In a 2020 offseason without much any action, one might observe that the Cubs seem content to roll into next season with more or less the same group that led them to a third place finish last year. That’s not quite true though, is it? While many of the core position players are still in place, the bullpen has been gutted and the pitching staff as a whole is a shell of last year’s unit.
It’s not necessarily daunting to replace middle relievers, something the Cubs have long been content to do via the clearance bin, but losing starter Cole Hamels is a different story.