Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein rebuilt the entire Chicago Cubs roster, from the farm system up, once already. Now they’ll have to do it again as the Ricketts family is DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING with their money in the free agent market.
It’s been two straight winters of inaction and skinflintness and next winter will bring more of the same, except this time Ricketts will blame it on the coronavirus pandemic. That’s a common motif we’ve seen across all walks of life in all industries- doing what you were going to do anyway, but publicly saying that COVID-19 is the reason you’re doing so. If the Cubs are going to get back to the MLB postseason, they’ll need to draft and develop guys again.
At least this time Jed and Theo don’t have to tear down to the studs first, before doing a total rebuild. The core nucleus to build around is still there.ย For our 2020 MLB mock draft, covering the entire first round, go here.
Also, here is a link to the ten worst and the ten best Cubs draft picks of the last 40 years.
2020 Chicago Cubs MLB Draft Mocksourcing
MLB.com Tyler Soderstrom, C, Turlock (Calif.) HS
Prospects 365ย Garrett Crochet, P, Tennessee
My MLB Draftย Garrett Crochet, P, Tennessee
Bleacher Reportย Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS (Ore.)
Draft Siteย Zac Veen OF Spruce Creek High School (HS–Florida)
CBS Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State
Baseball Prospect Journal Tyler Soderstrom, C, Turlock (Calif.) HS
Where do the Chicago Cubs go with their first selection? We say pitching, and we’re saying Crochet, as he’s a guy with a lot of upside for the 16th pick.
He does need to prove his durability, but he’s young and talented. The Cubs still have their main young bats in their prime/with plenty of good years left, but that championship competitive window is almost shut, unless they can draft and develop/fast track. Because again, ownership conveys no real ambition towards winning right now.
Paul M. Banks runsย The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered withย News Now.ย Banks, the author ofย โNo, I Canโt Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,โ regularly contributes toย WGN TV,ย Sports Illustrated,ย Chicago Nowย andย SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer forย Chicago Tribune.com,ย onย Twitterย and hisย cat on Instagram.
