Cubs seen as one of most improved NL teams, but 1 offseason move comes with doubts

With a revamped bullpen and a true superstar for the first time in years, the Chicago Cubs opened camp in Mesa last week with a renewed sense of optimism. The team hasn't reached the postseason since 2020 - and hasn't won a playoff game since 2018. The hope is that all changes this fall.

The Athletic's Jayson Stark (subscription required) polled '32 baseball executives, former executives, coaches and scouts' for the annual spring training preview survey and, while the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers garnered most of the attention, the Cubs popped up in some key questions, as well.

First, the good news. The Cubs are widely viewed as one of the most improved teams in the National League - although it was the Dodgers and Dodgers that ran away with the bulk of the support. But behind New York and Los Angeles, Chicago was the most popular response - and it's not hard to understand why.

Kyle Tucker is the most well-rounded player to don a Cubs uniform since peak Kris Bryant. Whether he's here for one year or 10, he's the X-factor in 2025. His longtime teammate in Houston, Ryan Pressly, brings a veteran mentality and high-leverage experience with him to the bullpen, which features an impressively deep mix of arms that should give Craig Counsell plenty of options this year.

Matthew Boyd certainly comes with his share of question marks

The starting rotation looks largely the same, with Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon returning. Javier Assad Ben Brown seem the likeliest candidates to grab a spot in the rotation, but it's the big offseason addition to the staff, Matthew Boyd, who comes into camp with plenty of questions and skepticism surrounding him - due, at least in part, to the two-year, $29 million deal he received early in the offseason.

While hardly the worst free agent signing of the winter, it's not hard to see how this could quickly go wrong for the Cubs. Boyd hasn't been truly healthy in years - but the hope is the dominance he showed late last season in Cleveland - and in the postseason - is a sign of a rebirth from the left-hander. MLB insiders polled by Stark view Boyd as the fourth-worst free agent signing of the winter, though, hardly the type of list one hopes to be on.

Boyd trailed the likes of Juan Soto (who was also named among the best free agent signings of the winter), Max Fried and Luis Severino - tying with Max Scherzer, who signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. If Boyd is healthy and turns in a strong campaign in 2025, the Cubs, at least on paper, look like a postseason contender. If the wheels come off, though, the back end of the rotation could be an area Jed Hoyer looks to upgrade come July.

All told, these insiders seem to understand the potential this team has - but acknowledge it doesn't come without risks. Will Matt Shaw rise to the occasion at third base? Can a new-look bullpen bring consistency to the late innings? Could Tucker set himself up for a major payday as a dark horse NL MVP candidate? These are just a few questions facing the team with Cactus League action right around the corner.