Chicago Cubs: Team takes first step towards rebuild

The Chicago Cubs announced a number of player development moves within the organization. Though not explicitly stated, it’s the club’s first step towards a rebuild.

As the championship window for the Chicago Cubs continues to inch towards closure, the front office has already begun to show signs that a rebuild is soon to be in the cards.

Cubs President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein first hinted towards a rebuild in his closing remarks on September 30. “How would we set it up if we were building it from scratch?”, Epstein rhetorically pondered to the media after a disappointing end to the 2019 season.

Though said in passing, it was a clear sign that the Cubs would soon be building “from the ground up” in their pursuit for another World Series championship.

Though there may be a familiar face or two centered around the rebuild, it was a clear-cut sign that the team would soon need to focus on fresh, young faces to help the team compete after the current core is either retired or too expensive to retain.

The team unofficially officially took their first step towards a rebuild on Thursday, as the front office announced a series of internal moves in the Player Development Department. For a full breakdown of the moves, click here.

Though not explicitly stated, the moves signal that the Cubs are ready to focus on developing the minor league system to contend in the future as they did when Epstein first arrived in 2012. Instead of stockpiling talent through free agency as was the case for decades, today’s game is typically dominated by clubs who have stockpiled draft picks and young talent to contend for a number of years on low cost, rookie contracts.

With only two Cubs prospects listed in the MLB.com Top 100 list, it will soon be time for the team to turn their focus to the minor leagues if they want to compete beyond 2021.

In a way, the moves are a bittersweet development for the Cubs. Along with the decision not to renew manager Joe Maddon’s contract after the 2019 season, it’s perhaps the strongest indicator that the current glory years are soon to give way to some dark years of rebuilding and losing at the major league level in favor of minor league development.

The silver lining in all of this is that Epstein and company have proven on numerous occasions that they’re more than capable of building an organization from the ground up as well as maintaining a team’s success after winning a championship.

But before Cubs fans turn our focus towards the minor leagues and the daunting uncertainty of a total rebuild, it’s important to remember that the Cubs are still in their championship window. The team is still in their glory years with one of the most competent and brilliant front offices in sports history.