The Chicago Cubs find themselves in the middle of their World Series contention window. With several young stars in their prime and adding some pitching pieces, it's hard to imagine a scenario where the Cubs don't make a deep postseason run.
Ian Happ is the only change to the lineup, taking over in the outfield. The biggest revisions for the Cubs came in the starting rotation and bullpen. After adding Jose Quintana via trade last July, the Cubs added Yu Darvish and Tyler Chatwood this offseason to go alongside Jon Lester in the rotation. Brandon Morrow and Steve Cishek were added to handle late-inning situations, replacing Wade Davis.
Drew Smyly will start the year on the 60-day disabled list as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. He's not expected back until late August. Reliever Pedro Strop is battling a calf injury, but is expected to be ready for opening day.
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PREVIEW & PREDICTIONS: St. Louis Cardinals | Cincinnati Reds | Milwaukee Brewers | Pittsburgh Pirates
NL CENTRAL PREDICTIONS | Division Odds | NL Pennant Odds
2018 MLB: Divisional Picks, World Series & Awards
HOME RUN ODDS: Homer King in NY?
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| POS | PLAYER | *WAR |
|---|---|---|
| 1B | Anthony Rizzo | 4.6 |
| 2B | Javier Baez | 1.9 |
| 3B | Kris Bryant | 6.1 |
| SS | Addison Russell | 2.9 |
| C | Wilson Contreras | 2.9 |
| OF | Kyle Schwarber | 1.8 |
| OF | Ian Happ | 1.2 |
| OF | Jason Heyward | 2.1 |
*Projected by STEAMER
| POS | PLAYER | *WAR |
|---|---|---|
| OF | Peter Bourjos | 0.0 |
| UT | Tommy La Stella | 0.0 |
| UT | Ben Zobrist | 1.3 |
| OF | Albert Almora Jr | 1.2 |
| C | Chris Gimenez | 0.1 |
*Projected by STEAMER
| PLAYER | *WAR |
|---|---|
| Jon Lester, LHP | 3.5 |
| Jose Quintana, LHP | 4.2 |
| Yu Darvish, RHP | 3.9 |
| Kyle Hendricks, RHP | 2.6 |
| Tyler Chatwood, RHP | 1.9 |
*Projected by STEAMER
| PLAYER | *WAR |
|---|---|
| Brandon Morrow, RHP | 0.7 |
| Carl Edwards Jr, RHP | 0.6 |
| Pedro Strop, RHP | 0.7 |
| Justin Wilson, LHP | 0.6 |
| Steve Cishek, RHP | 0.4 |
| Mike Montgomery, LHP | 0.6 |
| Eddie Butler, RHP | 0.0 |
*Projected by STEAMER
| PLAYER | POS |
|---|---|
| Adbert Alzolay | RHP |
| Aramis Ademan | SS |
| Oscar De La Cruz | RHP |
| Jose Albertos | RHP |
| Alex Lange | RHP |
WILD CARD PLAYER
Signing a six-year, $126 million deal this offseason, Yu Darvish has the chance to be the guy that gets the Cubs back over the top in 2018. According to Fangraphs, Darvish projects at 173 innings and a 3.53 FIP, which is basically a sign of decline.
The good news is, even at those projections, Darvish would be a significant upgrade over Jake Arrieta's 2017.
If Darvish can meet projections or better, the Cubs will have one of the most balanced rosters in all of Major League Baseball.
— Joel Latta
