(670 The Score) If the Cubs can re-sign star first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger in free agency, they'll retain a key player for their future. But what will it take for the team to ascend to the next level after an 83-win season in 2023?
While the Cubs anticipate they'll make more additions this winter, the team knows it needs improvement from within to take the next step, as general manager Carter Hawkins told the Parkins & Spiegel Show on Friday.
“The variable is the other 25 players on the team,” Hawkins said of how the Cubs can improve in 2024. “That’s the hope, that guys are getting better year over year. Like, Justin Steele was ‘X’ two years ago, he was ‘Y’ last year and we’re hoping he’s ‘Z’ this year. It’s very rarely one particular player that defines a season. It almost never is. It’s a combination of players. To the extent all of those guys improve, that is going to be I think what decides the fate of this team.
“I think you look at some of the guys that didn’t play a ton last year. A guy like Miguel Amaya at the catcher position, showed a lot of flashes of a guy who could really impact our team. Pete (Crow-Armstrong) got a call-up at the end of the year last year and we’re hoping that he can really take a step forward offensively. On the pitching side, you see guys like (Hayden) Wesneski that could be in the rotation at some point, and we feel like have a lot of upside and opportunity to help our team out.
“I’m sure I’m missing a lot, but nobody was thinking that (Adbert) Alzolay was going to be a closer last year at this time and look what he was able to do. So, that’s the whole thrust of our offseason. In addition to additions and bring back replacements if you want to call it, the best thing that we can do from an acquisition standpoint is improve upon the players that we already have.”
The 28-year-old Bellinger hit .307 with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs for the Cubs last season as he worked on a one-year deal with the team. He remains a free agent, and the Cubs are considered a strong suitor for his services.