10-10-2023, 06:55 AM
Cubs rank 7th best positioned to make 2024 playoffs out of the 18 teams that didn’t make the 2023 playoffs by Jim Bowden in the Athletic. Padres ranked 1st followed by the Reds. Cardinals ranked 10th and Pirates 12th
Here’s Jim’s wrote up on Cubs
“The Cubs were in the pennant race until the final weekend of the regular season, thanks to the front-runner for NL Comeback Player of the Year, Cody Bellinger, team leader Dansby Swanson and Cy Young candidate Justin Steele. Manager David Ross did an excellent job of navigating the bullpen, and right fielder Seiya Suzuki lived up to his $85 million contract with a strong second half. The Cubs will have difficult free-agent decisions to make as Bellinger, Marcus Stroman and Jeimer Candelario are all expected to hit the market. They have a strong defensive team and are well-positioned to contend again in 2024, but must be prepared to spend this offseason.”
https://theathletic.com/4937185/2023/10/...ings-2024/
Here’s Jim’s wrote up on Cubs
“The Cubs were in the pennant race until the final weekend of the regular season, thanks to the front-runner for NL Comeback Player of the Year, Cody Bellinger, team leader Dansby Swanson and Cy Young candidate Justin Steele. Manager David Ross did an excellent job of navigating the bullpen, and right fielder Seiya Suzuki lived up to his $85 million contract with a strong second half. The Cubs will have difficult free-agent decisions to make as Bellinger, Marcus Stroman and Jeimer Candelario are all expected to hit the market. They have a strong defensive team and are well-positioned to contend again in 2024, but must be prepared to spend this offseason.”
https://theathletic.com/4937185/2023/10/...ings-2024/