Chicago Cubs Boss Admits There Is 'Increased Pressure' Heading Into Season

The Chicago Cubs know they're going to be under pressure to perform this season.

Jan 12, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer introduces pitcher Shota Imanaga during a press conference at Loews Chicago Hotel / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

It's been a great offseason for the Chicago Cubs.

After being quiet last winter despite coming close to making the playoffs if it weren't for repeated bullpen collapses late in the 2023 campaign, Jed Hoyer and his front office entered this cycle with a clear goal to upgrade the entire roster.

They accomplished that early, reshaping the relief staff through trades and savvy free agency deals and waiver claims, but it wasn't until they acquired Kyle Tucker that things really started to unfold.

Now, with the team reporting to camp ahead of their Opening Day matchup in Japan on March 18 and 19 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cubs look like favorites to win the NL Central after they made two more aggressive moves to land closer Ryan Pressly and veteran reliever Ryan Brasier.

Combine these new additions with the star players already in place and the top prospects set to emerge, and it's easy to see why there is real hope Chicago will be playing baseball in October this year.

And with a roster like this, people won't just be hoping the Cubs get into the playoffs.

They'll be expecting it.

"It feels like there's increased pressure," Hoyer said per Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY.

Chicago has needed to get to this point where there are real preseason expectations placed upon them because their roster is good enough to compete, not just because they are a big-market team with a passionate fan base.

The Cubs slowly got further and further away from contender after winning the World Series in 2016, and that resulted in them shipping out their parts to undergo a rebuild.

Now, after a slow burn to get to this point, one aggressive winter has changed everything in Chicago, creating a group that has one of the best rotations in baseball, a superstar player to boost this lineup that already had high-upside and a revamped bullpen with legit Major League arms.

"I think we're a better team, absolutely," manager Craig Counsell said per Nightengale.

After a disappointing debut with the Cubs in 2024 following inking his deal to become the highest-paid MLB manager of all time, he'll be under some pressure of his own to get this group into the playoffs.

Everyone in the building is aware of that as they get things underway in camp.

"It should be a lot of fun," Hoyer added.

Only time will tell.

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