3 biggest Chicago Cubs offseason mistakes and how they can still be fixed

3 biggest Chicago Cubs offseason mistakes: Lack of an ace

A curiosity of the Chicago Cubs' offseason was how open they were in avoiding the starting pitchers at the top of the free-agent class. The Cubs showed little to no interest in the likes of Justin Verlander, Jacob deGrom, and Carlos Rodon. Veteran starting pitcher Jameson Taillon will provide stability to the Cubs' starting rotation but much like Marcus Stroman, he is a capable secondary starting pitcher but may not be considered an ace.

Solution: The emergence of Justin Steele and Hayden Wesneski

During the second half of the 2022 season, the Cubs had two starting pitchers that truly stood out. Those starting pitchers are Justin Steele and Hayden Wesneski. Steele posted a 0.98 ERA in 36.2 innings pitched during the second half of the season while Wesneski posted a 2.18 ERA in 6 appearances (4 starts). There is no question that Wesneski has the best arsenal of any pitcher within the Cubs' system. For Steele, if he can work on his secondary offerings to utilize with his fastball, then the success he saw in the second half should transfer over to 2023. The potential is there for one of Steele or Wesneski to emerge as the team's ace in 2023.