Offseason shows players still rave about their Cubs experience

By taking a casual stroll through Cubs Twitter, you'd think playing for the organization ranks among the least savory experiences open to one in life. The shine has already worn off the Dansby Swanson signing and more than a few fans are already back to complaining about every single move the front office makes (or doesn't make) on a daily basis.

Cubs are clearly doing things right - just ask the players themselves

The disdain these fans have for Jed Hoyer, Tom Ricketts and the Cubs organization doesn't seem to leak into player's minds, though, as we've seen on multiple accounts this winter alone. New Chicago right-hander Jameson Taillon joined the club, in part, because of the rave reviews he received from a pair of former Cubs - Anthony Rizzo and Scott Effross.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Taillon "received positive feedback" from both guys, who were his teammates in the Bronx in 2022. The fact Effross had nothing but good things to say isn't really a shocker - he had nothing but success in his brief Cubs tenure. But the end to Rizzo's decade-long run on the North Side was anything but smooth, yet he clearly still holds the organization, as a whole, in high esteem.

This week, it was more of the same, this time with two-time Gold Glove catcher Tucker Barnhart taking note of what Wade Miley had to say about his stint with the Cubs.

Miley, who recently returned to the division rival Brewers on a one-year deal after getting his career back on track with the team back in 2018, was decent enough when he toed the rubber for the Cubs last year. The only problem is he made just eight starts and one relief appearance and was hardly the reliable veteran presence the team hoped for when bringing him into the fold.

And yet, despite not having the season he or the team had hoped for, Miley poured on the praise. That should really catch folks' eye given we're talking about a player who's played for eight different teams during his 12-year big league career.

As a fan, especially if you're more of a casual one who loves to hate when things aren't going well, it's easy to point to everything you perceive as going wrong. But clearly this team - and its revamped infrastructure under Hoyer - are doing a lot of things right, too, and players are taking note.