Chicago Cubs: Is the front office really saving for next offseason?

The first month or so of the Chicago Cubs offseason, the rumors and their reported way of thinking can be summarily described in one simple word: crazy.

We’ve seen it all already this winter. From the Chicago Cubs reportedly entering the offseason in a financially strapped state to Theo Epstein saying there are no limits to spending, nobody really knows what’s going to happen with the roster this offseason. One thing, though, is certain – changes are coming.

Chicago put together a fourth straight 90-plus win season in 2018, but things fell off the proverbial cliff late. Over the season’s final weeks, the Cubs squandered a comfortable lead in the division – eventually seeing the Milwaukee Brewers leapfrog them in the standings for the NL Central crown.

Epstein’s postseason comments regarding “performance over talent” confirm as much. Ken Rosenthal recently mentioned the Cubs might be more enamored with next year’s class, rather than the two big fish this year with Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. But, who is really in that class that makes it so appealing?