Starting pitchers, catcher among Cubs' offseason targets
When general manager Jed Hoyer and team president Theo Epstein took over the Cubs three years ago, the team needed, well, just about everything.
But the plan was to build slowly and from within.
Today, much of that building is well on its way, and the Cubs' brass seems to feel it's now in a position of being able to pick and choose.
While it might be nice to strike early when it comes to acquiring players, the off-season in recent years has extended far into the winter, with teams acquiring players right up to the start of spring training.
"In general, I think we're probably a little more targeted than we were," said Hoyer before heading to the general managers meetings, which begin Monday in Phoenix.
"I would be very surprised if we weren't involved with guys early. If something gets done, that's great. Given the way the off-season works now it seems to drag on way past the holidays."
The key, according to Hoyer, is to balance the desire to strike early but also to recognize that good deals may be there as late as February so teams need to make sure they haven't spent all their money in the fall and early winter.
Among the Cubs targeting efforts will be starting pitching. The name of Oakland lefty Jon Lester has come up most prominently. But free-agent catcher Russell Martin (Pittsburgh Pirates) appears high on the Cubs' wish list, with at least one report saying the Cubs have met with Martin.
"Obviously, we're looking for any area where we can upgrade," Hoyer said. "We want a veteran leader on the team, whether it's one person or whether it's three or four people. If we can find that combination of attributes, I think that's something that would be appealing."
The Cubs have an incumbent starting catcher in Welington Castillo, but Hoyer didn't exactly give him a ringing endorsement.
"I don't think Welly had his best year last year, but with that said, I think he's a very good major-league catcher. He showed in 2013 what he can do. He showed some glimpses last year. He's never put it together the whole way, but certainly, we like Welly as a catcher and as a person as a potential leader up the road."
Speaking of leaders, the Cubs will need to find some veteran leadership to help show their young players the way, beginning in 2015 and going forward. Hoyer said the Cubs will explore trade possibilities as well as free agency.
"The coaching staff and the manager never have the same relationship with the players that a peer will," Hoyer said. "Frankly, that's why we'd love to add multiple people, maybe a player in the starting lineup, maybe a bench player, maybe somebody in the bullpen, maybe someone in the rotation.
'It's hard to lead 25 guys. It's kind of divided up into segments, with someone in each segment who can contribute that kind of leadership."
bmiles@dailyherald.com