Cubs Odds & Ends: Ryno Trade Anniversary, Carlson Contract Details, Clarification on Austin’s Deal

It’s kinda hard to believe there’s enough happening to justify a whole ‘nother post, but that’s what happens when you complain about the inactivity. Then again, none of the nuggets below are new by any stretch. Heck, one is over four decades old. Since I’m not planning on writing a Rundown tomorrow, I figured I’d go ahead and touch on them now.

• The infamous trade that brought Ryne Sandberg to the Cubs was finalized on this date in 1982. As the National Baseball Hall of Fame correctly described, “the future of Wrigley Field baseball was changed in ways Chicago fans could have never imagined.”
• It’s still amazing to think that Ryno was basically an afterthought in the swap of shortstops Iván de Jesus and Larry Bowa, though Cubs GM Dallas Green essentially hoodwinked Phillies GM Paul Owens. Green had managed the Phils before joining the Cubs, and he refused to make a deal that didn’t include Sandberg. That should have been a big clue to Owens.
• Ryno went on to become one of the greatest Cubs of all time, earning enshrinement in Cooperstown on July 31, 2005. That was the day after my wedding, and we opened our gifts while watching his speech. A little over three years later, Ryne Altman was born. He watched The Sandberg Game in my arms as I held him for the first time.
• I was at Sandberg’s jersey retirement ceremony on August 28, 2005, and later took my son to his statue dedication on June 23, 2004. Just typing this is making me a little emotional.
• In other news, Jon Heyman reported that outfielder Dylan Carlson‘s minor league deal with the Cubs carries a $2 million salary with up to $1 million in bonuses if he makes the team. I tend to think he’s got a better shot than Chas McCormick.
• This is something I missed when it first came out almost three weeks ago, but former top prospect Tyler Austin‘s deal with the Cubs is a split contract. That means it has different salary figures in the majors and minors. Not that it should matter much since he’s out of minor league options. Meghan Montemurro had the report for the Sun-Times, and I was tipped to it by FanGraphs’ Jon Becker.
• According to Bradford William Davis, MLB missed its January 15 deadline for approving tech vendors. That’s a big deal since MLB moved to consolidate and democratize data collection across the sport, as teams don’t know whether and how long they can use their various tools for scouting players. Some of those vendors don’t even know if they’ll still be involved with baseball now that their contracts are in limbo.
• While it could just be a clerical error that is easily resolved with an extension, this could have a major impact across the sport. It looms even larger in light of the league’s possible attempts to trim the draft, eliminate high school eligibility, and contract the minor leagues. Scouting is in danger as it is, but blacklisting tech vendors could set many or all orgs back developmentally.

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