The All Cubs Mailbag

Photo via Jack Vita

Q: Vegas gives the Cubs 4-1 odds of winning it all. Too high, too low, or just right?
-Jon, Mequon, WI

JV: TOO HIGH!

First, let's take a look at the most recent teams with the highest odds of winning the World Series.

In 2015, it was the Washington Nationals, at 6-1. In 2014, it was the Los Angeles Dodgers at 11-2. 2013? The Nationals again at 6-1. 2012?

And just how did all of those teams finish?

'15 Nationals: 83-79, missed playoffs.
'14 Dodgers: 94-68, lost to Cardinals in the NLDS 3-1.
'13 Nationals: 86-76, missed playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals (my 2015 preseason pick to win it all), after winning the American League pennant and pushing the World Series champion San Francisco Giants to a closer-than-people-remember-game 7, gave gamblers a 30-1 payout when they reached the top of the sports world last October.

Many teams have difficulties when the target is on their backs. Remember when the Cubs were favored to win the World Series after winning the NLDS as underdogs? And then they got swept.

This is a team that has performed at its best when there have been no expectations at all for them. And after waiting a 108 years to emerge victorious, the last thing the team needs is more pressure.

4-1 is a casino's meanless plea for ambitious gamblers to mortgage the farm on a sexy pick. Do the odds-makers know an awful lot about this stuff? Absolutely. But they will also try to trick and trap people in to bad bets, and in addition to that, if the Cubs do win the World Series, the payout won't be that high. So really, a good job done by them on this one.

In addition to the pressure, I don't expect the Cubs to be better than they were last season. Arrieta had a historically great season that won't be replicated by ANYBODY anytime in the foreseeable future. Arrieta will still be good. I don't think it was a fluke season and he can still make his first all-star appearance. However, I do worry about pitchers following up a 238-inning season, especially after never going more than 156 prior. But let's assume Arrieta is fine. He will NOT go 22-6 again. Let's say he wins 15 games this year, that means 7 wins will need to be picked up by other pitchers. (More on this in a bit)

Remember when you TP'd some girl's house in junior high? The first time it was fun and all, but the next time she overheard you were having a sleepover with your boys she and her friends prepared and threw eggs at you and your plan was much less effective? Let those awkward junior high moments serve as a symbol of what to expect out of the Cubs second-year players.

After impressive rookie campaigns from Addison Russell, Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler and Kyle Schwarber, the honeymoon phase is over. Pitchers are going to have all kinds of tendencies researched, and they are going to have a better idea of how to pitch to these guys.

We should know because as fans, we learned from experience. The 2013 season was one of the most miserable summers of my life. Following Anthony Rizzo's standout rookie season, the soon-to-be-star took a significant dip (.233 BA). Why? Because that's just a part of the process. It's growing pains and it happens to the best of them.

Expecting Bryant (.275 BA, .369 OBP, 26 HR's, 99 RBI's in 151 games), Schwarber (.246 BA, .355 OBP, 16 HR's, 43 RBI's in 69 games), Russell (.242 BA, .307 OBP, 13 HR's, 54 RBI's in 142 games) and Soler (.268 BA, .324 OBP, 15 HR's, 47 RBI's in 125 games) to up their production in their sophomore years would be flat-out unfair. Don't be surprised when half of those guys struggle this year. They'll be alright long-term; it's just a part of the process.

The Cubs will be in the mix in 2016, but to pick them as the favorites? If you take a closer look, you might realize that it is a tad bit far-fetched.

So who should be favored to win the World Series?

The same team has won the World Series every even-numbered year of this decade. The San Francisco Giants are backed by a Hall of Fame manager, a stacked lineup, a very much improved pitching rotation and a steady bullpen. The Giants made the moves that I wanted the Cubs to make. Jeff Samardzija is poised for a bounce-back season after a forgettable 2015. Johnny Cueto, despite his inconsistency, has shown that he has the capability to mow teams down when it matters. Couple the pair with the most dominant postseason pitcher of this era (Madison Bumgarner) and you are looking at an absolutely filthy team. Neither Cueto or Samardzija will be asked to be an ace, and if they struggle, they lose nothing from the moves. They also don't play in the best division in baseball (the N.L. Central) and have a better chance of avoiding the play-in game. But if they do face the play-in game, they can just throw Bumgarner at their opponent.

I'd give the Giants the highest odds at 6-1.

Q: How well does John Lackey fit into the rotation?
-Andrew, Valparaiso, IN

JV: The signing of John Lackey was an odd one, although we should have seen it coming. Lackey was a pick up of Theo's in Boston, and he, along with Josh Beckett and now current teammate Jon Lester (reunited!) were the at head of the pitching rotation for the Red Sox.

Lackey enjoyed his best statistical season in year 13 of his career in 2015, posting an ERA of 2.77 and winning the lone game he pitched in the postseason.

But there are some things that need to be considered:

A) Lackey is 37. Just a few years ago in 2011, he posted a 6.41 ERA in 2011. 2010? 4.40. His career looked over (aside from a 3.52 in 2013) until a mid-season trade to the Cardinals helped him achieve success. But even then, he still only pitched 4.30 in six starts after the trade.

B) Keep in mind the Cardinal effect. Yes, that's a thing.

There are certain teams that have systems that allow players to play better than what they might be. For whatever reason, players perform better in certain locations than others, and it doesn't always make sense.

Take a look at some past Cardinals pitchers, and even position players for that matter.

Jason Marquis: 15-7 with a 3.71 ERA in 2004. After fleeing for free agency in the winter of 2006, Marquis never had another ERA under 4.

Matt Morris: 2x All-Star, left the Cards after 2006 and posted a 4.89 ERA the next year. Was out of baseball by the end of 2008.

Kyle Lohse: went 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 2012 before testing the waters of free agency. Had an ERA of 5.85 in 2015 with the Brewers.

For more examples, see Joel Pineiro, Woody Williams, Julian Tavarez, and even Edwin Jackson. The list goes on.

So what am I getting at? I'm not crazy about the Lackey signing. Not only am I not sure how much he has left in the tank, but I don't see how big an upgrade he will be over an ailing Dan Haren. Pitching was the most glaring weak spot of the 2015 Cubs, and if they were willing to spend $180 million on one player this winter, I would have much rather seen them spend that on a big time pitcher.

The best thing about the signing is that it is only a two-year contract. So if it doesn't work out, they won't be stuck (a la Soriano).

But come on. $180 million dollars, and John Lackey is the best you could do?

Here's how I forecast this season's pitching staff:
Arrieta- takes a step back but is still very effective.
Lester- pitches better than he did last year and finds more consistency in his second year.
Hendricks- improves, and shows the same promise he did after his rookie campaign (7-2, 2.46 ERA).
Hammel- stays the same as he did last year.

The bottom is still shaky. Initially, I shook my head at the Price contract. But when I saw Jason Heyward get $22 million/year, I reconsidered.

If signing Greinke was out of the picture, I would have signed Samardzija to the same deal San Francisco gave him (5 years/$90 million). I truly believe that he is going to return to form (2.83 ERA with the Cubs before being shipped to Oakland) in 2016. His ERA inflated last year (4.96) due to a) not getting along or seeing eye-to-eye with his pitching coach b) being left in games longer than he should have been- there were times where he'd pitch a solid 6 innings and one run, but then get shelled in the later innings, and still be left out in to pitch, c) the designated hitter. Samardzija isn't an ace, but he would be a dang good number 3.

It didn't have to be Samardzija, it could have been Jordan Zimmermann, Mike Leake, Cueto, Doug Fister or Scott Kazmir... or Price or Greinke.

I think the Cubs could have done much more to improve their pitching staff, and even if Lester and Hendricks are better this season, the staff could be even weaker than it was last year (factoring in an Arrieta decline).

At the end of the day, Lackey will likely be placed in the number three role, and I will hope that the Cubs can ooze out every ounce of baseball he has left. (1 Arrieta, 2 Lester, 3 Lackey, 4 Hendricks, 5 Hammel).

Q: How good will Ben Zobrist be?
-Laura, Wilmette, IL

JV: For the last two years, I have been pleaing the Cubs to trade Starlin Castro to open up more playing time for Javy Baez and add another pitcher. The Cubs suddenly did this at the beginning of December, but it didn't go the way I had expected.

The Cubs dumped Starlin Castro in exchange for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. No disrespect to Adam Warren, who I think will actually be a good acquisition, but this is a 25 year-old middle infielder that has already made three All-Star appearances and is just nine hits away from 1,000. I thought for sure that Castro would be the type of player that you could package with a solid prospect or two for a really good pitcher. Instead, the move was made just to clear roster and salary space for another middle infielder, this one at the age of 35.

First: Castro might be at his best with the Yankees. He can DH, which would keep him from getting down on himself after making an error or a foolish play in the field. He also has a great manager that has a way of bringing a lot of the pieces he is given. The Yankees had no business playing postseason baseball last year but Girardi somehow got them there. This is a great landing spot for Starlin and I wish him the best.

Second: Although it might not have yielded the kind of return the Cubs could have used, I really like Zobrist as a player. He is a prototypical veteran leader that has been in the playoffs before and probably wants to win more badly than any other guy on the team. He's been with Joe Maddon and it worked out really well before, and most importantly, he can play six or seven different positions.

Zobrist is a great contract hitter, something the Cubs need. The Royals built their championship run on contact-hitting. They hit the Mets, something the Cubs couldn't do. I would like to see Zobrist lead off. Although he doesn't have the speed of the prototypical lead-off guy, that's okay. The Cubs don't have any true burners on the team, and Maddon's approach to stealing bases doesn't put an importance on speed.

What I like best about the signing is that after this year or next, the Cubs can move Zobrist to a bench role, and he can still play 120-140 games just by filling in for other guys to give them days off. It's not a sprint, it's a marathon and his arrival can help the team stay healthy.

While I would have liked to see Baez get to play every day to improve, we will just have to wait a little longer.

Zobrist will be good, but his numbers could drop off some time soon. But even if they do, he'll help the team in much more ways than hitting. Good pickup.

Q: Will Jason Heyward ever live up to his contract? And did the Cubs make the smart decision signing Heyward over pitchers on the market?
-Evan, Lake Villa, IL

JV: Jason Heyward is without a doubt, an elite defensive player. At the age of 26, he already owns three Gold Gloves. And he had the 15th best WAR (a statistic that I don't fully trust yet) last season. But does anyone remember the hype on him when he up in 2010?

Articles like this were being written. Heyward was supposed to be the new Ken Griffey Jr.- a 5-tool player with Hall of Fame potential.

While Heyward has had a very nice WAR and a solid OBP the last few years, prior to joining the Cardinals last year, Heyward was a career .260 hitter. He hit .293 in a contract year with a team that we already talked about being amazing at player development and now he's a lifetime .268. La-di-fricken-da.

I like Heyward as a player, and perhaps he did figure things out last year. He still is just 26 and his best years may have yet to come. But for $22 million/year for 8 years?!

In a city haunted by bad contracts (Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Marmol, Jay Cutler, Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Ben Wallace anyone?) I naturally fear big, long contracts. So much can happen; so much can change. What if the guy you gave all that money to gets hurt? *Cough* *cough* Derrick Rose. How many times have we been able to look and say, "that guy lived up to his big payday." It's rare.

Many are quick to point that Heyward can opt out after year 3 or year 4, but that still scares me. It is completely out of the Cubs' hands. Let's just say that Heyward were to opt out after year 3, at age 29. He would need to find an offer that's better than 5 years/$110 million. If he underperforms or gets hurt, what club would give him more money than that?

If the Cubs are stuck with Heyward on their payroll, it is going to be all the more difficult to bring back fan favorites and tomorrow's stars (KB, Schwarbz, Addy, Baez, Soler). Rizzo and Arrieta are going to need new contracts too. If a .268 hitter can yield the kind of contract that he did, what is going to be the price for a late-20's superstar? If I'm the GM, I want to keep those youngsters around for as long as possible. The longer they are here, the longer the Cubs' championship window is open.

What I dislike most about the signing is that the Cubs have someone that's 21 that can play the outfield like Heyward very soon. Albert Almora can be a star. And the Cubs wouldn't have to shell out the kind of dough they did this past winter.

With that said however, no one in the farm system is ready to be the proven answer in center field this year. So I look at another nice move the Giants made. I would have liked the Cubs to add Denard Span. As mentioned earlier, the thing the Cubs are lacking is a burner on the basepaths that is also a consistent hitter. Span does all that with a flashy glove at a much cheaper price (4 years/$39 million).
By adding Heyward, the Cubs only clog up their outfield, blocking young prospects from seeing consistent playing time at the big league level (which will make them better) in coming years. In my eyes, the Cubs should treat 2016 like they did 2015. No "championship or bust," no pressure; just another growth season. Because if the Cubs can do what they did last year with rookie players, just picture the super team they can be in a few years when those players have flourished and enter their primes.

And before you give me the "I trust Theo" spiel, while Theo has drafted all of the right guys, made some great trades and made the Cubs what they are now, consider his track record with free agency.

He has done a really good job of picking up undervalued players like Chris Coghlan, Scott Feldman and Chris Denorfia. But some of Theo's big signings have made him look like a child foolishly using his dad's credit card.

J.D. Drew- 5 years/$70 million at age 31. Hit .264 over that span, and a dismal .222 in his final season.
Julio Lugo- 4 years/$36 million at age 31. Hit .251.
Mike Cameron- 2 years/$16 million at age 37. Hit .219.
Daisuke Matsuzaka- paid over $100 million to negotiate and sign him from Japan. Although dominate in his sophomore season (18-3), Matsuzaka's ERA with the Sox was 4.52, including an 8.28 (yikes!) in his last year with the team.
David Wells- at age 41, Theo gave Wells a 2 years/$18 million deal in 2005. His ERA was 4.45 and 4.98 over the two years.
Edwin Jackson- 4.98 and 6.33 in two years with the Cubs before being released mid-season in 2015. The Cubs are still giving him paychecks through 2016, the last year of his 4 year/$52 million deal.

Not a great list.

I wouldn't have signed Heyward to the contract that he received. And I would have rather had them put that money towards pitching. Which brings us to...

Q: Is there any player(s) on the Cubs [that] baseball fans should watch during Spring Training?
-Robert, Valparaiso, IN

I am assuming that you are talking about young players.

Albert Almora plays with a grittiness in the outfield that is rarely seen from players. Look him up on YouTube and you'll see what I'm talking about. He started to bust out of a slump last summer and caught fire in his last two months in AA Tennessee. For more on him, check out this article I wrote last fall.

For Cubs fans, Ian Happ and Arismendy Alcantara should be interesting to keep an eye on. Alcantara was supposed to be the Cubs' utility guy last year, but after a lackluster spring he spent the year in AAA batting an even more lackluster .231. Happ struggled (.259) in his first year in the Cubs' farm system after being picked ninth overall in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft.

Another to watch would be outfielder Billy McKinney, who slapped a .340 in Myrtle Beach prior to his AA promotion last year. He's got good wheels and the tools to be a really good outfielder. And the Cuban Eddie Martinez who was signed in the off-season also is intriguing.

But for baseball fans like yourself, Robert, watch out for Gleyber Torres, Dan Vogelbach and Wilson Contreras. Why? Because they may be coming to a city near you!

Torres is 19 year-old shortstop from Venezuela that slashed .293 in 2015 class A South Bend, earning him the title of #41st best prospect in all of baseball via Baseball Prospectus. He'll need to work on his fielding--he committed 27 errors in 2015--but his bat is worthwhile. New Starlin Castro?

Dan Vogelbach physically looks like Kyle Schwarber. In fact, some fans have already mistook him for Schwarber, asking for Schwarbs' autograph at spring training. Vogelbach is a good hitter, but not a great fielder. He's likely a future DH.

Jeimer Candelario has impressed too. He has some value.

Wilson Contreras is #57 on the same list that Torres appeared on. Considering that the Cubs drafted Kyle Schwarber as a catcher and have talked about getting him more reps at catcher, Contreras may not be in the Cubs' long-term plans... or Schwarber could be the odd man out. But the 23 year-old hit .333 last year in AA. I imagine that he isn't far away from playing at the big league level, but there aren't a lot of openings on the Cubs' 25-man. After I saw him at spring training though, I would like to keep him. He's the best fielding catcher the Cubs have and he calls a good game. Depending on Contreras' performance, Montero's days may be numbered.

So what does that mean?...

Q: What will the Cubs be doing at the trade deadline? Who will they be moving in and out?
-Chris, Winnetka, IL

JV: Last year I predicted a Starlin Castro-for-Tyson Ross trade. Although it didn't happen, I think think Ross is still on the Cubs' radar. This one will be dependent on the Padres' asking price. Will it be as a ridiculous as reported last season?

The Oakland A's are back in rebuilding mode. 26 year-old All-Star Sonny Gray is the team's most prized possession. The Cubs might realize that they need another pitcher. Adding the American League's third best pitcher last year would make all the difference for the Cubs' pitching staff. Imagine a trio of Arrieta-Gray-Lester and then take your pick from Hendricks, Lackey and Hammel in a playoff series.

With that said, if I was in Theo/Jed's shoes there are a handful of position players I would not trade. Rizzo, Bryant, Russell, Schwarber, Baez, Soler and Almora are untradeable RIGHT NOW in my eyes. I think that's the core of the team (who all came up together) that can shape a Chicago Blackhawks-like dynasty on the North Side. That can change. But right now I think it's most wise to keep them all.

The good news is that the Cubs are so loaded, they probably are capable of acquiring a big ticket pitcher without having to part ways with any of the seven named above. Besides, knowing Billy Beane, the A's will be more interested in minor leaguers that are younger and haven't begun their service time yet. So I would trade some kind of combination of Torres, Candelario and Vogelbach. If needed, although I really like McKinney, he could go in this deal and I would be okay with it. McKinney was originally drafted by Beane, so he has to like McKinney. Here's another hypothetical: if (big if) the Cubs outfield deals with injuries, couldn't you see Chris Coghlan being added to this trade to make a return and make another playoff run?

Sonny Gray to the Cubs will be my kind-of-prediction/hope-it-happens trade of the season. But I hope from the bottom of my heart that it doesn't mean letting go of  Soler, Baez or Almora. I think all can be All-Stars with Hall of Fame-like potential. Baez can be Jeff Kent + killer wheels, better baseball instincts and a flashy glove. I've already defended Almora and I think trading Soler is humorous after his killer playoff series against the Cardinals. He brought life to the team, gave them an offensive pick-me-up and threw out a runner at home that killed a rally in game four. I think Soler is going to have a really good 2016, the best of the Cubs' sophomores.

The Cubs were far more aggressive this offseason than they have been in any since Theo/Jed took over. That could hint at a blockbuster trade in July. Only time will tell.

One more trade idea: the Cleveland Indians have been stuck in average-team-mode for quite some time now. If they don't break out, would it make sense for them to trade Corey Kluber? Because I would love to have Corey Kluber on the Cubs! I'd trade the same package for Gray/Kluber but nothing more.

Q: How does the signing of Dexter Fowler and the trade of Chris Coghlan impact the Cubs' outfield situation? Where does that leave Kyle Schwarber? On that note, will Kyle Schwarber ever be a full or most of the time catcher?
-James, Prospect Heights, IL

JV: Fowler's return was about as confusing as the ending of Looper. While it didn't make me as angry at Cubs' management as I was at the filmmakers of Looper, I was upset/disappointed at the result of the decision, because it meant losing Chris Coghlan.

On a team of youngsters that like to have fun, Coghlan was the appropriate adult in the room when needed. He did a lot for the Cubs, and though the team added Zobrist I'm not sure the team needed to part ways with Coghlan.

Let's take a look at four outfielders:

Door 1- 2014: .276 BA, .375 OBP, 8 HR's, 11 SB
2015: .250 BA, .346 OBP, 17 HR's, 20 SB (CS 7 times)
LIFETIME: .267 BA, .363 OBP

Door 2- 2014: .271 BA, .351 OBP, 11 HR's, 20 SB
2015: .293 BA, .359 OBP, 13 HR's, 23 SB'
LIFETIME: .268 BA, .353 OBP

Door 3- 2014: .256 BA, .308 OBP, 4 HR's, 20 SB (CS 6 times)
2015: .267 BA, .311 OBP, 9 HR's, 17 SB
LIFETIME: .273 BA, .333 OBP

Door 4- 2014: .283 BA, .352 OBP, 9 HR's, 7 SB
2015: .250 BA, .341 OBP, 16 HR's, 11 SB
LIFETIME: .268 BA, .340 OBP

Is any door significantly better than the others?

Door 1: Fowler, 2: Heyward, 3: Austin Jackson, 4: Coghlan.

Coghlan actually hit better than Heyward in 2014 and I think he's going to hit well again this year. Coghlan brought the team more versatility than Fowler, and Coghlan graciously accepted his move to a bench role. He knew his role and he made the most of it.

I would rather take Coghlan than Fowler. While Fowler was alright, a fan favorite and a fixture in the clubhouse, he hit poorly in the first half of the year and his defense was bad all year round. He looked lackadaisical. I thought the move of adding Heyward was to upgrade defensively from Fowler (even though Heyward has seldom played center in his career). Now the Cubs intend to have Fowler starting with Schwarber/Soler platooning. I'm still confused. If it means less playing time for young players that are developing in to stars, I'm not in to it. I think Soler and Schwarber are better players than Dex.

I guess my biggest thing is that if the Cubs had planned to bring back Fowler this whole time, then why make the splurge for Heyward? The Cubs only need one of those types of players in their starting lineup, and they could have saved a whole lot of money.

Reports are saying that Cubs intend to use Schwarber behind the plate. If that's the case, I really like that. Schwarber strikes me as the type of guy that would work his rump off until he gets something right. If he needs to be a catcher, he can be a catcher. If he needs to be an outfielder, he can be an outfielder. Besides, Montero is a liability defensively sometimes; how much worse can he be?

It will be tough to find playing time for Schwarber behind the plate with two other catchers on the 25-man and Contreras lurking. But if the Cubs are able to make this work, we could expect Schwarber playing catcher half of the time with days off and days in the outfield in just a year or two. Having someone that can hit the way Schwarber does playing catcher would be great for any team. Perhaps Montero will be traded in a year or two if Schwarber shows significant improvement behind the plate.

So in summary, yes, Schwarber can be a full-time or most-of-the-time catcher, but obviously that won't be happening this year.

On the topic of catchers...

Q: What will be the legacy left by David Ross, as he heads into the final season of a legendary career?
-Daniel, Glen Ellyn, IL

JV: David Ross will be remembered as a great clubhouse guy that will make a great coach/manager one day and called a good game behind the play while making nice, heads-up defensive plays, but the guy couldn't hit for crap and his buddy Jon Lester found jobs for him in his final four seasons.

In the one season Ross appeared in 100 games (2007- he played 112 games), he batted .203. Last year, he hit .176. The Cubs should have made a behind-the-scenes handshake with Ross that would involve a paycheck and Ross taking a job as a bench coach. If it weren't for Lester, Ross would be out of the bigs by now.

Q: Soler? Baez? How will they be utilized?
-Justin, Champaign, IL

JV: So it sounds like there will be some kind of rotation going on between Soler/Schwarber/Fowler in the outfield. A popular statistic that people point to is the dip in numbers Soler experienced in colder games. Don't expect many starts from Soler in home games in April. Soler will do some pinch-hitting, but I don't think Fowler is going to play as much as he did last year. He shouldn't. I think Soler and Schwarber are better players than Dex already, and clearly have higher ceilings.

Soler also has had issues staying healthy, so perhaps some extra rest will help him. My hope is that Soler doesn't transition into a bench role. If the Cubs are playing in a play-in game, he should be starting. I don't expect Soler to be a full-on bench guy.

Maddon's plan for Baez this year is to be a Zobrist-in-training. He should make some spot starts in the outfield, and Maddon plans on using him as the back-up first baseman. He should be able to fill in for any infielders. Also, Zobrist likely won't be playing 140 games this year. Last year he only played 126. At age 35, Zobrist will probably play about the same amount he did last year and he will be moving around too.

My prediction? Baez impresses this season and takes over as the starting or most-of-the-time second baseman next year. I also think Soler will have a really good year.

Q: What will be the impact, if any, of the Matt Murton signing?
-Daniel, Glen Ellyn, IL

JV: None.

Q: Who is your fav player?
-Laura, Wilmette, IL

JV: This is the toughest question I've received in this mailbag. It was hands down, Mike Olt for the last two years. But when the Cubs cut Mike Olt and then traded Chris Coghlan I had to pick a new one. But I will go with Kyle Hendricks. I had a very pleasant conversation with him at spring training last year. Great guy.

But really, a lot of them are great guys. Theo/Jed have built this team up with good character guys.

In terms of entertainment, my favorite players to watch are Soler, Baez and Russell. But if Almora does come up this year and plays like he has in the minors, he might quickly become my new favorite.

Q: What ever happened to Ronnie Woo-Woo?
-Daniel, Glen Ellyn, IL

He's still there.

Q: A fun one: what's the over under on how many unique lineup cards not counting the pitcher Joe Maddon turns in this regular season, my vote: 130. 
-James, Prospect Heights, IL

JV: Whoa! Holy smokes. 130 is a lot. I'm gonna go under that. Let's roll with 83. Is there a person that keeps track of this? Can we make one? Great question!

Q: How far do you think they'll make it this year?
-Laura, Wilmette, IL

While I have pooh-poohed this Cubs team all throughout this blog, the Cubs have a chance to do it this year. They're a lot closer than we expected they would be at this point. I once read a story that in the winter of 2011, when a new front office took over, a brand new front office employee walked in to the room and said, "Well, 2017 is the year." Although it may sound comical, I believe that is the track the Cubs were on from the start, and have been on ever since. I think everybody is surprised that they would win 97 games and a playoff series in 2015. I think the early success accelerated the hopes and expectations of what could be a future dynasty. They've gone all in now and there's no turning back.

But I'm just not sure if they are completely there yet for the reasons I have already listed off. Are the Cubs capable of winning the World Series this season? Absolutely. But here's my prediction:

The Cubs have to deal with the play-in game again. When you have to win the play-in game, all bets are off. Anything can happen on any given day. Let's just say the Cubs win the play-in game again. Depending on who they have to deal with, I say they exit the playoffs in the NLDS or the NLCS. So much can happen, and injuries can occur, so this is subject to change- but I have trouble seeing them getting past the Giants right now. But I think they redeem themselves and reign supreme in 2017.

That's me as an unbiased sportswriter.

This is me as a Cubs fan: the Cubs can win it all in 2016 and put an end to all our suffering. The Cubs can do it. We're on our way. Go Cubs go.