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Chicago Cubs: Five things to watch this spring training
As another baseball season is about to kick off for the Chicago Cubs, there are plenty of things to keep an eye on in the preseason
If you are a Chicago Cubs fan who can watch spring training games on Marquee Sports right now, good for you sincerely. Regardless the Cubs have begun their long journey, which is the 2020 season in Mesa, Arizona. While the roster is pretty similar to the one last year, new boss David Ross is bringing a new attitude and vibe to the club.
There is a lot of “can be,” “might be,” and “I do not know” heading into this season. After missing the postseason last year and little done this offseason, there is skepticism among Cubs followers.
The few moves they have made have been small, which can end up being sneaky good or completely ineffective—giving fans even more feelings of uncertainty. Yet, there is also some glimmer of hope knowing what the team’s core is capable of while being reunited under a familiar leader in Ross. We will get a first small taste of that starting this week.
Spring is not always the best way to gauge how a player will do in the regular season, but it can still give us an idea of where a player stands physically and mentally heading into the year. It is less about stats in spring and more about the old fashion eye test. Ross seems to have certain things he is set on doing while having plenty to figure out as well in Mesa. Here are five ideas for us to watch this spring.
Chicago Cubs: Leadoff has been a black hole since Dexter Fowler left, and Skipper Ross is going with his star third baseman
Let us get one thing straight; Kris Bryant is here to stay. He will now get the chance to “warm-up” the lineup batting leadoff. This was a decision that was officially made seemingly right as everyone reported to camp. Years past have seen Joe Maddon make a list of people who could do it, only making the position a rotating door.
As mentioned on the Climbing the Ivy podcast, the decision to make Bryant the leadoff man was overall very welcomed by the Cubs fans. The logistics make sense considering his OBP abilities and excellent baserunning can go a long way in setting the table for the offense. He will also get a lot of ABs and will be a unique opportunity to utilize him. It is pretty refreshing to have a guy picked and plugged in instead of experiments galore.
Bryant is ready to embrace the role and give it his all. He will likely have to change a few things in terms of his approach, but now is the time to do it in spring. Every time he leads off with a hit or walks, there will undoubtedly be people on Cubs Twitter talking about it. Let’s hope Bryant truly is an answer to a prayer that has been going up since 2017.
Chicago Cubs: One of the biggest questions going into 2020 is who will end up being the fifth guy in the rotation
When it comes to spring training starts, the ones fans really should be paying attention to the most are ones by the likes of Adbert Alzolay, Tyler Chatwood and Alec Mills. These are the prime candidates for that fifth spot in the rotation. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported that these three would take the ball in the first three spring training games. Not much surprise there.
Right now, it is Chatwood’s spot to lose being the veteran with experience, but it is not 100% locked in. Both Mills and Alzolay have had cracks in the majors and have shown promise in the small sample sizes, but they will still have something to prove if one of them wants that spot. It is worth noting Mills has six career MLB starts while Alzolay has two.
The rest of four spots in the rotation are set outside of which order they will start in on opening week. What they do in spring training will not be much more than just getting back into rhythm as they are all returning healthy. It seems like fans would like to see Alzolay or Mills get a shot at the rotation more than Chatwood, who was pretty effective in relief in 2019 after his disastrous first tenure as a Cubs starter in 2018. In the end, Ross gets the final call.
Chicago Cubs: First spring training for Craig Kimbrel since 2018 gives him the benefit of the doubt for now
One thing is sure; the Cubs bullpen needs to be MUCH more effective than it was in 2019. When the Cubs inked Craig Kimbrel mid-season, there was a massive sigh of relief among the fans. Unfortunately, the seven-time All Star’s first tenure as a North Sider was a disaster riddled with blown saves and injuries. In case you forgot…6.53 ERA, 1.6 WHIP and three blown saves in 23 games.
Kimbrel did not have a spring training or typical workouts until he became a Cub. Now he will have all of that as he looks to return to form. He has been so good for so long, seeing him struggle so severely was tough to see, but for now, he gets the benefit of the doubt. This spring training, we will look for him to be both healthy and throwing upper-90s. Last season his velocity went up and down like a roller coaster.
Kimbrel is such an essential piece to not only the bullpen but the team itself. This bullpen has as much potential to be useful as it does to be a complete disaster. Whether or not Kimbrel returns to form (or close enough to it) will make a massive difference. His preparation protocol will be a bit different, but whatever it takes to regain form.
Chicago Cubs: While the starters on the field are pretty much set, the depth will see some sorting out
There will be some competition on the position player side of things this spring. Notable veteran depth players at camp right now include Jason Kipnis, Steven Souza, Daniel Descalso, Hernan Perez, Josh Phegley and Carlos Asuaje.
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You’re probably not too giddy with excitement with that list. But that is what they have to work with. Right now, it feels pretty good that guys like Souza and Kipnis will make the roster, especially since Souza was an MLB signing, and Kipnis is still a decent lefty power bat despite overall declines in recent years.
Though it is worth noting, Souza’s health is a legit concern. Descalso is under contract for another year and will be looking to bounce back and Perez will try to be that 26th guy.
Other guys like Phegley and Asuaje are likely minors-bound with availability to come up if needed in the season if they stick around. The depth is going to be one of the weaknesses of the team, but if Souza and Kipnis show they can play more as they did a few years ago, it can at least give the team a little boost. Expectations should not be high on that, but both those guys can still be useful.
It will be very interesting to watch Kipnis this spring. Despite not being the All-Star he once was, he was the most significant addition to the roster this winter in terms of name and resume.
Chicago Cubs: One of the most popular young players on the team will have a lot of eyes on him
Fans got a small taste of 22-year old Nice Hoerner last season when he was called up because of need. Hoerner in 20 MLB games hit .282/.305/.536 with three homers, 17 RBI and an 86 wRC+. He is seen as the long term guy at second while Javier Baez mans shortstop. The question remains, is Hoerner ready to play in the bigs for the long run?
He will get a chance to showcase himself again this spring, and no doubt, his goal is to be on the Opening Day roster. He has the advantage of having had a small taste of the majors, so fans have an idea of what to look for while watching him this spring. Regardless of if he is on the roster on Opening Day or not, he will likely be playing on the MLB squad at some point soon. It is worth noting that Hoerner was called up from Double-A ball last year and is yet to play in Triple-A.
Next. Is now the time to trade Quintana?. dark
Many are betting on him starting the season in Triple-A, especially after bringing in Kipnis, but time will tell for sure.
Every season the feeling of spring training is so high because of how fresh everything feels with a clean slate. Going into 2020, there are more exciting things to come in Mesa than one may realize. Strap it in and enjoy the ride.