The Cubs were a revelation in 2015. They created a National League monster with a perfect mixture of big named free agents and just as big named prospects. The lovable losers improved by 24 games under new manager Joe Maddon and came within one round of their first World Series appearance since the Harry Truman presidency. This year the Cubs will hope to do even better. The rotation is rock solid, the kids have experience, and GM Jed Hoyer has given Maddon some shiny new toys to play with. While the Mets in the East must win now, and the Dodgers out West trying a new approach, the Cubs have a perfect balance of the seasoned and raw. Many a headline was made last year surrounding the Cubs title hopes in relation to a scene from Back To The Future II. The North Siders are hoping that Robert Zemeckis’ script was a year off.
Chicago went into the Winter Meetings knowing that while their squad was strong, it needed bolstering to usurp the Cardinals in the NL Central. So they began their retooling process by raiding the defending division champions of two of their most important players. In nearly two weeks’ time, John Lackey and Jason Heyward were both donning the colors of the enemy on a combined $216 million worth of contracts. Lackey’s portion of that bounty was $32 million over two years, a bargain in this overly inflated pitching market. The investment in Heyward was a bit more substantial at 8 years and $184 million. Both will be hugely influential on the 2016 Cubs,
Lackey will slot in behind Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta in the Cubs rotation. Lackey won a title with Lester in Boston, as both men rehabilitated their image from the “Chicken and Beer” era in Beantown. As the reigning NL Cy Young winner, Arrieta sits atop the duo on the pitching staff. Though he has roughly a year of quality MLB baseball under his belt, Arrieta’s sensational 2015 was enough to earn him a $7 million pay raise in arbitration. Even if he regresses, Chicago possesses one of the, if not the, preeminent trio of starters in the National League.
Jason Heyward was the first preeminent bat to come off the market this winter. He set the market for hitters after a stellar St. Louis debut. He set career bests in average, stolen bases, and doubles in the Gateway City. His defense was also dazzling enough for his third career Gold Glove. In one move, the 26 year old shifted the balance of power in the division, and quite possibly the National League. Heyward wasn’t the only big addition to the Cubs lineup. The same day that Lackey put pen to paper for Chicago, they also brought utility man extraordinaire Ben Zobrist. Utility man is baseball term that usually bears a negative connotation, but it fits Zobrist so well. He plays nearly every position outside of the battery, and excels at most. Zobrist’s first taste of free agency was profitable one as well he will net $14 milion on average for the next four years. Though an expensive venture, putting these two in the heart of the Chicago order with Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant will prove worthwhile.
It wasn’t just the players coming in that would tie the fabric of the 2016 Cubs together. Starlin Castro was traded to the Yankees for pitcher Adam Warren and a player to be named later. Castro had been a staple of the Cubs infield since his big league arrival in 2010, but the 25 year old became expendable. He had over $40 million in guaranteed money owed to him, yet they had phenoms Addison Russell and Javier Baez waiting in the wings. Chicago also let outfielders Dexter Fowler and Austin Jackson, ranked eight and fifteen respectively in ESPN’s free agent rankings, to walk in order to secure everyday playing time for Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber.
The bullpen also got a rebranding this offseason. Gone were a trio of former closers in Jason Motte, Fernando Rodney, and Tommy Hunter. Replacing them now are a trifecta of former starters turned relievers in Trevor Cahill, Travis Wood, and the aforementioned Adam Warren. All three men had been starters coming into 2015, but each began their transition to life in the pen. Each will be asked to be the bridge between their former roles and closer Hector Rondon this year. Their history allows Joe Maddon great flexibility in the late innings as each man can be used situationally or for several innings.
The Cubs finished third in the NL Central in 2015, but have made leaps forward while the teams that finished ahead of them, St. Louis and Pittsburgh, have been relatively stagnant. Billy Goats and Bartmans aside, this is the Cubs best shot at glory in quite some time. As with anything related to the Cubbies, any optimism has to be taken with a heavy dose of cynicism. Nevertheless, expect Wrigleyville to be filled with swarms of blue pinstriped fans each game day, hoping that Doc Brown’s flux capacitor malfunctioned just a smidgen in its prognostication of a Cubs World Series victory.