Chicago Cubs Rumors: Analyst believes club is 'the team to watch' for remainder of off-season
The Chicago Cubs have had a relatively quiet off-season this winter. They have not made any big splashes apart from bringing in Craig Counsell as manager and international free agent Shota Imanaga.
While they have not done much, that could quickly change. A high-ranking evaluator told MLB insider Buster Olney that they view the Cubs as one of the "teams to watch" for the rest of the offseason.
The evaluator reckons Chicago will make the most impactful moves in the remainder of the offseason. That could be true, given rumors of their interest in Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman.
According to Jon Heyman, the Chicago Cubs have emerged as one of Bellinger's top suitors. Re-signing him makes perfect sense, as he would help outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong develop.
Having brought in Craig Counsell as the new manager, it makes sense that the Cubs are tied to All-Star closer Josh Hader. Counsell managed Hader for the first five years of his big-league career at the Milwaukee Brewers.
Some other players the front office is interested in are Jordan Montgomery and Rhys Hoskins. However, with Imanaga and Michael Busch's arrival, it's unclear if they are still interested in the duo.
Chicago Cubs could surprise a lot in upcoming season
The Chicago Cubs made a postseason run last year with a lineup many fans did not expect much from. Many players, though, stepped up, including starting pitcher Justin Steele.
Steele started 30 games, compiling a 16-5 record with a 3.06 ERA across 173.1 innings of work, career highs for the hard-throwing left-hander. With the emergence of Imanaga, the starting rotation could be better than it was in 2023.
The Cubs were exciting before fizzling out at the end of the season. They will look to build on last year's solid season and get the ball rolling in 2024.
They have many exciting young players starting to make a name for themselves and some waiting for their shot. Many insiders are high on Pete Crow-Armstrong, the team's top prospect.
The National League Central seems to be pretty open this season. If the Cubs can make a few more moves before Opening Day, it could be theirs to lose.