Rozner & Ostrowski take a swing at highlights for Cubs, Sox, MLB

Q. Do you like the Cubs to get to a fourth straight NLCS?

Rozner: The Cubs got better in the off-season and none of their main competitors did the same, so I like the Cubs to get back there again. As always, it's a matter of health. If they stay healthy I love their chances. The Dodgers already lost Justin Turner to a broken wrist. That's just bad luck. You need some luck and you need depth. The Cubs have depth, but you can't control luck. Given that, however, I see the Cubs as rested and hungry and ready to make a huge run again.

Ostrowski: The Cubs are one of three teams in the National League's top tier, along with the Dodgers and Nationals. Arizona will take a step back after losing J. D. Martinez and their starting pitching will come back to reality. A bounce back year from Kyle Schwarber or Ben Zobrist and a breakthrough season from Ian Happ or Albert Almora would make the Cubs a top three offense. Their bolstered rotation is as deep as any in baseball. I also like the Cubs to get back to the NLCS and anything short of a World Series appearance would be a disappointment.

Q. What is the meaning of this White Sox season?

Ostrowski: There's a ton of excitement on the South Side for good reason, but we need to remind ourselves that the Sox rebuild started last winter. Naturally, much of the focus is on who joins Yoan Moncada, Lucas Giolito, and Reynaldo Lopez next. But there are other intriguing aspects of the 2018 roster. Can Tim Anderson, Carson Fulmer, or Carlos Rodon, once healthy, join the long-term core? Avisail Garcia is under control for two more years and entering his age 27 season. Does he fit into the Sox timeline and will he continue to be an all-star caliber player? Garcia's year will likely give Rick Hahn an answer to those questions.

Rozner: That's true, Joe. If you think in terms of the Cubs' timeline, it's not 2015 yet. So is it more like 2013 or 2014? It doesn't much matter. Hahn will play it smart and there's no reason to start the clock on some of their best young players. Guys like Michael Kopech and Eloy Jimenez will tell Hahn when they're ready to move up to the big leagues. They will force his hand and he'll be fine with that. At the big-league level, just as it is in the minors, it's all about player development.

Q. Who is the best team in baseball?

Rozner: There's no question it's Houston. On paper, it's no contest. And they got better with Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole. But they are finding out what a short winter feels like. A year ago, the Cubs were the best team on paper and it looked like they had a great chance to defend. By the time they got to the NLCS, they were on fumes. It will happen to the Astros.

Ostrowski: You're right and Dallas Keuchel was right. The Astros have better players than the Cubs and they own the best roster in baseball, but their starting rotation isn't built like a lot of other teams that have dealt with the World Series hangover. Cole didn't go through the rigors of a championship run. Keuchel and Lance McCullers each missed almost two months last year. Brad Peacock is starting off in the bullpen, but was a top-20 starter in a limited 21 starts, so he can step in when needed.

Q. What is the biggest story in baseball?

Ostrowski: Bryce Harper won't answer any questions about free agency, but that doesn't mean the questions and that dark cloud will go away. Harper and Manny Machado are both 25 years old and will be free agents at season's end. Some believe they are the biggest reasons teams were reluctant to spend money in the offseason. Washington can't trade Harper because they'll likely be in the playoffs and will do their best to re-sign him. Baltimore is going to have to deal Machado and that should be the biggest move of the year.

Rozner: For my money, it's all the rookie managers on teams good enough to win it all and, specifically, Aaron Boone in New York. The Yankees were a hair away from getting to the World Series last fall and should be better with added depth and Giancarlo Stanton. So how does Boone handle the job? It's a huge gamble on the part of GM Brian Cashman, and Boone is under enormous pressure.

Q. Who gets to the World Series?

Rozner: I already hate my pick, but I'm going with the Cubs and the Yankees. I have no hesitation on the Cubs, but the Yanks with a rookie manager are probably a bad idea. The history of rookie managers winning it all is very, very thin, so not the wisest decision. New York has a terrific bullpen and an underrated rotation, so it's up to Boone to manage that staff properly. They have incredible talent in the minors and some of those guys will arrive this year. The Yanks might be able to overcome Boone's inexperience.

Ostrowski: You'll hate my AL pick more. I'm also on the Cubs out of the NL, but I have the Astros making it back. The World Series matchup we've been talking about for years happens. I also had the Yankees pre-Giancarlo Stanton, but have talked myself off of them. Makes sense. I'm banking on a Houston celebration not quite matching the Cubs party we saw in 2016. Yes, we haven't seen a repeat champion since 2000, but over the last decade, three teams have made the Fall Classic in back-to-back seasons.

• Catch Barry Rozner and Joe Ostrowski on their "Hit & Run" baseball show each Sunday morning from 9 a.m. to noon on WSCR 670-AM. Follow them Twitter @BarryRozner and @JoeO670.