3 areas the Chicago Cubs must win in to compete in 2022

Chicago Cubs: 3 Ways the Team Can Contend in 2022 – #3: Free Agency

The first is also the most obvious way. The way most teams improve the quickest. Opening the checkbook and spending in free agency. There’s pretty much two obstacles standing in the way of making it happen. The first is simply if Tom Ricketts will open the checkbook and if so, how big of a check(s) is he willing to write this offseason?

As stated in the past, the free agency class is absolutely loaded this year. There is plenty to go around. With Ricketts not coming to terms for extensions with the core he had intact in Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo says one of two things.

One: he wants to win but didn’t believe in the players he had enough to sign them to big contacts. To play devil’s advocate here, the fact is the core did underperform. You can’t exactly argue that looking at the numbers. Therefore, I can understand Ricketts’ sentiment in not paying players that aren’t bringing you titles. Why would you? However, the other thing it could suggest is the core underperforming is just being used as an excuse and Ricketts just wants to put all of that money saved in his pocket instead of on the field.

The choice will solely be up to Ricketts how soon he plans to win again. I can’t imagine losing being good for business. Assuming he is looking to spend this offseason, as Hoyer has stated “big money spending will be back”, that leads us up to the second obstacle. When you have teams that are contending year-in and year-out, Los Angeles, the Yankees, even the Padres recently, it’s hard to lure big name free agents that will match a non-contenders offer. Hypothetically, if you’re Freddie Freeman and the Cubs offer you a big number but then the Dodgers swoop in and match it, are you going to Chicago or to LA who’s made it known they are all about winning?

This will be Hoyer’s greatest challenge to-date. If Ricketts is willing to spend, it is not going to be easy to haul in a big fish without seriously convincing players on just how it is you expect to become a winner again and fast. If he is able to work a little magic, landing a top name in free agency will get other players to notice. It shows Chicago is serious and this whole thing will really be looked at as a re-tool. If the front office can pull that off, it will lead us to our phase two of this master plan.

Chicago Cubs: 3 Ways the Team Can Contend in 2022 – #2: Trade Deadline

Should the Cubs be able to land a primetime free agent or at least a few good players that make a difference, it can help them get back to their winning ways and not be looking for division front runners through binoculars.

In free agency, players control their own destiny by ultimately deciding where they want to play. At the trade deadline, not so much. After signing the right players in the offseason which will contribute to more wins, Hoyer will be in position to buy the right player at the deadline and help fortify the team even further moving forward. This is why landing a big free agent first is imperative to this two-part plan.

Again, this free agent class is loaded, not everybody is going to need every piece available as there are multiple from the same position such as shortstop where you alone have Javier Baez, Trevor Story, Corey Seager, Carlos Correa and Marcus Semien.

If successful in landing at least a couple above average names, the Cubs should be right back in the thick of things as far as the NL Central is concerned. That’s where they will be back in a position to buy at the trade deadline and be equipped to make a serious push as soon as next year. It will only be possible though first through a successful offseason this winter. However, there is still one final piece to the puzzle if this should all come to fruition.

Chicago Cubs: 3 Ways the Team Can Contend in 2022 – #1: Key Contributions

Key contributions from the younger up-and-comers is absolutely critical to this teams success moving forward. Though the offense since the deadline hasn’t been electric every night, the most glaring weakness the Cubs have right now is without a doubt their pitching. Specifically, starting pitching.

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There are two big names that are important to remember moving forward right now. One is Justin Steele, who has made a pair of starts and has looked sharp but has also made some costly mistakes. He has given up five runs over nine innings pitched in those two starts. His success moving forward is imperative due to his cost effective contract and his ability to fill a gaping hole in the rotation. Being able to utilize Steele as a starter even out of the four hole is fantastic and bodes well for the Cubs.

The other is Keegan Thompson who is looking to be stretched out as a starter as he was in college. in 252 2/3 innings pitched at Auburn, Thompson posted a 2.42 career ERA to go along with a 19-10 record over 38 starts. Though college ball is a far cry from the majors, the potential is there. Baseball is all about adjustments. Should he turn into the starter the Cubs drafted him to be, the possibilities for him are endless.

If both work out in the back end of the rotation, signing a free agent starter while, of course, keeping Kyle Hendricks in the mix, one can imagine how this rotation could turn itself around in this sense. It will lead the team to be able to buy another starter at the deadline next season and be much more successful than this year. Though the core wasn’t firing on all cylinders this year, It’s hard to imagine the Cubs being in as bad of a spot if they had any starting pitching at all.

For perspective, the Brewers are averaging 4.62 runs per game. The Cubs are averaging 4.15. Not a big difference in offensive production. The difference is, the Brewers are 20 1/2 games up on the Cubs because they have an extremely solid starting rotation of Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta.

Being consistently successful is not an easy thing to do at the big league level, but there are certainly things clubs can do to put themselves in a position to do so. Should the Cubs get their free agent and at least Steele or Thompson work out in the rotation, they will be in position to be buyers at the next trade deadline and be back to make a postseason push as soon as 2022.