Chicago Cubs Are Well-Positioned Heading Into Offseason To Improve in 2025

The Chicago Cubs are in a great spot to improve immediately on the field.

Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner (2) celebrates with teammates after hitting a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The 2024 season was one of what-ifs for the Chicago Cubs.

What if they had figured out the bullpen woes earlier in the season? How different would things have been if their veterans, who heated up at the end of the season, found their stride in June instead of August?

The end result was a second-consecutive 83-win campaign and no playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.

That leaves the front office with some questions to answer this offseason.

If Cody Bellinger opts out of his contract, can they find another middle-of-the-order bat to replace his production? Was the second-half resurgence of the bullpen legitimate, or should a few veteran pieces be added to the mix?

Those are major dilemmas, but there is a lot to like about the current state of the team as well.

Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch emerged as young building blocks. Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ are two of the better all-around outfielders in baseball, both being named to the All-MLB Team ballot.

The starting rotation is excellent.

Shota Imanaga was incredible in his rookie season after coming over from Japan. Justin Steele performed to a nearly identical level in 2024 as he did in his breakout in 2023. Jameson Taillon remains an effective and reliable veteran and Javier Assad is a strong back of the rotation arm.

Compared to some of the other teams who missed the postseason this year, the Cubs are in a good spot. That has landed them in the top half of Jim Bowden’s rankings over at The Athletic.

“Last offseason, the Cubs front office thought if they hired Craig Counsell away from the Brewers and basically kept the same team together, they could win the NL Central this year. They were wrong. The Cubs did finish the year well, tied for second place with the Cardinals (83-79) and six games behind the Brewers. However, Counsell said at the end of the season that his team “has a long way to go” to match the Brewers. I’m not sure six games in the standings is a long way to go, but I do believe they’ll need to be active this winter to catch them and fend off the improving Reds, Cardinals and Pirates. The Cubs have a strong rotation that includes Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Javier Assad. They need to bolster their bullpen and have work to do in the middle of their lineup to catch up to the Brewers, but a smart offseason could get them much closer than Counsell’s remarks suggest,” the former MLB executive wrote.

Chicago came in at No. 7 in the rankings of the 18 teams. 

One of their National League Central foes, the Cincinnati Reds, finished ahead of them at No. 5. The Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals came in at Nos. 10 and 13.

The NL Central is going to be very tough to navigate in 2025, but the Cubs are positioned to compete for the top spot, and their odds improve if they can find the right fit this offseason.