After the top of the 2014 Chicago Cubs season, Theo Epstein spoke optimistically concerning the upcoming offseason.
It was time to get severe.
“Knowing the money will be there changes the lens in which you view every transaction,” stated Epstein, then the president of baseball operations.
The Cubs had cleared about $41 million off the payroll after their third straight last-place end within the National League Central, and Epstein and enterprise operations president Crane Kenney had been addressing a bunch of season ticket holders on the Oriental Theater.
The Cubs wound up spending neatly that offseason, bringing in starter Jon Lester on a six-year, $155 million deal that turned out to be arguably one of the best signing in workforce historical past. They turned the nook within the rebuild in 2015, making it to the National League Championship Series and profitable the World Series one yr later.
Once once more the Cubs are voicing optimism and promising to spend cash within the offseason, although this time it’s Jed Hoyer making the massive choices. Whether the Cubs are near turning the nook within the rebuild that may’t be referred to as a rebuild is a query that may’t be answered till we see what strikes Hoyer makes and whether or not the present group can construct on its sturdy end in 2022.
Manager David Ross stated earlier than Saturday’s 2-1 win in opposition to the Cincinnati Reds that he was excited concerning the workforce’s progress and work ethic, although he cautioned they’re nonetheless a methods off from the place they must be.
“Those are good signs,” he stated. “We’ll continue to grow. We’ve got a long way to go to get better, to competing for a World Series, but these guys are on a mission to do that.”
The Cubs prolonged their profitable streak to 6 video games and have taken 10 of their final 11. Seiya Suzuki’s solo house run within the seventh was the profitable blast, and Adbert Alzolay and Wade Miley mixed for 5 hitless innings of aid.
The Cubs finish their house schedule Sunday at Wrigley Field, which possible would be the final probability for followers to say one remaining goodbye to catcher Willson Contreras, the one remaining energetic participant from the 2016 champions.
The Cubs held a tribute throughout Saturday’s recreation for Jason Heyward, one other member of the ‘16 champs who was told last month that he’ll be let go after the season. After a spotlight package deal of Heyward aired on the video boards, the outfielder stepped out of the dugout to a standing ovation and flashed his World Series ring.
Most of the 2016 Cubs have had their farewells, and after this season the one one left will probably be pitcher Kyle Hendricks. Heyward stated Thursday that when he signed in 2015, some former teammates advised him: “It’s the goat, brother. You ain’t gonna beat the goat.”
But that workforce ended the Billy Goat curse, and now there aren’t any extra legendary obstacles stopping the Cubs from replicating that success. It’s all on Hoyer and Chairman Tom Ricketts.
This has not been a season to rejoice on the North Side regardless of the uplifting ending. The Cubs’ play at Wrigley has been notably uninspiring with a 36-44 house file.
A number of moments in 2022 will probably be remembered years from now, although for some within the left-field bleachers the season’s greatest spotlight was watching Epstein posing for footage whereas sprawled out within the basket, a remaining goodbye to Chicago earlier than he packed up and moved his household out East.
The Cubs are 1-70 when trailing coming into the ninth inning, a tragic quantity that wants no evaluation. Their one comeback win got here on Aug. 20 at Wrigley, when Nick Madrigal singled house the tying run within the ninth and Contreras had a walk-off RBI single within the eleventh. Maybe Marquee Sports Network can play it on a loop all winter.
In reality, this was the form of season most Cubs followers had been accustomed to earlier than Epstein signed Lester eight years in the past, thus elevating the hopes for a championship and sustained success. They obtained it proper — apart from the sustained half.
Hoyer and Ricketts have stated the cash will probably be there for future success, and for the sake of Cubs followers, let’s hope they spend it correctly.
And the Cubs aren’t accomplished hyping the longer term. They introduced a few of their prime prospects to Chicago this weekend to get acclimated to the group, together with Class-A outfielder Owen Caissie, acquired within the Yu Darvish take care of the San Diego Padres that signaled the start of the top of the profitable period.
“My biggest takeaway is everyone seems happy here,” Caissie, 20, stated. “Like when I’m walking down the street, everyone has a smile on their face. It’s pretty cool.”
Heyward principally stated the identical factor about Chicago on his approach out.
“The sports activities metropolis right here, clearly I do know it’s been powerful on the profitable facet these previous couple of years, “ he stated. “But both approach, Chicago doesn’t take that stuff as a right, and to me that’s been one thing that has been superior to be part of. Just taking walks, going across the metropolis. As an expert, as somebody who’s a ballplayer within the metropolis, folks embrace that, they respect that and so they respect their house.
“They want you to enjoy what they’re enjoying, and that is something that’s really cool and unique about the city.”
One extra recreation at Wrigley, with Marcus Stroman taking the ball Sunday in his remaining begin earlier than the three-game, season-ending collection in Cincinnati.
The ballpark will shut for the winter, and the neighborhood bars and eating places will attempt to discover methods to make some cash till opening day returns in April.
It’s going to be an extended winter for Cubs followers, however they’ll carry on protecting on.
They know the drill.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com