonight at 6pm CT, and although I don’t think a surprise announcement is likely, it did happen back in 2012 when the Cubs announced the re-signing of Kerry Wood.

After the Opening Ceremonies, I’ll see you folks at Lizzie McNeill’s, next door to the hotel.

  • A reminder that today is a big deadline day, as teams and players who are eligible for arbitration exchange salary figures. That typically happens in the late afternoon today, and there are often deals agreed to in advance. My guess is the Cubs avoid arbitration with a couple of their guys today, and we otherwise learn about the salary requests that will form the basis for further negotiations from here. Kris Bryant could land a record salary before this process is over.
  • I thought this list was fun to look at not only for the point that Petriello makes, but because look at where Kris Bryant is, relative to certain other players, even when not adjusted for the ballpark:
  • Last night was Anthony Rizzo’s Family Foundation’s Laugh-Off for Cancer event, and it looks like it was a serious success:
  • And Rizzo even did his part with a little singing:
  • Always good to see Rizzo back together with Grandpa Rossy, too.

    (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

  • Patrick Mooney spoke with Rizzo about, among many other things, the challenge that last year presented when coming off a World Series win. He admitted that the guys were on empty a lot of the time, and felt like they were on cruise control in the first half. The World Series hangover – presuming that’s a part of what Rizzo means – had to have been EXTRA rough for Cubs players, given the enormity of their particular win. I can’t speak for the players, but it already does feel a little different this offseason – in terms of looking ahead – than it did last offseason.
  • New Cubs reliever Steve Cishek admits that his dance skills are not up there with the rest of the bullpen (Cubs.com). He’ll have to work on that before the first dinger. Actually, you know what? He can probably do whatever and it’ll play:
  • As for his actual role in the bullpen, the former closer says he’s happy to do whatever the Cubs need (NBC). If he pitches like he did in the second half in Tampa Bay, he’ll quickly be used as one of the Cubs’ high-leverage arms.
  • Cubs prospect Chris Singleton is working to spread a message of love after his mother was killed by a white supremacist in the South Carolina church shooting in 2015. You can and should read about what he’s trying to accomplish here at Cubs.com.
  • Get your Cubs gear for 20% off today, my friends!
  • Over at TYL, I’m getting pretty darn excited about the coaching staff the Bears are assembling:
  • written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

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