Year in Review: Chicago Cubs

It's time to look back at every team from around the MLB and what they showed us during the 60 game sprint! We are going to explore a few things for each team: Review in-season transactions, what we learned, what we loved, what we didn't love, the most significant need(s), and lastly, the biggest takeaways.

Let's jump over the NL with the Chicago Cubs today. We talked about the Padres, A's, Marlins, Yankee's, Cardinals, and Whitesox so far; you can find all posts on the homepage.

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What moves did the 2020 Cubs make?

Detroit Tigers traded LF Cameron Maybin to Chicago Cubs for SS Zack Short. The trade was a depth piece move that provided the Cubs with a versatile piece around the OF. The Tiger's maybe got a future SS and added to their prospect depth.

Boston Red Sox traded LHP Josh Osich to Chicago Cubs for a Player To Be Named Later. We still have yet to see who the PTBNL is, but this was a good move for the Cubs to bolster the pen.

Arizona Diamondbacks traded LHP Andrew Chafin and cash to Chicago Cubs for Player To Be Named Later. This was another one of those depth pieces to help the pitching staff be ready for anything.

Chicago Cubs traded Player To Be Named Later and cash to Tampa Bay Rays for 1B Jose Martinez. I hate and like this movie for the Cubs, which gives them a decent option for whatever may happen to Rizzo.

None of these moves for the Cubs were of significant impact and helped fill some holes and move them into first place in the NL Central and to a 34-26 record on the season.

What did we love about the 2020 Cubs? The thing that we all loved most was seeing Hendricks and Darvish go out and earn their money this season and be those top-shelf rotation pieces they pay for. We loved seeing the pitching staff as a whole get 523K and pitch to a decent 3.99ERA. We also loved every game that Ian Happ won for the Cubs. This kid is going to keep getting better and be the next wave of talent for the Cubs.

What did we not love about the 2020 Cubs? I did not love the team batting average of .220; the team totals 74 HR. I did not love the awful year from Baez, Rizzo, Bryant, Schwarber and the whole team was a struggle offensively. The 34 wins came from their pitching, which wasn't great, pitching a 3.99ERA together with two of their starters posting a below 3ERA. I was not too fond of Lester, Mills, or Kimbrel's performance at all for most of the 2nd half. We also did not love the exit in the WC round of the Playoffs due to not pitching, but only nine total hits over the two games and a team .145BA

What do the 2020 Cubs need in 2021 to move forward? I hate to say it, but I think it's time for the band to go their separate ways. I think they need to make a few trades, bring some fresh energy, and cut their losses. I hate to say it, but the dynasty needs a reboot. If they indeed keep the core of Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, and Schwarber together, they will be paying more for less and struggle in a typical 162 game season. The team needs rotation and pen help to get them over the offensive slumps that happen year in and year out.

Thank you guys for being with me today. I hope you are enjoying the blog today. Please stay tuned through the winter; we have more Around the Horn, Yearly Reviews, Ball Boy Talk, and of course, the Podcast. Don't forget to share with a friend and until next time Ball boys & girls.

What was the biggest takeaway from the 2020 Cubs? My biggest take away is how this team ended up winning 34 games. Fourteen of those were due to great pitching by Darvish and Hendricks. Happ made his fair share of wins happen. But outside of that, we still saw contributions from this team's core during the season to win them games. Here is to a better offensive. 2021.

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