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The Chicago Cubs new hitting coach Chili Davis is already hard at work with Jason Heyward, trying to change his approach, more so than his swing. And the Cubs need an improved Jon Lester this season to compete for more than the division.
When the Chicago Cubs hired Chili Davis, they brought in a hitter with a successful track record to guide the team. No surprise, but Davis has already started working with a few of the guys. Most notably, Jason Heyward. For Davis, the goal will be to change Heyward’s approach at the plate, not his swing. He’s not looking to start from the ground up, but to build on the improvement Heyward made last year.
The Cubs’ Jon Lester‘s return to form would be an added plus for this team in 2018. Lester had a down year but still managed to win 13 games last season. If he can bounceback and put up numbers closer to his career figures, it would be as if the Cubs got another big signing this winter. Lester is somewhat of the “forgotten man” in the rotation, as his days of being an ace might be behind him. But then again, don’t tell Lester that.
At the Cubs Convention this weekend, Tom Ricketts spoke about players from the Sammy Sosa era needing to come clean and put it all on the table. While he didn’t specifically mention Sosa by name, it wasn’t hard to draw conclusions that he was referring to him. It appears that until Sosa is able to admit to what he did, the team isn’t going to fully welcome him back into the organization.
These and other stories you might have missed:
‘Davis and Heyward already putting in work together’ – Cubbies Crib
‘Lester’s impact an added push for 2018’ – Cubbies Crib
‘Ricketts wants Sosa to come clean’– Cubbies Crib
‘Confident Pham targets a 30-30 season in ’18’ – MLB.com
‘How is leadership valued in FA? It’s not’ – ESPN
#Cubs on Twitter
#Cubs gearing up to launch their own TV network: "It's a great time to be us."https://t.co/pJemTmIXtN
— Patrick Mooney (@PJ_Mooney) January 14, 2018
As I mentioned before, I think the Ricketts have done a tremendous job during their tenure as owners, but this stubbornness towards Sammy is a bad look and this video is horrible optics #Cubs https://t.co/EQUlZjhnZ4
— Crawly's Cubs Kingdom (@crawlyscubs) January 15, 2018
According to @PJ_Mooney and @TheAthleticChi #Cubs and Maddon haven’t discussed a contract extension.Per Maddon:”I believe if we take care of our own business properly,that’s the kind of stuff that takes care of itself.I’m a Cub right now.I want to be a Cub for many years to come”
— Chicago Cubs Reports ✭ (@TheCubsReporter) January 14, 2018
Next: Healthy Russell an X-factor for Cubs
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