Chicago Cubs must differentiate themselves in Shohei Ohtani talks

Chicago Cubs must capitalize on their current window

2015 – 2017 Record: 292-193 (.602 winning percentage)

Short-Term Outlook:

The next few years stand to be very exciting for the Cubs. The team’s core, centered around Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, is cost-controlled and have yet to hit their peak. Last season, Willson Contreras broke out as a real offensive threat behind the dish while Javier Baez and Albert Almora also put up impressive campaigns.

A big part of the team’s future will again be decided by the offseason. Forty percent of the rotation leaves via free agency, along with the team’s closer Wade Davis. Still, the rotation is anchored by the three-headed monster of Kyle Hendricks, Jon Lester and Jose Quintana. There are far worse things to enter an offseason with than that trio.

Long-Term Outlook:

The farm system is depleted – badly. But with Theo Epstein running the baseball operations department, you simply cannot rule out big moves to keep a team competitive. The front office has shifted its focus to pitching – and in a few years, those arms will be making their way to Wrigley Field.

As noted, this core has several years of control left. The next half-decade or so will be solid on the North Side. This truly is the Golden Age for Cubs baseball.

Next: Do the Cubs have to pick between Harper and Ohtani?

Biggest Differentiator: 

Joe Maddon. The Cubs manager is one of the most forward-thinking skippers in all of Major League Baseball. In the National League, there’s likely no one better suited than Maddon to ensure a smooth transition to big-league life while also taking his needs and considerations into account.