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Ryne Sandberg is reportedly returning to the Chicago Cubs in 2016 to serve as a special ambassador, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.   

The 56-year-old Sandberg played 15 seasons for the Cubs from 1982-97 and was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005. 

According to CBS Chicago, the exact details of Sandberg’s gig with the Cubs will “probably” be revealed during his scheduled appearance at this weekend’s Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. 

Carrie Muskat of MLB.com added the official announcement of Sandberg’s hiring from the team will come this weekend. He’s regarded as one of the greatest players in franchise history, getting his No. 23 retired the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Sandberg has had an interesting relationship with the Cubs in recent years. He managed his way through their minor league system from 2006-10, with former Cubs skipper Lou Piniella saying prior to his retirement in 2010 that Sandberg would be in the mix to manage the MLB team, per MLB.com’s Andrew Simon.

However, the Cubs opted to hire Mike Quade, and Sandberg went to manage the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Triple-A team. He then took over as manager of the Phillies in August 2013 after Charlie Manuel was fired. 

Following two rebuilding seasons with the Phillies, Sandberg resigned as manager last June. He’s since mended any fences with the Cubs, even throwing out the first pitch at Wrigley Field in October prior to the team’s National League Division Series Game 3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. 

After last year’s breakout season in which the Cubs advanced to the National League Championship Series, 2016 is going to be a huge year for the franchise. Bringing back one of the key figures from years past, like Sandberg, will only increase the good vibes around the North Side of Chicago. 

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If there’s a pitfall to success, it’s that sustaining it bears a financial burden. In baseball, almost universally, the teams that are most successful boast underpaid players that exceed the expectations of their contracts.

Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, among Major League Baseball’s most underpaid pitchers, epitomizes that paradigm. The right-handed Arrieta carried the Cubs through much of the second half of the season and ended his 2015 campaign with a major league-best 22 wins and a 1.77 ERA.

The Cubs will eventually sign Arrieta to a lucrative, long-term deal. But when?

Both sides would benefit from doing so right now.

The Theo Epstein era in Chicago as Cubs president of baseball operations has been earmarked by an overhaul of the organization’s minor league system. Young, homegrown players like Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and Addison Russell, all major contributors in 2015, are still under team control and, therefore, playing on bargain-basement deals. Their time to be paid will come later.

For Arrieta, it’s now.

Unquestionably, Epstein and Co.’s trophy transaction was trading for Arrieta, reliever Pedro Strop and cash in exchange for pitcher Scott Feldman and catcher Steve Clevenger (Feldman was the top-paid player on the Astros last season. In 2015, Clevenger hit .287 in 105 games for the Orioles).

Arrieta, a player who has yet to land a big deal, is looking for the kind of transformational wealth a long-term deal provides. Injuries and control issues stymied the start of the 29-year-old Arrieta’s career. So he has yet to cash in on the type of contract his 2015 statistics might otherwise suggest. But now, by any statistical measure, Arrieta is one of baseball’s best pitchers. 

And, arguably, its biggest bargain.

In 2015, Arrieta was second among all pitchers with a 7.6 WAR and won the 2015 National League Cy Young Award. He made $3,630,000 last season, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, costing the Cubs an astoundingly low $497,260.27 per win above replacement.

By comparison, the other four pitchers in the league’s top five in WAR were Clayton Kershaw ($3,787,375.47 per win above replacement), David Price ($3,085,937.50 per win above replacement), Max Scherzer ($2,678,571.41 per win above replacement) and Chris Sale ($1,397,849.52 per win above replacement).

Arrieta has two years of arbitration remaining on his contract and is set to become a free agent before the 2018 season. The Cubs will never have more leverage in negotiations. The closer Arrieta gets to free agency, the more he will be willing to wait and test the open market.

So now would be the time to offer Arrieta a team-friendly deal that would simultaneously give the Cubs ace security.

A pitcher’s arm is baseball’s most fragile commodity. There’s no determining who might become seriously injured or why.

For example, White Sox ace Chris Sale looks like his elbow is about to pop out every time he throws. He hasn’t had serious arm surgery. Former Cubs pitcher Mark Prior was said to have perfect mechanics. His once-promising career ended early as a result of injury.

Testing the open market would require Arrieta to gamble on the unknown.

To command a contract that would pay him $25 million-$30 million per year, Arrieta would need to replicate his 2015 season in 2016 and 2017. Impossible? No. It may even be likely, considering how much he improved in 2015.

But it only takes one pitch to derail the career of a star hurler. One bad movement could mean Tommy John surgery, a torn labrum or any of the litany of arm injuries that can alter the trajectory of a promising career.

Arrieta has to weigh the upside of waiting, which may not justify the risk given his age.

He wouldn’t become a free agent until he was 31. His birthday is March 6, so he will actually turn 32 before the beginning of the 2018 season. By that age, teams would be less willing to offer Arrieta a longer deal.

If Arrieta were to accept a deal now and he continues to prove he has top-of-the-rotation stuff, then he could potentially sign another lucrative contract similar to the one 37-year-old John Lackey signed this offseason—a two-year, $32 million deal with the Cubs, according to ESPN.

What might a team-friendly deal look like?

There are many ways contracts can be structured. But a deal that pays Arrieta no more than $20 million per year could potentially save the Cubs at least $5 million per year should Arrieta continue as one of baseball’s best pitchers. Over the course of a six-year deal, that could pay him as much as $120 million. The deal could be front-loaded and include an opt-out, vesting option or other player-friendly clauses.

His value might never be higher.

It always seems in these negotiations that there is one side that has overwhelming leverage. Like any team and player approaching potential contract talks, the Cubs and Arrieta are on divergent roads.

Lucky for both sides that, right now, they intersect.

Seth Gruen covers Major League Baseball for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @SethGruen.

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We’re through the looking glass, people. We can tell by the way we’re gawking in awe at the Chicago Cubs, a team that hasn’t won a World Series since Ford was introducing the Model T.

And, heck, we could be gawking in even more awe at the Cubs in the near future. They’re already great, but apparently they want to be flawless.

This winter has already seen the Cubs take a roster that produced 97 wins in 2015 and augment it with Jason Heyward, Ben Zobrist, John Lackey and a couple of bullpen additions. Cue Sahadev Sharma of Baseball Prospectus to sum it up: “It’s rare that a team has a perfect offseason, but what the Cubs have done…is as close as one can get.”

But wait! There could be more. As Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported after the Heyward signing, the Cubs may not be satisfied with their starting rotation just yet:

About this, there are two things everyone should understand.

First, the Cubs are eyeing some sensible targets.

The Padres seem to be in full sell mode, and Ross is their top trade chip. Things are a little different in Cleveland, where the Indians may have no interest in trading Salazar, a young, talented starter with five years of club control left. But they do need help on offense, and dealing Carrasco may be their best hope of getting it. He’s not as young or controllable as Salazar, but he is equally talented and may be in even more demand than Salazar.

Second, all this being said, the Cubs don’t actually need Ross or Carrasco.

Seriously, though. They don’t.

If we were to hop in a DeLorean and go back to when the Cubs got bounced from the National League Championship Series by the New York Mets, we’d find club boss Theo Epstein with a relatively short shopping list for the offseason.

“We want to continue to add impact pitching, we want to continue to add starting-pitching depth at the big league level,” Epstein said, per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.

This mission would appear to be accomplished.

In Lackey, the Cubs added a veteran starter who’s coming off a 2.77 ERA over 218 innings in 2015. He’s only the Cubs’ No. 3 pitcher behind aces Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester and is followed by two solid starters in Kyle Hendricks and Jason Hammel. Behind them is a depth chart that includes swingman extraordinaire Adam Warren and former All-Stars Trevor Cahill and Travis Wood.

So, what we’ve seen is a club that was already elite taking care of its one big need. It’s no surprise to see Mike Petriello of MLB.com point out that the Cubs project to produce more wins above replacement than any other team in 2016:

Elsewhere, Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs points out that much of Chicago’s projected WAR is coming from its starting rotation. As of now, only the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ rotation is pegged for more WAR in 2016.

Now, WAR projections definitely aren’t gospel. They’ve been known to go awry, and it’s not impossible to imagine that happening with Chicago’s rotation. Arrieta may be coming off a Cy Young season, but it was one that required a hell of a workload. Lester (31) and Lackey (37) are older pitchers. Hendricks and Hammel are what they are: back-end starters.

So, though another starter isn’t entirely necessary for the Cubs, it’s not a bad idea either. Especially if said extra starter is Ross or Carrasco.

Ross is really good. The 28-year-old right-hander owns a 3.03 ERA across 391.2 innings over the last two seasons. Walks are his Achilles’ heel, but those can be easily downplayed when one racks up as many strikeouts and ground balls as he does. Courtesy of one of the nastiest sinker/slider combinations in the business, Ross is tied for 13th in strikeout percentage and ranks second in ground-ball percentage since 2014. 

Carrasco is also really good. The 28-year-old right-hander owns a 2.99 ERA over 252.2 innings in 40 starts since moving into Cleveland’s rotation at the end of 2014. Using a hard fastball, an electric slider and a vanishing changeup, Carrasco has racked up more strikeouts than all but eight other pitchers since he became a starter, per Baseball Savant.

Of course, success on one team doesn’t necessarily lead to success on another team. But for either Ross or Carrasco, that shouldn’t be a concern with the Cubs.

In San Diego, Ross has succeeded as a ground ball-oriented pitcher despite not having a great infield defense behind him. With Kris Bryant at third, Addison Russell at short, Zobrist at second and Anthony Rizzo at first, the Cubs have one of the best infield defenses in baseball.

Meanwhile, in Cleveland, Carrasco has succeeded as a strikeout-oriented pitcher despite not having a great strike-framer catching his pitches. In Miguel Montero, the Cubs have a catcher whom Baseball Prospectus rated as a top-five framer in 2015. 

Point being: A move to Chicago could well result in either Ross or Carrasco getting even better than he already is. And with either of them aboard, the Cubs rotation could boast as many as four No. 1 starters in the next couple of years. 

That’s a scary thought for the competition in its own right. But when placed in context of what else the Cubs are working with, it becomes even scarier.

We’ve already discussed how loaded the Cubs are, as we noted last week that signing Heyward to a $184 million contract seemingly completed the ensemble, particularly where the Cubs lineup was concerned.

Heyward and Zobrist are joining a lineup that rode a power uprising to a .754 OPS in the second half of 2015. All the Cubs offense was really missing was at least one table-setter who could handle patience and contact. In Heyward and Zobrist, Chicago’s lineup now has two of those. In addition, Heyward figures to give the Cubs the good center field defense they were missing in 2015.

Elsewhere, the Cubs are returning the key members of a bullpen that, if you ask FanGraphs, actually produced as much WAR as the Kansas City Royals‘ bullpen in 2015. Hector Rondon, Pedro Strop and Justin Grimm give Chicago’s bullpen three power arms, and Warren, Cahill and Wood give it depth.

With all this being the case, the only potential downside of an upgrade to the Cubs’ already awesome rotation with Ross or Carrasco is that they would have to take a part or two out of the roster they already have. Would they have to part with any major leaguers they would miss?

Well, it seems certain that acquiring Ross or Carrasco would require the Cubs to surrender MLB-caliber talent. Jayson Stark of ESPN.com has reported that the Padres want a young, controllable shortstop. In Cleveland, Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer and others have noted the Tribe’s need for outfield help.

It’s not hard to narrow down which players would interest San Diego and Cleveland. The Padres would probably want a package built around Javier Baez. The Indians would probably want one built around Jorge Soler. Which is a complication, of course, as both figure into the Cubs’ plans going forward.

But could the Cubs survive without either of them? Probably, yeah.

It wasn’t long ago that Baez was viewed as an elite prospect, but these days he’s being groomed as more of a utility player. Soler was also an elite prospect not long ago, but his rough 2015 season raises the question of whether the Cubs are better off using Chris Coghlan as a regular in right field. 

So, yes, the Cubs probably could survive just fine if they had to give up Baez or Soler. And considering they have a farm system that Jim Callis of MLB.com ranked No. 4 in baseball as recently as mid-August, there’s always a chance the Cubs could deflect talks to younger players instead.

Granted, because the Cubs don’t actually need Ross or Carrasco, they could just back off and say, “Thanks, but we’re good.” Which would be true. They’re plenty good. More than good enough to win the World Series in 2016, in fact.

But it won’t be surprising if the Cubs actually go through with acquiring Ross or Carrasco. That would require determining that “more than good enough” isn’t actually good enough. After 107 years of waiting for a World Series title, the Cubs may darn well be willing to go that far.

If they do, the Cubs will have taken an excellent team and made it virtually flawless. Folks on the North Side will start talking about printing World Series tickets not in jest but in all seriousness.

Through the looking glass, indeed.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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Jason Heyward sounds like a man ready to bring the Chicago Cubs their first World Series in more than a century. Introduced at a press conference Tuesday, the newly signed outfielder made his goals for championship glory clear.

“It’d be a beautiful thing to win a World Series for one,” Heyward said, per Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. “It’s a no-brainer that it would be making history here.” 

Heyward, 26, agreed to an eight-year, $184 million contract on Dec. 11. He chose Chicago over hard pushes from the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals, with the former reportedly offering him more money, per CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman.         

The Cubs won Heyward over by allowing for player options following the third and fourth seasons, which will likely allow Heyward to maximize his earning potential. Heyman also reported the deal will have a full no-trade clause from 2016-18 and a $20 million signing bonus that’s deferred in case of a work stoppage.

“As far as recruiting they [the Cubs] didn’t have to do too much,” Heyward said, per the Associated Press (via The Score). “They basically let the product on the field speak for itself.”

Heyward spent the 2015 season with the Cardinals, hitting .293/.359/.439 with 13 home runs and 60 runs batted in. He also stole 23 bases and continued to develop a reputation as one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. FanGraphs ranked him third behind the Tampa Bay Rays‘ Kevin Kiermaier and the Toronto Blue Jays‘ Kevin Pillar.

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The MLB hot stove continues to simmer well after the winter meetings ended Wednesday. 

The free-agent market continues to remain fluid—apropos the Chicago Cubs’ splash signing of Jason Heyward on Friday—though teams continue trade talks with plenty of potential moves that could continue to shift the competitive landscape. 

Here is a look at the latest buzz heading into the post-meetings weekend. 

Despite investigation, Reds still trying to trade Aroldis Chapman

The Cincinnati Reds’ trade of closer Aroldis Chapman with the Los Angeles Dodgers was a done deal until news surfaced that the hard-hurling lefty had been involved in a domestic violence incident that prompted MLB to launch an investigation into the incident. 

The Dodgers have since moved on and are now pursuing other options, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, leaving the Reds in possession of damaged goods—with a possible suspension looming. 

Yet despite MLB’s probe, teams are still in contact with the Reds about a possible deal, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports:

One reason: A lengthy suspension could result in an extra year of team control over Chapman, who currently is on track to accrue the necessary six years of service by the end of the 2016 season.

No trade is close, but clubs are allowed to pursue Chapman while he is under investigation, sources say.

Chapman is among the game’s best closers, but the Reds are desperate to rid themselves of the four-time All-Star, as he has just one year remaining on his current deal and will likely command a figure well out of their price range next winter.

However, that’s if he reaches sufficient service time, which is 138 days this season on an active roster or disabled list, per Rosenthal and Morosi. MLB would not credit him time under a suspension for domestic violence. 

Cincinnati was in a similar situation last year with the looming departure of ace Johnny Cueto, who remains on the market and has rejected a deal of $120 million—well outside the Reds’ budget—from the Arizona Diamondbacks, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.

The Reds would get less from a trade for Chapman at this juncture, but as Rosenthal and Morosi noted, “They might be so motivated to move him, however, that they would accept a lesser return.”

Rockies listening to calls on outfielders

The Colorado Rockies have long been trying to deal powerful outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, but they have also been fielding calls for Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com.

Crasnick noted the Kansas City Royals are in the market for outfielders with both Alex Gordon and Alex Rios on the free-agent market, and Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star noted Gordon’s return appears doubtful:

Joel Wagler of FanSided made a case for why the defending champions should make a run at Gonzalez.

“Even if you account for the Coors Field inflation (he hit 24 of his dingers at home), he still offers more power than most of the current Royals,” Wagler wrote. “A good chunk of those homers will turn into doubles at Kauffman [Stadium], but he would fit into what the Royals like to do.”

Injuries hindered Gonzalez in 2012 and 2013, but he totaled career highs in home runs (40) and games played (153) in 2015. 

The Royals reached the promised land by developing their remarkable farm system, and the Rockies will ask a lot for the eight-year outfielder, who is owed more than $37 million the next two years, per Spotrac.

If the Royals were to part with a sizable chunk of their prospects, they would remain favorites in the American League by adding a formidable force like Gonzalez to their lineup.

Cubs remain active in pitching market

The Cubs have added Heyward, utility man Ben Zobrist and right-handed pitcher John Lackey—but they aren’t done yet. 

Chicago is reportedly seeking another starter, according to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com, to supplement its already-remarkable rotation that includes reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and Lackey. 

Morosi reported talks are already underway with a pair of clubs for the Cubs’ would-be No. 4 spot:

As Muskat noted, the Cubs still have plenty of chips to offer to solidify their rotation, such as outfielder Jorge Soler and infielder Javier Baez. 

Baez seems to be the more logical move, as the Cubs infield appears set with Anthony Rizzo at first base, Zobrist at second, Addison Russell at short and NL Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant at third.

Parting ways with Soler would be more costly—at least for now—as Chicago only has Heyward and Kyle Schwarber to man the outfield. 

The Cubs are already the favorites to win the World Series, per Odds Shark, but team president Theo Epstein and company are well aware that adding another arm in their rotation would give them more assurance come October.

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The Chicago Cubs haven’t won the World Series in 107 years. If they have it their way, the counter won’t reach 108 years.

And man, oh man, do they appear to be serious about that.

Fresh off a thrilling 97-win season and a trip to the National League Championship Series in 2015, Cubs bosses Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have been busy making moves meant to take them even further in 2016. By far the biggest of these went down Friday. 

As Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times was first to report, the Cubs have agreed to terms with star right fielder Jason Heyward:

According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, Heyward’s deal is for eight years and $184 million. Hall of Fame journalist Peter Gammons notes the deal also contains two opt-outs, with Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago reporting the first comes after three years. So, understand that this is less of an eight-year contract and more of an “eight-year contract.”

Still, an eight-year, $184 million pact for a 26-year-old who was, by my estimation, the top player left on the market going into Friday qualifies as a sweet deal. For the Cubs, that’s just another on the pile.

The Cubs had already made a couple of splashes before signing Heyward. They dropped $32 million on veteran right-hander John Lackey and $56 million on veteran utility man Ben Zobrist. They’ve also rounded out their pitching depth by bringing back Trevor Cahill and bringing in Adam Warren.

Next to the addition of Heyward, however, these splashes look like mere ripples.

As recently as 10 or 15 years ago, much of the baseball world wouldn’t have had a lot of appreciation for Heyward. It would have looked at him and seen a .268 career hitter with only modest power and good-not-great speed. Sure, his fielding was great, but not good enough for those pedestrian numbers.

But now, we know better.

Among other things, we now have wins above replacement! It so happens that WAR has loved Heyward ever since he came into the league in 2010. In six seasons, the former Atlanta Brave and St. Louis Cardinal checks in as one of MLB‘s 10 most valuable position players on Baseball-Reference.com’s WAR leaderboard.

Of course, we can debate exactly where Heyward belongs on the pantheon of the league’s great position players. Where there’s no debate nowadays, though, is that he is indeed a great player.

Heyward’s .784 career OPS isn’t great, but it’s good enough to qualify him as an above-average hitter. And with a strong eye, a consistent contact habit and solid power, Heyward’s bat offers something for everyone.

We also know Heyward brings it on the bases and on defense. Regarding the former, simply pointing out that he’s stolen over 20 bases in three of the past four seasons actually undersells the work he does with his speed and instincts. On defense, those things plus a strong, accurate arm have made him baseball’s highest-rated defender in his six seasons.

“That’s his real strength – how many different ways he can help you win a game,” said Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday of his now-former teammate back in September, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I think his kind of player was valuable 15 years ago, it’s valuable now, and it might even be more tangible statistically than ever. Maybe his style of play gets more attention.”

Mind you, this is not to say Heyward doesn’t come with any risk. He could cost the Cubs as much as $184 million if he forgoes his opt-outs, so he’s plenty risky on that front alone. And though he’s absurdly young for a free agent, we noted recently that Heyward won’t be much to look at if his baserunning and defense abandon him.

But for every risk, there’s a potential reward. And where these Cubs are concerned, the potential reward of signing Heyward is definitely something for North Siders to be excited about.

The one wrinkle is that it doesn’t sound like the Cubs are going to be using him in right field. Center field is where they have an opening, and Jon Morosi of Fox Sports has reported the Cubs “appear willing” to use Heyward there.

Ordinarily, the idea of taking a high-priced right fielder and moving him to center would be an idea with the “Disasters” label on it. But Heyward is an exception. He has played center field in the past, and August Fagerstrom of FanGraphs is of the mind that “Jason Heyward is going to be Jason Heyward, wherever he plays.”

After 2015, Heyward being Heyward in center field must have a nice ring to it for the Cubs. By one measure, their center field defense was among the worst in baseball in 2015. Heyward in center field should help fix that, at least until prized center field prospect Albert Almora is ready.

So, that’s one area where the Cubs have improved this winter. And now for the fun part of counting off a few others!

It was mainly thanks to a 50-win second half that the Cubs won 97 games in 2015. A big ingredient in that was Chicago’s offense getting its stuff together. After OPS’ing just .690 in the first half, Chicago’s offense OPS’d .754 in the second half.

Thanks to that, we now know what can happen when the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber all click at once. They haven’t gone anywhere, and now they’ll be batting behind two new table-setters. Heyward figures to bat leadoff in front of Zobrist in the No. 2 hole, giving the Cubs a kind of power-contact dynamic they didn’t have in 2015.

Throw in the high-ceiling bats of Addison Russell and Jorge Soler and the steady bat of Miguel Montero, and Matt Snyder of CBS Sports is right about Chicago’s lineup suddenly looking loaded:

Meanwhile, there’s what the Cubs have on the mound.

That’s where they didn’t necessarily need to upgrade. According to FanGraphs, Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester led a charge that put the Cubs rotation atop MLB in WAR in 2015. Led by Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop, their bullpen finished fourth in the league in WAR.

But why let a good thing lie when you can make it even better?

Lackey is coming off a 2.77 ERA across 218 innings in 2015, so he looks like an excellent No. 3 starter even if we assume he’s due for some regression. Cahill and Warren, meanwhile, can work either as long relievers and spot starters or as late-inning firemen. With them aboard, the Cubs have one of the deeper and more versatile bullpens around.

When you get out your abacus and add up what the Cubs are now packing, you’re left with very few, if any, things to rant and rave about. We’re looking at a team that won 97 games in 2015 and has upgraded its offense, defense, starting rotation and bullpen.

The Cubs haven’t been the busiest team in baseball this winter. There’s a team in Seattle that has a strong claim to that title. But if we’re talking about already good teams that have taken steps toward greatness this winter, that’s where the Cubs have owned the spotlight.

On paper, the Cubs look way more loaded than the Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates, their two big NL Central rivals. The same goes for the New York Mets. And the Los Angeles Dodgers. And the…well, here’s a better idea: Go ahead and name a team that is more loaded than the Cubs at this juncture.

[Pause]

Pretty hard, right?

Darn right it is. And though it’s too soon to assume the Cubs are going to remain on top of MLB, for now it’s hard to argue that’s not where they are. They became a championship-caliber team in 2015, and all they’ve done this season is press their advantage.

Clearly, they’ve had about enough of that damn billy goat. After 107 years, you would too.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted/linked.

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For the second time in as many years, Jason Heyward is on the move, agreeing to a deal with the Chicago Cubs.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times first reported the news. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal and CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman have since confirmed Heyward is headed to the Cubs.

Heyman indicated Heyward likely gave the Cubs a discount:

Rosenthal confirmed that both the Nationals and Cardinals are believed to have offered Heyward over $200 million. 

Wittenmyer added the deal is for eight years, while Rosenthal reported it was worth $184 million. Peter Gammons of MLB Network noted the deal contains two opt-out clauses, while Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago added the first opt out was after just three seasons. 

ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark explained why the Cubs splurged to add a premier outfield talent:

Heyward, who spent the 2015 season with the St. Louis Cardinals, is one of the unsung superstars in baseball. He’s not a traditional star, with his home run totals sitting in the mid-to-high teens for most of his career, but his ability to get on base, steal bases and play elite defense in right field has made him a valuable asset.

According to FanGraphs‘ metrics, Heyward has been worth more than five wins above replacement three times in the past four years. Even in 2013, he was worth 3.4 WAR despite playing just 104 games due to injuries.

The Cardinals opted to let the 26-year-old test free agency, with general manager John Mozeliak saying in September any negotiations between the two sides would take place in the offseason.

This deal is a bold risk for the Cubs, though Heyward was always going to have his share of suitors. One general manager told CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman last offseason that a $200 million deal for the former All-Star wouldn’t be a surprise.

“He’s the best defensive right fielder in the game. He’s young. He has upside. He’s a leader with great makeup. And his WAR is higher than Giancarlo Stanton,” the GM said.

Despite the large financial commitment, Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reported the Cubs may not be done yet this offseason:

Stars Heyward’s age don’t hit the market very often, so it’s easy to see why he became one of the most coveted players available. Now, Heyward takes his tremendous skill set to Chicago. He’s a true difference-maker who does so many things so well that everyone around him will be even better.

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The Starlin Castro era is over in Chicago, after the Cubs traded the shortstop/second baseman to the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported the Yankees will send infielder Brendan Ryan and pitcher Adam Warren to Chicago in return for Castro.

Warren is a 28-year-old right-handed pitcher who played for the Yankees his entire four-year career. 2015 was his first year as a five-day rotation pitcher, going 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA and striking out 104 batters.

Versatility is what makes Warren valuable. The Cubs can move him into the fifth spot in the rotation or count on him for a relief role, as Joel Sherman from the New York Post noted:

Jesse Rogers from ESPNChicago.com thinks the opposite and believes Warren is meant to be just a bullpen guy or a fringe end-of-the-rotation pitcher:

Jeff Passan from Yahoo Sports thinks Warren is a good asset for the Cubs to obtain but that this deal was more so Chicago’s attempt to replace Castro with Ben Zobrist, who signed with the Cubs on a four-year, $56 million deal on Tuesday, as Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal first reported and the team later confirmed:   

Warren is a young arm who could add some depth to a Cubs rotation that needs it at the back end. After Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta, the bottom of the rotation is unknown. If Warren has a good spring training, he could be in line for a fifth-day starting spot.      

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The young, upstart Chicago Cubs have gotten a little longer in the tooth this offseason—and that’s a good thing.

First, they signed 37-year-old right-hander John Lackey to a two-year, $32 million deal that was finalized on Tuesday, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. Then, later that same day, they inked 34-year-old super-utility man Ben Zobrist to a four-year, $56 million pact, per Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

To help make room for Zobrist, the Cubs concurrently traded 25-year-old middle infielder Starlin Castro to the New York Yankees for right-hander Adam Warren and a player to be named later, per ESPN the Magazine‘s Buster Olney.

That move clears some salary off the Cubs’ ledger—Spotrac indicates that Castro is owed around $40 million through 2019—and gives the Cubs pitching depth and flexibility, as the 28-year-old Warren can start or come out of the bullpen.

Mostly, though, the Zobrist and Lackey signings were about the Cubs adding veteran pieces to a team that was high on talent but relatively low on experience.

Yes, left-hander Jon Lester—a teammate of Lackey’s with the Boston Red Sox—and catcher Miguel Montero are battle-tested. But the Cubs’ core is green.

Four rookies—Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber and Jorge Soler—featured prominently in last season’s playoff run. By contrast, Anthony Rizzo—a 26-year-old who’d never tasted the postseason—looked like a grizzled elder statesman.

Age isn’t everything, of course. In fact, in Zobrist’s case, you could argue it’s something of a red flag considering he’s locked up through his age-38 season.

But for next year at least, the versatile infielder/outfielder gives skipper Joe Maddon exactly the kind of weapon he covets. There is perhaps no manager in the game who likes to mix and match more than Maddon, and Zobrist arms him with a top-notch Swiss Army knife.

Maddon and Zobrist have familiarity, too, from their days with the Tampa Bay Rays. In his best seasons under Maddon—2011 and 2012—Zobrist racked up 14.4 WAR (wins above replacement) and capably manned four different positions.

He won’t replicate that production in Chicago, but he’s still plenty valuable, as he demonstrated by hitting .276 with an .809 OPS last year for the Oakland A’s and world champion Kansas City Royals.

Lackey, meanwhile, is coming off a renaissance campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals. After posting a 4.30 ERA in 60.2 innings for the Cardinals in 2014, Lackey sipped from the fountain of youth and put up a career-low 2.77 ERA in 218 innings in 2015.

He’ll slot nicely into a rotation fronted by Lester and reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta. Lackey owns a 3.11 lifetime postseason ERA in 127.1 frames, which is good news as the Cubs look to make another deep October run.

“You walk into a three-game series and the other team calls for your pitching, and you say it’s going to be ‘Lester, Arrieta and Lackey,’ they don’t like that,” Maddon said with typical bravado, per ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers.

He’s right. That’s a sturdy top three.

And just as Lackey strengthens the staff, Zobrist bolsters the lineup. He doesn’t blow you away with power, but he’s a switch-hitter without dramatic splits who is essentially versatility personified. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan highlighted Zobrist’s virtues:

You could argue that Castro, who is nearly 10 years Zobrist’s junior, has more long-term upside. And, again, it’s fair to wonder what Zobrist will be able to do—or not do—in the third and especially fourth years of this deal.

But the Cubs are in win-now mode after blossoming ahead of schedule yet falling to the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.

Zobrist and Lackey, while not as splashy as David Price or Jason Heyward, are exactly the kind of complementary pieces Chicago needed on its long-delayed title quest. Don’t worry, we’re not going to mention billy goats. Promise.

The deals are sweetened from the Cubs’ perspective when you consider that Chicago snatched Lackey from the archrival Cards and Zobrist from the Mets, who were “pretty optimistic” they’d land him, per ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin.

The Cubs have shown interest in Heyward, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. And the Zobrist and Lackey deals are reasonable enough to make adding the 26-year-old outfielder a possibility. Heyward, another former Cardinal with legit five-tool talent, would certainly and instantly make the Cubs much, much better.

So far, though, president of baseball operations Theo Epstein—the architect of this rebirth on the North Side—has opted for restraint and chosen to tinker around the edges of an already-excellent roster.

The Cubs had youth. Now they’ve added experience. Is it a trophy-hoisting recipe? It’s still December, so the proper answer is “Wait and see.” But from where we’re sitting, signs point to “Yes.”

All statistics and contract information current as of Dec. 8 and courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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The Chicago Cubs re-signed relief pitcher Trevor Cahill to a one-year, $4.25 million contract on Monday, per Buster Olney of ESPN.com. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com confirmed the report, adding the deal is pending a physical.  

Cahill, 27, went 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, two holds and 36 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched last season in stints with the Atlanta Braves and the Cubs. While he struggled with Atlanta, he was excellent in Chicago, notching a 2.12 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in 11 appearances. He also went 1-1 in six postseason appearances, giving up two earned runs in 5.1 innings.

Cahill is a former starter, but he found a home in Chicago’s bullpen after signing a minor league deal with the team midseason. While he doesn’t have dominant stuff, he was a solid option for the team in the middle innings and returns at an affordable price, allowing the Cubs to patch up other needs at key positions.

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