Despite the foot of snow blanketing the ground in Chicago, Cubs season is officially upon us. Pitchers and catchers formally report on Thursday, and there will be much activity from the start. Many pitchers will be vying for a spot on the roster, including Jake Arrieta and Jason Hammel.
After losing 197 games combined in the last two seasons, the Cubs must begin to make improvements. However, with a very young team and an emphasis on patience for development, the Cubs are not expected to go from last to contender anytime soon.
So what must the Cubs do in order for 2014 ...
Whenever prospects get hyped up enough without reaching their ceiling or realizing their potential yet, people will want to compare them to current or former major league players. While it’s not an exact science, having someone who is in the middle of or has completed their MLB career as a comparison can sometimes give fans a better idea of the type of player that prospect may become.
Before getting into the current and former players the Chicago Cubs’ plethora of hitting talent resembles, it’s important to remember that just because they are similar to a player doesn’t mean their careers will ...
The Chicago Cubs are set to kick off year three of their rebuilding efforts under Theo Epstein and Co., and while it could be another long season on the North Side, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The team has stockpiled one of the best farm systems in all of baseball, and 2015 has been pointed to as a potential turning point for the franchise for several years now. That will all hinge on the continued development of prized prospects Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Albert Almora, Jorge Soler and others, however.
In the meantime, the team will continue ...
In the recently released list of top farm systems in baseball by Keith Law (subscription required) the Cubs check in at No. 4. This high ranking is indicative of the hard work President Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have put into the extensive rebuild.
While a top farm system certainly doesn't ensure a top major league team, the Cubs are certainly headed in the right direction. That direction won't necessarily be forward until at least 2015, but it doesn't hurt to look at the players likely to contribute to future success in Chicago.
Many top prospects are more popular in ...
Though it may have been released a quarter of a century ago, Phil Alden Robinson's movie, Field of Dreams, still hits home for countless baseball fans.
Perhaps its the beautifully strewn poetry of James Earl Jones's monologue about the national pastime, or maybe it's the endearing relationships drawn between a man's childhood and the game.
Or for Chicago Cubs fans, it could be the subtle nods that the film pays to their beloved North Side ballclub.
Though the movie focused on the Chicago White Sox (or more specifically, the Black Sox scandal), those who bleed red, white and blue can't help but notice the subtle ...
There's no doubt that the bold move of luring Theo Epstein away from the Boston Red Sox to become the Chicago Cubs' president of baseball operations changed the culture of baseball on the north side of Chicago. Instantly, there was a change in organizational philosophy and for the first time in seemingly forever, the Cubs were preparing to undergo a rebuild.
Gone were the days when noncompetitive Cubs teams tried to rebuild through signing free agents to overpriced multi-year deals. Looking back over the first two-plus years of the Theo Epstein/Jed Hoyer regime, there appears to be light at the end ...
Several players have their roster spots already locked up in Chicago, while others will be fighting hard in spring training to join the Cubs in Pittsburgh on Opening Day. Here's a look at some of the obvious and not-so-obvious roster selections to look for.
Starting Rotation
Jeff Samardzija: Clearly, Samardzija will make the Cubs team. He will be the team's Opening Day starter, according to president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, per The SportsXchange.
Travis Wood: Despite all of the noise surrounding Samardzija, Wood was actually the Cubs' most effective pitcher in 2013, posting a 3.11 ERA. He was also the Cubs' only All-Star a ...
It's no secret that the only hope that exists for the Chicago Cubs is in their farm system. Top to bottom, they're one of the best in baseball; they were ranked No 4, according to Keith Law of ESPN Insider (subscription required).
Names like Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Albert Almora and Jorge Soler have become commonplace in Chicago as optimistic fans look past this season and into 2015 and beyond. However, the entire farm system doesn't consist of elite prospects who are sure to make an impact at the major league level.
There are always players who burst onto the scene that nobody sees ...
It has been a long winter so far for Cubs fans in the Windy City. Two polar vortices and a failed attempt to land prized Japanese hurler Masahiro Tanaka have kept Cubs fans spirits in the proverbial icebox. There is hope, though, on the horizon, as pitchers and catchers officially report to Mesa in less than a month.
Let’s take a look at the pitchers and catchers that project to play key roles for the Cubs in 2014.
The Starting Rotation
The Cubs entered the offseason with hopes of improving a pitching staff that was close to the statistical bottom in most categories ...
Most of the noise coming out of Chicago this winter (other than the strong gusts of wind during the recent winter vortex) has been concerning pitcher Jeff Samardzija's future with the Cubs. The former standout wide receiver from Notre Dame has been the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons this offseason.
It seems that reports have been varying daily on Samardzija's future in Chicago. That's mostly due to the fact that neither the organization nor Samardzija himself is completely sure what the near future of the franchise holds. With so many top prospects waiting in the wings, the ...
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