Five reasons why the Chicago Cubs will win the World Series (finally)

1. Hijacking their top rival’s free agents

Entering the offseason, it was expected that the Cubs would be major players for David Price. However, it was a marriage never materialized, nor really got off the ground. But what happened instead, it could be argued, made a much bigger impact than Price could have.

The Cubs got stronger by taking directly from their top rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals. First, there was the deal to sign John Lackey, who was St. Louis’ best pitcher a year ago. Lackey inked a two-year, $32 million deal to join the Cubs in December, shortly after turning down a qualifying offer for one-year from the Cardinals.

However, the biggest coup came in the form of Jason Heyward, whom St. Louis had eyes on making their franchise cornerstone for the next decade. Just a week after Lackey jumped ship, Heyward turned down a sizeable offer from the Cardinals to join the Cubs for $184 million over eight years. To further drive the dagger deeper in the side of his former club, Heyward cited that the Cardinals ‘aging core’ of premiere players were the reason for his departure. The comments instantly threw another log on a renewed fire that continues to burn hotter and hotter between the two longtime rivals.

Next: An unmatched level of young everyday talent