Cubs: 3 moves the team must make this offseason

Cubs Starting Pitching/Bullpen

Yu Darvish and Kyle Hendricks were the team’s best starters last year

• Kyle Hendricks (30 games started, 11-10, 3.46 ERA,150 strikeouts, and 177 innings pitched)
• Yu Darvish (31 games started, 8-6, 3.98 ERA, 229 strikeouts, and 178 innings pitched)
• Jon Lester (31 games started, 13-10, 4.46 ERA,165 strikeouts, and 171 innings pitched)
• Jose Quintana(31 games started, 13-9, 4.80 ERA, 144 strikeouts, and 167 innings pitched)
• Cole Hamels(27 games started, 7-7, 3.81 ERA, 143 strikeouts, and 141 innings pitched)

The Cubs ended up declining Hamels’ option, so he’ll be a free agent and unlikely to resign with the Cubs. Quintana can be a potential trade target with him being a free agent next year, so strengthening the rotation makes sense.

Signing a guy like Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg is very unlikely for the team, unfortunately. However, perhaps they can sign a guy like Madison Bumgarner? The veteran has experience in the postseason.

Or maybe it’s time to give Adbert Alzolay a true shot at the major league roster?

Although, Theo Epstein did say they wanted to get younger at starting pitching. So maybe they do give Alzolay and Alec Mills a shot.

Now the bullpen for the Chicago Cubs was very inconsistent throughout the year.

After going out and signing Craig Kimbrel halfway into the season, they expected a lot out of him. But that wasn’t the case at all. He pitched in 23 games with 13 saves and a 6.53 ERA — not good at all.

Pedro Strop had a down year, 4.97 ERA and pitched in 50 games.

The Cubs ended up declining options from Kendall Graveman, Derek Holland, Brandon Morrow, and Tony Barnette. They have money to spend and most of it should go to improving the starting pitching and bullpen.