Notes: Cubs arrive in Mesa; Heuer undergoes TJ surgery

MESA, Ariz. -- Cubs staffers piled up Blue Jays and Team USA equipment bags in a cart, helping new pitcher Marcus Stroman make his way into the team's complex for the first time on Friday. Kyle Hendricks gave a friendly hug to a security guard.

One by one, Chicago's players who were in Arizona filed into the club's spring headquarters throughout the morning, following the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The previous day, Ian Happ, the team's player representative for the union, let his teammates know a deal had been reached.

"All he said was, 'We got the vote,'" Cubs lefty Justin Steele said on Friday. "And I proceeded to do my happy dance. Me and my girlfriend both did the happy dance in the apartment. I woke up at like five [a.m.] this morning, just ready to go."

Cubs manager David Ross was dress shopping with his daughter when the news came down on Thursday evening. With that development, he began firing off text messages one at a time.

"I'm really tired of scrolling through Twitter and refreshing like everybody else," Ross joked. "I was doing that in the mall as she was trying on dresses. ... Willson Contreras texted me back like two seconds later. He's ready to go. They're all ready to go."

At least a dozen of the players on the Cubs' 40-man roster arrived for Friday's first unofficial day of Spring Training. Players are required to report by Sunday with the first official workout slated for Monday.

Beyond Hendricks, Stroman and Steele, infielders Nico Hoerner and Nick Madrigal arrived to camp. New catcher Yan Gomes also showed, along with Happ and Brad Wieck and others. Hendricks got a side session in, Stroman played catch and Hoerner and Madrigal were among the hitters to get in a round of batting practice.

"There was a lot of work put into this," Happ said of the new CBA. "And I think all those guys [involved] deserve some time to take a deep breath and get back to what we actually do for a living. But, it was just nice to be able to get something done and feel like we've done right by the group."

Heuer news a blow to Cubs' bullpen
Codi Heuer had a chance to serve as a late-inning weapon for the Cubs this season. Instead, the reliever will be using the coming year to recover and rehab from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. And the Cubs will be in the hunt for external additions for their bullpen.

"Any time you get that kind of news you're upset," Ross said. "Outside of the pitcher he is, he's just a good guy in the clubhouse and the bullpen. Definitely, we're going to miss him greatly. Better to find out now than midway through the season, right?"

Heuer, 25, was one of the players acquired from the White Sox in the Craig Kimbrel deal prior to the Trade Deadline last year. The righty logged a 4.28 ERA overall in 2021 with 56 strikeouts against 23 walks in 67 1/3 innings. That came after Heuer had a 1.52 ERA in 23 2/3 innings in '20 for the Sox.

It is worth noting that Heuer's average fastball velocity dropped to 95.9 mph in '21 from 97.6 mph in '20, per Statcast. Ross acknowledged that Heuer was pitching through some issues last year, though the extent of the problem was not discovered until this offseason.

"Talking to him," Ross said, "he's been dealing with a little bit, some issues, just leading up to it. You never know what's soreness and what's real damage until something happens."

Cubs have unsettled arbitration cases
The transaction freeze during baseball's lockout also halted the regular arbitration schedule. For the Cubs, Happ, Contreras and Harold Ramírez remain eligible for that process.

"It's different," Happ said Friday. "It'll be strange, but I think part of that process last year was similar, where you come into camp having just had the decision announced and then you walk into the halls the next couple days."

Prior to last season, Happ went to arbitration with the Cubs and won his case, earning a $4.1 million salary. Contreras earned $6.65 million last year and is eligible for the final time. Ramírez, who was acquired from Cleveland on Nov. 22, projected to be eligible as a Super Two player.

Teams will exchange proposed salary figures with any unsigned arb-eligible players on March 22. If the cases remain unsettled, the hearings will take place during the season.

Coaching staff update
• Mike Napoli, who was the team's quality assurance coach, will take over as the first-base coach this season.

• Craig Driver, previously the first-base coach, will now serve as a game strategy and catching coach on Ross' staff.

• The Cubs' new bullpen catcher is Garrett Lloyd, who worked as a Minor League developmental coach for the Cubs in '21.

Quotable
"Listen, you can throw this thing in the ocean as long as I stared at it." -- Ross, on how much he was on his phone Thursday, while reaching out to players once the Collective Bargaining Agreement came together