Chicago Cubs expect to compete for NL Central in 2015
The Chicago Cubs have not been to the playoffs since the 2008 season but after another last place finish in the NL Central, team president Theo Epstein believes the team is ready to compete for a postseason berth next season.
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“I think 2015 will be a little bit different than the previous three seasons in that we now think we have the talent to compete,” Epstein said Tuesday. “And any time you have enough talent to compete you want to set your sights high.
“We proved we can be very competitive within this division and when you have a chance to compete you should set your sights high and that means our goal is the NL Central title next year.”
The Cubs have have one of the best farm systems in MLB and saw some of those young prospects in the final month of the season with Javier Baez and Jorge Soler showing flashes of brilliance, but also signs that they still have a long way to go to be middle order of the bats for a postseason team.
That would apply more to Baez with his propensity for the strikeout, but after years of futility there are positives to hang your Cubs hat on and the postseason could be within reach with the young talent complementing All-Stars Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro.
“We’re going to be competing while we develop young talent,” Epstein said. “It isn’t easy but it’s exciting, very exciting.”
Part of the excitement lies in the eventual arrival of Minor League Player of the Year Kris Bryant who has dominated at every level of the minors and should make his Cubs debut in the first few weeks of the season as they look to delay his arbitration by stashing him in the minors.
The Cubs have taken baby steps in the rebuilding under the direction of Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer and the optimism is beginning to outweigh the pessimism at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field.
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