Cubs embrace ‘targeted’ moves this winter as most of core returns

What do you get the baseball team that has everything?

The short answer: pitching.

The longer answer: more pitching.

Less than a week after winning it all, claiming what 107 Cubs teams before them have been unable to reach, the World Series champs head to Phoenix this week to start the process of trying to do it all over again.

Never mind the historically disorienting nature of trying to improve a Cubs team that spent seven months – from the season opener through Game 7 of the World Series – as the best team in baseball.

Team president Theo Epstein barely had enough time for a decent “little bender” before the start of the general managers meetings Monday at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix.

“We finished our season technically Thursday morning, and Sunday night we’re flying for meetings,” general manager Jed Hoyer said. “The turnaround is really quick.

“We’re thankful we bring so many guys back that our moves can be very targeted this winter.”

Among those the Cubs won’t bring back is 15-game winner Jason Hammel. The Cubs on Sunday declined his $10 million option for 2017 (buying it out for $2 million), citing a decision to look for both internal and external alternatives for that spot in the starting rotation – with an emphasis on younger with multiple years of club control.

Hammel went 15-10 with a 3.83 ERA in 30 starts this season but was the odd-man out of what Epstein called “one of the best rotations in club history” when the brass set the postseason rosters. He was 33-22 with a 3.51 ERA in 78 starts over the past two seasons and half of 2014.

Left-hander Mike Montgomery, the postseason long reliever who earned the save in Game 7 Wednesday night, has been discussed as one of those alternatives almost since he was acquired from Seattle in a July trade.

Among the Cubs’ nine free agents are center fielder/leadoff man Dexter Fowler, closer Aroldis Chapman and versatile lefty reliever Travis Wood.

The Cubs aren’t expected to immediately pursue any of their free agents for next season, though Fowler will get a qualifying offer (to assure a chance for draft pick compensation). They’re open to re-signing one or two, including Fowler, depending on how the winter market plays out.

In large part because of work the Cubs did last winter, they return a sizeable core of their championship team.

That includes two Cy Young candidates (Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks) among the top four starting pitchers. It also includes two MVP candidates (Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo) among every starting position player returning except Fowler.

Without going outside the organization, they figure to improve defensively with regular playing time next year for 2016 rookies Willson Contreras behind the plate and Albert Almora Jr. in center field.

The top three issues to address this winter:

1. Starting pitching depth, which would be more likely to come through trade than free agency;
2. Back-end bullpen depth;
3. Center field – specifically, whether Almora can handle everyday duties, would need to platoon to be more effective; or whether the club decides it can add a veteran to lessen the load on Almora’s transition (another surprise return of Fowler on a one-year deal?).

“Just as it was our priority last offseason and at the deadline this year, we do need to continue to try to find starting pitching depth,” Hoyer said. “These meetings will largely be about having a ton of conversations with teams, gathering as much information as possible.”

One additional wrinkle: MLB and the players union are in the late stages of negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement, and teams aren’t certain what some of the changes might mean, especially for such things as draft-pick compensation for free agency losses.

A player with, say, two years of club control left, might have a certain added value under the current qualifying-offer system – but could have that value altered significantly depending on a system change.

“I do think the CBA negotiations will have an influence on the way the offseason gets started,” Hoyer said. “How big an influence, we’re all unsure.”

WAIT ‘TILL NEXT YEAR?

How the Cubs’ roster breaks down heading into this week’s general managers meetings coming off their historic championship:

Under contract

2017 salary SgndThru

• OF Jason Heyward $21.5 million 2023
• LHP Jon Lester $20 million 2020*
• RHP John Lackey $17.5 million 2017
• IF/OF Ben Zobrist $16 million 2019
• C Miguel Montero $14 million 2017
• 1B Anthony Rizzo $7 million 2019*
• OF Jorge Soler $3 million 2020
• 2017 committed $99 million

*-Plus club option(s) beyond.

Arbitration eligible (2016 salaries in parentheses) – RHP Jake Arrieta ($10.7 million), RHP Pedro Strop ($4.4 million), RHP Hector Rondon ($4.2 million), RHP Justin Grimm ($1.275 million).

Pre-arbitration/under club control – RHP Kyle Hendricks, LHP Mike Montgomery, RHP Carl Edwards Jr., LHP Rob Zastryzny, RHP Felix Pena, C/OF Kyle Schwarber, C Willson Contreras, IF Javy Baez, SS Addison Russell, 3B Kris Bryant, CF Albert Almora Jr., OF Matt Szczur, IF Tommy La Stella.

Free agents – CF Dexter Fowler, LHP Aroldis Chapman, RHP Jason Hammel, LHP Travis Wood, OF Chris Coghlan, RHP Trevor Cahill, RHP Joe Smith, IF Munenori Kawasaki, C David Ross.