Chicago Cubs: Three reasons to have optimism heading into 2021

After alienating and annoying many fans in the past couple weeks, there’s still a way for the Cubs to generate excitement in 2021.

Let’s be honest – it was not a good week to be a Chicago Cubs fan. Despite attempts to spin it as a move for future success and shedding the contract of an “oft-injured” old pitcher, there is absolutely no way the Cubs could have spun dealing their best pitcher and also swearing that they wanted to contend in 2021.

Add to that the personal back-up catcher who was traded along with him that many fans thought could start at some point and it’s compounded. Throw in the news the team’s All-Star starting catcher is also being shopped and it’s a total dumpster fire for fans on the North Side.

Heck, I didn’t even mention the non-tendering of fan favorite and postseason legend Kyle Schwarber!

The idea that trading away Yu Darvish, Victor Caratini, and Willson Contreras in the same week would somehow make the Chicago Cubs better or keep them contenders is laughable at best, but that’s what Jed Hoyer would have us believe at the moment. I might be able to take him a little bit more seriously if Contreras ends up staying and some extensions are signed, but that seems to be a stretch given what’s happened so far in the offseason.

However, the offseason isn’t done, and the NL Central is still looking rather weak this coming season, so is there still the smallest of chances that an optimistic fan might be able to see some small speck of light in the middle of this dark tunnel of a week? Here are three things what would make all fans sit a little easier in this first week of 2021.