February 19, 2016

 Chicago Sun-Times, On deck: As Cubs open spring training, next wave of prospects on display http://chicago.suntimes.com/baseball/7/71/1337181/deck-cubs-open-spring-training-next-wave-prospects- display

 Cubs.com, Hammel adjusts mechanics, mental approach http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/164868510/cubs-jason-hammel-makes-offseason-adjustments

 Cubs.com, 3 questions as Cubs ready for Spring Training http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/164869860/3-questions-as-cubs-prepare-for-2016

 Cubs.com, Schwarber, Cubs already a smash hit in 2016 http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/164801094/schwarbers-windshield-breaking-hr-is-fitting

 ESPNChicago.com, Size does matter for Cubs as much-anticipated spring camp opens http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/36397/size-does-matter-for-cubs-as-much-anticipated- spring-camp-opens

 ESPNChicago.com, What could go wrong for the Cubs? http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/36326/what-could-go-wrong-for-the-cubs

 CSNChicago.com, Cubs will open spring training with World Series-or-bust mindset http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/cubs-will-open-spring-training-world-series-or-bust-mindset

 Chicago Tribune, It's early, but you can't rain on Cubs parade of dreams http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-victory-parade-sullivan-spt-0219-20160218- column.html

 Chicago Tribune, Jason Hammel says execution, command key to him returning to form http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jason-hammel-regaining-form-spt-0219-20160218- story.html

 Chicago Tribune, A little patience at plate goes a long way for Cubs' Albert Almora http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-albert-almora-patience-at-plate-spt-0219- 20160218-story.html

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Sun-Times On deck: As Cubs open spring training, next wave of prospects on display WRITTEN BY GORDON WITTENMYER

MESA, Ariz. – Spring training hasn’t even officially started, and Kyle Schwarber already is making national headlines for breaking things with home run balls during batting practice in Arizona.

Even before that, the National League rookie of the year, Kris Bryant, caused a social media stir by posting video of him in the water with sharks.

In less than a season of major league experience, this first wave of celebrated Cubs prospects – don’t forget and Jorge Soler – not only has helped build the latest winner on the north side, but also seems well on the way to legend-building.

So what’s next?

More to the point: Who’s next?

A Cubs farm system that ranked No. 1 by most accounts a year ago is all over the media-ranking spectrum with last year’s rookies graduated out of the system – afforded No. 4 (ESPN), No. 10 (Bleacher Report), No. 17 (Fangraphs.com) and No. 20 (Baseball America) rankings on recent minor-league lists.

Just how good the next wave might be – and, by extension, how strong, so far, Theo Epstein’s “foundation for sustain success” looks – will get at least a handful of cameo appearances this spring.

And for a team whose big-league roster is all but set, barring injuries, the first impressions of these prospects could be among the more intriguing, if not entertaining, storylines of the spring.

The farm system still leans heavily toward hitters. Among the players earning first-time 40-man roster status (and first big-league springs) are two of the organization’s top breakout players from last year, with the chance to become the Most Interesting Men in Mesa over the next month or so: third baseman Jeimer Candelario and catcher Willson Contreras (the Southern League batting champ many expect to debut this season).

Jason McLeod, the Cubs’ top player development executive, said the fast and stunning rises of back-to-back first- rounders Bryant and Schwarber to big-league rookie success has caused his staff to regroup.

“Kris and Kyle have warped even my sense of where [other prospects] should be sometimes,” he said.

But that’s not to say the Cubs don’t have a strong group of prospects behind them. They just might have to develop at a more traditional rate.

Contreras and Candelario already had shown strength defensively before their big offensive seasons in 2015, including exceptional performances in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Both should open the season in the wings at AAA Iowa – although some scouts suggest Contreras is ready for a big-league job now.

Former second-round draft pick Dan Vogelbach, a DH-looking first baseman with a big left-handed bat, also is in his first big-league camp this spring.

The bigger question for the state of the Cubs’ farm system is where the pitching will come from. The Cubs have yet to send a to the big leagues from the first four drafts under team president Epstein.

“I do think it’s a year that the pitching is going to burst upon the scene a little bit,” Epstein said early in the offseason – talking especially highly of a handful of with big arms in the lower minors.

Somebody from that group might be ready by the time Jon Lester is on the back end of his six-year contract. But if anybody’s going to keep Epstein from being forced to look for more free agent help for the rotation before that, it’s probably going to be someone from this trio of AA and AAA prospects in this camp: right-handers Duane Underwood, Pierce Johnson and Ryan Williams.

Underwood and Williams are in their first big-league camps. All are expected to get extra attention and evaluation from the staff this spring, with an eye toward building depth for this season – and making plans to contend beyond.

“There’s a wave of talent that’s starting to come up through the system,” farm director Jaron Madison said. “I think there’s going to be a lot of guys that take a big step forward this year and put themselves on the radar.”

Other spring-loaded thoughts

On-field intrigue: Even more than in most camps and in most years, health might be the biggest consideration for these Cubs in their first year of high expectations this decade – particularly for a pitching staff that could quickly show the stress of depth issues if the wrong arm gets the wrong twinge this spring. With that in mind, the Cubs are putting together a preservation plan for Cy Young winner , who threw a career-high number of innings – by 72 – last year. In fact, back-end rotation candidates and swingmen are expected to get the first few starts of the spring, with Travis Wood likely to get the opener in what could be an especially big spring for him.

Off-field intrigue: Epstein headed to spring training entering the final year of his original five-year, $18.5 million contract with the Cubs and with no substantive talks started with ownership, according to insiders. This despite low-level rumors in recent weeks suggesting significant progress had been made toward five-year extensions for Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer – chatter that might simply be the byproduct of widespread sentiment that Epstein and chairman Tom Ricketts are thinking in lockstep on the subject. That sentiment could change considerably if the season opens without an extension. Consider Andrew Friedman’s five-year, $35 million deal with the Dodgers a year ago a key talking point in negotiations.

Bold spring prediction: Javy Baez, the infielder who failed to stick after starting the final weeks at second base in 2014 and spent most of last year in the minors, said he adjusted quickly to a winter-ball trial in center field. This time around? He’ll be in the lineup.

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Cubs.com Hammel adjusts mechanics, mental approach Carrie Muskat

MESA, Ariz. -- Jason Hammel took a good look at himself this offseason. He got some advice about his mental approach to the game, revised his diet, tweaked his mechanics, tried to squelch any talk of a rift between him and manager Joe Maddon, and the end result could be the best season for the Cubs right-hander.

Hammel was puzzled as to why he didn't feel as good in the second half as he did in the first half in 2015. What he didn't expect to hear was that one expert was surprised he had any success at all.

In December, Hammel met with pitching guru Tom House, who evaluated both the mental and physical aspects of his game.

"He said, 'I don't know how you pitched in the big leagues for this long,' and I was shocked he was saying this to me," Hammel said Thursday. "He sounded like I was terrible. He said, 'I don't know how you pitched this long, because there's so much more in there and untapped potential in there, and it's the simplest fix.' It was an eye- opener."

House not only watched video of Hammel but also had the pitcher complete a "star profile" in which he looked at a list of 300 words and picked the ones that best described him.

"It was eye-opening, because the saying is, 'The teacher will appear when the student is ready to listen,'" Hammel said. "I've always been a good listener and I've always tried new things, but I've been around now for a long time and know myself pretty well, or so I thought. The stuff [the profile] spit out was pretty impressive. It was kind of like, 'You may say the right things and feel you're doing the right things, but maybe you're not doing them to the exact intensity and level of respect you need to expect to do it at.'"

House told Hammel that the profile revealed a glaring weakness in how the pitcher viewed himself.

"[He said] there needs to be more 'Stop beating yourself up,'" Hammel said of House's message. "How you build your confidence is by getting to that routine and being able to trust the routine. You need to be really intense with that routine. It's not necessarily saying, 'You were going through the motions,' but that I needed to pick it up. It was a shock to me, because I've always been a hard worker and I've never taken anything for granted."

So, Hammel was given tips on how to fine tune everything he does, from his routine to his thought process on pitching. He did make a slight mechanical adjustment, rotating his shoulders about 30 degrees. Other pitching coaches had recommended that but Hammel said he didn't feel comfortable. This offseason, he tried it, and it felt good.

On Thursday, Hammel threw about 60 pitches during a side session. Each time he's thrown, he is more encouraged by the results. His mechanics feel cleaner, he's using his lower half more, and that will help his arm be stronger in the second half.

"This is all stuff that I knew," Hammel said. "Sometimes you get into a road block and you're so into a routine, and you're like, I can't deviate, because then I'm not going to know what my body feels like. By starting earlier in the offseason and beginning the routine, I can change it up. It's been night and day."

Hammel said he always tells young pitchers to use the lower half of their body rather than just their arm, but wasn't aware he was making that mistake.

"It's translated so far," he said of his early sessions. "My arm feels great, the lower half feels even better. Obviously, the core training is better -- that's what I changed with the diet."

In November, he worked with trainer Eric Cressey, who is based in Massachusetts, and who helped Hammel with some pitcher-specific exercises to strengthen his core and his legs and also revised his diet. The right-hander lost 20 pounds this offseason.

Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio has noticed the difference during the early work by Hammel, who decided to get the outside advice on his own.

"It was for me," Hammel said. "I wanted to assess what I wanted to accomplish. I'm 33, and I feel I have plenty of successful, competitive years left in this game. You continue to keep learning."

Cubs pitchers and catchers don't have their first official workout until Saturday. Hammel is ahead of schedule. " It's becoming more of my routine to do it the new way," he said. "Fastball command, the ball is coming out better, breaking balls are better, is better. I'm happy so far, and we haven't even kicked off Day 1."

During the Cubs Convention in January, Hammel was surprised to be asked by fans about possible friction between him and Maddon. It started Aug. 6 when Hammel was pulled after four innings against the Giants. Naturally, he wanted to pitch longer.

"It must have looked really bad," Hammel said. "Joe wants to win; I want to win. Obviously, I want to be out there and continue to pitch and I want to work through my messes and make the adjustments. I understand that Joe has an obligation to make sure that the nine guys on the field are the best ones at the time, so that the win comes home.

"There's egos involved when you know there's a disagreement. I feel I can get through it, Joe knows I can get through it, but he has to make a decision. You check [your ego] at the door, you go out there, you play. If it's not so good, and you have a question, you talk, and we talked several times."

Hammel said their conversations were "never malicious, it was never a shouting match or anything like that." And Maddon told Hammel that he understood. It's over.

So, will Cubs fans see a new Jason Hammel?

"Same guy -- but I would say 'crisper,'" he said. "Obviously, I want to be the best I can be, and I'll do everything I can. It wasn't any stress on me to go down there and listen to somebody say not so nice things. I can listen."

And he did. And Hammel expects it to pay off.

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Cubs.com 3 questions as Cubs ready for Spring Training Carrie Muskat

MESA, Ariz. -- In Year 2 with the Cubs, Joe Maddon has a new outfielder, a new starting pitcher, a new, but very familiar second baseman, and a new RV. He also will deliver a new message to the players. After winning 97 games and getting to the postseason, Maddon knows the Cubs won't be able to sneak up on anyone.

"The target's going to be bigger, and I want us to embrace the target," Maddon said. "The pressure is going to be possibly greater, and I want us to embrace the pressure. The bigger target, the greater pressure, I think, equals a grander chance for success. So I'm all about that, and I definitely will bring that to our guys' attention."

The Cubs officially get underway on Saturday with the first workout for pitchers and catchers, although most have already been at the team's complex early to get a jump start on 2016. Position players need to report by Tuesday, and the first full squad workout is scheduled for the next day.

The Cubs will still be young, but the 20-something infield of Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, and Kris Bryant will be joined by Maddon favorite Ben Zobrist, 34. Maddon used "Zorilla" as a super-utility player in Tampa Bay, and Zobrist thrived.

The other new guys include outfielder , who liked the Cubs' youth so much that he rejected more lucrative offers from other teams to sign for eight years, $184 million. John Lackey also joins the rotation to give Chicago three standout starters, which is just what a team needs in the postseason.

Bryant, Russell and slugger Kyle Schwarber are all coming off successful rookie seasons. They'll have a better feel for the daily grind this year, although teams also will have better scouting reports on them as well. The players dismissed any talk of a sophomore jinx. So does Maddon.

"They're going to become more consistent," he said of the young players. "They're going to understand what pitchers are trying to do better. Thus, they're going to be even better offensive players."

Here are three questions the Cubs do need to answer this spring.

1. Where do Schwarber and Baez play?

The Cubs want Schwarber's bat in the lineup. But where will he play? This spring, Schwarber will split his workout time between the catcher drills and the outfielders sessions. As long as he keeps launching balls over the walls -- or onto scoreboards -- he'll get playing time. Javier Baez is a solid middle infielder and was projected as the starting second baseman a year ago, but he'll likely be getting reps in the outfield as well. The hope is that Baez could develop into a versatile Zobrist-type player who can be dropped into the lineup anywhere.

2. Can Heyward play center?

He's fast enough, he can cover a lot of territory with his long legs, but can Heyward handle the switch to center? He's spent the majority of his career in right field, making just 30 career starts in center. Maddon isn't worried, saying it's easier to read the ball off the bat when you're in center. And Heyward hasn't sounded too concerned, either. But with Schwarber and Jorge Soler in left and right, respectively, Heyward, 26, may need to cover for them, too.

3. Who makes the final cut for the bullpen?

Hector Rondon is set as the Cubs' closer and Justin Grimm and Pedro Strop were reliable setup men. But who will join them in the 'pen? Rex Brothers comes over from Colorado, with his last full season a disappointing 2014 in which he posted a 5.59 ERA in 74 games with the Rockies. Neil Ramirez is coming back from a tender shoulder that limited him to 19 games. Where does newcomer Adam Warren fit? Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio likes having starters in the bullpen because of their versatility, and he's got that with Travis Wood, Clayton Richard and Trevor Cahill. It should all get sorted out this spring.

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Cubs.com Schwarber, Cubs already a smash hit in 2016 Windshield-breaking homer could be a fitting start to a landmark season Phil Rogers

He did what? He did it when?

Of course he did.

Of course Kyle Schwarber broke the windshield of a car with a batting practice home run during a voluntary workout before Cubs Spring Training officially began.

What did you expect? A few popups and some warning-track flies?

Nope. This is Schwarber, and this is what he does. These are the Cubs, finally caffeinated and ready to beat every team in sight, behind a lineup of kids as fearless as that one Pony League team in your town that nobody ever wanted to play.

They're the biggest story in the Major Leagues this season, just like they were when they ran into all that pitching last October.

But they were just getting started in 2015, after all. They didn't even have outfield bleachers on Opening Day. This was a fantastically fun team to watch, but one that spent a long time on training wheels.

Now 2016, that's a different question. Is this "The Year," the one that generations of fans have awaited since 1908? Everybody says so.

Did you see the pants Bill Murray was wearing at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Saturday? They screamed as loudly as all the forecasts of numbers-crunchers and less objective analysts.

Thanks to Schwarber, there's now an omen proclaiming the start of something truly special.

It's perfect that it was the Cubs' baby-faced terror who made the start of Spring Training memorable. Like Kris Bryant and Addison Russell, Schwarber proved to be an unusually quick study when he arrived at Wrigley Field last year, like he was bred in a secret lab somewhere to be a curse-buster. He almost didn't yet know what he was doing as he delivered a .355 on-base percentage, 16 homers and an .842 OPS in 69 big league games.

This was a kid barely a year removed from playing for Indiana University?

Schwarber and Jorge Soler were nightmares for opposing pitchers throughout the postseason. They were hardly alone, either.

Anthony Rizzo and Bryant had their moments. Russell and Javier Baez provided strong presences at shortstop. But it was Schwarber who provided the signature moment, with that majestic blast to the top of the right-field video board on the night they pounded the Cardinals to unofficially signal a changing of the guard in the National League Central.

When Schwarber takes batting practice, you should probably park your car a long, long way away from the field. A fan named Peter Gesler learned that the hard way.

Gesler will always be able to tell his grandkids about the day his car went viral. Schwarber even helped Gesler receive an offer from Safelite AutoGlass to repair the damage.

One thing you may have forgotten about last year's Cubs is that there was a time last season when they had a hard time scoring runs. That changed when Schwarber was summoned from Triple-A for good.

The Cubs averaged 3.9 runs per game in the first half of the season, ranking 11th in the NL. Their average would have been lower if not for Schwarber crushing the ball on a June trip to Cleveland and Minnesota, where Joe Maddon got to use a DH.

Schwarber 's first start? It was a 17-0 win over the Indians.

Only the Yoenis Cespedes-driven Mets outscored the Cubs once Schwarber settled into left field. The Cubs' averaged 4.7 runs in the second half.

With Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist now in the lineup, it appears they were only getting started. If El Nino cooperates, they've got a real shot at 800 runs this year, a total no NL team has reached since 2009.

In the 2015 Bill James Handbook, Baseball Info Solutions projected Bryant to hit .266 with 33 homers and 105 RBIs as a rookie. He almost got there. Rizzo surpassed the James projection that he would hit .274 with 34 homers, 91 RBIs and an .875 OPS.

We mention this because it's time to consider those James projections for 2016. He's got Bryant down for .303, 37 homers, 120 RBIs and a .969 OPS in the follow-up to his NL Rookie of the Year Award-winning season. Rizzo remains about where his projection was last year. Russell, Soler and Baez are all forecast to hit between .263 and .284 with 20-27 home runs and 78-96 RBIs.

And the mighty Schwarber, a threat to windshields as well as video boards? Somehow he was overlooked in the book. I figured this was simply an editorial mistake, but it could have been a tacit acknowledgement that it's impossible to measure the upside Schwarber brings in his first full season.

So I checked with James, who directed me to Scott Spratt, who managed the hitter and pitcher projections in the Handbook. He said it was a simple oversight and forwarded Schwarber's 2016 forecast.

The folks who pretty much nailed Bryant's rookie season have Schwarber down for a .286 batting average and a .930 OPS in his first full season, with 36 home runs, 92 walks, 110 runs and 103 RBIs.

Let 'er rip, kid.

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ESPNChicago.com Size does matter for Cubs as much-anticipated spring camp opens Jesse Rogers

MESA, Ariz. -- The first time I walked into the New York Yankees' clubhouse about a decade ago, I was immediately struck by the size of the team. Mind you, this was around the time the were fielding a roster which consisted of Mike Fontenot and Ryan Theriot. Fine ballplayers -- but not exactly big and athletic.

During those years the Yankees employed players such as Alex Rodriguez, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez, Jorge Posada, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson and Mariano Rivera. None was smaller than 6-foot-2. And that’s just their height. These were strong, athletic players. Maybe the most surprising to me was Derek Jeter. Seeing him up close for the first time I was shocked at his size for a shortstop. At 6-3, 195, he was a physical specimen for that position. They all were. It was something that stuck with me.

Fast-forward to the 2016 Cubs. I haven’t even seen them all in one locker room just yet; pitchers and catchers report Friday while position players are due Tuesday, but plenty have been lingering around camp already and the same thing that stood out about the Yankees now applies to the Cubs. They are huge, athletic and present one of the most formidable teams in Cubs history.

“These guys can handle the workload,” pitching coach Chris Bosio said this week. “We have some big dudes on this team. I think there’s a correlation there.”

Just think about Bosio’s starting staff. His top four pitchers are “horses” who aren’t going to be deterred by heavy innings though the Cubs still will do their best to limit arm fatigue. That’s something the size of the player can’t control. But as far as everything else in regard to withstanding the grind, the Cubs' starters have it.

Jon Lester is listed at 6-4, 240. John Lackey is 6-6, 235. Jason Hammel is 6-6, 225 pounds, and then there is Jake Arrieta. His height (6-4) and weight (225) only begin to tell the story of the most fit pitcher Cubs strength and conditioning coach Tim Busse says he ever has been around. Arrieta is a fitness freak who showed arm fatigue only as he approached his 250th inning last year. These pitchers are all massive, helping to handle their workload.

And that’s just the rotation.

“That’s the way it was coming up through a really good Milwaukee Brewers system,” Bosio said. “Everyone on that team was 6-3, 6-5, 6-6. Now I look around our clubhouse, that’s what I’m starting to see. Big bodies, broad shoulders, long legs.”

Now take a look at the position players. The additions of Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist simply add to an already big and athletic squad. Heyward, in particular, could have been made in a laboratory. He’s 6-5, 245 pounds. Like Kris Bryant, his long strides make him a demon on the base paths. Zobrist isn’t your grandfather’s second baseman either. Remember the days of the little guy (Theriot) who could do a lot but was limited? Starlin Castro had some size (6 feet) but not like Zobrist, who’s listed at 6-3, 210.

Addison Russell and Javier Baez are the smallest of the group -- each coming in at 6 feet and around 200 pounds. They both pack a lot of athleticism into their “smaller” frames. We know Baez can swing and move with the best of them, but Russell has more power than most might think. Did you know he was third on the team in doubles last year behind Anthony Rizzo and Bryant? And he hit 13 home runs as a 21-year-old rookie. Size, strength and athleticism.

Then there is Bryant, Rizzo and another physical freak, Jorge Soler. They’ll come in waves presenting the opposition with raw power at every turn.

And don’t forget that manager Joe Maddon is a big believer in base running. He has a team that can put pressure on the defense like few in the league and it has nothing to do with foot speed. When running at full capacity the Cubs will have the power and athleticism to put up huge numbers on offense. The other benefit of that size and fitness is health. Most believe injuries are about the only thing that can derail this team, but they have acquired the right players to withstand the grind -- though that doesn’t insulate them from the more fluky occurrences, of course. No team can predict those.

None of this was by accident. The Cubs noticed the athletes they inherited both at the minor and major league levels and set out to improve not just the quality of the player but the size of the athlete as well. In time they’ve accomplished that, setting themselves up as one of the preseason favorites to break a 107-year championship drought.

Of course size alone won’t break the curse. And here is a reminder of what’s to come: There are two seasons -- the regular one and then the playoffs. If this team doesn’t make it to October baseball then it’s a complete failure, but once it gets there it has no better or worse chance than any other team in the postseason. Short-series baseball is a roll of the dice. If the worst team in the league can beat the best three or four times in a row at any time then why can’t one playoff team do it to another? The Cubs have a 1 in 10 chance of winning the World Series every year they get to the playoffs. Same as any other postseason team. But if getting there is half the battle they’ve set themselves up nicely with a powerful, athletic team. One built to make history. Now it just has to do it.

“We’ve got a bunch of horses,” Bosio reiterated. “There’s a correlation with staying healthy and grinding out the season. They’ll be ready.”

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ESPNChicago.com What could go wrong for the Cubs? Jesse Rogers

When you’re the World Series favorites but haven’t won a championship in 107 years, the narrative for your season can only go one of two ways: complete joy or utter heartbreak.

Chicago Cubs fans have endured heartbreak much more than joy over the past century, but their veteran front office has set out to avoid any pitfalls coming off a 97-win season, which ended in a National League Championship Series sweep at the hands of the New York Mets. There’s unfinished business for them, and their whole plight this offseason has been to ensure they have another chance come October.

“Once you reach a point where you have a pretty good team, you approach the offseason in two ways,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said the day after they were eliminated last year. “One is looking for ways to get better. And the second is trying to anticipate everything that could go wrong which will get in the way of you being really good again the next year or even better the next year.”

So where can it go wrong? It will be a question that continues to be examined throughout spring training.

Realistically, it would take several injuries or sophomore slumps for the Cubs not to score enough runs over the course of 162 games. There’s just too much talent and depth. Javier Baez and Chris Coghlan are backups. That says a lot about their starting eight. The Cubs are loaded from top to bottom with MVP candidate Anthony Rizzo anchoring the middle of the lineup, along with reigning NL Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant.

The Cubs' biggest weakness on offense last season was putting the ball in play at crucial times. They believe a year of experience for their young players along with the additions of Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist will address that problem. So barring the injuries or a complete lack of on-base percentage -- remember Dexter Fowler isn’t here -- the Cubs' offense should survive any slumps.

The issue that more realistically could derail their season comes on the mound. The Cubs don’t have a bullpen like the world champion or a starting staff like the runner-up Mets. Make no mistake, their pitching is very good, but it’s possible they still have a few depth issues, especially if Jake Arrieta has any problems after his huge workload or John Lackey shows his age (37) or Jason Hammel picks up where he left off at the end of last season. Are we making a case for things to go wrong? Yes. But that’s what the front office did all offseason.

The addition of Adam Warren could be as big a key as any player picked up this past winter. If a starter goes down and Warren makes a seamless transition into the rotation, he’ll be worth every bit of the three-time All-Star (Starlin Castro) the Cubs traded to get him.

After Warren, it’s a mixture of former-starters-turned-relievers and minor leaguers who didn’t impress last year tasked with backing up the starting staff. Simply put, worst-case scenarios don’t bode well for any team when it comes to the starting rotation, and that includes the Cubs.

As for the bullpen, it’s hard to know all the roles in front of closer Hector Rondon. At this moment, he’s the most reliable arm as he begins his third season as the closer. We can’t know for sure whether Pedro Strop, Justin Grimm, Trevor Cahill, Travis Wood, Clayton Richard and others will repeat the success they had last season. There’s a body of work for a few of those players, but not many, and it's not a big enough sample size to be assured of their consistency.

As much as the Cubs did this past offseason, they didn’t bring in the top arms either through free agency or trades. They brought in good pitchers who might have success, but if the season doesn’t turn out the way the predictors are saying, it will be on the mound where things most likely will have gone wrong.

There’s one other issue the Cubs face: their history. Whether the curse is real or imagined, the facts state they’ve gone to the postseason in back-to-back years only once since making it three straight times from 1906-1908. Nearly every good season has been followed by lofty projections and eventually despair in September or October. Maybe it’s the pressure of the championship drought or maybe it’s just all a big coincidence. Either way, the Cubs believe the character in their clubhouse combined with their dynamic manager will be the difference in bucking history.

It’s hard to see this team failing as miserably as some of those past ones, but then again, it was hard to see those teams coming up short at the time, as well. These are the Cubs, after all, so asking where it can all go wrong usually elicits a response of "everywhere." Their lovable losing history is part of their narrative, but that doesn’t mean it has to define their 2016 season. At some point the drought will end. Right?

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CSNChicago.com Cubs will open spring training with World Series-or-bust mindset Patrick Mooney

Where the Cubs used to have to talk themselves into believing this might be the year — if this happens, if that happens, maybe we’ll surprise some people — now everyone is telling them how great they are.

There will be no escaping the hype when pitchers and catchers officially report on Friday in Arizona, with Mesa becoming a Cactus League hotspot for the national media and the TV networks trying to get a piece of a franchise desperate for its first World Series title since 1908.

FanGraphs projects the Cubs will be the best team in baseball and finish with a +122 run differential. The PECOTA system run through Baseball Prospectus predicts 92 victories and the Cubs winning their division by nine games.

Preseason power rankings for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo! Sports and ESPN all have the Cubs at No. 1. Websites like VegasInsider and OddsSharks that track sports books list the Cubs as the favorites to win the World Series.

Instead of resting on 97 wins, the Cubs responded with a full-throttle offseason, spending $272 million on outfielder Jason Heyward, second baseman Ben Zobrist and pitcher John Lackey, three All-Star level players who combined have been part of 28 playoff series.

“Last year is over with,” Anthony Rizzo said. “It’s time to gear up for 2016.

“Everyone knows what they need to do to be ready. And we have a really good group of guys that are accountable for everything.”

[MORE CUBS: Five storylines for spring training]

Rizzo knew it would go viral when he predicted the Cubs would win the division last year, changing the conversation and emerging as the leader/DJ in a relaxed clubhouse tricked out with disco lighting.

Besides Rizzo, a two-time All-Star first baseman and MVP candidate, the Cubs are stacked with players who will be 26 or younger on Opening Day. There’s Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant, franchise shortstop Addison Russell and Internet sensation Kyle Schwarber, who’s already broken a car windshield at Sloan Park. Plus, super-utility guy Javier Baez, Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler, Dartmouth-educated pitcher and Heyward, a three-time Gold Glove winner.

“I feel like we’re going to win the division,” Schwarber said. “We showed what we could do when we’re all in it for the common goal.

“Now we know what to expect. There’s probably going to be more targets on our back. We’re going to have to come with our A-game every game.”

As a third-place team that trailed the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates during the regular season — and got swept out of the National League Championship Series by the New York Mets — the Cubs have unfinished business.

“Any time you don’t win a World Series, I don’t think you accomplish your goal,” Bryant said. “We’re playing this game to win a World Series, especially for the Chicago Cubs. Fans (want) that. And this year, we’re in a good position for it.”

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Jake Arrieta gave this team a killer instinct and will front the rotation after his Cy Young Award season. Combined, Lackey and Jon Lester have won four World Series rings and thrown more than 4,500 innings in The Show. Joe Maddon — a three-time Manager of the Year — will be at the controls of a deep and versatile bullpen.

“I love expectations,” said Lester, who thought 2016 would be the all-in year when he signed a $155 million contract after the 2014 season. “You got to back up what you did the year before. It’s something I’ve always tried to take pride in — go out and worry about doing your job.

“That trickles down to everybody. All these young guys have good heads on their shoulders, and they all work hard. They all get it. They understand the game. It’s going to be an exciting year for us.”

It’s not going to be an in-between year for the Cubs. By the end, there will be either pure joy in Wrigleyville or October agony.

“There’s no doubt every player who had to watch the Mets celebrate on the field is extraordinarily hungry to win eight more games in October than we did last year,” team president Theo Epstein said.

“We’re unified by that common goal. It’s the most important thing in the lives of a lot of people — fans, players, front office alike. And we’re out to reach our goals this year and make a lot of people happy, knowing that there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs along the way.”

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Tribune It's early, but you can't rain on Cubs parade of dreams Paul Sullivan

It's never too early to start planning ahead, and now is as good a time as any to begin preparations for the Cubs' 2016 championship.

Pitchers and catchers report to Cubs camp on Friday, and the start of the regular season is only seven weeks away. It won't be long until November rolls around, and with so many experts and oddsmakers suggesting this finally is the year, it's best to get a head start on the inevitable post-Series celebrations.

The first item of business, naturally, is planning the parade and rally.

It has become Chicago tradition in the 21st century to start the parade at the stadium you play in and head downtown. The White Sox started at U.S. Cellular Field in 2005. The motorcade snaked through Bridgeport, Pilsen, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown and Bronzeville before it got to the corner of Jackson and LaSalle streets, where the parade officially began. It ended at the corner of LaSalle and Wacker Drive, where the players were introduced on the main stage and Paul Konerko famously gave the ball he caught for the final out to Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf. Many tears were shed.

The Blackhawks' 2015 parade started with a motorcade from the United Center heading downtown, with the official parade jumping off at Monroe and Jefferson streets and going east to Michigan Avenue, leading up to the much-anticipated profanity Corey Crawford uttered at the Soldier Field rally. It was bleeping great.

These were awesome parades and memorable moments, but the Cubs have no choice but to top those because the whole world will be watching, with the exception of certain South Side wards.

So let's do it in reverse and end up at the place where it all happened. Start the motorcade on lower Michigan Avenue outside the Billy Goat Tavern and snake north to Wrigleyville, with the parade officially starting on Rush Street. Then it's over to Old Town, up Halsted through Boystown and heading west on Addison to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

Despite its limited capacity, the rally really should be inside Wrigley, where the Cubs have played without a championship since their first season there in 1916.

Grant Park and Soldier Field may hold more people, but we've been there, done that. Wrigleyville will be gridlock, but at that point, not even the neighbors will complain. Probably.

Next up is the traditional White House visit, which the Blackhawks took again on Thursday.

Some will argue the Cubs should wait until 2017 for the next president to take office, knowing Barack Obama is a self-admitted Sox fan as well as a lame duck. They assuredly will point out Teddy Roosevelt didn't invite the 1908 Cubs to the White House when he was a lame duck president, so the precedent already has been set.

Should we wait and see if Hillary Clinton, an alleged Cubs fan, becomes president? Or Ted Cruz, giving us a wonderful photo-op of Cruz and his doppelganger, Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts?

No, the best option is to go to the White House before Obama leaves office. He admitted to the Tribune last October he was rooting for the Cubs to win the World Series. It could be his last hurrah.

Lastly, where do we put the Joe Maddon statue?

The obvious spot is outside the center field bleachers where the Harry Caray statue is slated to return in 2016. Caray and Maddon are kindred spirits who epitomize the Cubs without actually having played for them.

Personally, I would have the Maddon statue standing next to the Ernie Banks statue. Any manager who brings the Cubs a championship deserves a place alongside Mr. Cub.

Then again, we could just wait and see what happens this year before making all these grand plans.

But what fun would that be?

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Tribune Jason Hammel says execution, command key to him returning to form Mark Gonzales

What was behind Jason Hammel's struggles after the All-Star break last season?

Was it the result of him bristling at being pulled early from a game on two occasions?

Or was it the tightness behind his left knee, which he now admits bothered him more in the second half than he had previously revealed?

Neither, according to Hammel.

"The execution has to be better," Hammel said Thursday. "That's the bottom line."

Hammel had a 5.10 ERA with 12 home runs allowed in 67 innings in the second half. Those numbers stand in contrast to those he posted in the first half: a 2.86 ERA with 11 homers surrendered in 103 2/3 innings.

According to Bill James' Handbook 2016, Hammel ranked fifth among the Cubs' projected starting pitchers by recording 38 percent of his strikes on the edges of the strike zone in 2015. The book added that Hammel threw his fastball 53 percent of the time and his slider 36 percent.

"I felt like fastball command was more the issue than anything," Hammel said. "When I needed to throw a fastball, it wasn't a quality fastball. Whether or not I threw a slider that was well-executed or not, I still wasn't establishing the fastball where they respect it enough.

"Obviously, the slider is my put-away pitch. But if I'm not putting guys away with it, it's going to get me in trouble. I don't really pay too much attention to it because I used it the same in the first half as I did in the second half."

Extra innings: Regardless of where free-agent center fielder Dexter Fowler signs, the Cubs will still lose their first two picks in this year's draft after signing free agents Jason Heyward and John Lackey because they received qualifying offers from the Cardinals. ... Cubs players performed brisk workouts Thursday as executives and coaches participated in the first of two meetings before Saturday's first workout for pitchers and catchers.

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Tribune A little patience at plate goes a long way for Cubs' Albert Almora Mark Gonzales

For most of his baseball career, Albert Almora dazzled evaluators with his aggressive-but-productive approach at the plate and his fearlessness in the outfield.

But toward the end of a second consecutive inconsistent season, Almora finally heeded Cubs executives who suggested that their 2012 first-round pick become more selective — regardless of the count.

The results were extremely pleasing to Almora as well as the Cubs.

"I finally understand," said Almora, who batted .356 from Aug. 5 to the end of the season at Double-A Tennessee. "I love to swing. I love to get the ball in play. But now I'm starting to swing at pitches I can do damage. That's the biggest part for me right now, just to have that confidence knowing I'm going to get my pitch in an at-bat and not to get crazy with it. When I get it, do damage.

"If I get it and swing and miss or foul it off, I know that I'll have another opportunity. ... I can go deep in counts and do damage.''

Almora's confidence swelled after he hit 13 doubles and struck out only 13 times in his final 33 games.

There is no rush to bring Almora to the majors this season, especially with the addition of Jason Heyward in center field and with the more experienced Matt Szczur and Javier Baez competing for backup duty.

Almora, however, feels invigorated after his late-season success, not to mention that of the Cubs.

Almora batted .429 (6-for-14) in the spring of 2014 and impressed manager Joe Maddon last March by batting .345 and playing exceptional defense.

Almora said he left South Florida last month to continue his preparation at the Cubs' spring training facility, and another impressive spring could land him at Triple-A Iowa to start the season.

"I feel I'm getting older, but I'm only 21," Almora said. "Just from learning from these guys, I feel I know what to do to prepare myself."

"To see the names (the Cubs added) in the offseason, where the goal is, to see the expressions on the faces as they get closer to (the World Series), it makes me work that much harder."

Almora won't temper his aggressiveness in the outfield, which resulted in two concussions last season, including an injury while crashing into an outfield wall that caused him to miss the final three games.

"I can't," Almora said in a firm tone. "Even in batting practice, I'm trying to rob guys of home runs. That's just the way I am. I feel I cheat the game if I don't play like that. Whatever's in store for me is already written. I can't change the way I play the game. I won't. I'll feel like I disrespect it.

"If I feel like my time is going to be cut short because of the way I play, so be it. I'm going out there with a positive mentality and try to help the team in every shape and form.''

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