Pretty good or title contenders? Cubs have plenty to prove

When last we saw the Cubs, they were left watching the Brewers sop up the suds of victory in Game 5 of the NL Division Series.

President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer and manager Craig Counsell stated the same plan moving forward: Become a perennial 90-game winner and keep giving themselves chances to get hot in the playoffs.

Are the Cubs in a better spot to reach peak October this time? The regular season begins Thursday at Wrigley Field against Washington, so let's run it down:

Fresh arms

The list of things that could have helped the playoff cause last year might start and end with one entry — Cade Horton stays healthy.

He didn't pitch at all in the postseason due to a broken rib, the result of an untimely coughing attack. Dominant doesn't begin to describe the end of Horton's rookie season. He posted a 1.03 ERA in the second half on 12 starts, creating heavy anticipation about what this year will look like.

Horton's injury was not the only issue, though. Matthew Boyd seemed to be wearing down after pitching his first full season since 2019. Shota Imanaga was an unusable gopher-ball magnet, but the Cubs used him anyway due to the lack of options.

Expect some rotation attrition this year, which makes Justin Steele maybe the key piece to postseason dreams. Coming back from Tommy John surgery, the Cubs will bring Steele along slowly, hoping he's feeling fresh and full strength when it matters most.

The addition of Edward Cabrera could make the rotation stronger. But there are concerns about Imanaga's rough finish last year and Jameson Taillon's bad spring.

The Cubs are trying to stash some pitching depth, with Javier Assad and prospect Jaxson Wiggins in Triple-A ready to jump in when needed.

Bad gamble

Didn't the Cubs go all-in last year by trading for Kyle Tucker? Yes, they sure did. Now Tucker plays for the Dodgers, while the Cubs essentially gifted 2024 first-rounder Cam Smith to Houston.

Look at it this way, the Cubs used money unspent for Tucker on free-agent addition Alex Bregman. Now they have the luxury of keeping Matt Shaw as a supersub, which could pay off if there's a major injury. And the Cubs seem convinced the lineup will be stronger by adding a contact bat with Moises Ballesteros at designated hitter. It could work.

The Cubs have also promoted the idea Bregman will benefit everyone in the clubhouse, because he's such a strong teammate. That could be true, but baseball usually boils down to individual performance.

Don't forget, the star of last year's offense was first baseman Michael Busch. The Cubs need a repeat performance from him and more consistency from Pete Crow-Armstrong first and foremost.

Chiefs of relief

One question worth asking is will the Cubs be elite in any category or just pretty good at everything?

The defense should be among the best in MLB. Hitting and starting pitchers could be good. But don't forget why the Cubs couldn't get past Milwaukee — the Brewers had a much better bullpen.

If the World Baseball Classic was any indication, Daniel Palencia should be one of the top closers in the game. But there's plenty to prove among the rest of the relievers.

Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey had the best spring performances. Lefty Hoby Milner is the Kyle Hendricks of relievers, unlikely to ever hit 90 mph. Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb were not sharp in March.

Hoyer and the Cubs have shown a knack for duct taping together a decent bullpen. The past two years, the early-season closers (Hector Neris, Ryan Pressly) were released before the ivy turned orange. Relief pitching seems to be the biggest question.

The Cubs seem to think they have what it takes to make that longer postseason run, but better check back around Labor Day.