Why I Love What Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer Are Doing With the Cubs

July 25th. 2013. My favorite team in all of sports, the Chicago Cubs are 45-54 in what could be the toughest division in all of baseball. This is actually better than I expected them to be, but that doesn't mean a lot. For a team that hasn't won a World Series in close to 105 years, it can be easy to become impatient with what we are seeing from the team.

I know some of you are reading this, and you have the Cubbie Bear Blues. That's right. You go through this nearly every July. You're sick of seeing our beloved Cubbies lose. Again, while they haven't been quite the train-wreck they have been the last two seasons, they have been at the very best, sub-par this season. And there hasn't been much excitement from this team. Back in 2002, the Cubs went 67-95, which was an embarrassing season to say the least. But, it's not like they were super-boring to watch. Fans loved seeing a juiced, slightly regressing and non-pale Sammy Sosa bunny-hopping his way to first base after hitting whatever looked to be a home run to him. Sosa hit 49 that season, and Fred McGriff (30) and Mark Bellhorn (27) also gave us some power to see. We also adored seeing Kerry Wood on the bump. While the team was playing terribly, they still had some redeeming qualities that made them enjoyable to watch.

Eleven years later, and the Cubs are putting up another losing season. But this time, the team isn't that interesting to watch. My aunt, a passionate Cubs fan, and I were recently having a discussion about this year's team, as well as last year's, which actually inspired this blog. She told me about how it just isn't fun to watch the Cubs anymore. She hasn't liked the idea of the fire sales the team has had the past couple seasons, trading anyone who has value. She hasn't been a full Theo Epstein or Jed Hoyer supporter. She talked about how the Cubs should just do their best to be good, and put a fun product out on the field, instead of what they are doing now. I love my aunt, however I have to disagree with her on this one. Here's why.

Last week, a good friend of mine's grandfather died at the age of 93. He was a passionate Cubs fan, that never got to see the Cubs win the World Series in his lifetime. My heart goes out to his family, and I am deeply sorry for their loss. As I was writing this article though, it had me thinking. I REALLY want to see the Cubs win during my lifetime. I don't want it to sound like baseball is the most important thing to me, because it isn't. There certainly is so much more to life than sports. But I REALLY want to see this happen. The Cubs are my favorite team in all sports, and I want them to win it more than any other team. I'm sure every Cubs fan wants what is best for the team, and wants to see "the curse" shattered. We have been a team and a city filled with bad luck. I don't need to go any further in to that (it will just bring up bad memories and tears). Our goal shouldn't be to be fun to watch. Or to win the division. Those are nice things, but we're playing to win the whole thing. This city and these fans have gone way too long without a World Series. The south-siders are still pointing their fingers and laughing at us because they won in 2005 and ended their near-90-year drought. The point is it has been too long, and we need to work towards accomplishing our goal.

So how do we accomplish our goal? While there are many different routes teams will try to take to be a champion, I think you have to build it from the farm system. Many people hate the Yankees because they have so much money and just buy their players. But how well has that formula actually worked out for them in recent memory? Sure, they won one in 2009. But since then, they have failed to get back to the World Series, often losing in the first round of the playoffs. They've had their fair share of struggles, and right now they are regretting spending so much on A-Rod. You can give a guy a big contract, and it will help your team the first couple years, but in the long run it can hurt your team as you still owe the guy money while he regresses. While it isn't impossible, I don't think you should build a winner from free agency. 

What the Cubs have to do is what they've been doing. While the ticket sales and television ratings may drop, the product will be greater in time. In most sports, the next best thing to being really good is being really bad. Why? The worse your team is, the higher the draft picks you will get. Being mediocre isn't a good thing. This is most evident in the NBA, but it can also apply to the MLB. So what the Cubs gotta do is trade anyone that's got value and doesn't fit in to the team's long-term plans. And this is what the Cubs' front office has been doing. Let's take a look at some of the trades they have been able to pull off.

January 6, 2012: Cubs swap fireballer Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na for first baseman Anthony Rizzo and pitcher Zach Cates with the Padres

This was the first trade Theo and Jed were able to pull off. It's no surprise that it involved Hoyer's former team he worked for, and a player Theo drafted. While Cates and Na have yet to make it up to the show and we can't measure their production, we can measure the production of the two guys this trade was about. While Cashner hasn't had been too shabby this season, he has had his struggles with control. He's also 26. In this trade, the Cubs got younger, acquiring a 22-year-old first baseman that was poised for the show. In Rizzo's first season, he gave Cubs fans everywhere hope for the future. He ignited a team that went on a bit of a run before dismantling much of the team at the trade deadline. He finished the season with pretty good rookie numbers (.285 BA, 15 HR, 48 RBI, .342 OBP in 87 games!) and even made a case for National League Rookie of the Year. While Rizzo has had his struggles this season, I believe he is a franchise first baseman, and a piece to build around. I think this trade could potentially work out for both sides, but I think the Cubs are the winners and this was a great move.

July 30, 2012: Cubs exchange Reed Johnson and Paul Maholm for minor league pitchers Jaye Chapman and Arodys Vizcaino from the Braves

This was a prime example of what Theo and Jed do. Here they took two pretty solid players, that they acquired for nothing, and swapped them for two minor league pitchers, one of which (Vizcaino) was ranked by Baseball America as the second best player in the Braves' farm system. We don't know how good Chapman could be, but this trade was about Vizcaino. It's been clear that through trades, the Cubs' aren't trying to get minor leaguers that will potentially turn in to mediocre pros. No. They want to go for high potential guys. While they might not always be safe bets, those are the guys they target because they can potentially have the best impact at the major league level. And that is the way I think you should do it.

July 31, 2012: Cubs send Geovany Soto and Ryan Dempster to the Rangers for minor league pitchers Jacob Brigham, Christian Villanueva, Kyle Hendricks

-Villanueva rated as a top 100 prospect by Baseball America at the beginning of 2012

-Kyle Hendricks 2013 double-A statistics: 9-3, 1.91 ERA

August 5, 2012: Cubs trade Jeff Baker to Tigers for cash and for pitcher Marcelo Carreno

July 2, 2013: Cubs send Scott Feldman and Steve Clevenger to Orioles for Pedro Strop, Jake Arrieta, and cash

July 2, 2013: Cubs trade Carlos Marmol to Dodgers for Matt Guerrier

July 8, 2013: Cubs trade Scott Hairston to Nationals for pitcher Ivan Pineyro and player to be named later

July 22, 2013: Cubs trade Matt Garza to Rangers for Mike Olt, C.J. Edwards, Justin Grimm, and 1-2 players to be named later

-Mike Olt: Baseball America's #22 ranked prospect in the nation entering this season, coming from one of the deepest farm systems in all of baseball

Alright, so not all of these trades are amazing. But not all of them have to be. For example, we were just going to release Marmol if we didn't get anything for him, because he's really only had a negative impact on this team. He's been so bad. We are lucky to have gotten something for him. But some of these trades are intriguing. I think it's a pretty good move when you pick up somebody for nothing, and are able to move him for younger players. I also believe these guys' have an eye for talent.

Not only are we building this team through trades, but we are developing a decent farm system. Last week ESPN Insider ranked the top 50 minor league baseball prospects. Four guys from the top 30 were Cubs players: Kris Bryant (no. 15), Jorge Soler (20), Albert Almora (25), Javier Baez (27). Baez has reminded some of a young Gary Sheffield, and they actually inherited him when they took over the Cubs' front office. But Almora and Bryant were both drafted by Theo, and they were also able to persuade Cuban defector and outfielder Soler to join the Cubs. Something I've noticed the Cubs have been doing is loading up on talented players, even if some of them play the same position. It's a nice safety cushion to have in case you bet on the wrong guy (Josh Vitters!). And if all of them do pan out, you can always use them as trade bait. The point is you want to keep your options open and build up the strongest and deepest system you can.

Some may say, "Well the Cubs won't win a World Series... ever." Those same people will say that it won't matter who is running the team because they won't win. Au Contraire. Remember ten years when everyone said the Red Sox would never win a World Series? What happened then? They went on to win two World Series' over a four year stretch (04, 07). And who built those teams? That's right, Theo Epstein. Theo is no stranger when it comes to taking a "cursed" team and turning them in to a winner. And I believe that he will do the same with the Cubs.

The future is looking bright. Take a look at the projected lineup for the 2016 Chicago Cubs:
C: ?
1B: Anthony Rizzo
2B: Starlin Castro
SS: Javier Baez
3B: Mike Olt
LF: Jorge Soler
CF: Albert Almora
RF: Kris Bryant

This lineup is loaded. Lot's of power and pop. This will be a fun team to watch. We could even see some other guys sneak in to this lineup, or someone could get moved. We don't know. But what we do know is the future is looking good.

With the trade deadline approaching, it is inevitable that the Cubs will be shopping more players. It appears that Soriano will be headed back to the Yankees, and we could see other guys like Nate Schierholtz being used to obtain more pieces for the future. I think the Cubs need to get more pitching. But I trust Theo and Jed, and I have confidence in what they are doing.

So expect more trades. Be patient Cubs fans. Because it will all be worth it in the end.

Side note: this commercial still brings tears to my eyes.