Since this time of year my company goes through its annual review process for employees, I thought I’d review the Cubs’ offseason and reconfirm goals for the rest of the winter.
As of November 1, the Cubs’ needs were to reconstruct their bullpen, replace Jake Arrieta and John Lackey in the starting rotation, and possibly find a centerfielder/leadoff hitter. Eight Chicago players filed for free agency, with the marquee names being Arrieta and Wade Davis. The other players whose contracts expired included Jon Jay, Alex Avila, Rene Rivera, Brian Duensing, Koji Uehara, and Lackey.
The Cubs seemed somewhat interested in bringing Davis and Arietta back, but Davis signed a record-breaking contract with the Rockies, and, depending on what other teams are willing to spend, Arrieta may command more than the Cubs can afford.