Chicago Cubs: Waiver claims may fill needed roster holes

The Chicago Cubs are quietly working to solidify the 40-man roster heading into 2017. Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have a new set of challenges in front of them as the North Siders celebrate their first championship in over a century.

The emotional high hasn’t quite lifted yet for many fans. And while we sit back and enjoy the time in the sun, Chicago Cubs front office brass is hard at work building the roster we hope repeats next October.

The Cubs will return most of the roster from 2016 but will have some holes to fill. Aroldis Chapman is unlikely to resign given his high price tag, while the hole in leadership left by David Ross will be painful to fill.

Dexter Fowler, who provided a huge spark the past two seasons will demand big money and should get it this time around.

An outfield stable of Jason Heyward, Jorge Soler, and Albert Almora Jr. means that Fowler may get squeezed out. And that’s before we even discuss the return of Kyle Schwarber.

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Looking for Depth

Theo Epstein doesn’t anticipate any big splashes this offseason. One year after signing Ben Zobrist, John Lackey, and Heyward, the Cubs are poised to retool rather than rebuild.

Pitching depth is vital to the longevity of a successful season. The Cubs were blessed with remarkable health in their starting pitching, but no one can be certain what the future holds. The free agent market for pitching doesn’t provide a ton of value this year and the players available will be seeking large deals.

The Cubs sat at the bottom of the waiver order last week when they claimed David Rollins from the Seattle Mariners. Rollins hasn’t had a smooth career to this point having posted an ERA above seven the past two years.

The Cubs felt they could sneak the young lefty through waivers themselves seeing as every other team had passed on him once. Given the second chance, Rollins was then claimed by the Texas Rangers.

It’s pretty clear that teams are looking to bolster their pitching as much as they can. Rollins still has multiple minor league options, so the flexibility of his contract is a valuable asset. Rollins would have represented the kind of depth that the Cubs want, much like Trevor Cahill and Mike Montgomery have provided.

Next: Chapman signing with Yankees?

The cat and mouse games being played by GM’s this time of year can mean a lot more than what we see on the surface. The organizational depth built-in November and December can lead to victory the following October.