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Column: With the Chicago Cubs keeping one eye on the future, is there still room for Jake Arrieta?

That’s the conundrum Hoyer faces as he tries to build “the next great Cubs team.” Veterans such as Arrieta, Eric Sogard and Jake Marisnick were stopgap signings and shouldn’t be considered part of the future. But without a productive farm system, this is what the Cubs are settling for as Hoyer listens to offers for Kris Bryant, Javier Báez, Anthony Rizzo, Craig Kimbrel and others to restock the system.

Sports

Seen in Tokyo, by Brian Cassella

Scenes from a quarantine hotel stay before the Tokyo Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella) Tokyo Olympics A taxi driver makes his way through Tokyo on July 18, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics A police officer stands on a bridge with a view of Tokyo at sunset on July 18, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics A view of Tokyo and a Shinkansen train on Monday, July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics Pedestrians make their way along the streets of the Otemachi district of Tokyo as the sun sets, July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics A man shops for food in a convenience store in Tokyo on Monday, July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics Packaged snacks in a convenience store in Tokyo on July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics Traffic moves along a highway in Tokyo as the sun sets Monday, July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics Pedestrians make their way along the streets of the Otemachi district of Tokyo as the sun sets Monday, July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics Pedestrians make their way along the streets of the Otemachi district of Tokyo as the sun sets Monday, July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics Pedestrians make their way along the streets of the Otemachi district of Tokyo as the sun sets Monday, July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics A view from a quarantine hotel room of Tokyo and a Shinkansen train on July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics Masked pedestrians and bicyclists make their way through the streets of Tokyo on Sunday, July 18, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics Views of the Tokyo cityscape at dusk on Sunday, July 18, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics The Tokyo Skytree broadcasting and observation tower is visible at dusk Sunday, July 18, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics Masked pedestrians and bicyclists make their way through the streets of Tokyo on Sunday, July 18, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Tokyo Olympics The sun sets on Tokyo on July 19, 2021 before the postponed 2020 Olympics begin. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Sports

Olympics Q&A: What was the travel process like from Chicago to Tokyo — and what’s it like to quarantine in a hotel for 3 days? And what does aloe-flavored yogurt taste like?

“To be honest, I think a lot of it is just expected at this point,” said American volleyball player Kelsey Robinson, a Bartlett native who won a bronze medal with the team in 2016. “We’re very prepared, we know the protocol, we know what we need to do to be able to perform and to play. … I don’t know that anything will feel that different from what we’ve experienced in the past year.”

Sports

Which Chicago Blackhawks might get taken in the expansion draft — and who are some players on the team’s NHL draft radar?

It was a given that the Hawks would leave de Haan unprotected, and they also exposed Zadorov. He brings size at 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds and often took on an opponent’s “A” player on defense, but his puck handling was sometimes a liability. The Hawks probably want to bring the 26-year-old back, especially after trading Brandon Saad to get him in October 2020, but if he’s holding out for much more than last season’s $3.2 million salary, then the Hawks might be inclined to let the Kraken take the contract headache off their hands and free up cap space.

Sports

Surfing will make its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games. Here’s what to know.

Surfing is a $10 billion industry, yet professional surfing, led by the World Surf League, largely remains niche and little understood. Surfing requires a well-rounded athleticism, including immense strength, agility, and grace to pull off maneuvers based on what the big, wild ocean delivers in the moment — think of the vagaries of the ocean as the fourth dimension in this sport many see as a spiritual pursuit. There’s hope now that the visually stunning sport will finally get its due with a mainstream audience at the Games, though some viewers may struggle to follow given the complexity and metrics of competition.

Sports

Climbing will make its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games. Here’s what to know.

“Speed climbing is very, very different from the other two disciplines,” said Meg Coyne, national team manager and assistant coach at USA Climbing. “First of all, it’s rehearsed. Second, all of the mannerisms, habits and techniques are effectively reversed. For athletes to do well on speed, they need train for something that’s totally outside the habits they have for the other disciplines.”