The Chicago Cubs have had a very active offseason so far, trying to help a team that has won 83 games in consecutive years take a step forward.
In 2024, the Cubs were once again good, but not great. This resulted in their postseason drought continuing, but with a young core, there is hope for moving forward.
This offseason, the front office of Chicago has been very aggressive in trying to improve the team. Early in the winter, they pulled off a blockbuster deal to bring in Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.
Even though he could just be a rental for them, he will provide the team with a true superstar in the outfield. Improving the lineup and getting a star was certainly a need this winter, and they accomplished it by getting Tucker.
Recently, Chicago has worked toward another trade with the Astros to acquire Ryan Pressly to help bolster their bullpen. This was another big need for the team, as the veteran right-hander will likely be getting first crack at closing games this season when the deal becomes official.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently gave grades to all the teams in baseball for their offseason so far. For the Cubs, they received a solid grade of a ‘B’, highlighted by their addition of Tucker.
“It is nonetheless fair to feel underwhelmed by the Cubs' offseason. Their payroll is actually set to go down, and you can rest assured the same won't be true of the franchise's $500 million revenue stream.”
It has certainly been an active offseason for Chicago and the addition of Tucker can't be understated. The 28-year-old is a true star with a WAR of 5.0 or higher in three of the last four years. If not for an injury that cost him three months in 2024, he would certainly have eclipsed that number as well.
Getting Pressly will provide the Cubs with an additional high-leverage arm in the bullpen. Finishing off games was an issue for Chicago last year, but that should be drastically improved heading into 2025.
Where it is a bit disappointing for the Cubs this offseason is their lack of spending. While they made some excellent moves on the trade market, they weren’t much of a factor in free agency.
In a big market like Chicago, operating like a medium-market or even a small market team isn’t something that fans will want to see.
With Tucker potentially being just a rental, the Cubs must make sure they are not only doing all they can to keep the star long-term, but also surround him with the best possible team in 2025 to make a postseason run.
While the offseason has been good, spending a little to upgrade in free agency would have made it great.
