Chicago Cubs: Pitching a focus because it will make the difference in Central

Why are the Chicago Cubs so heavily focused on pitching this offseason? Because if you look around the division, this will be the difference-maker.

Seemingly out of nowhere on Monday, the Chicago Cubs and Yu Darvish became a very feasible pairing as Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer headed to Texas to meet with the right-hander.

MLBTR opened the offseason by predicting Chicago signs Darvish to a six-year, $160 million deal. While that seems like an albatross contract (and it is), it’s widely expected any agreement would come up short of that dollar amount. After adding several arms already, why is adding Darvish such a critical move for the Cubs?

Simple. Because starting pitching could very well decide who wins the National League Central.

The Cardinals boast several impressive young homegrown starters in the mix. Milwaukee is reportedly mulling over former Cubs hurler Jake Arrieta while Cincinnati and Pittsburgh continue their reloading movements with an eye to the future.

Let’s break down what each club looks like heading into the New Year to get a better grasp on what the division looks like.