Cubs Optimistic About Winning In 2023

After a massive rebuild the Chicago Cubs are ready to win in 2023.

The rebuild began by signing right-hander Marcus Stroman before the 2022 season.

It continued this past offseason with key additions such as Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger, Trey Mancini and Jameson Taillon, among others.

After struggling through consecutive losing seasons, the Chicago Cubs believe they’re set up to return to the playoffs.

“We’re ready to win now,” Stroman told reporters at spring training in Mesa, Ariz. “When you pair that with the talent we have coming through our system, you never know how it’s going to play out. We’re built to win, and we’re built to endure adversity.”

Stroman appeared in 25 games for the Cubs in '22, with a 6-7 record and a 3.50 ERA. He struck out 119 batters in 138 2/3 innings.

Now he has plenty of help on the pitching staff and throughout the 40-man roster.

Even if some experts don’t expect the Cubs to make the playoffs just yet, the players are all in. The ZiPS projections on Fangraphs have the Cubs winning 78 games.

“Everybody in the clubhouse is extremely competitive, and at the end of the day, we’re going to go out there and try to win,” Stroman said. “There’s no other mindset besides that. We’re going to go out there and compete every single day and see where it takes us.”

The Cubs finished last season with a respectable 39-31 record. The goal now is to build off that winning momentum.

“It's an extremely hard sport to predict,” Nico Hoerner told reporters. “And I think that's what makes it so enjoyable. It makes it fun to follow other teams still and makes it fun as a fan, because I think looking around locker rooms around the league right now, hopefully, a lot of people feel like they have a really good chance. That's how it should be.

“And I think we're in a place where we've had a lot of change. And I think trying to predict that is misleading one way or another. I think it's creating that identity for ourselves, and just owning whatever that is as a group. I think we have great starting pitching depth and defense and a lot of accomplished hitters. And that's a really nice place to start.”

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