Fansided

Opening Day 2015: Top 5 storylines for 2015 MLB season

By FanSided Staff

Apr 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general shot of Wrigley Field during batting practice prior to a game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general shot of Wrigley Field during batting practice prior to a game between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 5, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo against the Oakland Athletics during a spring training baseball game at Sloan Park. Cubs players are wearing the number 14 on their hats in memory of Ernie Banks. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 5, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo against the Oakland Athletics during a spring training baseball game at Sloan Park. Cubs players are wearing the number 14 on their hats in memory of Ernie Banks. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Is This Year Finally The Year For Chicago Cubs?

Cubs’ fans can rejoice. There is finally something positive to say about your team. Well, not just something, but a bunch of things. The Cubs have made some off season deals that have the city of Chicago being cautiously optimistic about the future of their ball club. After all, they are suffering the longest World Series draught in the history of baseball (and the longest title drought in professional sports history) so let’s not get to ahead of ourselves.

But how can you not be excited about the new manager Joe Maddon. Truly one of the best managers in baseball and one of the most quirky guys to be in the Cubs clubhouse. Maddon spent nine years of his managing career with the Tampa Bay Rays. An organization that he took from the bottom of the AL East to four playoff runs including one World Series appearance in 2008. Maybe Maddon can be the guy who finally cracks the code that is the Chicago Cubs World Series safe. Lou Pinella couldn’t do it. Dusty Baker definitely couldn’t do it. And neither could any of the 49 other managers in Cubs history since their last World Series win in 1908.

Although you could have the best manager in the world and you still couldn’t have the talent to get by in the MLB. But after multiple off season signings and trades, the Cubs might finally have the pieces necessary to be a playoff team. The biggest of these pieces is star pitcher Jon Lester. The Cubs pitching staff needed some obvious rework (any rotation that includes Edwin Jackson is clearly on life support) after the Cubs won just 73 games last year. But with the addition of Lester who won 16 games in 2014, and bringing back Jason Hammel who posted a sub 3.0 ERA when he threw for the Cubs, their pitching staff might be in business. Obviously, it will take time for the players to adjust to playing at Wrigley. So once again, Cubs fans should be cautiously optimistic about these new faces in the dugout. But anything less than an “A” would be hardly appropriate for the off season grade that the Cubs organization deserves.

Even though the Cubs off season moves should cause fans to be cautiously optimistic about the 2015 season. There is no reason to think that the Cubs won’t be serious World Series contenders in just two years. This year we will get a taste of the recently acquired Lester and some of that young talent that general manager Theo Epstein has so effectively nurtured in the farm system.  So get excited Cubs fans. You deserve it.

Next: The return of Alex Rodriguez to PED baseball

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