MLB Betting Online: Hope springs eternal in Major League Baseball. Your favorite team made a key offseason move, the prized prospect is ready for his breakout season or the injuries from last year have all healed. Whatever the circumstance, everyone is tied for first at this point.
Hard to believe it’s been 108 years since the Cubs last World Series victory, but fans of the North-Siders have more than a few reasons for optimism in 2016. Nobody expected the rebuilding Cubbies to go from last place to the 2015 playoffs when the season started. Now, they’re not only expected to do it again, but are the World Series favorite at +565.
CHICAGO CUBS
+565 to win 2016 World Series
+290 to win NL Pennant
After a lengthy rebuild from President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein, the Cubs arrived a year early in 2015, and while some pegged them as having a shot at contention last year, no one could have predicted a 97-win season, a trip to the NLCS and a Cy Young Award for Jake Arrieta.
The depth of the lineup, dominance of stud pitchers, and ever increasing wealth of young talent is enough to leave Cubs fans excited for the 2016 campaign.
The Cubs committed $275 million in free agency to upgrade a bad outfield, lengthen the lineup and create a semblance of a playoff rotation, among other things. “There was a real effort,” Epstein says, “to go from good to great this winter and to capitalize on a moment in time.”
The rotation starts with NL Cy Young winner Arrieta and continues with a pair of 2013 championship Red Sox pitchers in Jon Lester and John Lackey. The front office also addressed last year’s depth issues by trading Starlin Castro to the Yankees for potential starter Adam Warren. Their top three late-inning power arms are all back, including closer Hector Rondon, who responded to a brief demotion from the role in June to finish with a 0.96 ERA the rest of the season.
The Cubs have one of the most powerful young sets of corner infielders in the game in Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant at third and two-time All-Star Anthony Rizzo at first. The two All-Stars in 2015 combined for 57 homers, 155 walks, 200 RBIs and more than 12 wins above replacement.
The Cubs built their offseason around the $184 million courtship of Jason Heyward to upgrade their biggest defensive problem area. The best right fielder in the game agreed to open the season in center field, where he immediately helps improve the shaky corners.
Heyward is uniquely young for a free agent, and the Cubs are betting the largest contract in franchise history that he can become an impact core player for a perennial contender – and possibly even reach some of his long-anticipated power potential as he enters his prime years.
Miguel Montero and David Ross were two of the better catchers in the league, according to various metrics, and both will be in their second seasons with a staff that returns every key member from a group that led the majors in strikeouts, ranked third in ERA and fifth in fewest walks.
National League Manager of the Year Joe Maddon’s sudden availability before last season helped make 2015 a 97-win perfect storm, with the nine-year veteran of young Rays teams pushing nearly every right button at nearly every right time – especially with the rookies.
Key Additions: OF Jason Heyward, IF Ben Zobrist, SP John Lackey, RP Adam Warren.
Key Losses: SS Starlin Castro, SP Dan Haren, RP Jason Motte, OF Chris Denofia.
The Cubs had remarkably good health last year – none of the five in the opening rotation went on the DL – and they are bracing for the likelihood that won’t happen in consecutive years. Depth is still an issue in areas, the bullpen could go either way, and sophomore seasons can be rough even for impressive rookies. But between their improvements and a less impressive winter for the rival Cardinals, the Cubs will be America’s Darlings, and the favorite for both the division and pennant.
Prediction: 98-64
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