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After watching the Chicago Cubs in 2012, it's evident that they were playing for the future. They gave ample playing time to prospects Brett Jackson, Dave Sappelt and Josh Vitters—as well as young relief and starting pitchers—and were met with mixed results. But most of the Cubs’ best young talent spent 2012 at the lower levels of minor league baseball; many not making it above High-A ball. And they are young…really young. Five of the top 10 are under 20 years old. While the present for the Cubs may be dark or hazy, the future looks bright. A handful of ...
The Chicago Cubs had very little to look forward to entering the 2012 season.President of baseball operations Theo Epstein made it clear that the Cubs would be going through a rough patch that could last at least a couple of seasons.Cubs fans understand how long it could take to rebuild a baseball team from the ground up.But the realization starts to set in when fans watch a team go 61-101 to have one of the worst records in franchise history.But not all is bad on the north side of Chicago.The Cubs have one of the best farm teams in MLB ...
Following a disappointing season in Philadelphia, the Phillies fired three coaches after their last game of the season. Among those coaches was Pete Mackanin, who interviewed for the Cubs' managerial opening back in November of 2011.Mackanin, who turned 61 in August, would likely be looking at the third base coach's job, which was vacated when the Cubs let Pat Listach go following the team's final game.The Chicago-born Mackanin brings with him a ton of experience from every level of the game. As a player, he spent parts of nine seasons in the major leagues, seeing time with Texas, Montreal, Philadelphia ...
The list of free agents the Cubs should pursue this offseason are the players they should pursue and necessarily not the ones they will. Therefore, there are names left off the list for that very reason. Last month I wrote an article predicting the Cubs’ Opening Day 25-man roster. Purposefully, that list did not include many high-priced, highly coveted free agents. It was more so comprised of players I believed the Cubs could sign to the club. This is not that list, however. Some of the players on the predicted roster will be on this list and some may not. ...
With only one game remaining in the 2012 season, an intriguing aspect of Major League Baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement will come into play for the first time. In addition to the team(s) who failed to sign their respective first-round draft pick, the bottom nine teams—as determined by overall record—will be awarded a protected first-round draft pick. So why is a protected draft pick such a big deal? Well, under the new CBA, the first 10 picks in the MLB First-Year Player Draft are all locked, essentially. Therefore, in an attempt to level the playing field, the bottom nine teams ...
Theo Epstein's first season as team president of the Chicago Cubs began what looks to be a long-term rebuilding project on the north side of the city. Veteran pitchers Ryan Dempster and Paul Maholm were traded for prospects, as was catcher Geovany Soto, as Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer attempt to bolster the talent level and depth of pitching in their minor league organization. The Cubs have young talent to build around in Starlin Castro, Anthony Rizzo and Brett Jackson. On the pitching side, Jeff Samardzija, Matt Garza and Travis Wood give the team some strong young arms as well. Epstein isn't ...
It wouldn't be fair to judge Chicago Cubs president Theo Epstein on his first season with the club solely on wins and losses.The Cubs' 2012 campaign has had its share of good and bad moments, ending yet again with the team missing the playoffs and a high probability of a 100-loss season.In the eye's of Theo Epstein, the future is bright for the Cubs.Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo are great building blocks for a team looking to shake off their losing ways.But in the meantime, Cubs fans are growing anxious and many questions are starting to be asked.When will the ...
The Chicago Cubs haven’t been serious contenders since 2008—another frustrating stretch for a team that hasn’t won a World Series since 1908. But, if the Cubs do these things, they could become contenders sooner rather than later. The Cubs have had an abysmal season. They are fifth in the NL Central and are on the verge of 100-plus losses. Even the friendly confines of Wrigley Field haven’t been very friendly. A 37-41 home record combined with a 22-57 road record have escorted the Cubs to the bottom of the league. The Cubs’ president of baseball operations, Theo Epstein, has a ...
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