Chicago Cubs: Comparing the Cubs and White Sox rebuilds

The Cubs Lineup

First, let’s break down the Cubs championship core lineup and key players as a result of the rebuild.

C- Miguel Montero

1B – Anthony Rizzo

2B – Javier Baez

3B – Kris Bryant

SS – Addison Russell

UT – Ben Zobrist

LF – Kyle Schwarber

CF – Dexter Fowler

RF – Jason Heyward

OF – Albert Almora

C – David Ross

P – Jake Arrieta

P – Jon Lester

P – Kyle Hendricks

P – John Lackey

P – Jose Quintana

Although starting pitcher Jose Quintana was still a member of the White Sox when the Cubs won the World Series in 2016, we’ll include him in this largely because of the implications that the trade involving Quintana had on the White Sox rebuild. But we’ll get to that trade later.

Of the core Cubs players on the championship roster, only Anthony Rizzo had been around for four seasons or more. Rizzo was acquired on January 6, 2012 and was the longest tenured member of the core. Only Travis Wood, who was acquired just a few weeks prior on December 21 in a trade that sent starting pitcher Sean Marshall to the Cincinnati Reds, had been a Cub for longer than Rizzo.