The Chicago Cubs 2015 season was a coming of age affair, going from a distant fourth place finish the year before all the way the National League Championship Series this year. Armed with a potent young core led by the NL Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant and All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs already have in place a stockpile of talent that should make them regulars in the postseason for years to come.
However, it could also be said that they arrived ahead of schedule as well. When general manager Jed Hoyer and team president Theo Epstein were able to bring Jon Lester to town, and the newly crowned NL Manager of the Year, Joe Maddon, it signaled that the Cubs were ready to start the process towards being serious about getting competitive. But when their youngsters showed up more MLB-ready than anyone could have guessed, all while Cy Young finalist Jake Arrieta turned in one of the more dominant performances of all-time, it became clear that the Cubs time was now, as well.
However, the original script continues as it was slated to a year ago as well. They remain in position to be competitive across the acquisition market this offseason as well, in the now much-more imminent window to compete for a World Series title.
But where can they get better and what are the right catalysts to put the sudden final touches on for a season that should carry the most realistic Cub World Series hopes in over a century?
Overview
Key Free Agents: Dexter Fowler (OF), Austin Jackson (OF), Jason Motte (RP), Fernando Rodney (RP), Tommy Hunter (RP), Trevor Cahill (RP), Chris Denorfia (OF)
Positional Upgrades: starting pitching, relief pitching, center field
Due to the fact that they are such a young club, Chicago is faced with very few imminent decisions regarding expiring contracts. The only everyday player that is on the free agent market is Dexter Fowler, with the majority of other free agents being members of the bullpen whom are non-essential losses as well.
From a financial standpoint, they are in position to add as well, due to the fact that owner Dave Ricketts is invested in continuing to capitalizing on the team’s wide open competitive window, and because there are not really many current players tied to massive long-term deals, sans Jon Lester.
Also, due to a still deep cadre of minor league talents, they can afford to still go young in regards to filling in the gaps and spend where –and how much— they see fit to better the team. The blockbuster addition of Lester was only the beginning in that regard, as the Cubs could be fit to take the place of the Los Angeles Dodgers as the de facto team that’s involved with most big names that meet the open market.
Lineup
As has been said, the Cubs’ lineup is set at its core for the next half decade at the least. Rizzo is entrenched as the franchise cornerstone, while Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Soler, Starlin Castro and Javier Baez provide a glut of riches to fill out the rest of the lineup long-term.
While his strong play curbed the idea of parting with Castro during last season, the presence of Baez could see teams inquire about his services throughout the offseason yet again.
There could be interest in the free agent outfield market, specifically for a player capable of contributing at center field while prospect Albert Almora is given time to get ready. Drew Stubbs could be an interesting fit, as could be a short-term deal with Denard Span, who could provide impact at the top of the order.
Pitching
The pitching staff is the clearest place that the Cubs will look to get better, and they should look towards the very top arms available to do so. David Price is the most obvious target, and he would be the highest caliber improvement the team could hope for this offseason. He will be highly sought after, as there are virtually no teams that he could not better in some fashion, it could be his relationship with Maddon (who was his first MLB manager in Tampa and paired with him for six-and-a-half years), as well as the Cubs’ ability to reach the Scherzer-like levels his price tag could reach.
Jordan Zimmermann could also be a natural fit in Chicago as well. The former National is a native of Wisconsin and pitched his college ball at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In addition to being familiar with the area, he also would fit in easily behind Arrieta and Lester, while providing a potent increase in the potential of the Cub staff. If they miss out on Price, Zimmermann is a more suitable fallback option. And it is not outside of the realm of possibility that they could pursue both.
Besides those two, a return of former Cub Jeff Samardijiza should not be ruled out either.
The bullpen is obvious place of improvement for the North Siders as well, who constructed a solid unit last year of former starters and misplaced ex-closers, but would be best served by adding a bit more definition the late game staff next season.
Bench
The presence of the multi-talented Baez, along with Arismendy Alcantara, Chris Coghlan and Tommy La Stella provides depth at a number of positions between just three players. But the push to add another veteran bat capable of playing in the outfield could be a goal as well.
While the aforementioned Stubbs and Span would provide needed depth, Steve Pearce is also an intriguing option that could contribute at both corner outfield spots and provide a strong bat as both a pinch hitter and occasional starter as well if Schwarber is moved behind the plate on a particular day.