The Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016 and the signs of an eventual rebuild arrived soon after.
Catalyst Dexter Fowler left in free agency. The pitching staff slowly regressed and promising prospects didn’t deliver in the majors. Manager Joe Maddon stepped down to manage the Angels and was replaced with one of his former Cubs players, David Ross. The ever-popular Anthony Rizzo was traded to the Yankees.
Fast forward to today and the Cubs spent over $200 million in free agency. They’re still unlikely to beat out the Cardinals for the NL Central crown, but a Wild Card isn’t out of the question either.