Just How Much Has the Chicago Cubs Roster Improved This Winter?

The Chicago Cubs are primed to contend this upcoming MLB season. But just how much more improved is their roster heading into the season?
Just How Much Has the Chicago Cubs Roster Improved This Winter?
Just How Much Has the Chicago Cubs Roster Improved This Winter? /
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The Chicago Cubs suffered through a mostly forgettable 74-88 regular season.

They had identical 37-44 records at Wrigley Field and on the road.

For a once proud franchise, this was clearly not good enough.

No one would dispute that point.

The Cubs took action in the offseason with a seven-year, $177 million deal for shortstop Dansby Swanson. Cody Bellinger was added to solidify the outfield.

Jameson Taillon (four years, $68 million) and Drew Smyly will upgrade the pitching staff.

Tucker Barnhart was picked up as a solid backup catcher.

There were other moves, too. But the Cubs have more than proved their mettle in the offseason that they’re not content with another sub .500 season.

Jed Hoyer wants to win now.

“I do think that pitching and defense is incredibly important,” Hoyer, the president of baseball operations, recently told reporters. “I think we have a chance to play really clean games. That said, I would never minimize the value of offense. Having sort of a philosophy and only sticking to that one thing — when I look at my career, we won in Boston (in 2004, 2007) by bludgeoning people and playing four-hour baseball games; we won in 2016 with one of the best defensive teams of all-time. There’s a lot of ways to skin the cat.”

The Cubs had to overhaul their roster. The fans were becoming impatient and rightfully so.

While there were promising moments during the season, there simply weren’t enough of them.

There weren’t enough good players, either. Sounds so simple, but it’s also true.

With a roster that already included Patrick Wisdom, Nico Hoerner, Yan Gomes and Ian Happ, the Cubs have improved dramatically with Swanson.

Taillon and Smyly will strengthen a staff which includes Marcus Stroman, Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks and Adrian Sampson.

“The idea of a five-man rotation and sticking to that for a season is not a realistic thing,” Hoerner told reporters. “You need at least seven or eight guys. It’s pretty cool to look up and down that rotation and see guys that you can trust.

Swanson’s production will come both offensively and defensively.

He’s also a leader.

When Swanson glances at the Cubs roster on paper, he likes what he sees.

“You start to look at it, and you say, ‘This is a pretty good team, with the right trajectory of going in the right direction,” he said. “I’m just excited to get going and looking forward to what’s ahead.”

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  3. Hoerner is the Cubs Shortstop of the Future
  4. Cubs Could Give Canario a Shot in September
  5. Could the Cubs Land Trea Turner in the Offseason?
  6. Chicago Cubs Have a New Top Prospect in Their Rankings
  7. Is This Top Cubs Prospect Destined for the Mound at Wrigley?
  8. Steele Offers Glimpse Into Future of Cubs Rotation
  9. Do the Chicago Cubs Have the National League's Best Bullpen?
  10. Can Christopher Morel be a Long-Term Solution in Center Field?

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Andy Jasner
ANDY JASNER

Andy Jasner is a freelance writer based in the Philadelphia area. Jasner graduated from Syracuse University in 1991 and has worked for newspapers, magazines and websites including CBS SportsLine and ESPN.com. Jasner has written two books -- Baltimore Ravens and Phil Jasner: On The Case. Follow him on Twitter at @AndyJasner.