ESPN.com · Jan 3, 2019
Do Cubs have enough to keep up in baseball's toughest division?
CHICAGO -- Search "Cubs" in any social media platform these days, and you're not going to find the same vibe that existed after the 2016 World Series. A team coming off a disappointing finish -- combined with a quiet winter so far -- is starting to feel the heat from an expectant fan base.
More importantly, the Cubs are feeling the heat from a division they seemingly owned at this time a year ago. That hold has faded. Milwaukee overtook Chicago for the NL Central title in 2018, and St. Louis and Cincinnati have been as active as anyone this offseason. The gap is closing in a division without a rebuilding team. That's a rarity in baseball these days, and there will be no easy wins.