Three things the Cubs must do this offseason |
As if watching the Cubs go through another mediocre season wasn't bad enough, doing it while watching the Milwaukee Brewers run away with the division was the final straw to realize the Cubs need help. This team brought in Craig Counsell from the Brewers this offseason with the hopes of winning the central, and instead, they had another disappointing year when you look at the expectations this group had.
To make matters worse, several players are starting to take small shots at Jed Hoyer and Counsell, who basically said this team needs to be putting together 90-win teams and that 90 wins should be the standard for this organization. You can bet Hoyer is seeing these quotes and knows what is going on at this point, as he will be entering the final year of his contract with arguably the hottest seat in the MLB this offseason. If he wants to keep his job a bit longer, he needs to nail this offseason, as he can't afford to go through another season like this year. The problem is a couple of things, the biggest thing being the financial side, where the Cubs insist they don't want to pass the luxury tax. Well, they will pass that first tier this year as they are 900K above the cut-off. That alone is a fireable offense when you look at the product on the field, and someone needs to be held accountable for that. An even bigger issue when it comes to fixing this team is the number of bad contracts and no-trade clauses it has taken on, as it will be very hard to move pieces. Nico Hoerner and Michael Busch continue to pop up as the two names that continue to pop up as the most likely options to be traded. Matt Shaw could slide in for Hoerner, while finding a replacement for Busch could be Cody Bellinger if he opts back in. However, if the Cubs want to get back to playoff contention and finally make a run at the Brewers, they need to shore up three things:
It's no secret that one of the biggest reasons for the Cubs' struggles was a bullpen that was one of the worst in baseball the first two months of the season. At one point, this team had 16 blown saves in their first 50 games and has accumulated 23 blown saves this season. While not all of those turned into losses, there are still nearly as many blown saves as converted saves, which can't happen. One of the things Hoyer has done well this season is remake the bullpen, as the Cubs have had one of the best bullpens in baseball since June 18th. Adding guys like Tyson Miller, Nate Pearson, and Jorge Lopez played a role in that, as did rookie Porter Hodge, who appears to have taken over the closer job right now. All of these guys are expected to get a look this offseason when it comes to returning, and Hodge could be the favorite coming into camp to be the closer next season. However, at some point, you need to go after a bonafide and experienced closer, and there are some options for the Cubs to look at. The most likely one is Kenley Jansen, who will hit free agency following this season and was linked to the Cubs last offseason. Although he is on the older side at 36 years old, Jansen has still proven to be a reliable late-inning option, posting a 3.42 ERA across 52 innings this season. That doesn't scream lock-down closer, but there was a time when he was the best closer in baseball. Adding him won't come cheap, but it would give the Cubs a proven closer with 447 saves and plenty of playoff experience, as they need to fix the back of the pen.
The biggest reason for the Cubs' struggles and inconsistent play this season has been an offense that has a lot of really good players but no stars. Bellinger and Seiya Suzuki are close to stars, but their production doesn't scream star, as you can't win if you don't have at least one star in your lineup. After whiffing on Shohei Otani last season, the Cubs have an opportunity to respond this offseason. Pete Alonso and Juan Soto are the two biggest free agent names this winter. Alonso has been linked to the Cubs for a while and would be a great replacement for Busch should the Cubs move him. Soto, on the other hand, will be the cream of the crop when it comes to free agency and will have his pick of the litter. While the Cubs are expected to be in on him, it seems very unlikely that they will pay what he is worth, so that could be more of a pipe dream at this point. You also have the trade route to look at, where Vladimir Guerrero Jr. remains an option, as he had his name linked to the Cubs this season. Either way, any of these three options would be a massive win for this organization, as they would add the star power this team lacks.
The one area that the Cubs thrived at all season was their starting pitching, and when you look at some of the names in the rotation, that may come as a surprise. Rookie sensation Shota Imanga and Justin Steele will anchor the rotation next season and provide the Cubs with a great 1-2 punch. Jameson Taillon is coming off a double-digit win season, but with his name being floated around at the trade deadline, it will be interesting to see if the Cubs hang on to him or potentially move on from him for other options. You also have Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and potentially Cade Horton as some other names expected to compete for a rotation spot, but outside of the Steele and Imanaga, the Cubs rotation doesn't scare you. With Kyle Hendricks also nearing the end of his Cubs tenure, another spot will open up in the rotation, which allows the Cubs to build a big three. Keep an eye on Corbin Burnes as that option. He will enter his free-agent season and is coming off a solid first season with Baltimore. It's no secret that Burnes loves Counsell, and the Cubs have been the favorites to land him since the start of the season. Adding him to Steele and Imanaga would give the Cubs a lethal top three capable of competing with anyone. Another name that no one is talking about right now but will be soon is the Japanese star Roki Sasaki, who is expected to be posted two years sooner than expected. Given the Cubs' luck with Japanese players, there is a shot they could land him, and if they did, he could be Imanaga 2.0 or possibly better. Unlike most Japanese hurlers who are fitness-first pitchers, the 22-year-old Sasaki pitches the way MLB is played now with a fastball in the 97-100 range and a plethora of off-speed pitches, especially his splitter known as the ghost splitter as it disappears off the table at 93 MPH. This is just a small list of what the Cubs need to do, but something must be done to return to being one of the NL's best.Find a closer
Go get more star power
Get one more starting pitcher
