2024 Record: 83-79
General Manager: Jed Hoyer (entering year 5)
Manager: Craig Counsell (entering year 2)
Notable Offseason Acquisitions: SP Matthew Boyd (2 years, 29 million), C Carson Kelly (2 years, 11.5 million), DH Justin Turner (1 year, 6 million), SP Colin Rea (1 year, 5 million), RP Caleb Thielbar (1 year, 2.75 million), UT Jon Berti (1 year, 2 million), OF Kyle Tucker (trade acquisition from HOU), RP Ryan Pressly (trade acquisition from HOU), RP Ryan Brasier (trade acquisition from LAD)
The Chicago Cubs could not separate themselves in 2024, missing the playoffs for the 4th consecutive season and disappointing fans in the first year of the Craig Counsell era. Even though Chicago didn’t meet expectations for one of the most storied franchises in MLB, it was clear that the Cubs were not far off from being a contender again.
From the offensive side that got solid production from multiple contributors including shortstop Dansby Swanson (4 WAR, 16 home runs), outfielder Seiya Suzuki (3.5 WAR, .283 batting average, 21 home runs, .848 OPS), second baseman Nico Hoerner (3.7 WAR, .273 batting average), and left fielder Ian Happ (3.9 WAR, 25 home runs, 2024 Gold Glove winner). Their starting pitching was excellent, especially rookie Shota Imanaga (3 WAR, 2.91 ERA, All-Star, 5th in Cy Young, 4th in Rookie of the Year), finesse lefty Justin Steele (3.07 ERA, 130 ERA+), and veteran Jameson Taillon (3.27 ERA, 122 ERA+). Even their bullpen had moments from guys like Porter Hodge (1.88 ERA) and Tyson Miller (2.15 ERA).
Chicago had a core that needed some extra help to finally get over the top. So general manager Jed Hoyer and his staff got to work for the 2025 season and became one of the busiest teams in baseball this offseason. The Cubs needed more depth in the starting rotation and they addressed that need with Matthew Boyd and Colin Rea, two veterans who put up innings and can keep a team in games. The bullpen got big reinforcements too with Ryan Pressly, Ryan Brasier, and Caleb Thielbar, all of whom can induce swing and misses in short stints. Pressly in particular should be juiced to get a closing role again after being demoted to set-up man last year with the Houston Astros.
Position players-wise, the Cubs added catcher Carson Kelly to join a platoon with the incumbent Miguel Amaya. Additionally, they signed utility infielder Jon Berti to run the bases and defend around the diamond and designated hitter Justin Turner to add some more pop to the lineup.
But the biggest move they made all offseason was acquiring star outfielder Kyle Tucker (also from the Houston Astros) in exchange for former first-round pick Cam Smith. Tucker has the chance to dominate in the middle of the Chicago lineup, as throughout his seven-year MLB career, he has averaged a .274 batting average with 32 home runs and 107 RBIs. That kind of punch should play well at Wrigley Field and Tucker should be the key to breaking the four-year playoff drought.
I believe the Chicago Cubs have a lot in their favor this season. With a strong solid core in all phases of their team and newly added star power with Kyle Tucker and Ryan Pressly, this team has a chance to burst through the NL Central and take first place. The St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates have legitimate question marks, while the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers have a lot of volatility in their squads. Chicago’s floor is pretty high and I feel they can still compete if they have an unexpected injury. This is an exciting group and I can’t wait to see how they perform for the Cubbie faithful in 2025.
