Not quite there yet, but Cubs getting closer

Are we there yet?

The timeworn kids query from the back seat of the car applies to the Cubs this season. They've been driving seemingly forever - with a road map, of course - without seeing their destination on the horizon.

Until now.

So are we there yet? The answer is: "Not quite, but we're getting closer."

The Cubs of 2015 are certainly more fun and more interesting to watch than they have been in years. They're also much better.

Whether that gets them into the playoffs remains to be seen; I had them pegged for third in the NL Central in the preseason but not making the wild-playoff game. That could change as the season progresses, especially with manager Joe Maddon at the helm and the recent influx of fresh young talent.

The journey has been a bumpy one since Theo Epstein took over as baseball president in the fall of 2011, bringing general manager Jed Hoyer on board with him.

Back then, the Cubs did not have Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Jorge Soler, Albert Almora, Kyle Schwarber, Kyle Hendricks, C.J. Edwards on the team or down on the farm. Back then, the organization's top prospects included Brett Jackson, Josh Vitters, Rafael Dolis, Dillon Maples and Trey McNutt.

In fairness to the previous regime, Javier Baez, Welington Castillo, Matt Szczur, Junior Lake and Dan Vogelbach also were in the mix.

But it's the prospects brought in by Epstein and scouting/farm guru Jason McLeod who are making the most impact, starting with Bryant and Soler.

Those players, along with Russell, no doubt will suffer some growing pains this season, while injuries and an uncertain bullpen also may derail any playoff plans fans may have.

If you're looking for a line of demarcation, when the journey began to turn scenic, I like to point to last July's trade of pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland in the deal that brought Russell to Chicago.

On a conference call, I asked Epstein if that was the end of the Cubs having to give up on a season by trading veterans for prospects.

"We talked about that a lot internally as we went through this process, that we certainly hope that this is the last year that we'll be obvious sellers at the trade deadline," he responded.

So buckle up. The ride will have a few more bumps in the road, but the scenery is about to get a whole lot prettier.

Just a reminder:

While we're on the subject, I thought it might be fun to look back at the opening-day starting lineup for the 2012 Cubs, the first season of the Epstein-Hoyer regime.

• David DeJesus, RF; Darwin Barney, 2B; Starlin Castro, SS; Alfonso Soriano, LF; Ian Stewart, 3B; Jeff Baker, 1B; Marlon Byrd, CF; Geovany Soto, C; Ryan Dempster, P

Among those who appeared in games for the Cubs that year were Blake Lalli, Koyie Hill, Miguel Socolovich, Chris Volstad, Alex Hinshaw, Jason Berken, Justin Germano, Adrian Cardenas, Blake DeWitt and Joe Mather.

Those days appear to be gone forever, or at least for the foreseeable future.

Speaking of prospects:

We mentioned Schwarber and Vogelbach above. Both are off to good starts at the Cubs' Class AA Tennessee affiliate.

Entering Saturday Schwarber had a line of .371/.511/.629 with 2 homers and 6 RBI on 13-for-35 hitting. Vogelbach opened 20-for-47, with his line being .426/.534/.702 with 7 doubles, 2 homers and 9 RBI.

Of course, the key question with each is position. Schwarber, the Cubs' top pick last year, wants to catch, and the Cubs are allowing him to do it. Vogelbach is a first baseman, but the Cubs are pretty well set there with Anthony Rizzo at the big-league level.

Schwarber may or may not end up being a catcher. As for Vogelbach, it sure would benefit the Cubs if the National League went to the DH.