When I woke up Saturday morning excited to see that the Giants lost to the A’s and that meant that the Cubs had clinched their first wild-card spot or playoff spot since 2008! I was excited for several reasons. One, the Cubs are back in the playoffs and have a chance at getting to the World Series. Two, I think it’s a bit of a validation that Theo’s plan worked in spite of any narratives that ESPN or the Sun Times. I feel that he’s been very transparent in building this team “the right way” which was through the draft and acquiring long term talent for short-term assets. Thirdly, the most exciting element of the Cubs making the playoffs is that this is really only the beginning. This team is not built to just win it in one year. It’s built to get to the playoffs every year for the foreseeable future! This is only the beginning!

All one has to do is look at the roster and see that most of the parts are signed long term. Rizzo, Bryant, Soler, Russell, Schwarber, and even Starlin Castro, are all here through 2020 or 2021. They are not going anywhere. Sure the Cubs might have to pick up a piece here or there like a centerfielder or a player off the bench this winter, but everybody’s coming back for the next few years. The Cubs could go get another starting pitcher in the free-agent market or via trade this winter, but that’s about it. This team is essentially built for a while. Dexter Fowler’s a free-agent and some pieces on the bench are free agents. The Cubs are pretty much stacked with players who in the next five years are going to help the big league club immensely.

At AAA Iowa next year you’ll have Pierce Johnson, Dan Vogelbach, Willson Contreras, Billy McKinney, and Albert Almora as options that help the Cubs down the stretch next year. You could also throw in starter Ryan Williams and reliever PJ Francescon and that’s seven or eight guys who can help get the job done.

AA Tennessee is even stocked more! Led by pitchers Duane Underwood, Jen-Ho Tseng, Paul Blackburn, Tyler Skulina, Jonathan Martinez, and Daury Torres, the Cubs have a lot of starting pitching depth with players that won back to back championships at low and high A! Also add in hitters Mark Zagunis, Chesney Young, Victor Caratini and the depth just continues

Myrtle Beach will have #1 prospect Gleyber Torres, who could move fast next year, and 2015 #1 pick Ian Happ, and a trio of outfielders in Jeffrey Baez, Rashad Crawford, and Charcer are Burks. Throw in pitchers Jake Stinnett and Trevor Clifton and it just keeps going and going and going! South Bend will be loaded as well with top power prospect Eloy Jimenez to go along with Donnie Dewees, PJ Higgins, and Frandy DelaRosa. And there’s another wave of pitchers in Oscar De La Cruz, Justin Steele, Carson Sands, Kyle Twomey, and Preston Morrison. The Cubs are just freaking loaded!!!

What Winning in 2015 Really Means

At the end of August 20015, MLB.pipeline.com ranked Cubs’ farm system as the fourth best in the majors. At the beginning of January, the Cubs were first but consider that Bryant, Schwarber, and and Russell graduated – it’s easy to see why they dropped. But the fact that they only dropped three spots is a testament to the depth that Epstein and Jason McLeod built and are continuing to build. It wouldn’t shock me to see the Cubs and add several more international free agents this winter, mainly some players including Eddy Julio Martinez and some 16 to 19-year-old Cuban kids who were just made eligible by major league baseball including this young man:

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I think it’s OK to lust after talent regardless of what happens in the post season but the fact of the matter is the Cubs have a lot of talent in the minors. They don’t really have to go out and get a top of the line player who costs 9 figures to sign. Maybe they go with Ryan Williams or Albert Almora or maybe even Pierce Johnson. Whatever players the Cubs might need for the next 6 to 7 years, they are going to be producing most of those themselves. They are not all going to be like Kris Bryant, but they will be good in their own way.

I think in evaluating the job Theo has done in turning this team from an organization with absolutely nothing in the farm system and a lot of bad contracts at the major-league level into a sustainable operation that produces winning results at both the major and minor league levels has been astounding!!! It only took 4 years!!! And to think, they’re only just getting started. That to me is the most exciting element!!! We are now on the ground floor of winning. Cub fans are going to find out what it’s like to be in contention every year for the playoffs and to win the World Series every year. That was the goal and this year is just the beginning.