by Dylan Gantz
The Chicago Cubs had big expectations this past season and they failed to meet them. Why was that the case again this year? There are two simple reasons. First, the offense couldn’t find a good rhythm to stay consistent and the offense was nowhere to be found when they needed it most. Second, apart from Porter Hodge’s excellent performance in his rookie season, the bullpen struggled all year, and they had no legitimate closer.
The Cubs have a lot of work to do to improve the team, and that starts off with the offseason. There are multiple suitors for the Cubs to try to fix their problems, but the question isn’t how they do that, but who they bring in. Last offseason was their chance to make big splash moves, but they stayed relatively quiet.
So, how do the Cubs get fixed? By spending more money. Last offseason, they didn’t spend enough on premium players, so they need to bring out the checkbook this offseason. But who do they pursue?
That question is easy enough to answer. They go for all the big prize acquisitions. Those can include the following: Pete Alonso, Corbin Burnes, Paul Goldschmidt, Tanner Scott, Roki Sasaki, and Aroldis Chapman. Although not all these players fill dire needs, they would greatly improve the roster and bring the Cubs closer to bring a championship contender. If Todd Ricketts agrees to spend the money, Jed Hoyer should set his sights on free agent prizes instead of whatever is left over after other teams have filled their needs.
Trading for players is also not out of the question for the Cubs since they have one of the best farm systems in the league. They have plenty of targets heading into the offseason, like Garret Crochet of the White Sox, and Bo Bichette or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays. The Cubs have 8 of the top 100 prospects in all of MLB, making them a prime target for teams looking to sell.
The last thing the Cubs can do to improve for next year is by figuring out which prospects to trade and which to call up. They have to make tough decisions about their future, with players like Cam Smith and Matt Shaw killing it in the minor leagues. However, there’s no place for the two on the roster right now, so Jed has to decide whether to keep them or trade them.
The Cubs have quite a bit of work to do this offseason to become a contender again. If they start acting like a major market team and spend money, or manage to pull off big trades, they can challenge Milwaukee for the division crown and work their way back into contention for a World Series.
