Chicago Cubs: Five storylines to watch in the 2020s

After an eventful decade of the 2010s, we’re about to begin the 2020s. Here are five Chicago Cubs storylines to watch over the next decade.

Well, the 2010s are coming to a close, and the world is about to embark on a new decade. For Chicago Cubs fans, it’s hard to imagine a decade being more eventful than the 2010s were.

The decade started off with the team in a malaise, as the franchise that showed a lot of promise in the 2007 and 2008 division title seasons was coming apart. Manager Lou Piniella suddenly left the team in the middle of a miserable 2010 season, and general manager Jim Hendry, who built some quality teams but could not achieve that elusive championship, left after the 2011 season.

Theo Epstein, after his success with the Boston Red Sox, came over to become President of Baseball Operations. He guided the team through a rebuild that resulted in a World Series Championship under Joe Maddon in 2016 and four playoff appearances overall.

Besides the big story of the end of the 108-year championship drought, there were plenty of other stories as well. For example, renovations at Wrigley Field assured that the team would be able to stay at the Friendly Confines long-term, while the development of a new TV network figures to change the way that Cubs fans experience games in the future.

Yet as eventful as the 2010s were, the 2020s could be an eventful decade for Cubs fans as well. There are plenty of storylines to follow, and it will be interesting to see where the Cubs are as a franchise ten years from now. Some of the big stories we won’t be able to foresee yet, but here are at least five things to be looking for as we start a new decade.