Chicago Cubs’ promising 2016 odds not yet set in stone

Despite winning the offseason, the Chicago Cubs will still have their hands full as they chase the NL Central crown in the rival Cardinals and Pirates.

After signing Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist, along with veteran right-hander John Lackey, it’s not hard to explain why most baseball experts have tapped the Cubs as the hands-down favorite to win their division in 2016.

Adding these key pieces to the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Jake Arrieta gives Chicago a core that is both young and talented – and, for the time being, relatively cost-controlled.

As co-editor Nicholas Blazek discussed earlier today, Fangraphs has the Cubs projected to win 95 games this season – which would actually signify a two-game step back from the 2015 campaign, when Chicago finished one game behind Pittsburgh for the top Wild Card spot in the National League.

So, in short, it’s a wonderful time to love the North Siders.

But with virtually the entire baseball world lining up behind them, singing their praise, I have to ask: are we counting our eggs before they hatch?

Next: The dominance of Ray Searage

Homer-happy Davis could change the pecking order for Cards

At some point, the work turned in by Matt Holliday is going to fall off – and in a big way.

When that happens, the most powerful bat in the St. Louis Cardinals’ lineup will be Jhonny Peralta, who has emerged from the cloud of his PED suspension a few years ago to become a very potent option for manager Mike Matheny.

Add in the likes of Randal Grichuk, Stephen Piscotty and Kolten Wong and it’s easy to see why Cardinals fans are optimistic. But one glaring issue remains: the lack of a big bat in the middle of the order.

Solution? Sign free agent slugger Chris Davis, who still lacks a home heading into the middle of January. He’s hit 159 home runs and driven in an average of more than 100 runs per year annually since 2012 – even blasting 26 bombs in a career-worst year back in 2014.

No St. Louis player has even eclipsed 30 long-balls in a single campaign since Carlos Beltran did so back in 2012. Of course, we know now that home run-powered offenses aren’t necessarily needed to win it all (see the Kansas City Royals the last two years) – we’ve also seen that it can be particularly effective down the stretch (last year’s Cubs and Astros squads).

Right now, you have to think the Cubs have more talent than the Cardinals do on the roster. That being said, St. Louis knows how to maximize their return from the men they have and will no-doubt be contenders again in 2016.

Adding Chris Davis could be enough to push them over the top.

Next: Cubs will have to handle business early-on

Consistency key for still-growing Chicago Cubs

Last season was magical. Chicago walked-off 13 separate times over the course of 2015, breathing a type of excitement and exuberance that hadn’t been seen at the Friendly Confines in decades.

Manager of the Year Joe Maddon mixed and matched his way through injuries and slumps, out dueling Matheny for the league’s top honors. Chicago benefitted from the veteran presence of guys like David Ross, Jon Lester and Miguel Montero and, before you knew it, the Cubs were headed to the postseason for the first time since the last decade.

Jake Arrieta took home National League Cy Young honors. Kris Bryant won the NL Rookie of the Year, narrowly missing the club record for rookie RBI in a campaign and shattering the home run record, as well. Anthony Rizzo emerged as one of the best players in the big leagues and every game brought something new to fans.

But if there’s anything this team can learn from its inspiring run last season, it’s this. Luck always runs out and it’ll take consistent play from start-to-finish if this group wants to finish the job the 2015 Chicago Cubs started: winning the World Series.