Chicago Cubs Predicted To Finish Behind Upstart Division Rivals This Season

Not everyone thinks the Chicago Cubs are going to have a good season this year.

Sep 22, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell (30) argues a call with umpire Alfonso Marquez (72) during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Wrigley Field. | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs made one of the biggest moves of the MLB offseason when they acquired right fielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.

Possessing legitimate MVP-caliber talent as one of the best position players in the game, he is going to help elevate the performance of everyone around him with just his mere presence in the lineup.

It was a huge move for the franchise to make, but outside of that acquisition, it is fair to question whether enough was done to help push the Cubs to the next level.

Inexplicably, the team’s payroll was slashed this offseason, sitting about $42 million under the tax threshold. A big market team operating in the fashion in which Chicago’s ownership has this winter is disappointing for the fan base.

Trading Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees was strictly a salary dump, as the only player they brought back was pitcher Cody Poteet, who was part of the first cuts at spring training.

They were bargain bin shopping at the onset of free agency, coming away with starting pitcher Matthew Boyd as their biggest addition contract-wise.

Despite needs in the bullpen, they didn’t add anyone at the top of the market.

They did get lucky to acquire Ryan Brasier from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and he joins Ryan Pressly, who was acquired from the Astros in a separate deal from Tucker, and Porter Hodge at the back of the bullpen.

Coming off consecutive 83-win campaigns, they finished 10 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in the standings last year despite snagging their manager, Craig Counsell.

That move wasn’t as impactful as many thought it would be, and now another managerial move could produce that kind of impact for their rivals, the Cincinnati Reds.

They hired Terry Francona to become their next skipper, which will make them a better team instantly. Loaded with high-upside young talent, he is the perfect fit to help those players take their game to the next level.

With two bona fide stars in ace Hunter Greene and shortstop Elly De La Cruz, the addition of Francona is enough for Will Leitch of MLB.com to make a bold prediction of the Reds finishing ahead of the Cubs in the NL Central in 2025.

“The Cubs could have locked this division down, but their flaws and holes are as apparent as they were before the Tucker trade. The Reds, meanwhile, might be the team that has the most room to grow in the whole division,” Leitch wrote.

The opportunity to create an insurmountable gap with their division rivals was there for the taking this winter. Unfortunately, ownership had spending restraints in place that handcuffed what the front office could do.

If the bold prediction that Leitch shared comes to reality, there are going to be a lot of people on the hot seat later in the summer.