The Chicago Cubs have been monitored by baseball fans all year because ever since Theo Epstein became the team's President of Baseball Operations in the 2011 offseason, many were expecting a transformation that would result in a playoff-caliber roster.
What we've seen this year is likely the formula Epstein has had in place for a couple of years now. The team signed first baseman Anthony Rizzo to a seven-year, $41 million extension last May and haven't looked back. They promoted a number of young prospects to the major league roster late this season and expect them to be ready for Opening Day in 2015. Epstein believes the team now possesses the talent to compete among baseball's best.
"We proved we can be very competitive within this division and when you have a chance to compete you should set your sights high and that means our goal is the NL Central title next year," he told reporters on Tuesday, via this ESPN article. "We're going to be competing while we develop young talent. It isn't easy but it's exciting, very exciting."
Rizzo and shortstop Starlin Castro are seemingly the faces of Chicago as the team moves forward to make their case for relevancy once again. Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have been working to develop a number of players in their farm system, including outfielders Arismendy Alcantara and Jorge Soler as well as second baseman/shortstop Javier Baez, who were all called up this season in hopes of getting them substantial big league action before 2015.
The team is hoping Alcantara can be a stable leadoff hitter for them, but he's going to have to improve his numbers. In 70 games the center fielder batted .205 with 31 runs scored, 10 home runs, 29 RBIs and only eight stolen bases. However, the Cubs view him as a versatile player and he's likely to contribute next year. Chicago then called up Javier Baez in early August to play second base. In 52 games, Baez batted just .169, but his power numbers were impressive for a rookie (he belted nine home runs with 20 RBIs). The team said they're planning to work on his swing in the offseason, which is a necessity because he struck out 95 times in just 213 at-bats. Soler was the last prospect to be summoned by the Cubs this season, making his debut against the Reds on August 27. The right fielder batted .292 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in 24 games with the team. He'll need to focus on his strengthening and conditioning in the offseason because of his weak legs (multiple hamstring injuries and stress fracture within the past year or so).
But after fairly decent stints at the professional level, these men are likely to improve over the offseason and the team expects them to help build the core for the future. They'll have Rizzo (.286 with 32 home runs and 78 RBIs) and Castro (.292 with 14 home runs and 65 RBIs) likely leading the way next year, who are both very young as well. Chicago also has third baseman Kris Bryant, the No. 1 overall prospect in the minor leagues, currently at Triple-A Iowa as well as shortstop Addison Russell - the fifth ranked prospect - who was acquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics earlier this season and is now at Double-A Tennessee. The team is waiting to call up Bryant at some point in 2015 (due to MLB service time) while Russell continues to develop.
But that's not all. Epstein also alluded to the Cubs signing some talent in the offseason to complete their metamorphosis of the team.
"We're in a position, perhaps as soon as this offseason, and certainly over the next 15 months, we're going to be adding some talent from outside the organization that will further round out our club," he added.
This "talent" he's referring to is likely a starting pitcher. Chicago has starters Jake Arrieta (2.53 ERA), Kyle Hendricks (2.46 ERA), Tsuyoshi Wada (3.25 ERA), Jacob Turner (6.13 ERA), and Edwin Jackson (6.33 ERA) under contract for next season, but if they want to put their club over the edge, they'll need to sign a perennial free agent pitcher, which may include Jon Lester, James Shields or Max Scherzer. The team can also wait until the 2015 offseason when many others are available, but if they want the NL Central title next year, they'll have to make some moves in the near future. Lester has been linked to Chicago for quite some time now because he and Epstein were together in Boston for years, but it's all just speculation at this point.
Don't look now, but the Cubs could surprise many in 2015 with their young and talented roster. Epstein and Hoyer have been working on the reconstruction for over two years and the MLB might get to witness the results as soon as April.
