Chicago Cubs News: The Cubs pitch to Ohtani; A slimmer Schwarber?

The Chicago Cubs will need to set themselves apart from the other six teams in the Shonei Ohtani sweepstakes. Do the Cubs have what it takes to lure him away from the West Coast?

The Chicago Cubs are just one year removed from being World Series Champions. They are in a big market, much like New York. Somehow, they’re still in the running for Shonei Ohtani. Can Theo Epstein make a pitch that will sell him on coming to Chicago? And how might the other six teams go about theirs? We look at what each club might try to sell Ohtani on in Los Angeles.

The Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber is on a mission this winter. After being the Golden Boy entering this season, many have cast him off as trade bait already this winter. So Schwarber has gone to work slimming down to be a more effective player in the field. On top of that, he’s looking to redeem himself for his slow start at the plate this season.

Starters, relievers, and Ohtani. Seems like that all you hear about these days. But there are other holes the Cubs need to fill. One of those spots is the backup catcher. We’ve talked about Alex Avila, but what about Rene Rivera? He was a serviceable backup when Willson Contreras went down, and could come at a much better price than Avila. Is he a name the Cubs should look to bring back?

These and other stories you might have missed:

‘Cubs must differentiate themselves from others‘ – Cubbies Crib

‘Slimmed down Schwarber looking good’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Should the Cubs bring Rivera back?’ – Cubbies Crib

‘Martin agrees to one-year deal with Tigers’ – ESPN

‘Jeter: No decisions yet on Stanton deal’ – MLB.com

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