By all accounts, the past few years for the Chicago Cubs have been a failure. Ever since they won the World Series in 2016, they have not had much success. From losing the NLCS in 2017 to not even making the playoffs in 2019, the team has not had much success. This year was more of the same. The Cubs started well, winning 13 of their first 16 games. They started to falter by the end of August, only winning 8 of their next 19 games before the month ended. The team played about average in September, but that was enough to win their division and clinch a playoff spot. The team played the Miami Marlins in the first round of the playoffs. The Cubs were embarrassed in their series with the Marlins, losing both games and only scoring one run in both games combined. The team now faces many questions about their future. For example, three of their star players are eligible for free agency this year. Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez could all leave the team if they do not get paid or not want to keep them for whatever reason. Those three players were components of the team’s 2016 World Series win and have been significant reasons why the team has not been unreasonably bad the past few years. If any of them were to leave, the team could face struggles in the talent department and leadership department.
Another issue the team faces is the lack of young players. The average age of a Cubs player is 30.3 years old, making the Cubs the second “oldest” team in the MLB. According to most baseball journalists, the team does not have a strong minor league system, being ranked among the worst minor league systems in baseball. That brings us to the crux of this article, what can the Cubs do about all of this? The team’s best bet is to begin a rebuild. They are not getting any younger, and with no good minor league system in place, they need to start one by trading away older names. They can start by trading players who are eligible for free agency this year or next year to either established teams with strong minor league systems or teams on the upswing who are willing to give up prospects for a big name. This change is what the Cubs’ neighbors to the south did back when they wanted to rebuild. The White Sox made tough decisions that look like they are paying off now. If the Cubs want to reach their 2016 level of success, they will need to make tough decisions quickly. The first few years of rebuilding will not be easy or enjoyable, but they will be necessary for the team to be better in the long term. If they continue to stay the course, the team might end up in a worse situation than they are now.