Saturday, January 14, 2023

CATHOLIC LEAGUE – CROSSOVER

Brother Rice at Marmion, 6:00

METRO SUBURBAN – RED

Aurora Central at Elmwood Park, 1:00

NORTH SUBURBAN

Libertyville at Stevenson, 5:30

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Oak Park-River Forest at York, 5:30

NON CONFERENCE

Alden-Hebron at Westlake Christian, 7:30

Andrew at Romeoville, 1:00

Barrington at Grant, 3:30

Bremen at Sandburg, 4:00

Chicago Tech at North Chicago, 3:30

Christian Life at Elgin Academy, 3:00

Crystal Lake South at Wheeling, 3:30

Downers Grove North at Notre Dame, 6:30

Dundee-Crown at Conant, 6:00

Evanston at Rolling Meadows, 5:30

Evergreen Park at Plainfield Central, 12:30

Grant Park at Watseka, 7:30

Hall at Serena, 5:30

Jacobs at St. Charles East, 3:30

Kaneland at Yorkville, 6:00

Lake Park at Glenbard West, 6:00

LaMoille at Midland, 10:00

Lane at Padua (OH), 6:00

Leyden at Fenton, 4:30

Mendota at Ottawa, 6:00

Morgan Park at Hammond (IN), 6:00

Morris at Streator, 5:30

Naperville North at Oswego, 7:30

Niles North at Zion-Benton, 5:30

Palatine at Lake Zurich, 3:30

Pearl City at Hinckley-Big Rock, 3:30

Princeville at Roanoke-Benson, 7:30

Sandwich at Providence, 2:30

Schaumburg Christian at Calvary Christian, TBA

St. Anne at Cissna Park, 1:00

St. Charles North at Hinsdale Central, 3:00

Streamwood at Wheaton North, 3:00

Taft at DePaul, 3:00

Thornridge at Richards, 4:00

Tri-Point at Cornerstone Christian, 7:00

Vernon Hills at Cary-Grove, 3:00

West Aurora at Glenbard East, 4:30

Westmont at Peotone, 3:00

Winnebago at Princeton, 6:30

Woodstock at Harlem, 3:00

Yorkville Christian at Christ the King, 2:30

BURLINGTON CENTRAL

Lyons vs. DeKalb, 10:00

Woodstock North vs. Neuqua Valley, 11:30

Lyons vs. Marian Central, 1:00

Burlington Central vs. Neuqua Valley, 2:30

CRISTO REY

Cristo Rey vs. ACERO-Garcia, 10:00

Kelly vs. Noble Street, 11:30

Consolation Semi-Final, 1:30

Semi-Final, 3:00

DEERFIELD

at Lake Forest

Deerfield vs. Payton, 11:00

Lemont vs. Foreman, 12:30

Grayslake Central vs. Lake Forest, 11:00

Boylan vs. Northside, 12:30

at Deerfield

Consolation Semi-Final, 4:30

Consolation Semi-Final, 6:00

Semi-Final, 4:30

Semi-Final, 6:00

FREEPORT

Fulton vs. Freeport, 11:30

Rockford Christian vs. Fulton, 2:30

Rockford Christian vs. Freeport, 5:30

GRAND RAPIDS NORTHVIEW (MI)

Hyde Park vs. Northview (MI), 4:30E

JEFFERSON

Jefferson vs. Thornton Fr. South, 10:00

Guilford vs. Batavia, 11:30

Springfield vs. Jefferson, 1:30

Thornton Fr. South vs. Guilford, 3:00

Batavia vs. Hononegah, 4:30

LAKES

Waukegan vs. Naperville Central, 10:00

Mundelein vs. Highland Park, 11:30

Lakes vs. Fremd, 1:00

Glenbrook North vs. Grayslake North, 2:30

MAINE SOUTH

Maine East vs. Schurz, 10:30

Maine South vs. Amundsen, 11:30

Maine South vs. Schurz, 1:00

Maine East vs. Amundsen, 2:30

MARSHALL

Farragut vs. Detroit Western Intl (MI), 1:45

Riverside-Brookfield vs. La Lumiere-Blue (IN), 3:15

Curie vs. Auburn, 6:15

MOLINE

Waubonsie Valley vs. Marian Catholic, 5:00

PECATONICA

Pecatonica vs. Polo, 9:00

Galena vs. Eastland, 10:30

Scales Mound vs. Durand, 12:00

Johnsburg vs. Richmond-Burton, 1:30

Consolation Semi-Final, 6:00

Consolation Semi-Final, 7:30

Semi-Final, 3:00

Semi-Final, 4:30

SOUTH BELOIT

Forrsrton vs. Harvest Christian, 9:00a

South Beloit vs. Harvard, 10:30

North Boone vs. Forreston, 12:00

Harvard vs. Oregon, 1:30

East Dubuque vs. North Boone, 3:00

Oregon vs. Stillman Valley, 4:30

Harvest Christian vs. East Dubuque, 6:00

South Beloit vs. Stillman Valley, 7:30

SPRINGFIELD (MO) – MISSOURI STATE

St. Rita vs. Staley (MO), 4:00

THORNTON FR. NORTH

St. Francis de Sales vs. EPIC, 2:00

Thornton Fr. North vs. Brooks, 3:30

Perspectives-Lead vs. Saginaw Elite (MI), 5:00

Rich vs. Phillips, 6:30

TIMOTHY CHRISTIAN

Chicago Christian vs. Lisle, 3:00

Northridge vs. Westinghouse, 4:30

Rockford Lutheran vs. Timothy Christian, 6:00

WHEATON-WARR. SOUTH

Metea Valley vs. Joliet Central, 9:30

Glenbard North vs. Morton, 9:30

Lake Forest Academy vs. Wheaton-Warr. South, 11

St. Francis vs. Rockford East, 11:00

Joliet Central vs. Normal, 1:00

Morton vs. Lindblom, 1:00

Plainfield South vs. Lake Forest Academy, 2:30

Rockford East vs. Warren, 2:30

Normal vs. Metea Valley, 4:30

Lindblom vs. Glenbard North, 4:30

Wheaton-Warr. South vs. Plainfield South, 6:00

Warren vs. St. Francis, 6:00

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The White Sox announced one-year agreements Saturday morning with five pitchers, including American League Cy Young runner-up Dylan Cease and 2022 Opening Day starter Lucas Giolito. The deals avoid arbitration with the quintet of right-handers.

Giolito, entering his final season before free agency, agreed to a $10.4 million contract. Cease will be paid $5.7 million.

The team also reached deals with starter Michael Kopech ($2.05 million) and relievers Reynaldo Lopez ($3.625 million) and Jose Ruiz ($925,000).

The Sox have no remaining arbitration-eligible players for the 2023 season.

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Coach Ezra Hendrickson said the Fire were close to making the playoffs in 2022. When the team has its first training session Monday, it’s Hendrickson’s job to make sure the Fire close the gap.

“We were nine points away [in 2022] even with a sub-par season, not accomplishing some of the things we wanted to during the season,” Hendrickson said. “We still weren’t very far off. There were a few incidents where, had they gone better, we would have found ourselves in the playoffs where we want to be.”

Hendrickson’s optimism aside, the Fire have a long checklist to get back into the postseason for the first time since 2017.

The Fire must build on the defensive identity that produced 12shutouts while improving an offense that scored just 39times. They also need to stay healthy, which they didn’t do in 2022 when they lost midfielders Gaston Gimenez, Fabian Herbers, Jairo Torres and defender Wyatt Omsberg to season-ending injuries.

Getting more from Xherdan Shaqiri and Torres is also a priority after neither quite lived up to their advanced billing in 2022. The Fire recognized they needed more of an attacking mentality on the flanks, and they’ll find out whether they addressed that by replacing right back Boris Sekulic with French defender Arnaud Souquet.

Barring a surprise Gabriel Slonina loan from Chelsea, the Fire need to settle on Chris Brady, Spencer Richey or new signing Jeff Gal as their starting goalkeeper. There are also open questions at striker. Jhon Duran blossomed last year but has been the subject of multiple European transfer rumors, Kacper Przybylko struggled in 2022 but is healthy entering camp, and an open designated player spot is still looming over the position.

In general, Hendrickson’s goal is to create more roster depth, which could lessen injuries and have other benefits.

“The key for us is getting deeper at every position, making sure there’s competition, good enough competition so that no one gets complacent in their position,” Hendrickson said. “At times, we fell victim to that. We’ve done a good job in the offseason to make sure that we’re getting better and getting deeper as a team.”

Hendrickson also knows he has areas to improve after his first year as an MLS head coach, when he admittedly wasn’t as decisive as he needed to be with lineup changes and substitutions. However, there might have been a reason Hendrickson wasn’t as eager to use his full roster.

“If we make the team better at every position and deeper at every position, it would be easier for the team to be up 2-0 and look down the bench and say, ‘OK, we need this player to go in and finish out the game’ because a lot of times we didn’t finish games out,” Hendrickson said.

Like Fire fans, Hendrickson bemoans last year’s lost opportunities. The mission this year is to take advantage of those chances, and that process begins Monday in Bridgeview.

“We know that we’re not very far off,” Hendrickson said. “We did enough to get in the playoffs, but at the same time, we shot ourselves in the foot.”

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Look, I understand my job each week in my quizzes is to educate, illuminate and entertain you (and occasionally frustrate you as you attempt to go 9-for-9). I’m definitely not here to bring you down, even in a memorial for those we lost in 2022. I look at it more as a celebration of their lives and hopefully give you something to further remember these folks with a smile.

There were many great people involved with sports whom we lost in 2022, who will not be in this quiz but should never be forgotten. Two get a special mention because they were impactful in play and their presence had an impact that was felt around the world: Bill Russell and Pel?. They meant so much to their sports and to those of us who were in awe of their talents.

So smile. Think about the wisdom in this quote: “I’m not afraid to die, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.” Now, have fun and learn a lot.

1. In his 18-year career, this ballplayer was a three-time All-Star and a two-time batting champ, leading the National League with a .346 batting average in 1962 and a .326 mark in 1963. He starred for the Dodgers, but also played for the White Sox, Cubs, Mets, Seattle Pilots, Astros, Athletics, Orioles, Angels and Royals.

a. Tommy Davis

b. Ray Guy

c. Pete Ward

d. Bob Lanier

2. Who was the Canadian who played for the White Sox, Orioles and Yankees from 1962 to 1970? He hit 23 home runs for the White Sox in 1963 to go with a .282 batting average.

a. Hugh McElhenny

b. Ray Guy

c. Pete Ward

d. Bob Lanier

3. This guy pitched for the Cubs, Phillies, Red Sox, Cleveland and the Brewers. He had a 115-137 record and 3.72 ERA. He won 22 games for the Cubs in 1963 and was an All-Star in 1964.

a. Mike Bossy

b. Dick Ellsworth

c. Joe Horlen

d. Vic Roznovsky

4. This man was an All-Star pitcher for the White Sox in 1967, when he won 19 games and led the American League with a 2.06 ERA and six shutouts. He also no-hit the Tigers on Sept. 10, 1967. His first uniform number was blank.

a. Bill Fitch

b. Joe Horlen

c. Eric Nesterenko

d. Gale Wade

5. He had the middle name of Morning and a son named Bump and was one of the great thieves in baseball history, leading the NL in stolen bases for six successive seasons. He stole six bases against the White Sox in the 1959 World Series.

a. Julio Cruz

b. Maury Wills

c. Chuck Carr

d. George Santos

6. This pitcher had 265 losses, the sixth-most all-time. And yet, he was a Hall of Famer. He allowed 399 homers in his career, the 14th-most all-time. And yet, he was a Hall of Famer. Who was this slippery fellow?

a. Ike Delock

b. Tom Browning

c. Gaylord Perry

d. Ralph Terry

7. This man never played an inning of major-league baseball, but he could describe the game as well as anyone — ever. “Erudite” is a mild way of describing his skills. It was written that “his enthusiasm for baseball was so immense that it could not be confined to a singular loyalty.” He wasn’t just born in New York; he truly was The New Yorker.

a. Roger Angell

b. Vin Scully

c. Jerome Holtzman

d. E.B. White

8. This man never played an inning of major-league baseball, but he could describe the game as well as anyone — ever. “Erudite” is a mild way of describing his skills. Sandy Koufax said, “It may sound corny, but I enjoyed listening to him call a game almost more than playing in them.”

a. Roger Angell

b. Vin Scully

c. Harry Caray

d. Don Drysdale

9. I always like to end with a walk-off or a closer, if I can. And this man was one of the greatest closers of the 1970s and ’80s. He saved 300 games for the Cubs (1976-1980), Cardinals (1981-84) and Braves (1985-86, 1988).

a. Bruce Sutter

b. Joe Horlen

c. Bob Locker

d. Glen Ross

These are just a few of the greats we lost this past year. Always remember, if you don’t laugh at life, you’ll never get out alive. Be safe and healthy. See you next week.

ANSWERS

1. Tommy Davis was a two-time NL batting champion and three-time World Series winner with the Dodgers who still holds the team record for RBI in a season with 153 in 1962. Ray Guy passed away in 2022 and was the only punter elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

2. White Sox manager Al Lopez said of Pete Ward, “I’d make him a catcher, but we’d never get the game over with. He’d use up the whole night gossiping with the hitters and umpires.” Bob Lanier was a Hall of Fame center who starred for the Pistons and Bucks. He was famous for his enormous shoes (allegedly a size 22). Hugh McElhenny was an NFL running back with the 49ers in the 1950s.

3. Three days after graduating from high school, pitching at Wrigley, Dick Ellsworth tossed a four-hit shutout against the White Sox in the annual charity event between the teams. Mike Bossy was a Hockey Hall of Fame right wing who helped the Islanders win four Stanley Cups in the 1980s. Vic Roznovsky caught 71 games for the Cubs in 1965.

4. Joe Horlen played for the White Sox from 1961 to 1971. He was born “Joel” but somehow became known as “Joe” while in the majors. In his first MLB game, on Sept. 5, 1961, he didn’t have a number on the back of his uniform. Eric Nesterenko was an NHL right wing who played 16 of his 21 seasons with the Blackhawks, winning a Stanley Cup with them in 1961. Wade played in 18 games as a center fielder and pinch-hitter for the Cubs in 1955 and 1956.

5. Maury Wills stole 50 bases in 1960, his first full year in the majors. In 1962, Wills set the major-league record with 104 stolen bases and was the NL MVP. That season, he was caught only 14 times, an 89% success rate.

6. HOF righty Gaylord Perry won Cy Young Awards in both leagues (Cleveland and San Diego) and was famous (infamous?) for tossing a spitball. Ron Santo said of Perry, “The last time I faced him, every pitch Perry threw to me was a spitter.” Santo’s teammate Randy Hundley, who had been Perry’s catcher on the Giants, denied that every pitch was a spitball. “Only 90% of Perry’s pitches are spitters,” he said. In 22 seasons, Perry went 314-265 with a 3.11 ERA. He struck out 3,534.

7. Roger Angell was an elegant essayist for The New Yorker magazine. He was the only writer elected to both the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Angell was the stepson of another great essayist, E.B. White.

8. Vin Scully was the greatest announcer baseball has ever known. But in addition, he hosted “It Takes Two,” a game show that featured celebrity couples answering questions such as “How old was the oldest dog?” Yes, he, too, was a quizmaster, the only thing we had in common.

9. The great Bruce Sutter led the NL in saves five times, thanks to his split-fingered fastball. Sutter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Remembrances also to Bob Locker, who passed away last year. Locker pitched for the Sox and Cubs and appeared in 576 major-league games in his 10-year career, all as a reliever. Glen Ross is my homage to Blake, who in the movie “Glengarry Glen Ross” famously said, “A-B-C. A-always, B-be, C-closing.”

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Putting eyes on new players, meet-and-greets with beloved former ones, Q-and-A sessions with ownership and the front office — these are just some of the enticements that bring Chicago seamheads out to the annual January events known as Cubs Convention and SoxFest.

Wait, did we say “annual”? Please excuse the error.

Neither the Cubs nor the White Sox had a fan convention in 2021 or 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And though the Cubs are back in full swing downtown this weekend, the Sox called off this year’s event.

What gives? That’s one of the questions we asked in this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter.

“It’s clear the powers-that-be did not want to face an upset fan base who have seen this rebuild go right down the toilet,” @KaboomLip commented.

“They’re complete and total cowards for doing this,” @couldbelikemike wrote, “because they know fans aren’t happy.”

Other poll questions: Have you ever attended Cubs Convention or SoxFest? And which team has more reason for optimism heading into the 2023 season? On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: Have you ever been to Cubs Convention or SoxFest?

Upshot: Some fans count the days to these shindigs. “It’s a wonderful way to kick off the baseball season,” @ChiTownSports offered. Most, though, aren’t moved to partake. “I prefer the victory parades in 2005 and 2016 to a discussion about our new utility infielder,” @RonaldVoigt4 wrote. And @BeardownHawkeye calls these “parties for affluent fans and corporate sponsors, not the mere peasants that are actually fans.” We say it takes all kinds, but what do we know?

Poll No. 2: What do you think about the White Sox canceling their fan convention this year?

Upshot: Whether or not there were logistical factors that kept the SoxFest doors closed for the third year in a row, the optics are terrible. The Sox hired Tony La Russa. They signed free agents who went — or are in the process of going — bust. They failed to stay above water in a bad division in 2022. Many will simply assume the Sox didn’t have the stomach for hearing about it from the folks who buy tickets at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Poll No. 3: With spring training around the corner, which team has more reason for optimism?

Upshot: As the results clearly indicate, the vibe around the Cubs is better right now. Dansby Swanson might have something to do with it. Cody Bellinger — a former MVP, despite his more recent struggles — too. Deep into a busy offseason, no one would argue the Cubs have failed to improve their roster. The Sox, on the other hand? Even with the signing of Andrew Benintendi, they sure haven’t done much.

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Blackhawks prospect defenseman Alex Vlasic doesn’t take himself overly seriously.

It’s not that he isn’t a hard worker because he is. But even as a 21-year-old, he doesn’t get too stressed out by the inevitable day-to-day fluctuations of professional hockey.

So this season with Rockford — aware he’s in the AHL purely to develop before he almost certainly earns a full-time NHL promotion to the Hawks — he has pushed himself outside his comfort zone.

”[I] just try to use my skating a little bit more, try to beat guys one-on-one if I can,” Vlasic said. ”Obviously, that’s not really going to be my game [in the NHL]. But I’m just pushing my limits, testing things out here, because I want to grow as a player.

”I want to learn what I’m capable of doing, and I’m only going to learn from making mistakes. I can’t be afraid to make mistakes. That’s my mindset.”

A big part of Rockford coach Anders Sorensen’s job is watching and evaluating how players react mentally to miscues, so those words are music to his ears.

”The mistake is easy to point out, but I want to see what happens after that,” Sorensen said. ”We want to see, if the play continues, how he reacts after the mistake. And then we want to see how he behaves and reacts the next shift. Those are big measuring sticks for us.”

And Vlasic has measured up very well.

”His defensive positioning [has] been really good,” Sorensen said. ”We have allowed him to explore some things offensively. We encourage him to hang on to more pucks, be up in the rush more and be more patient on the point. And he has improved in those areas.”

Vlasic’s stat line at Rockford — one goal and five assists in 23 games entering Friday — doesn’t jump off the page. In spite of his experimentation, he’s not an offensive defenseman and, considering his 6-6 height, probably never will be.

But the Hawks are excited about the progress he has shown this year, his first full season as a pro after getting a 15-game taste of the NHL in the spring.

Vlasic skates smoothly for his size and has worked on being more physically aggressive at the right times. He has proved comfortable handling huge minutes. And he healed very quickly from a fractured fibula in December, returning last weekend after three weeks.

”[I’m] being a little bit more of a beast defensively, trying to use my size and my skating to really shut down other teams’ top players,” he said. ”I’ve had a lot of confidence with the puck, too. My offensive abilities have not necessarily translated too well on the scoresheet, but I’m hanging on to pucks for a couple of extra seconds.”

Said Sorensen: ”His positioning on the ice has been very good, and because of his length and his reach, he’s hard to get around. You add the positioning with that, and it’s really hard to play against him.”

When Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson decides to rotate Isaak Phillips back to Rockford and give another defensive prospect some NHL time, Vlasic likely will be first in line.

More prospect updates

It has been a strange first half of the season for Hawks prospect goalie Drew Commesso at Boston University.

Commesso was hampered in the fall by a hamstring injury and an illness, and his .910 overall save percentage is significantly weighed down by two disastrous starts — a 9-2 loss to Michigan and a 9-6 loss to Boston College — in which extenuating circumstances were involved. He’s 10-2-0 with a .936 save percentage in his other 12 appearances.

How he fares the rest of the season with the Terriers should be more telling. The Hawks remain excited about the future of their goaltending unit, thanks to Arvid Soderblom and Commesso, who likely will sign his entry-level contract at the end of his season.

It also would be wise not to judge Hawks prospect forward Landon Slaggert’s season by surface-level stats. Compared with his 26 points in 40 games with Notre Dame last season, Slaggert’s four points in 20 games this season (entering Friday) look bad.

Nonetheless, the Hawks remain optimistic about his potential. The Fighting Irish have been disappointing all around, and offense never was going to be Slaggert’s calling card anyway. His versatility, which enables him to play all three forward positions, stands out most.

Notre Dame forward Ryder Rolston, another Hawks prospect, has managed to put up better numbers. His 15 points in 21 games (entering Friday) were tied for the team lead. The Hawks acquired Rolston’s rights from the Avalanche in the trade for Carl Soderberg in 2021 and might sign him after this season.

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Whichever path Bears general manager Ryan Poles picks with the No. 1 choice in the upcoming draft, it’s an opportunity to upgrade a roster that badly needs it.

He most likely will be shopping the pick in the hope of landing an incredible trade package for it like the Dolphins got when they held the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 and didn’t plan to use it on a quarterback because they had Tua Tagovailoa. They knew someone out there would be desperate, though, and the 49ers called with an offer of two future first-rounders to move up from No. 12.

Through a couple of ensuing trades, the Dolphins ended up with the Nos. 6 and 18 picks and took wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and pass rusher Jaelan Phillips. Waddle topped 1,000 yards each of his first two seasons, and Phillips is second in that draft class with 15.5 sacks to begin his career.

Something like that, turning their extremely high pick into multiple pretty-high picks, is Poles’ dream scenario.

But keeping the pick is good, too. There’s nothing wrong with having first choice of all the talent in college football. When a team takes someone with the No. 1 overall pick, it envisions that player becoming a Hall of Famer.

If the Bears think Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson is a Myles Garrett-level talent, that’s worth hanging on to the pick.

But even then, Anderson likely would be available at No. 3 or 4, so perhaps the Bears could trade back slightly and still land him.

Given their dearth of top talent, don’t expect the Bears to trade down too far. Seven of the next eight teams behind them need a quarterback, so Poles better keep his phone charged. The Bears likely are looking at two tiers of players: the consensus top four picks if they stay high enough to take one of them and a group of players more likely to go between Nos. 6 and 9. Here’s a look at who they could land:

Bears’ best options with a top-four pick

The least likely thing the Bears will do with their first-round pick is take a quarterback. Justin Fields has made modest progress despite the Bears doing everything possible to slow him. First they put him through all the dysfunction of playing for Matt Nagy, then Poles surrounded him with completely inadequate offensive linemen and skill players.

Poles supported Fields during his news conference after the final game, but clearly left the door open to pounce on a quarterback.

“We’re gonna do the same as we’ve always done,” he said when asked if Fields would be his quarterback next season regardless of having the No. 1 pick. “We’re gonna evaluate the draft class, and I would have to be absolutely blown away to make that type of decision.”

Has any team ever drafted a player No. 1 overall and not been “blown away” by them?

A ton can change between now and the draft, but Alabama’s Bryce Young stands atop the list at quarterback, followed by Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis.

Young and Stroud were overwhelming passers. Young averaged 303.7 yards passing per game and threw for 79 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions over his last two seasons. Stroud, who took over the Buckeyes in 2021 after Fields left, put up even bigger numbers at 324.9 yards passing per game and 85 touchdowns with 12 interceptions over his two seasons as a starter.

Levis is far more of a projection. After transferring from Penn State, he averaged just 218 yards passing and threw 43 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions over his two seasons at Kentucky. But draft analysts are enamored with his arm strength, mechanics and 6-foot-3, 232-pound build — a more classic stature than Young at 6-foot, 194 pounds.

The team workouts and scouting combine will be crucial for all three of those quarterbacks as they compete to go No. 1.

The current non-quarterback contenders to go anywhere from first to fourth are Anderson and Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. And assuming the Bears are sticking with Fields, they have enormous needs at both of those positions.

That would make the quarterback-needy Colts, who pick fourth, the ideal trade partner. At No. 4, the Bears almost certainly could get Anderson or Carter.

The Bears had the NFL’s weakest pass rush this season with just 20 sacks in 17 games, and they aren’t locked into any of their starting defensive linemen financially. Even defensive tackle Justin Jones, Poles’ most expensive pickup in free agency last year, can be cut for a dead salary-cap hit of $2.5 million.

Rookie safety Jaquan Brisker led the team with four sacks. That should never happen.

The four defensive linemen who played the most snaps — Jones, Trevis Gipson, Al-Quadin Muhammad and fifth-round pick Dominique Robinson — combined for 8 1/2 sacks. There were 27 players across the league who had at least that many individually.

That’s why Anderson is appealing at No. 1 overall. He had seven sacks as a true freshman, then 17 1/2 in 2021 when he finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He had 10 sacks in 13 games last season.

But the Bears have made clear that defensive tackle is essential to their defense, and Carter is ESPN analyst Mel Kiper’s top-rated player regardless of position.

The only time Poles tried to spend significant money in free agency was on a three-year, $40.5 million offer to defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi. When that fell through, he signed Jones for two years, $12 million. No one else got more than $4 million per year.

The Bears shifted Jones, against his preference, to defensive end late in the season — presumably to see whether he could move to that spot next season if they make a major addition in free agency or the draft.

Carter could be that acquisition. At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, Carter had 18 1/2 sacks in the middle of Georgia’s line over the last three seasons. He fits the profile of what they want at the position.

Bears’ choices in second tier

Top-notch talent should still be available for the Bears if they trade down into the fifth-through-10th range. Recent Hall of Famers Brian Urlacher, Champ Bailey, LaDainian Tomlinson and Richard Seymour were picked in that part of the draft.

The most exciting player projected to go in that part of the draft is TCU wide receiver Quentin Johnston. Like quarterback, that’s been a problematic position for the Bears. They recently went a whole decade between 1,000-yard receivers from Marty Booker to Brandon Marshall. The Bears have Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, but that’s not enough.

Johnson is 6-foot-4, 193 pounds and broke out this season with 60 catches for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns.

Flash is fun, but the Bears still need some basics. Left tackle would be near the top of that list.

While it was a nice success story that the Bears developed fifth-round pick Braxton Jones into a starting left tackle, they could still look to upgrade. Ohio State’s Paris Johnson, Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski or Georgia’s Broderick Jones could impress Poles enough for him to reconfigure the line. If he drafts one of those two or signs a major free agent like the Chiefs’ Orlando Brown, the Bears could move Jones to right tackle.

Pass rusher is another need, and if the Bears don’t jump on Anderson in the top four, they could take Clemson’s Myles Murphy, Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson or Florida State’s Jared Verse.

The backup plan at defensive tackle if the Bears don’t draft Carter could be Clemson’s Bryan Bresee. Bresee is regarded as an excellent pass rusher and run stopper and had 15 tackles for loss over the last three seasons.

When Poles was pressed on priorities for building a roster, he listed “premium positions” beyond quarterback as pass rushers, offensive linemen and cornerbacks.

The Bears have a proven corner in Jaylon Johnson and just drafted Kyler Gordon in the second round. Both are 23 years old. While they definitely need a third viable starter, using a high draft pick at the position seems highly unlikely. If Poles is compelled, the top options are Georgia’s Kelee Ringo and Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr.

Because there’s no clear choice at No. 1 for the Bears since they probably won’t take a quarterback, it leaves a wide range of possibilities as they look to trade back. It’s very possible they’ll trade back more than once.

They’re the most unpredictable team in the draft this year, and that’s great for Poles as he tries to keep the rest of the league guessing. The more uncertainty there is around his plans, the better his chance of landing a wildly desperate trade package that would accelerate his rebuild.

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The applause battled with the loudspeakers in the Sheraton Grand Chicago’s ballroom, drowning out pieces of host Cole Wright’s player introductions. But left fielder Ian Happ heard two words loud and clear: “All-Star” and “Gold Glover.”

“I listened to a few guys who were pretty good get announced like that when I was first coming up,” Happ said after the Cubs Convention opening ceremonies.

All the while, a back-and-forth between Happ’s representatives and the Cubs was playing out behind the scenes. Friday afternoon marked the deadline for arbitration eligible players and their teams to exchange salary figures for next season. But even when Happ left the stage Friday evening, it was unclear whether the parties would settle or head for arbitration, with the sides taking advantage of a soft deadline or dead period of sorts.

“This is the process,” Happ said Friday evening. “It’s not perfect, but it’s the process. It’s our [collectively] bargained right. And it’s pretty interesting to see how it goes.”

Happ, now in his third and final year of arbitration, has already beaten the Cubs in arbitration once before. In 2021, Happ’s first year of arbitration eligibility, he won his hearing to the tune of $4.1 million. Now, he’s coming off an All-Star and Gold Glove year.

On Friday, the Cubs avoided arbitration with three other players. They settled with Nico Hoerner on a $2,525,000 salary for next season, infielder Nick Madrigal at $1,225,000 and Codi Heuer at $785,000, sources confirmed.

The next question is, how many of those players can land extensions in the coming months?

“Historically, we’ve always tried to get extensions for players,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said in a conversation with the Sun-Times on Friday. “It hasn’t always worked out for us. We know at times, it’s a pretty good strategy.”

Happ, in his final year of club control, and Hoerner, who was arbitration-eligible for the first time this year, are the obvious extension candidates.

“We have interest in both guys and keeping them long term,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Friday. “We’ve started the process. We’ve had dialogue with the agents — and wherever that is in the process, I would never reveal, or what the offers are — but certainly, there’s a real desire.”

The mass exodus at the 2021 trade deadline can be traced back to the Cubs’ failure to extend their last core. Talks with Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javy B?ez fizzled, and they all entered their final year of club control with uncertainty looming.

With those trades, the Cubs dove into the deep end of a rebuild, snapping shut their last championship window less than five years after winning the World Series.

“We extended [Kyle] Hendricks, but everybody wanted to go ahead and test the waters in the free agent market,” Ricketts said. “That’s their right as a player. I give them credit for betting on themselves.

“Extensions work for the team a lot of times. They worked for the player a lot of times. If there’s one that makes sense, I’m sure Jed will do it.”

There are several steps the Cubs can take to lengthen their next window – continuing to strengthen the farm system, promoting development at the major-league level, anticipating roster holes. Extending homegrown players is one they can take this winter.

“Don’t hold me to this, but I don’t really love negotiating in spring training,” Hoyer said during GM meetings in November. “The more I do it, the more I think it causes real tension. Guys want to start the season. I’ve watched many deals fall apart in spring training. I just don’t think it’s a great way to start the season.”

Example A: Before the 2021 season, an exasperated Rizzo addressed stalled negotiations in a Zoom news conference, hardening his Opening Day deadline.

Now, Hoyer says he’d prefer to start extension talks earlier, avoiding opening and closing them over the span of a six-week spring training. Happ said that would be his preference too.

“There’s so much uncertainty in this game,” he said. “And and when you can get certainty at some point in your career, not that many people get to achieve that. It’s a pretty special thing.”

Securing a long-term commitment with Hoerner early, before he claims his fist Gold Glove or All-Star selection, could be financially advantageous for the team. But any negotiations with Happ have a more definite deadline, as he approaches free agency.

“I’ve loved almost every second of playing here and being a part of it,” Happ said. “And Wrigley’s special, the city is special, the fan base is special, all those things. It’s the only thing that I know. And on the other side of that, there’s 29 other teams that are competing and doing a great job. And you earn the right to be a free agent, that’s a special thing, too.”

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The applause battled with the loudspeakers in the Sheraton Grand Chicago’s ballroom, drowning out pieces of host Cole Wright’s player introductions. But left fielder Ian Happ heard two words loud and clear: “All-Star” and “Gold Glover.”

“I listened to a few guys who were pretty good get announced like that when I was first coming up,” Happ said after the Cubs Convention opening ceremonies.

All the while, a back-and-forth between Happ’s representatives and the Cubs was playing out behind the scenes. Friday afternoon marked the deadline for arbitration eligible players and their teams to exchange salary figures for next season. But even when Happ left the stage Friday evening, it was unclear whether the parties would settle or head for arbitration, with the sides taking advantage of a soft deadline or dead period of sorts.

“This is the process,” Happ said Friday evening. “It’s not perfect, but it’s the process. It’s our [collectively] bargained right. And it’s pretty interesting to see how it goes.”

Happ, now in his third and final year of arbitration, has already beaten the Cubs in arbitration once before. In 2021, Happ’s first year of arbitration eligibility, he won his hearing to the tune of $4.1 million. Now, he’s coming off an All-Star and Gold Glove year.

On Friday, the Cubs avoided arbitration with three other players. They settled with Nico Hoerner on a $2,525,000 salary for next season, infielder Nick Madrigal at $1,225,000 and Codi Heuer at $785,000, sources confirmed.

The next question is, how many of those players can land extensions in the coming months?

“Historically, we’ve always tried to get extensions for players,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts said in a conversation with the Sun-Times on Friday. “It hasn’t always worked out for us. We know at times, it’s a pretty good strategy.”

Happ, in his final year of club control, and Hoerner, who was arbitration-eligible for the first time this year, are the obvious extension candidates.

“We have interest in both guys and keeping them long term,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Friday. “We’ve started the process. We’ve had dialogue with the agents — and wherever that is in the process, I would never reveal, or what the offers are — but certainly, there’s a real desire.”

The mass exodus at the 2021 trade deadline can be traced back to the Cubs’ failure to extend their last core. Talks with Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javy B?ez fizzled, and they all entered their final year of club control with uncertainty looming.

With those trades, the Cubs dove into the deep end of a rebuild, snapping shut their last championship window less than five years after winning the World Series.

“We extended [Kyle] Hendricks, but everybody wanted to go ahead and test the waters in the free agent market,” Ricketts said. “That’s their right as a player. I give them credit for betting on themselves.

“Extensions work for the team a lot of times. They worked for the player a lot of times. If there’s one that makes sense, I’m sure Jed will do it.”

There are several steps the Cubs can take to lengthen their next window – continuing to strengthen the farm system, promoting development at the major-league level, anticipating roster holes. Extending homegrown players is one they can take this winter.

“Don’t hold me to this, but I don’t really love negotiating in spring training,” Hoyer said during GM meetings in November. “The more I do it, the more I think it causes real tension. Guys want to start the season. I’ve watched many deals fall apart in spring training. I just don’t think it’s a great way to start the season.”

Example A: Before the 2021 season, an exasperated Rizzo addressed stalled negotiations in a Zoom news conference, hardening his Opening Day deadline.

Now, Hoyer says he’d prefer to start extension talks earlier, avoiding opening and closing them over the span of a six-week spring training. Happ said that would be his preference too.

“There’s so much uncertainty in this game,” he said. “And and when you can get certainty at some point in your career, not that many people get to achieve that. It’s a pretty special thing.”

Securing a long-term commitment with Hoerner early, before he claims his fist Gold Glove or All-Star selection, could be financially advantageous for the team. But any negotiations with Happ have a more definite deadline, as he approaches free agency.

“I’ve loved almost every second of playing here and being a part of it,” Happ said. “And Wrigley’s special, the city is special, the fan base is special, all those things. It’s the only thing that I know. And on the other side of that, there’s 29 other teams that are competing and doing a great job. And you earn the right to be a free agent, that’s a special thing, too.”

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Mark Grace still remembers playing a spring training game across the field from Shawon Dunston, against a Seattle team headlined by players the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and Randy Johnson. The Mariners were walloping the Cubs.

“I yell over to Shawon,” Grace recounted Friday. “I say, ‘Shawn! They got any players like us?'”

Earlier Friday evening, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts had announced on the Cubs Convention stage at the Sheraton Grand Chicago that Grace and Dunston would be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame this year. Grace and Dunston, former teammates, then addressed the media side by side, self-deprecating stories and all.

“It’s kind of nice that a couple players like us got in,” Dunston said, wrapping up Grace’s story with a bow.

The two were being modest, of course. Both were multiple-year All-Stars with the Cubs and played for the club for over a decade. In 1986, Dunston led National League shortstops in putouts in putouts (320), assists (465) and double plays (tied at 96). Grace was a four-time Gold Glover and led the league in doubles in 1995.

“That’s a quarter of my life in a Cubs uniform,” Grace said. “I love the fact that most of his career, I was his first baseman. … Shawn and I, the reason we’re friends is not because, I could catch his throws – and I challenge any other goddamn person to do that.”

That drew a laugh.

“Shawon and I, we talked to each other on the bench,” Grace continued. “We talked to each other about, ‘hey, what are you going to try to do against this guy?’ And what that meant is, I knew after about just a few weeks in the big leagues that he cared about me. He cared about me being successful. And I think it didn’t take long for him to feel like I cared about him and wanted him to be successful.”

Dunston quipped: “I cared about Mark, but I knew right away he was a good hitter.”

That’s how their nearly 15-minute news conference went, one building off the other. After only a few questions, they took off, telling stories like the time Grace referenced the movie ‘White Men Can’t jump,’ to get across that if Dunston was going to miss throwing to first, he had to miss low.

“I’m telling you,” Grace said, “for as long as Shawon was still with the Cubs, every throw was right on the money.”

Said Dunston: “If there was one shortstop who didn’t like Mark Grace, it was Rey Sanchez, because whenI left, Grace couldn’t catch him because Grace said Rey wasn’t throwing hard enough.”

Signings

The Cubs signed left fielder Mike Tauchman and right handed pitcher Nick Neidert to minor-league deals with spring training invites, the team announced Friday.

Quotable

“Even with the extra money that was flying around this offseason, we still got the guys we wanted at prices we thought were reasonable and fair,” Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts told the Sun-times when asked about how an owner like Steve Cohen changes the landscape. “You’ve just got to stick to your plan and not let too much of the noise get to you.”

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