Jed Hoyer and Theo Epstein rebuilt the entire Chicago Cubs roster, from the farm system up, once already. Now they’ll have to do it again as the Ricketts family is DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING with their money in the free agent market.
It’s been two straight winters of inaction and skinflintness and next winter will bring more of the same, except this time Ricketts will blame it on the coronavirus pandemic. That’s a common motif we’ve seen across all walks of life in all industries- doing what you were going to do anyway, but publicly saying that COVID-19 is the reason you’re doing so. If the Cubs are going to get back to the MLB postseason, they’ll need to draft and develop guys again.
At least this time Jed and Theo don’t have to tear down to the studs first, before doing a total rebuild. The core nucleus to build around is still there. For our 2020 MLB mock draft, covering the entire first round, go here.
Also, here is a link to the ten worst and the ten best Cubs draft picks of the last 40 years.
2020 Chicago Cubs MLB Draft Mocksourcing
MLB.com Tyler Soderstrom, C, Turlock (Calif.) HS
Prospects 365 Garrett Crochet, P, Tennessee
My MLB Draft Garrett Crochet, P, Tennessee
Bleacher Report Mick Abel, RHP, Jesuit HS (Ore.)
Draft Site Zac Veen OF Spruce Creek High School (HS–Florida)
CBS Patrick Bailey, C, North Carolina State
Baseball Prospect Journal Tyler Soderstrom, C, Turlock (Calif.) HS
Where do the Chicago Cubs go with their first selection? We say pitching, and we’re saying Crochet, as he’s a guy with a lot of upside for the 16th pick.
He does need to prove his durability, but he’s young and talented. The Cubs still have their main young bats in their prime/with plenty of good years left, but that championship competitive window is almost shut, unless they can draft and develop/fast track. Because again, ownership conveys no real ambition towards winning right now.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for Chicago Tribune.com, on Twitter and his cat on Instagram.