Even though the results aren’t showing up at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs are heading in the right direction. It’s hard to see when a team is coming off a last-place finish in the National League Central and 96 losses in 2013, but there is a plan in place that will start to bear fruit soon.
General manager Jed Hoyer and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, both entering their third season guiding the Cubs’ front office in 2014, took over a disastrous situation with expensive contracts for aging players and no depth or star power in the farm system.
The duo, who also played such an integral role in building Boston‘s 2007 championship team, have focused on building through the farm system and draft. Those two areas were neglected far too long by the previous regime led by Jim Hendry.
All has not gone as planned with the Hoyer/Epstein regime, though they have taken steps to try and rectify the situation.
Dale Sveum was fired as manager after the 2013 season, with Rick Renteria being brought in to help develop the young talent currently on the roster (Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro, specifically) and coming through the pipeline.
It’s been a quiet offseason for the Cubs thus far, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing to talk about. Now that we have had time to see where the team is going, it is time to break down what to expect heading into the new year.
Note: All stats courtesy of Fangraphs and Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.