Why Cubs are confident even without an MLB free agent splash

MESA, Ariz. — When the Chicago Cubs made the primary daring transfer of the MLB offseason, luring supervisor Craig Counsell from the rival Milwaukee Brewers with a $40 million contract in mid-November, many throughout the game figured it might be the beginning of a winter spree on the North Side — even although Jed Hoyer mentioned that would not essentially be the case.

Fast ahead to the beginning of spring coaching and it appears to be like just like the crew’s president of baseball operations could be proper, because the roster appears to be like similar to the one which missed the playoffs by a single recreation final 12 months. Sure, there have been additions, like 30 year-old starter Shota Imanaga and 34 year-old reliever Hector Neris, however the largest headlines have come from the strikes the Cubs did not make.

While they had been talked about as gamers for Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Cubs did not land both of probably the most coveted free brokers available on the market — or some other elite degree participant. And up to now, they have not been in a position to retain the one who patrolled heart area at Wrigley Field final season both, as Cody Bellinger continues to be a free agent.

That’s as a result of, partly, their plan to compete revolves round selling younger gamers from their extremely touted farm system (ranked No. 2 in MLB by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel) as a lot as opening their wallets for splashy veteran additions. So as a substitute of cameras following each transfer made by a brand new star at spring coaching, the vibe at Sloan Park is about lauding an arriving wave of expertise.

“We have a lot of young players and some young veteran players that I think have a chance to take real steps forward,” Hoyer mentioned final week. “The most exciting thing for me is I think we have a deep roster. And we have a deep roster of players that have a chance to continue to get better. I think that gives me a lot of hope that we can accomplish this year what we couldn’t last year.”

But the query is whether or not these younger gamers arriving with large hype — corresponding to hitting prospects Owen Cassie and Pete Crow-Armstrong and pitchers Cade Horton and Ben Brown — will actually be able to fill the holes Chicago must plug in 2024. Currently there are query marks in heart area, at each corner-infield positions and all through the pitching employees.

“I look back where we were a year ago and some of the players that have stepped forward and now we’re considering those guys established big leaguers,” Hoyer mentioned, referencing All-Star Justin Steele. “The hope is we look a year from now and there are five to six of those guys that establish themselves as Cubs.”

Despite that hope, there’s nonetheless a lingering disappointment from falling simply in need of the postseason that is evident early in spring coaching, leaving gamers, corresponding to second baseman Nico Hoerner, considering whether or not the Cubs are higher now than they had been final 12 months.

“All of us are asking that question individually and as a group, and it’s up to us to answer that as the season plays out,” Hoerner mentioned. “Any time you go too deep in predicting baseball, it’s usually not very accurate. Obviously, you want the best possible team you can have on the diamond.

“There’s still players out there, so I don’t know what that will look like, but as far as the group that we have here now, I think we definitely have what we need to compete as well as make a lot of improvements internally.”

Of course, the most important enchancment to the roster would come if Bellinger had been to make a dramatic spring entrance asserting his return like Dexter Fowler did in 2016 — however do not depend on that occuring anytime quickly.

The Cubs and Bellinger’s camp have been at a standstill for the complete offseason and nothing has modified, in line with sources conversant in the scenario. That doesn’t suggest a deal cannot nonetheless occur, but it surely does present that the Cubs are keen to enter 2024 without the 2019 MVP and that this can be very unlikely the crew adjustments its stance on providing an enormous deal — particularly contemplating the plan was at all times to transition to Crow-Armstrong in heart. A shorter time period stick with choose outs is at all times a chance although, because the Cubs need to stay versatile as its younger gamers mature into large leaguers.

But even if a Bellinger reunion by no means occurs, the Cubs might additionally use the providers of free agent third baseman Matt Chapman, and so they’ve been linked to Miami Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo as a possible commerce match — so additions aren’t out of the query.

But it’s getting late, and time could also be operating out. Hoyer mentioned final month that they had been solely within the fourth or fifth inning of their offseason maneuvering, however he gave an replace this previous week that “the closer is warming up at this point.”

If the door does shut on a noteworthy last-minute free agent addition, Counsell will probably be counted on as the most important difference-maker for the season forward.

Widely thought to be among the best managers, if not the perfect, within the sport, Counsell takes over a crew that missed the playoffs regardless of a plus-96 run differential. His affect might be sufficient to restrict the dangerous stretches — just like the one on offense in May or the string of September collection losses — that had the Cubs watching from residence in October.

Early-season projections have Chicago on the skin of the playoffs once more, however possibly these techniques cannot measure the mixture of a brand new supervisor and a younger hungry crew with a number of gamers trying to break by. And if Counsell is ready to do this — deliver collectively a younger roster and make it a little bit bit higher — then maybe no one will keep in mind the strikes the Cubs did not make this winter.

“In my experience, the way teams overachieve and have special seasons is by having guys do things they weren’t projected to do,” Counsell mentioned. “We have a number of guys in this camp that have a chance to exceed expectations and make that step. That’s how you end up having a special season.”