Kuzul

Winter 2014 cannot end soon enough for Chicago Cubs fans, especially those living in the Chicagoland area.

After enduring 96 losses in 2013, Cubs fans have had to endure 79 inches of snow so far this winter. That’s right…there has been more snow than Cubs wins in Chicago.

Thank goodness it’s spring.

Though not expected to be a legitimate contender until 2016, Cubs fans are already getting excited about the pool of promising prospects that the team is developing.

Players such as Javier Baez, Albert Almora and Kris Bryant are expected to be the future of the team, and spring fever is in full force.

While Baez continues to impress in Mesa, Ariz., other young stars have already been sent to minor league camp.

Here we look at which players have been most impressive in spring 2014.

Begin Slideshow

Believe it or not, there is relief from the polar vortex that has been sweeping the nation.

Just close your eyes.

Picture yourself in beautiful, 70-degree Mesa, Arizona. The sun is baking down on you as you watch the Cubs stroll out to the practice field. First baseman Anthony Rizzo waves as a little boy in a Cubs hat asks for his autograph.

You can feel the energy around you, like the ninth inning of a close game in September. There’s no salt or brown slush on the ground, only the flurry of baseballs flying through the air.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

Spring training will soon be upon us, but not soon enough. The Cubs have made some small moves in the 2013-14 offseason, including the signing of pitchers Wesley Wright and Jose Veras.

Pitching was a large concern for the Cubs in 2013, predominantly the bullpen. However, the starting pitching was much more solid. In fact, the Cubs’ lone representation in the 2013 MLB All-Star Game was starting pitcher Travis Wood.

The rotation is far from set. In fact, even the Cubs’ projected No. 1 starter Jeff Samardzija isn’t a lock for the rotation. Rumors have been constantly swirling about the possibility of the Cubs trading Samardzija over the offseason. However, those rumors have died down since Cubs President of Operations stated that Samardzija is the Cubs’ Opening Day starter as of right now. Most recent reports state that the two sides are quite far apart and that Samardzija will remain with the Cubs until the trade deadline.

The Cubs may also shake up the rotation by signing Japanese phenom Masahiro Tanaka, who is in the process of meeting both Chicago teams this week. If the Cubs sign him, they would have to pay both his contract as well as the $20 million posting fee for Tanaka.

First, let’s take a look at last year’s starting rotation. Nine players started at least one game for the Cubs in 2013.

*= Indicates a player no longer with the team.

Jeff Samardzija

Let’s assume that Samardzija remains with the Cubs. His camp has already expressed interest in signing a long-term deal for the Cubs. As Cubs beat reporter Carrie Muskat writes, Samardzija would receive about $5 million in arbitration and mentions that that is a good amount for a starting pitcher nowadays.

As mentioned earlier, Cubs president Theo Epstein openly said during the winter meetings that Samardzija would be the Cubs starter on Opening Day. No other reports suggesting otherwise have surfaced since then.

Samardzija is a powerful right-handed pitcher, standing at 6’5″. His team-leading 240 strikeouts were 70 more than second place in the Cubs rotation. Only two other pitchers even reached 70 strikeouts all last season.

Travis Wood

Travis Wood was a pleasant surprise for Cubs fans in 2013. Wood struggled in his first season with the Cubs, posting a 4.27 ERA in 156 innings. However, Wood found his groove in 2013 by posting a 3.11 ERA in 200.0 innings. Wood was also elected to his first All-Star Game.

Wood is eligible for arbitration this offseason. He has stated in the past that he wants to come to an extension with the Cubs. Last season, Wood made only $527,500.

Wood is a solid middle-rotation starter. Despite being an All-Star, Wood won’t demand a huge contract.

Edwin Jackson

We’ll be as polite as possible with Edwin Jackson here. The 30-year-old right-hander struggled last season, losing 18 games and posting a rough 4.98 ERA in 175.1 innings pitched.

Jackson’s command was an issue last season. He threw 14 wild pitches, an average of one per every 12.5 innings pitched. In 31 games started, he totaled an average of 5.65 innings per start compared to Jeff Samardzija‘s team-high of 6.46 innings per start and Travis Wood’s 6.25 innings per start.

Unfortunately for the Cubs, Jackson is almost guaranteed a spot in the rotation simply because of his lucrative contract. Jackson signed a four-year, $52 million contract and will make $13 million in 2014 including his $2 million signing bonus.

Maybe the Cubs should just stop paying players. Okay, so they can’t do that. However, the performance of Edwin Jackson after receiving his $52 million contract is the exact opposite of the performance of Travis Wood, who received only $527,500 in his All-Star season.

Chris Rusin

Chris Rusin was already being forecasted to be a member of the 2014 Cubs starting rotation as early as last September, and that prediction is likely to come true. Rusin‘s solid 3.93 ERA is lower than both Samardzija‘s and Jackson’s.

Rusin will make $500,000 in 2014 and is not eligible for arbitration until 2017.

At only 27 years of age, Rusin could be a solid starter for the Cubs that doesn’t require a lucrative paycheck. He has logged less than 100 major league innings is career, which could be both a positive and a negative for him due to his lack of experience but still young arm.

Jake Arrieta

Jake Arrieta‘s situation is quite similar to that of Chris Rusin but minus an injury. Arrieta is also 27 years of age and is scheduled to make around $500,000 ($516,500 to be exact) and also pitched under 100 innings last season. His ERA was a solid 3.66.

Because of Arrieta‘s youth and small contract, he will likely find himself in the rotation in 2014.

We will begin to find out more about the look of the Cubs’ rotation once pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 13. The future of Japanese ace Tanaka will also be decided by Jan. 24, with him either signing with an MLB team or returning to Japan.

Until then, Cubs fans have the three-day Cubs Convention to look forward to this Friday through Sunday in Chicago’s Sheraton Towers.

*All Stats courtesty of MLB.com unless noted otherwise.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As Chicago prepares itself for its first major snowstorm of the season, members of the Ricketts family and the front office prepare to make the trip to Orlando for next week’s winter meetings.

Jealous much? Thought so.

Many topics will be addressed and decided on at the meetings, from the future of instant replay to the fate of free agents around the league.

Like every franchise, the Cubs also have many topics to address. The team has already begun to make moves, including the signing of free-agent reliever Wesley Wright and the acquisition of Kansas City Royals catcher George Kottaras.

Let’s take a look at some remaining questions for the Cubs in the 2013 offseason.

Begin Slideshow

The year was 1998.

Bill Clinton had just announced that the United States was experiencing their first budget surplus since 1969. “Armageddon” and “Saving Private Ryan” were topping the box office and setting records of their own.

At the same time that the American economy was experiencing a new realm of success, the economy of the American pastime was on the same pace thanks to the thrilling season-long home run derby between Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs.

Like the economy and Bill Clinton, both baseball stars would come crashing down from their high. All three individuals would later be called to testify in the United States Congress, with all three individuals narrowly avoiding any severe punishment.

Clinton was able to miraculously save his marriage and continue his political career.

McGwire would soon retire from playing baseball in 2001 but would return to St. Louis as their hitting coach in 2010. Shortly after being hired, McGwire admitted and apologized for his steroid use. He made a mistake, admitted it, and moved on. McGwire is currently the hitting coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Sosa’s case is not so positive. After a harsh breakup between the Cubs and Sosa that ended in a trade that sent Sosa to Baltimore, the slugger’s interaction with the organization has been like that of an unfaithful ex-boyfriend. After a disappointing 2004 season, Sosa stormed out of the clubhouse during the last game of the season and drove off. He had alienated his team, his fan base and the entire Cubs family. He went from the head of the table to that one relative that no one liked to talk about.

At one time, the relationship was a honeymoon. 1998 was a year-long Academy Award winner for best picture for both the Cubs and baseball as a whole. The game had been struggling since the lockout in 1994 that saw the cancellation of the World Series for the first time ever. Baseball survived both World Wars, the Great Depression and the sixties, but it couldn’t overcome the greed of owners and players in ’94.

Enter the home run race.

Sosa and McGwire quickly became the poster children for America’s pastime, capturing the nation’s attention and saving a game that only a few years ago was dead to many fans. The two giant teddy bears were impossible to dislike. Biceps bulging, smiles shimmering and records shattering, the two stars were battling for a record like siblings fighting over the last piece of chicken.

It was the perfect fuel for the game. The Cubs and Cardinals rivalry had been established long ago. Sosa and McGwire were just pouring the lighter fluid on the nearly extinguished fire.

There’s no debating the impact that the home run race had on baseball. Sosa led the Cubs to a Wild Card berth, the team’s first playoff appearance since 1989. MLB attendance totaled over 70 million, up nearly seven million from the previous year. It was only the second time in history that the attendance was over 70 million.

The season ended with 136 home runs between the two sluggers. McGwire totaled 70 and Sosa smacked 66. Roger Maris’s record of 61 home runs was broken by not only one but two people. Fittingly, the record was broken by McGwire as Sosa watched from right field in St. Louis. The two embraced as the world watched on. It was like Hollywood had written it up.

However, the glory didn’t last long for Sosa. Five years later in 2003 he would be busted for using a corked bat, raising the question of just how many of his home runs were legitimate. That same year, he would test positive for steroids as revealed in 2009. The Cubs suffered one of the most humiliating crashes in postseason history and would fail to make the playoffs in 2004, prompting the breakup between the Cubs and Sosa.

Though he may not have been at Wrigley Field, Sosa’s mark hasn’t been erased. Flying high atop Wrigley’s roof is a flag bearing the number “66,” a tribute to Sosa’s historical season.

There’s no debating that Sosa took baseball and the Cubs to uncharted territory. For the second year in a row, Sosa is on the ballot for the Hall of Fame. Though Sosa’s votes are few and far between, a formal apology and acceptance of his responsibility for the fallout that happened from 2003-04 would be a great place to start. McGwire did it. A-Rod did it (once already). Now it’s Sosa’s turn.

The records will always have an asterisk next to them, but there will always be ambiguity in terms of who used, who didn’t use and who was a fraud.

Sosa has already gone on record to say that he would like to be welcomed back to Wrigley. If he accepts responsibility, there is no reason that he shouldn’t be. His contributions to the team and the game are indisputable. He may not get the statue that he mentioned, but he can at least earn the respect of the team and fans in some ways.

After recent years of futility, Cubs fans have had little to celebrate. Two seasons of more than 95 losses has dampened the spirits of Cubs fans itching for a World Series and a chance to be five outs away from the World Series like they were in 2003 with Sosa. It may be another few years until the team is a contender, so now may be a good time for the team to reconcile with Sosa.

The Cubs have nothing to apologize for. For years, the team and its fan base worshipped Sosa only for him to storm out like a five year old being denied candy. But once Sosa offers an apology and comes clean, the Cubs would be making a great move by thanking him for the great years that he brought to Cubs fans and the organization.

While we’re at it, can anyone find Steve Bartman? That’s someone that the Cubs do owe an apology to.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Let the shopping begin.

Twenty-five days have passed since the Cubs‘ final regular-season game, and the team has already begun to make moves. The Cubs started off by firing their manager, Dale Sveum, on October 1 merely hours after their regular-season finale against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Following a 66-96 season, the Cubs need to make some serious changes if they want to become a contender in the near future. Although they have many prospects with much potential, the team still has a long way to go.

Here we look at the positions the Cubs need to improve upon this winter.

Begin Slideshow

2013 must be an unlucky number. At least, the Cubs would say so.

2013 was a season of struggle for the Cubs, who finished in last place in the National League Central Division. With an abysmal record of 66-96, the Cubs were anything but entertaining.

Needless to say, the end of the baseball season wasn’t exactly a tragedy for fans of Chicago baseball. Neither Chicago team was a privilege to watch; the Chicago White Sox finished the season at 63-99.

From a dead goat head to an onslaught of blown saves, the Chicago Cubs had plenty of rough patches in 2013. Here is a look at the worst aspects of the 2013 Cubs season.

Begin Slideshow

With only 42 games remaining in the Cubs 2013 season, the Cubs’ focus has turned to experimentation and evaluation.  Minor leaguers such as Junior Lake and Donnie Murphy have been called up already and the club can now turn their focus to evaluating other young stars as well as experimenting with the batting order.

Clean-up hitter Alfonso Soriano is gone to the Yankees, leading to even more experimentation to see what role Cubs players fit best in.

Here is the one batting order that the Cubs should use more of.

Note: All statistics courtesy of MLB.com

Begin Slideshow

With a 52-66 record through Monday, the focus of the Cubs’ 2013 season now turns to the future.  Prospects are beginning to be called up, and the phrase “wait ’til next year” has already been pulled out of the arsenal—or perhaps “wait ’til two to three years from now.”

The Cubs future looks bright, with many prospects lined up for the future.  Here we look at a position-by-position breakdown of Chicago Cubs prospects.

Begin Slideshow