5 Chicago Cubs stories to follow this season
The Chicago Cubs are defending world champions, so there are no questions or concerns surrounding this team, right?
No, that's never the case, no matter how good the team might be.
The Cubs go into the 2017 season as the favorites in the National League Central and the pick of many to make it back to the World Series for a second straight year.
But even the smoothest ride has squeaky wheels along the way. Here are five storylines worth watching as the new season gets under way:
Early and often:
Manager Joe Maddon, as he has done in his first two seasons with the Cubs, talks constantly about scoring first in games and getting off to a good start to the season.
The Cubs opened the 2016 season with a record of 25-5 on the way to 103 victories for the season. That enabled them to weather a midseason storm and go on to win the division by 17 ½ games.
In games the Cubs scored first, they were 73-20.
Fitting them all in:
The Cubs' exceptional depth means that good players will sit at the start of each game.
How does Maddon fit them all in? That's why he gets paid the big bucks.
Ben Zobrist is 35 years old and the World Series MVP, but he may not start as many games as he'd like at second base because of the emergence of Javier Baez, a glove whiz and power hitter.
The way Maddon mixes and matches during the course of any one game, Zobrist should see plenty of playing time, whether it's at second base or in the outfield. Jon Jay and Albert Almora Jr. will share time in center field, and their gloves should get them onto the field for plenty of action.
Arrieta's contract year:
Right-hander Jake Arrieta won the 2015 Cy Young Award and is 40-14 with a 2.39 ERA over the past two seasons.
This is Arrieta's free-agent year, and you can't blame him if he wants to cash in via free agency for the first time since being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2007.
Baseball is a business, and Arrieta's agent is the high-powered Scott Boras. The Cubs are aware Arrieta is 31 years old.
Both sides express mutual respect for one another, and it seems sincere. Given that, it's difficult to imagine the situation becoming a distraction, especially if the Cubs are in position to win another World Series.
Six shooters:
Maddon likes to use six starting pitchers during busy parts of the season. His reasoning is that the additional starter keeps everyone fresh for the stretch drive and postseason.
The Cubs have six bona fide starting pitchers in Jon Lester, Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey, Mike Montgomery and Brett Anderson.
With plenty of off-days - not to mention possible rainouts - in April, the need for a sixth starter isn't urgent at the beginning of the season. So whichever pitcher doesn't crack the five-man rotation - Montgomery or Anderson - will then head to the bullpen.
But as the weather heats up and off-days become fewer and more precious, Maddon will likely to insert a sixth starter as he did at times last year. Veteran pitchers, especially those who have enjoyed success, don't always like the six-man rotation, saying it disrupts their routine. But Maddon is taking the longer view, one that extends into November.
The Schwarber watch:
Kyle Schwarber played in only two regular-season games last year because of a serious knee injury he suffered during the first week of April.
After he added to his growing legend by making it back to play in the World Series, Schwarber is set to be the Cubs' left fielder and leadoff man this season.
Schwarber's powerful left-handed bat is his calling card, and it's almost impossible to keep that bat out of the lineup. He would love to catch, but the knee injury, as well as the fact that the Cubs have catchers Willson Contreras and Miguel Montero at No. 1 and No. 2 on the depth chart, will keep that from happening a whole lot this year.
But it's fun to dream about the kind of numbers Schwarber is capable of putting up if he can play a full season.
• Twitter@BruceMiles2112