The Chicago Cubs have made a valiant effort to improve during the offseason.
After a rather disappointing season in 2022 and the PR hit that trading the 2016 World Champions – Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, Kris Bryant and others – represented the year before, the Cubs are looking competent, at the very least.
Chicago signed star shortstop Dansby Swanson, pitcher Jameson Taillon, and complementary hitters like Eric Hosmer, Tucker Barnhart, Trey Mancini, and more.
They also brought in a complete wild card in Cody Bellinger.
Piece by piece, player by player, and signing after signing, they have put together a quality lineup.
Slugger Ian Happ seems to think so, too.
“We have guys who have won the World Series in different places, guys who have been All-Stars, Gold Glovers… I think the offense is going to surprise a few people,” MLB Network tweeted, with Happ quotes.
"We have guys who have won the World Series in different places, guys who have been All-Stars, Gold Glovers… I think the offense is going to surprise a few people."@ihapp_1 on the Cubs' offseason additions.#HighHeat | @MadDogUnleashed pic.twitter.com/lX1BlGhvHo
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 18, 2023
Indeed, Bellinger won a World Series and an MVP award with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Swanson was an important part of the Atlanta Braves’ 2021 title, and so was Hosmer in Kansas City, in 2015.
They have all been All-Stars, and some of them have won Gold Glove awards.
Besides the already mentioned names, the Cubs lineup has prime bounceback candidate Seiya Suzuki, projected to hit 25 home runs in 2023.
They also have the solid Nico Hoerner and the promising Christopher Morel, not to mention a blue-chip prospect in Matt Mervis.
Taillon is joining a rotation that has the solid Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele.
There are probably no aces in the group depending on your opinion of Stroman, but every member has a relatively high floor.
All things considered, Chicago can surprise a lot of people if some specific things go right for them this year.
They have playoff potential.
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