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3 amazing Chicago Cubs moves that worked out better than planned in 2023
Here are 3 amazing moves that the Chicago Cubs made in 2023 that not only worked out better than planned, but set the team up for success in 2024 and beyond
The Chicago Cubs just finished a wild year. Although the sting of missing the playoffs is still fresh in everyone's mind, there is a lot to look back on and find encouragement from.
Cubs owner Tom Rickets has pointed out the failure of the season and expressed the need for more additions and development this winter, which should bring some confidence to the fanbase. Some of the moves the team made this year will put them in a good position to succeed in the future. Here are 3 moves that worked out better than planned in 2023.
1. Making Adbert Alzolay the closer
Going into the season. the Cubs did not have a clear answer for the closing role. In fact, the entire structure of the bullpen was up in the air for much of the first half of the season.
Michael Fulmer and Brad Boxberger were the major offseason additions and were thought of as the logical back-of-the-bullpen options. however, both men struggled and went down with injuries early on, forcing Manager David Ross to experiment with young and inexperienced relievers.
At the time, Adbert Alzolay was the clear choice in my mind for closing duties, but it took a long time for Ross to fully trust him in the ninth inning. Alzolay didn't get his first save opportunity until May 30th and he wasn't the full-time closer until July.
Even though it took half the season for Alzolay to secure the job, it was the right choice making him the closer. The 28-year-old converted 22 of his 25 save opportunities while turning in a 2.67 ERA over 64 innings pitched. More importantly, Alzolay flashed the confidence to handle the closing assignments, which are notoriously stress-inducing thanks to the extremely small margin of error.
Moving forward, it's reassuring to have Alzolay in the bullpen whether it be as the closer, or as the set-up man if the team pursues a better guy to handle the ninth inning.
2. Extending Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner
Prior to the season, the Cubs agreed to three-year contract extensions for outfielder Ian Happ and second baseman Nico Hoerner. While it's impossible to say how they would have performed had they not signed these deals, the job security surely didn't hurt Happ and Hoerner as they were major components of the team in 2023.
Happ played 150 games in left field and although his defense looked a bit shaky at times, he set career highs in walks (99), and RBI (84) while smacking 35 doubles and 21 home runs.
Hoerner was even better, as he played gold-glove caliber defense at second base, which satisfyingly complimented the defensive prowess of new shortstop Dansby Swanson. At 26 years old, Hoerner was also able to stay healthy and set a career-high in games played at 150 while seemingly solving the team's leadoff hitter problem. An issue that has effectively plagued the team since Dexter Fowler left the team in 2017.
Hoerner thrived in the leadoff role, slashing .283/.346/.383 and becoming the first Cub in over a decade to steal more than 30 bases in a season (43).
Happ and Hoerner are also routinely praised for their leadership qualities, adding an immeasurable aspect to their value. Having them around for the next two seasons on contracts that didn't break the bank was a shrewd move by the front office in my opinion.
3. Bringing up the rookies
Even though Ross gave a frustratingly high amount of playing time to struggling veterans like Tucker Barnhart, Trey Mancini and Eric Hosmer, we can't deny that a lot of young prospects made their way to the major league level this year.
In the bullpen, Luke Little and Daniel Palencia got a taste of the majors and were able to showcase their triple-digit-touching fastballs. Both men are just 23 years old, but this big league exposure can only help them down the road as they could very well become cornerstones of the bullpen as soon as next year thanks to their high velocity.
In the rotation, not enough can be said about Javier Assad's contributions to the team this season. Whether it was starting games or coming out of the bullpen in long relief, Assad was ready and able to turn in quality innings. He finished the year with a 3.05 ERA in 109.1 innings pitched with 94 strikeouts to boot. At times, he was the most effective pitcher in the starting rotation. For a 26-year-old in his first full season in the majors, 2023 was a major step forward for Assad and the future looks bright for him.
Another major pitching call-up was 2021 first-round pick Jordan Wicks. At a time down the stretch when the rotation was banged up, Wicks was able to slot in and bring some stability with his impressive confidence and wicked changeups.
On the position player side, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alexander Canario were added to the roster but saw very limited playing time. This was a bit disappointing, but at the end of the day both guys were in the dugout for a good portion of September getting exposure to major-league pitching and expectations. This experience could prove valuable for their development down the road and go a long way in preparing for everyday roles.
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