Cubs News: Pitchers and catchers report with big goals in 2023

The Chicago Cubs are a team coming into 2023 with mixed expectations. With some of the other teams that reside in the National League, it is hard to see them getting into the playoffs. On the other side of the coin, they were decent at times in 2022 and made some major upgrades.

A lot of the upgrades came on the offensive side of the game. Guys like Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, and Eric Hosmer amongst others are going to try and make this team better with their bats in addition to playing some good defense.

This is also a team that is trying to be better in terms of pitching which is a realistic goal. Pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training now which is very exciting.

One notable missing face is that of Willson Contreras who reported to his first St. Louis Cardinals camp this week. Not having him around is a big blow to the lineup but they have to find a way to move on both offensively and in terms of playing the position of catcher.

They signed Tucker Barnhart this off-season who is a very good defensive catcher. With Yan Gomes, they should form a decent duo back there.

Pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training for the Chicago Cubs.

As for pitchers, Kyle Hendricks is the only remaining player from the 2016 World Series champions team. He is going to miss the start of the season recovering from his surgery but we should see him at some point this year.

Marcus Stroman is getting ready for year two with the team while Jameson Taillon is an off-season addition that a lot of people are excited about. Guys like Keegan Thompson, Hayden Wesneski, and Caleb Killian are looking to make an impact as well.

It would also be nice to see guys like Codi Heuer and Adbert Alzolay come in and find some health this year so that we can see what they are made of. This is a big year for these guys as they can earn themselves a spot in the long term. We’ve seen flashes in the past from both of them.

The Cubs are going to be able to pitch this year. Coming in with big goals will help them become a better team as a whole. Based on everything said, they feel that way in the clubhouse as well.

They have to try and get the most offense that they can in order to take advantage of it. They need everyone playing at their best at the same time to go somewhere this season which is certainly possible. It is only the first week but there is a lot to be excited about.