Sure, it’s more than five years away, but it’s never too early to start planning, and as the center of the Cubs clubhouse during that championship season, Rizzo seemed like a perfect candidate for the planning committee.
Three months later, Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Javier Báez are gone, and many other active players from the championship team are scattered around the majors. Only Kyle Hendricks, Jason Heyward and Willson Contreras still call Wrigley Field home, along with manager David Ross — a player in 2016 — and coach Mike Borzello.
The dynasty that never happened led to the reckoning Epstein once threatened, and now the homecoming of former Cubs stars from 2016 has become a ritual we all know by heart.