Chicago Cubs News: Crane Kenney comments, Eric Stout, and more

The talk of the day on Friday for the Chicago Cubs were the comments that team president of business operations Crane Kenney made during his radio interview with "The Mully and Haugh Show" on 670 The Score. While not squashing the rumors that the Cubs will spend aggressively this offseason, Kenney also alluded to the Cubs being "in the third inning" of their offseason plans.

There certainly is some credence to the comments that Kenney made. The return of the in-person business being conducted at the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings has also led to the return of a similar sentiment once the meetings have concluded. The Winter Meetings are not the end all, be all in regard to a team's offseason plans. While the angst among Cubs' fans is warranted, it is also important to remember that the team's top two offseason targets in shortstops Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson are still free agents.

That is the idea that NBC Sports Chicago MLB insider David Kaplan shared in a series of tweets on Friday. Cubs' president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer certainly is not done making moves this offseason and there is a very legitimate argument that can be made that the team's biggest move of the offseason has not been made yet. After responding to a tweet asking about items that Hoyer is working on, Kaplan offered the following:

The biggest targets of the Cubs' offseason remain available. Until those targets are off the board, let's try and caution the pessimism.

Chicago Cubs make a minor-league signing

Like they did last offseason, the Cubs signed left-handed relief pitcher Eric Stout to a minor-league deal on Friday with an invite to Spring Training. The Cubs traded Stout to the Pittsburgh Pirates during the season and the lefty posted a 5.79 ERA in 18 appearances.

Chicago Cubs bid farewell to Willson Contreras.

To that end, Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation hit us right in our feels.