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‘Not a finished product’: Measuring the Cubs’ improvement so far this offseason

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New Cubs right-hander Jameson Taillon put forward a compelling piece of evidence: “I don’t think [Dansby Swanson] would’ve picked Chicago if he wasn’t convinced that we could build a winner and get back to that level.”

That’s the kind of impact Swanson already has made. Not only does his signing undoubtedly make the team better, but it sends a message about the Cubs’ vision. It’s not nearly as loud as Mets owner Steve Cohen’s commitment of over $806 million to free agents already this offseason, but the deal was still heard across the league.

If Swanson, who won the World Series in 2021 and said the word “win” three dozen times in his introductory news conference, believes in the Cubs’ plan to climb back into contention, they must be getting close, right?