The Rundown: War Bear Takes BP, Rays Sign Rickie Weeks and LoMo, Mets Sign…Tom Gorzelanny?

Say it with me: Only 10 days until pitchers and catchers report. Repeat as necessary. Now’s the time when teams are just loading up on minor league deals for vets, getting their Spring Training invites mailed out, and hoping guys like Jason Hammel and Travis Wood have grown desperate enough to knock a few milly off their asking prices. It’s kinda like the Friday night of primetime television.

Every now and again, though, you can find a few items worth paying attention to. As your 10th-favorite Cubs blogger — I know, I’ve risen in the rankings of late — I feel compelled to comb through the chaff to find little grains of salient content to share with you. And when that doesn’t work out, I bring you this.

• How awesome was it when pretty much the whole Cubs roster showed up to Mesa early last year, smiling and happy and ready to put in work? It was as though we’d been transported back to the good ol’ days, when Sammy Sosa was the first one at camp to get ready for the season. Except not. I’m not sure whether anyone else is showing up prior to Valentine’s Day, but we know Jason Heyward is already out there. So, too, is the War Bear.

• It won’t really affect the Cubs, but the Rays have signed former Brewer Rickie Weeks and former Ray Logan Morrison to deals. The former is a minor league pact, while the latter is for $2.5 million with another million in incentives.

• The Mets have signed former Cub Tom Gorzelanny to a minor league deal, which is something. Like Bronson Arroyo, I wasn’t even aware that Gorzelanny was still in the league. He’s bounced around quite a lot over the last few seasons, but here’s to hoping he gets to take a bite out of the Big Apple and earn a big chunk of change.

• Sergio Romo is jumping from the Giants to the Dodgers, a move that is sure to incite some gloriously awful meatballery in the coming season.

• Not that it’s of any consequence, but I just switched from Hopslam to Zombie Dust while typing this out. I’m guessing that means nothing to a decent portion of you, but the ones who get it are prolly jealous right now. Either that, or they’re fully aware that both beers have neared the point of becoming victims of their hype. Doesn’t mean they’re not yummy.