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Chicago Cubs: What to know ahead of the Winter Meetings
By David Miniel
We’re a few weeks out from the Winter Meetings and the Chicago Cubs will be busy, as always. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have managed to land some key free agents over the past couple of years but may not make a huge splash this year.
And honestly, they don’t really need to. This Chicago Cubs club is stacked with talent from the active roster down to the minor league circuit. Sooner or later, another big league star is going to make his major league debut.
Although, that may not happen for a while. We have been spoiled with the likes of Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, Junior Lake, Carl Edwards Jr., Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras, and Kris Bryant.
While Lake was shipped off to another team, the rest of the men listed above played huge roles in the Chicago Cubs winning the World Series.
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Once the 2014 campaign wrapped, Theo Epstein went out and made one of the biggest splashes in Cubs history. By signing Jon Lester, David Ross, and Joe Maddon, this club was looking to make a statement.
That’s exactly what they did in 2015. Ending the year with 97 wins and the third-best record in baseball, they found themselves in the LCS. However, the New York Mets proved to be too strong, sending the Cubs on a short trip to their homes.
Bigger, Badder, Hungrier
Little did they know, the Mets woke up a sleeping giant. As a result of their elimination, Epstein, and that front-office went back to work. This time around, they landed Jason Heyward, John Lackey, and Ben Zobrist.
Yet while Heyward’s bat was almost non-existent throughout the regular season, his defense earned him another Gold Glove. Lackey provided the Cubs with another postseason veteran and Zobrist emerged as the World Series MVP.
Great moves that resulted in a World Series title for the Chicago Cubs. So, what’s next? Now that they are champions, the journey is just beginning. Obviously, Chicago is going to be a destination of choice for free agents across the league.
Here are a few things you should know heading into the Winter Meetings. Which takes place on December 4th through the 8th at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Maryland.