The Chicago Cubs made a lot of moves this offseason and filled a lot of holes. On paper, at least, they are a significantly better team than last year. But how much better?
Are they ‘World Series better?’
Well, the team did add four players with World Series-winning experience this year: Kyle Tucker, Ryan Pressly, Justin Turner, and Ryan Brasier.
Tucker and Pressly came in separate trades with the Houston Astros. Brasier came via trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Turner was picked up as a free agent.
These veterans will, of course, bring that winning attitude to a Cubs team brimming with a mix of veteran confidence and youthful enthusiasm.
Chicago Cubs Newcomers Are Confident
“We did have a lot of team success over in Houston,” Tucker recently told The Athletic. “I’m hoping to continue that here in Chicago. I’m excited to get after it with these guys. We have a really good ballclub. We have a really good opportunity to have a lot of success this year, and make it to the playoffs and have a run at the World Series.”
“I love to win,” Pressly told Patrick Mooney, also of The Athletic. “We got goals here. Win a division, yeah, that’s one of the goals. But winning the World Series is our ultimate goal. And you can’t do that if you’re not competitive. When you push each other — and push each other hard — good things happen.”
Of course, it would make sense for players coming from a winning franchise to aspire to the great things they’ve been accustomed to seeing and doing. More than a few analysts, however, also share the notion that a World Series run is not entirely wishful thinking and fan fiction.
Experts (Somewhat) Share The Enthusiasm
Will Leitch, in a collaborative piece at MLB.com, places the Cubs at no. 10 on a Top 10 list of World Series favorites.
Per Leitch:
“I’m iffy about this pick, but I’m iffy about everyone in the NL Central. I’m picking the Cubs more because I think they’re the best team in the division than because I’m particularly blown away by their roster.
If you’re going to trade for Kyle Tucker when he has one season before free agency, well, then logic would dictate that you’d pour everything into that season. Instead, the Cubs traded away Cody Bellinger and their offer to Alex Bregman appeared to fall well short.
The good news for them is that they should still have enough to win the NL Central. That alone makes them a top-10 World Series title contender, even if you’re left frustrated that this team didn’t do more to bolster its position.”
Yes, Chicago is favored to win the NL Central and, yes, they should be a better team this year. But, again, are the Cubs ‘World Series better?’
World Series Better?
Well, they are most definitely not the best team in baseball, at least not on paper as they play through spring training.
They’ve added a true elite-level multi-tool asset in right fielder Tucker. They’ve added a more experienced closer in Pressly. They’ve added bullpen depth (Brasier, Caleb Thielbar, Eli Morgan) and some starting rotation depth (Matthew Boyd, Colin Rea). They picked up a co-starting catcher in Carson Kelly), along with some infield depth (Turner, Jon Berti, Vidal Brujan). They’ll have a more secure third base picture, even with rookie Matt Shaw tapped to play the position.
This certainly seems like enough to, at the very least, put themselves into the right position to contend.
The prevailing wisdom in baseball says that just getting to the playoffs can be enough. A lesser team, getting hot at the right moment, could flip the script and win big in the postseason.
The Cubs are obviously looking to be that team.
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