Maybe it’s me, maybe it’s the offseason coverage, or perhaps it’s the excitement surrounding the White Sox, but contrary to the current feelings on across the northside fanbase, the Chicago Cubs still have a top-10 lineup in Major League Baseball.
From top to bottom, left to right, they still showcase a lineup of guys who have the potential to carry a roster to the playoffs this year. It’s the starting rotation and the back end of the bullpen that will struggle.
Perhaps the most frustrating part for the fans was the donation of Yu Darvish to another contending National League team, a move likely to hurt them significantly down the stretch.
Division Odds Are Not Great (+425)
“We feel like we have a lot to prove this year,” Anthony Rizzo told the ESPN broadcast during Wednesday’s Spring Training game against the Mariners.
Apparently, the oddsmakers feel the same way, but we’re dismissing the idea that the Reds are a better team because duh. The Cardinals and Brewers, however, have an argument.
The Cubs are the reigning NL Central champions, but frankly, that means nothing for 2021. Glancing at the St. Louis Cardinals, they have the best player in the division in Nolan Arenado and arguably the best starting pitcher in Jack Flaherty.
Looking up at Wrigley Field North in Milwaukee, they have the second-best player in the division in Christian Yelich and arguably the best bullpen in all of baseball headlined by the best relief pitcher in the league Josh Hader, and reigning NL Rookie of The Year Devin Williams. Defensively, the Brewers are going to be one of the best teams in the league, especially with the additions of Kolton Wong and Jackie Bradley Jr. Don’t forget about Keston Hiura, who is emerging as one of the best hitters in baseball.
Those two teams, along with the Cubs, are going to be gridlocked within 5-7 games of each other all season long, but the pre-season odds favor the Cardinals at (+105).
All things considered, the Cubs have the worst bullpen, third-best starting rotation, and best starting lineup of those three teams right now. While on paper the Cubs can absolutely win the division, they won’t because their core players need new contracts and Jed Hoyer will likely trade one or two of them at the deadline.
Think about it, there doesn’t seem to be a plan in place if this team holds a one-game lead in the division in September or if they are two games out and fighting their way to the top. To make matters more frustrating, think about how hard it could be if this team is close to winning the division but the front office still believes they cannot win the World Series (probably a good bet). Will they make a big move? Sadly, that will probably be the case.
It’s not that the team on the field is not capable of winning another division crown, it’s the front office and their current instability. That’s why you should not bet on the Cubs to win the division this season.
Cubs World Series Odds (+4000)
The Cubs are right where they should be, in regards to fall classic odds. The National League is as loaded as it has been in recent memory and the Cubs will be flying under the radar for most of the year.
If you had to make a prediction now, the three best teams in the NL are the Dodgers, Padres, and Nationals. That’s before I mention the Braves and new-look New York Mets. It would take a miracle for the Cubs to make it through those teams to win the pennant, but anything is possible.
One of the funniest things to note about these odds is that the Reds (+3000) are favored higher than the Cubs AND Brewers (+5000). Seriously, can we forget that garbage? The Reds are no better than last year and they lost their Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer.
If you enjoy losing money, you’ll bet on an NL Central team to win it all. It’s just not going to happen this year.
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If you’re a Cubs fan, this is going to be one of the most up and down, stressful, exciting, emotional seasons you’re going to endure. This is a good baseball team, and that narrative has been lost in click-bait articles, national narratives, and front office drama. Unfortunately, that last part is going to make this season emotional because there are going to be fan favorites heading out the door.
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