And now the talk goes to that familiar place that it always does after a great win of a championship. Can they repeat a WS win for the first time since the Yankees in 2000? Can they build a dynasty? Sure they can, right? Why not? They have a great manager in Joe Maddon and a GM that has proven to have the "Midas Touch" when it comes to helping a team with stellar postseason droughts turn into title contenders and then title holders in Theo Epstein. They should never again be known as the "Lovable Losers".
MLB pundits seem to believe that the Cubbies have the best chance to repeat and could likely return to the big dance this year. They should have a healthy Kyle Schwarber back in the lineup. They will be without their million dollar leadoff man in Dexter Fowler but with Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo intact, the lineup should be dangerous for most any opponent. There is a noticeable improvement in the bullpen, at least, on paper which gives Coach Maddon some options. Jake Arrieta, when consistent, is one of the deadliest arms on the mound in this league. It is a bit difficult, however, to ignore his propensity to slide during the season. They have plenty of reasons to be competitive and reach the postseason once again. But this league is never that simple and we are normally surprised by the two combatants that square off every October and awe-struck by the road they take to get there. I have concerns that say maybe the Champs are not a lock to repeat as many hopefuls may, well, hope.
You may summarily dismiss their ace's slide as the season progresses as well as some ineffectiveness at the plate in key situations but even with a phenomenal 103 win season, there were some chinks in the armor, especially when the games were close in the latter innings. They were ranked 21st with RISP (.252). They were also ranked middle of the road with homers from the 7th inning on with 55 total. If a team has the firepower to match them pound for pound until the latter innings and upset their starting pitchers' rhythm, they may not be able to match that high win total again this year.
Losing Dexter Fowler could be a serious deficiency at the top of the lineup and even in the clubhouse, where he was very popular. His .393 OBP won't be easy to replace. Just as a note, the Cubs went 23-20 when Fowler sat out games. He was clearly a big reason they had such a great season. Perhaps those are shoes too big to fill.
Their starting pitching depth has been a problem since their run in 2015 and very noticeable when they were ousted by the New York Mets in the NLCS. An injury in this group could be a season killer. The Cubs have money to spend but will they be inclined to do so is another story altogether. There are also some concerns about the rotation in whether the Cubs can catch lightning in a bottle again with their number 5 starter, Jason Hammel. He won 15 games last year, which was amazing. Matching that with a guy that gets hurt so much in Brett Anderson is a gamble of a lifetime.
There is plenty to give me pause about a potential repeat: the inconsistent bats, health of key players, issues with the starting rotation, and some definite changes in the team's makeup with role players having to step in for a high profile closer and one of the top leadoff men in the league last year. These are all tangible concerns. The one intangible is the fact that teams that have had such a long drought (case in point: The Boston Red Sox - 2005) have a dip in win total the following year. The fans don't bring as much emotion and perhaps the players won't have such a sense of urgency. That's not a guarantee to happen at all but it's something to watch.
Vegas thinks the Cubs could win 94 games. I tend to agree but I am not certain a return to the WS is in the cards. Can the role players fill the huge shoes Aroldis Chapman and Dexter Fowler left behind? Despite the championship success, is the team currently built for the long haul? Can the Chicago Cubs truly be the first MLB dynasty in over seventeen years? Who's next to be considered the league's "Lovable Losers"? The Cleveland Indians? Or perhaps another team?
I would love to hear your thoughts, Cub fan or not.
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