Chicago Cubs: Saying goodbye to familiar faces

The Chicago Cubs haven’t had a great offseason, they have lost some the talent that has helped them prevail in games both in pitching and in the field.

The Chicago Cubs began the offseason by firing their manager Joe Maddon shortly after their 84 wins, third-place finish this past season. That started a toll of players leaving the windy city and going to other teams across the Major League.

Some of the former players went to our crosstown rival the Chicago White Sox and a couple of big names is the Cubs’ organization went to the heavy bidding Cincinnati Reds. There were some we wish didn’t leave, but we all know sometimes it’s for the best. Below is a recap of those we saw leave the Cubbies this offseason.

Chicago Cubs: The loss of power on the mound

One of the significant losses the Cubs took this offseason is when the left-hander Cole Hamels went to free agency and signed a one-year $18 million deal with the Atlanta Braves. In the only two seasons spent in Chicago, he went 11-10 with a 3.30 ERA in just 39 games.

Last season Hamels had 143 strikeouts in 1412/3 innings. During his 27 games, he averaged 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. This is a massive loss because he was a staple in the Cubs’ rotation along with Jon Lester and Yu Darvish.