The Chicago Cubs made several big moves this offseason to help them in 2015 and beyond. For the first time in a while, they should be relatively competitive this upcoming season. However, they didn't sign these players just to be good in 2015, they signed them to be good through the life of their contract.
Ultimately, whether each player earns their money will come down to how they compete over the life of their deals. Here are predictions for the team's three biggest offseason acquisitions and how they will do over the entire course of their contracts.Begin Slideshow
The Chicago Cubs haven't won a World Series in over a century and haven't lost any fewer than 87 games in five years, and we're supposed to believe they're going to contend in 2015?
So they say. And you know something? Their chances of at least contending for a wild-card spot deserve to be taken seriously.
From the Cubs' perspective, contending in 2015 has been the plan all along. President of baseball operations Theo Epstein told the media in September that he had his heart set on it, and he doubled down in October.
Mind you, this was before Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer ...
It's put up or shut up time for Anthony Rizzo.
Oh, sure, it's January, a long, cold, soggy month of all talk and no action in MLB. But Rizzo's the one who decided to open his yapper and guarantee the Chicago Cubs, one season removed from a last-place finish, would win the National League Central in 2015.
Here's the quote in question, per David Schuster of WSCR Chicago:
There you have it, free of qualifiers and about as explicit as it gets.
Here's more, per ESPN.com's Jesse Rogers, "We should be the team. With all due respect to every other team, we're going to ...
The Chicago Cubs graduated former top prospects Javier Baez and Arismendy Alcantara to the major leagues last season, but the organization still houses one of the best collections of young hitters in the game.
Kris Bryant continued to blow past all reasonable expectations with his performance at the Double- and Triple-A levels, as the 23-year-old slugger paced the minor leagues with 43 home runs and ranked among the league leaders in every other important category.
The Cubs added another impressive bat in Kyle Schwarber, whom they selected with the No. 4 overall pick in last year’s draft, and he rewarded the organization by reaching ...
Most around the baseball world think the Chicago Cubs had a very successful offseason. After all, they added coveted ace Jon Lester to the fold and bolstered their bench, bullpen and catcher spot. Suddenly, the playoffs don't seem like a pipe dream for the Cubs in 2015.
For individual players and units on the team, this offseason affected each differently. Some largely benefit from the moves made this offseason, while others do not. Here are the three biggest winners and losers for the Cubs based on their offseason moves.Begin Slideshow
Everybody wants Kris Bryant to be the next big thing. Well, actually, it's more like everybody and their uncle. That's a lot of pressure.
So let's talk about why he should be up to the task in 2015, and sooner rather than later.
With Bryant, just about everything screams "super prospect." Since the Chicago Cubs drafted the 6'5", 215-pound third baseman No. 2 overall in 2013, he's OPS'd 1.095 with 52 home runs in 174 minor league games. He's also coming off a 2014 season that, as the Double-A Tennessee Smokies recalled on Bryant's 23rd birthday this past Sunday, saw him win ...
With about a month left to go in the MLB regular season, I took a crack at predicting the Cubs' 2015 Opening Day roster. While a lot remains unchanged, there are a lot of new players who have been added to the mix this offseason.
That being said, here's a look at what the 25-man roster should look like, as well as what the roster prediction looked like back in September. If you want to take a look at those predictions in full, you can visit the article here.Begin Slideshow
With spring training just around the corner and the new year being rung in, it feels like the MLB offseason is over. However, for the Chicago Cubs, like most other teams in the league, there is still some work to be done. Even though the bulk of Chicago's offseason moves have likely already been made, it will still look to improve its 2015 roster.
What moves the front office manages to pull off over the next month and a half will largely help determine if the Cubs are just an improved team or a contender in 2015. Here are some holes ...
Through their signing of Jon Lester, trade for Miguel Montero and other various moves this offseason, the Chicago Cubs have made one thing clear: They plan to compete starting in 2015. Whether they're truly competitive this upcoming season remains to be seen, but for the first time in several years, the team actually has an expectation of success.
They've done plenty this offseason already, but before the dust settles and pitchers and catchers report to spring training in February, a lot more could be done. Here are three more questions that need answers for the Cubs before they break camp and ...
Though 2015 doesn't officially begin until January 1, the Chicago Cubs have already kicked off their 2015 by making a huge splash in free agency and a few trades during the 2014-15 offseason.
Most importantly, the Cubs signed starting pitcher Jon Lester to a six-year, $155 million deal on December 10. Just days before, the Cubs traded for two-time All-Star Miguel Montero and signed his former coach from Arizona, former Cub Henry Blanco.
Other moves have included signing starting pitcher Jason Hammel and manager Joe Maddon, both of whom are key pieces for the future of the Cubs.
However, the Cubs still have moves to ...
« Previous Page — Next Page »
