Dec. 11--The Cubs went into the off-season talking about adding to their rotation, but their main focus obviously was on Jason Heyward.
It was Theo Epstein's version of rope-a-dope, culminating in the reported signing of Heyward on Friday.
For the second straight offseason, the Cubs reeled in one of the top available free agents, after giving starter Jon Lester for a $155 million, six-year deal last December.
The wheelbarrow has landed.
And it also left the Cubs 3-0 against the archrival Cardinals in the last two months in head-to-head battles. They not only ousted the division winners in the offseason, but have now removed John Lackey from their rotation and swiped one of their top position players as well.
Epstein gradually has learned how much Cubs fans love hating the Cardinals, and now he's giving them exactly what they want in a lopsided rivalry that dates back to the 19th century. Kick them where it counts, and twice if necessary.
So instead of giving the really, really big check to the likes of David Price or Zack Greinke, the Cubs simply opted to give the bulk of it to Heyward, following the four-year, $56 million deal for Ben Zobrist and the two-year, $32 million deal to Lackey.
Heyward isn't the prototypical slugger who usually commands such mega-contracts, but a Gold Glove outfielder with speed and relatively modest power numbers. He had 13 home runs last year, and only four after July 1, while driving in only 60 runs.
But Heyward can steal bases (43 in 50 attempts the last two seasons) and has a .353 career on-base percentage. And he did hit 27 home runs as recently as 2012, and at the age of 26 may still develop power.
Either way, Heyward's arrival means Cubs manager Joe Maddon can now use his chess board in many different ways.
The Cubs can move outfielder Jorge Soler for more pitching or a defensive-minded centerfielder like Tampa Bay's Kevin Kiermaier, leaving Heyward in right. They can make Heyward the everyday centerfielder and keep Soler in right, giving Soler more time to reach his potential. They can make Heyward the everyday centerfielder and platoon Zobrist and Soler in right, with Javy Baez and Zobrist sharing time at second. They can give Baez a chance in center and use Heyward in both center and right. They can give Kris Bryant some playing time in center, with Baez at third and Heyward in right.
The possibilities seem endless, just the way Maddon likes it.
There is still a ways to go this winter, and the Heyward signing could ignite the fall of more Cubs' dominos.
Epstein said last month at the general managers meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. that "winning the offseason" was not a goal of his, and sometimes can be the kiss of death. He looked forward to "the day when we might lose the offseason altogether," which would mean they made few moves because they were loaded with talent.
"I feel great about the health of the organization overall, but we have needs so it's on us to address them," he said. "But it is an unbelievable dynamic the last few years how the winners of the offseason tend to be miserable the following September."
The Cubs may not have won the offseason yet, but they're definitely in the running.
Then it will be on Maddon and the Cubs to buck that trend next September
