Chicago Cubs: 4 questions that need answers this offseason
After a hard to swallow end to the season, the Chicago Cubs have four pressing questions that they must answer this offseason.
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The Chicago Cubs were supposed to be the class of the division for the third straight year. Instead, the North Siders are sitting at home, licking their wounds, and watching their division rivals host the NLCS.
The Cubs held their lead over the surging Milwaukee Brewers until the season’s final day. A miserable performance at the plate in the NL Central title game put the Cubs in a winnable Wild Card game, but another quiet day for the bats proved to be the final nail in the coffin of the Cubs’ 2018 season.
Sure, the team made their fourth straight postseason appearance, setting a new franchise record. But that alone is no longer enough to satisfy a demanding fanbase.
Five years ago a trip to the NL Wild Card game would’ve been the sign of a successful season in Wrigleyville. Now, anything but a World Series win is seen as a failure, and for good reason.
The sheer amount of talent on the Cubs’ roster is staggering. The team’s young core has played together for four seasons now, making it easy to forget that many of these guys are still in their early- or mid-20s.
Although the performance at the plate was disappointing in the season’s second half, this team doesn’t need major alterations to be World Series favorites again next year.
It may be hard to see the positive side of things after a crushing end to the year, but the Cubs faced major injuries as well as vast underperformance, yet still managed to win 95 games in a season in which it felt as if the team never hit their stride.
This Cubs team is still in the middle of a championship window, but the front office must answer these four questions in the offseason to put the Cubs in prime position to win another World Series.