Are the Chicago Cubs Becoming Too Complacent for 2017?
Fresh off winning their first World Series in 108 years, the Chicago Cubs are currently sitting on top of the world. Still, are the organization’s questionable off-season moves a preview of the team’s alarming complacency to come during this upcoming season?
The Chicago Cubs are in unfamiliar territory right now. They are the defending World Series champs. All eyes will be squarely focused on their every move this upcoming season as the team looks for a repeat of 2016. While winning back-to-back World Series should be enough motivation for any team, are the Cubs starting to become too full-of-themselves?
This is an interesting question to ask because there are some warning signings to this notion becoming true. It all starts with the Cubs’ questionable off-season roster moves made thus far. Letting Dexter Fowler, the team’s best leadoff hitter depart to the Saint Louis Cardinals was a head-scratching move. His defense in centerfield was terrific last season, and he frequently got on base, setting the tone early and often for the Cubs’ offense.
This move by the Cubs was a mistake, because the player they have to replace Fowler is Jon Jay. A 31-year-old center fielder, Jay has a history of getting injured, having missed over a full season’s worth of games in the previous two years. He also doesn’t drive in nearly as many runs as Fowler has with the Cubs. He also draws fewer walks than Fowler, leading to less scoring chances.
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The Cubs also made another ill-advised move in replacing closer Aroldis Chapman with former Royals’ closer Wade Davis. The team didn’t want to sign Chapman to a long-term deal. This decision only makes sense if they find a dependable replacement.
Davis is dependable…when healthy. He had an injury-filled season in 2016. Basically, like Chapman was in 2016, Davis is a one-year rental. If he turns out to get injured or becomes a bust, the Cubs will still need to find another future reliable closer. And finding one is really hard to do. That’s why inking Chapman to a long-term deal may have been the safest option. Too late.
In addition, the Cubs did little to address their aging, uncertain starting rotation. Jake Arrieta is in his last year of his contract. The Cubs are unsure of whether or not to resign him, and the longer they wait to make a decision, the more uncertainty ensues.
John Lackey, the team’s fourth starter, is in his final year with the Cubs as well. He pitched poorly throughout the postseason, raising red flags within the organization. Still, the Cubs are depending on him to produce this season at age 38. Pitchers that old tend to only decline in performance.
How about addressing the Cubs’ fifth starter role? The team is banking on Mike Montgomery to fill that role in replace of Jason Hammel. While he’s been a reliable reliever, Montgomery’s track record as a starter has been the opposite. This is a gamble that might not pay off well for the Cubs. The club also signed injury-prone starter Brett Anderson as an insurance policy. Not necessarily the best move to make in case all things go south.
The Cubs also didn’t improve their bullpen woes. All they did was sign a bunch of players to minor league contracts. A bunch of unproven players who might not be ready to contribute anytime soon. Only time will tell, but the Cubs are basically relying on the same bullpen arms that Joe Maddon was reluctant to use during critical moments in the postseason.
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And what about replacing beloved catcher David Ross? His retirement hurts the Cubs because his production was much better than current backup catcher Miguel Montero. Montero can’t hit consistently, and his defense as a catcher is only getting worse. The Cubs haven’t even thought about finding a more reliable backup to Willson Contreras. Mistake for sure on the organization’s part.
What the Cubs’ front office is telling fans through their off-season moves is that their team can compete with the same roster they had a season ago minus a few key players. The team appears to feel too “high-almighty-of-themselves”. This may very well become a major issue of concern down the road.
Finally, let’s not forget about the player’s perspectives. While all the Cubs’ players are motivated to win multiple World Series, can newly discovered fame begin to creep into their heads? It’s easy for young Cub players to get caught up into the fanfare that has come with what they’ve already accomplished.
Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and other teammates have been enjoying the spotlight this off-season, conducting interviews and making public appearances on a variety of prominent talk shows. Many of them have also been performing in yearly commercials. Maybe the players come into this season with less motivation because the team now has what they were striving to attain for over a century.
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The Cubs, still being a young team, are now missing that key veteran presence to keep them staying focused throughout the season. That presence being David Ross. He was the one guy besides Joe Maddon who knew how to keep his teammates focused purely on the tasks ahead. His absence no doubt will hurt the Cubs.
Winning a World Series must have been the greatest feeling in the world for Cubs’ players. It was for the fans after all. But once you have one, does winning a second one now lose some luster? Only time will tell. But all signs thus far from the Cubs’ organization are suggesting that complacency has already begun to make its mark.