Lovable Losers no more: Cubs gearing up for longterm success
Gone are the days of the Chicago Cubs being the laughing stock of the league after a surprise 97-win season put the [former] 'Lovable Losers' in the ranks of one of the best teams in baseball 2015.
Now, after excellent maneuvering of the offseason by the team's brass lead by president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer, the Cubs are heading into 2016 as one of the favorites to win the World Series.
From the beginning of the offseason, the front office stated they planned to get 'creative' in bringing in fresh talent to add to the successful 2015 campaign to keep the spending amount lower. At the time, some speculated that Chicago may not be in on the top free agents as asking prices were to be at an all-time high, but in reality it just meant Epstein, Hoyer and company were planning something big.
Reportedly missing out on David Price and Zack Greinke, the Cubs immediately went on to the next plan -- which turned out to be, perhaps, the best option. Taking John Lackey on two-year, $32 million deal and Ben Zobrist on a four-year, $56 million deal left just enough in the bank to sign top outfielder free agent Jason Heyward to an eight-year, $184 million contract. Even more spectacular, Zobrist and Heyward could have signed with other teams for more money, but the draw of helping bring a championship to the north side of Chicago for the first time since 1908 was appealing to the two former free agents as they took less to be a Cub.
Along with the big contracts, the Cubs also kept busy during the baseball winter meetings adding three good arms to the bullpen with Adam Warren, Trevor Cahill and Rex Brothers along with infielder Brendan Ryan, who will likely come off the bench.
Forget about creativity, the moves are bordering genius.
While the flurry of moves this offseason for the Cubs has brought the team up another level, Chicago's secret weapon is no doubt manager Joe Maddon.
Working with less while with the Tampa Bay Rays, Maddon has been known for getting the best out of players who would otherwise fall between the cracks, and keeping the central Florida team contention when it otherwise would not have been.
Now, with a roster full of All-Stars and excellent young talent on the Cubs, the sky is the limit for Maddon. Or perhaps a World Series.
Of course, the worst could happen for the Cubs, similar things have occurred after all for the organization. Lackey may falter at 37, and Zobrist's best years could be behind him. While Heyward has been the real deal since breaking into the league in 2010, baseball has proven to be a fickle game at times.
Despite the worries -- which Cubs fans are no stranger to -- this team is built for success and could very easily be one of the best for several years not only in the NL Central, but the entire league.
One thing is for certain, get ready to celebrate like it's 1908, Cubs. Your time in the spotlight is here.
