Written by Joe Messineo at No Coast Bias
Chicago Cubs
Why they could be the best: The Chicago Cubs were the third-best team in all of baseball during last year’s regular season, and they topped the very best team (the St. Louis Cardinals) in the playoffs. Their remarkable young hitting talent makes them nearly unstoppable on offense.
What they need to do to get over the top: To truly be the best team in the major leagues, the Cubs will need better starting pitching. A remarkable season from ace Jake Arrieta wasn’t enough last year, and won’t be enough next year, either. Look for the Cubs to bolster their starting pitching by shelling out for a big-time free agent ace like David Price. Failing that, they could move one of their extra middle infielders for a pitcher from a team like the Padres or the Mets.
Kansas City Royals
Why they could be the best: The Royals proved that they were the best team of 2015 when they won the World Series. If they can keep this team together, they could win it again.
What they need to do to get over the top: Of course, there’s no way that every 2015 Royal will be back. At the very least, the Royals seem likely to lose ace pitcher Johnny Cueto. Ben Zobrist is likely to leave too. Alex Gordon could come back for the right price, and he’s the priority for KC right now. If Kansas City can re-sign Gordon, they can grab a more affordable ace from the lower end of the free agent market and go on a run again. They can always make more moves at the trade deadline later, but for now, they need Gordon back and they need a serviceable ace.
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