San Diego, CA
Progress report: Chicago Cubs
CHICAGO CUBS
- 2024 finish: 83-79 (2nd in NL Central)
- Manager: Craig Counsell (2nd season, 83-79)
- Leading the front office: Jed Hoyer, president of baseball operations (5th season)
DOLLARS AND SENSE
- Largest luxury tax hit: SS Dansby Swanson ($25.3 million)
- Top returning player(s): SS Dansby Swanson (4.3 fWAR), INF Nico Hoerner (3.9), OF Ian Happ (3.6)
- Top returning starting pitcher(s): LHP Shota Imanaga (3.0 fWAR), LHP Justin Steele (3.0), RHP Jameson Taillon (2.3)
- Top returning reliever(s): RHP Porter Hodge (0.9 fWAR), RHP Tyson Miller (0.5), RHP Nate Pearson (0.2)
ROSTER WATCH
- Key additions: OF Kyle Tucker (trade), RHP Ryan Pressly (trade), LHP Matthew Boyd (free agent), C Carson Kelly (free agent), 1B Justin Turner (free agent), LHP Caleb Thielbar (free agent), INF Vidal Brujan (trade), RHP Cody Poteet (trade), 3B Jon Berti (free agent), RHP Colin Rea (free agent), RHP Eli Morgan (free agent), RHP Ryan Brasier (trade), RHP Phil Bickford (minors), OF Travis Jankowski (minors), C Reese McGuire (minors).
- Key losses: OF Cody Bellinger (trade), RHP Hayden Wesneski (trade), 3B Isaac Paredes (trade), RHP Kyle Hendricks (free agent), C Matt Thaiss (trade), RHP Jorge Lopez (free agent), RHP Yency Almonte (free agent), LHP Drew Smyly (free agent), C Christian Bethancourt (free agent), 1B Matt Mervis (trade), OF Mike Tauchman (free agent), SS Miles Mastrobuoni (trade), RHP Adbert Alzolay (free agent), RHP Trey Wingenter (free agent), 1B Patrick Wisdom (free agent), OF Brennan Davis (free agent), 3B Nick Madrigal (free agent), RHP Juan Bello (trade).
- Baseball America top-100 prospect(s): 3B Matt Shaw (35), RHP Cade Horton (54), C Moises Ballesteros (62), OF Owen Caissie (64), OF Kevin Alcantara (71).
KEEP AN EYE ON
- The Cubs ended their Word Series drought in 2016 and made the playoffs in three of the four ensuing seasons before tearing down. They’ve won 83 games each of the last two seasons and have pushed their chips back toward the middle in the NL Central, trading RHP Hayden Wesneski, 3B Isaac Paredes and prospect Cam Smith for OF Kyle Tucker’s walk year. Tucker agreed to a $16.5 million salary to avoid arbitration, but the trade will make a lot more sense if the Cubs can work out an extension.
- Trading away Paredes opens the door for prospect Matt Shaw to win the third base job. The 2023 first-rounder hit 21 homers between Double-A and Triple-A last year and could team with 1B Michael Busch (.775 OPS, 21 HR in 2024) to give the Cubs a young nucleus on the corners, not unlike Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo during their 2016 run.
- The Cubs are running out a new-look bullpen in 2025, led by the trade for RHP Ryan Pressly, who has 112 saves and a 3.27 ERA over his 12-year career. Pressly saved as many as 33 games in 2022 for the Astros. Other newcomers include RHPs Ryan Brasier, Eli Morgan and Colin Rea and LHP Caleb Thielbar.
PECOTA projection: 91.8 wins
PECOTA RANKINGS
(As of March 18)
- 91.8 wins | Chicago Cubs
- 91.3 wins | New York Mets
- 90.4 wins | Texas Rangers
- 88.2 wins | Baltimore Orioles
- 87.8 wins | Houston Astros
- 87.4 wins | Arizona Diamondbacks
- 87.3 wins | San Diego Padres
- 87.1 wins | Minnesota Twins
- 86.2 wins | Seattle Mariners
- 85.8 wins | Philadelphia Phillies
- 85.1 wins | New York Yankees
- 84.8 wins | Toronto Blue Jays
- 82.4 wins | Tampa Bay Rays
- 81.4 wins | Kansas City Royals
- 80.1 wins | Cleveland Guardians
- 79.8 wins | Boston Red Sox
- 79.1 wins | Milwaukee Brewers
- 78.4 wins | Pittsburgh Pirates
- 78.1 wins | San Francisco Giants
- 78.0 wins | Detroit Tigers
- 77.7 wins | St. Louis Cardinals
- 74.1 wins | Cincinnati Reds
- 74.1 wins | Los Angeles Angels
- 71.7 wins | Sacramento Athletics
- 68.8 wins | Washington Nationals
- 61.7 wins | Chicago White Sox
- 60.3 wins | Miami Marlins
- 55.3 wins | Colorado Rockies
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