Chicago Cubs: Top 5 Storylines as we head into Spring Training

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Now that the Super Bowl is over and the Pats have hoisted another Lombardi Trophy, the sports world turns its sights to spring training and Major League Baseball. With the lack of exciting moves this offseason, here are the storylines fans are going to want to follow when the Cubs’ pitchers and catchers show up on February 12.

We haven’t signed Bryce Harper.

Repeat, we haven’t signed Bryce Harper. Unless something crazy happens, he’s probably going to the Phillies or back to the Nationals. Sorry to any of you who want to see him in Cubbie blue. Also, sorry to those of you who took Theo Epstein at his word following the disappointing Wild Card loss when he said he was going to value production over potential. There were no significant changes. There were no moves to get rid of any of the young potential-laden core who disappointed in 2018.

With the lack of exciting free agent pickups, how could anything of note be worth watching during Spring Training? Don’t we pretty much have the same team back from a disappointing 2018? Well, the easy answer is: yes. The more convoluted answer is: not quite. Injuries, off-field issues, slumps, and bad years make it entirely possible that the Cubs will look like a different team in 2019 if they can come out of the gates as they did in 2016. So, what should we look for and what’s going to be different?

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Chicago Cubs: Will we see this guy on the mound for an entire season?

Let’s not sugarcoat things or pull punches. Yu Darvish had an awful debut season with the Chicago Cubs last year. While it may have been marred by a legitimate injury and fan disappointment after basically replacing Cub hero and former Cy Young winner, Jake Arrieta, Theo Epstein gave this guy a nine-figure salary because he can be outstanding. That’s what Cubs’ fans are hoping for in 2019.

Supposedly healthy and strong, Yu Darvish is probably looking to put 2018 in the rearview by rebounding with a solid 2019 campaign. He has the goods and the stuff to be good, and quite frankly, he shouldn’t have a ton of pressure on him since no one is really expecting a whole lot after he soured fans’ opinions of his ability in a rough season last year.

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What is it that we can expect from this guy if he is healthy and pitches up to his ability? Namely, a guy who was an All-Star four years in a row and posted a WAR of at least 2.8 in every season before last. If he’s fully healthy, he’s going to be a power guy who strikes out a ton of hitters and gives the Cubs a totally different look from the right side on the hill.

On a team that projects three left-handed starters in the rotation and soft-tossing genius, Kyle Hendricks, from the right side, Darvish is that power guy from the right side who should benefit from being sandwiched between lefties in the rotation. If the Cubs can get a solid bounce-back campaign from Darvish, he will start winning over fans and start proving he just might be worth all that money he signed for last year.

Fans will be able to see for themselves just what Darvish looks like when he takes the mound in Cactus League play. Just getting through Spring Training injury-free would be a promising start for the big righty from Japan.

Chicago Cubs: Who plays second base while Addison Russell serves his suspension?

Javier Baez will be the opening day shortstop. Unless something unforeseen occurs, that’s a given since his double-play mate is serving the remainder of his MLB-mandated domestic violence suspension. Since Baez is by far the best shortstop the Cubs can send out there, who will be playing second base?

Will it be second-by-committee? Will it be mostly Ben Zobrist? Will it be mostly newly acquired Daniel Descalso? Will Ian Happ get any time there? Will David Bote get a shot after a superb defensive performance (and some pretty big highlights with the bat before he cooled down at the plate) at third base during the second half of 2018?

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Descalso represents one of the few moves of note this offseason- a journeyman infielder known for his versatility and leadership. While the Cubs essentially swapped out Tommy La Stella for Descalso, they got a bit more defensive ability and perhaps more of a voice in the clubhouse as well. It’s possible he could get the lion’s share of time at second base while Russell is out, especially after his best pro season a year ago in Arizona. Fans will get their first look at Descalso in Mesa when Maddon deploys him somewhere in the infield. How much he plays second in the Spring could give the fans a little insight into the team’s plans for early 2019.

Zobrist is the guy staring down Father Time seeing who will blink first. At 37 (soon to be 38 in May) years old. He continues to be one of the smartest and most clutch hitters in baseball when rested and healthy. Keywords: rested and healthy. Joe Maddon has been reticent to rely on Zo too much early in the season, but with Russell out for a significant chunk of time, Zobrist represents the best offensive and best overall option at second base most nights. As with Descalso, where Maddon deploys Zobrist the most during the spring could give fans an idea as to who will be at second most nights.

Happ didn’t play a ton of second base last year and seemed destined to stay in the outfield again this season. Barring something crazy there, it’s hard to believe Maddon would give Happ more than a few innings here and there at second base, especially with the newly acquired veteran Descalso. However, Happ can play there, and he is the youngest and most athletic option.

Bote, who excited and tantalized fans for most of July and August last summer, struggled mightily at the plate after his Ultimate Grand Slam against the Nats. One thing that did not suffer, however, was his defense. A versatile and supposedly adequate back-up infield guy turned many a fans’ head with the way he flashed the leather and slung bare-handed balls at the hot corner. Some fans were even calling for Bote to take over for Kris Bryant at the hot corner before Bote came back down to Earth after a torrid start.

While we won’t be able to tell much in early Spring Training games because Maddon will make sure everyone gets work, fans will be able to see if Bote has adjusted to MLB pitching, and what combination (or lack thereof) Maddon seems to go with at the keystone.

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Chicago Cubs: The elephant in the room, probably for the entire 2019 season

Every media outlet known to man has been down this road multiple times. How Addison Russell and the entire Cubs’ organization react to Russell’s ongoing issues and media scrutiny is going to be a colossal part of Spring Training.

Do I need to say anything else about this? Probably not. But, Russell will have to withstand a barrage of reporters, protesters, fans, and maybe even his teammates/other teams’ players throughout Spring Training. After all, everyone has a mom, and many have sisters and girlfriends/wives. There is going to be a lot of backlash, and how Russell and his teammates deal with that will be a crucial piece to Spring Training.

Unfortunately, because of the nature of Russell’s suspension and the fact that he might be coming back to Wrigley to play at some point, the barrage will not end when the team departs Mesa for the Friendly Confines. Russell and the Cubs will have to face this issue head-on and, quite honestly, owe the fans that much. Theo Epstein has gone on the record several times saying he wants to be part of the solution to this issue; we shall see how the organization and Russell himself act given that statement.

Chicago Cubs: Will Tyler Chatwood be more Rube Baker or Kyle Hendricks in 2019?

The Chicago Cubs owe Tyler Chatwood $25.5 million over the next two years. They can’t just dump that salary like a used-up reliever who is on the books for $3 million. They need to fix him and have him be productive at some point because not only do they owe him money; they’re going to have to keep him on the Major League Roster.

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Chatwood has a ton of upside, great stuff, and throws hard. Unfortunately, as 2018 wore on, he couldn’t throw strikes. What was annoying and frustrating at the beginning of the season became comically awful before he was shut down for the season. Was it just a case of the yips or a mechanical issue? Cubs fans hope it’s the latter.

If Chatwood can serve some sort of role out of the bullpen or piggyback with Mike Montgomery as a tandem 6th man in the rotation at times, he could still be very useful as part of the Cubs’ staff. If he struggles early, it could portend larger issues (either financial or roster-wise) that could persist for another two seasons.

If Chatwood looks confident and is throwing strikes, even in early Spring Training, that would signal a potentially positive 2019 outlook for the player, team, and fans alike.

Chicago Cubs: We’d like to see a whole lot of this swing right here in 2019

Bryant is a perennial All-Star and former MVP. When his left shoulder was injured in a head-first slide in 2018, he was never quite the same and ultimately lost about a third of the season.

If Bryant returns to form, which everyone expects, it will be akin to the blockbuster offseason Free Agent pick-up the Cubs didn’t get. A 30 home run, 100 RBI, 100 run season from a guy who plays a good third base and gets on base at a .400 clip solidifies the middle of the Cubs’ order and makes everyone better. It also gives Joe Maddon a foundational piece to cement at third base almost every single night.

As with Chatwood, Bryant’s swing and power will be on display early in Spring Training, and fans will be able to see whether it looks like the old KB or the injured guy who wore #17 last season.

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Regardless of how any of these issues play out in Spring Training, it’s also best to keep in mind that it’s still just Spring Training and the Cubs will be a good ball club even if some of these issues don’t work themselves out the way fans would like. Then again, with some of these issues, it’ll be very clear if they will continue to be issues or storylines as 2019 progresses.

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