L of an offseason: Cubs, White Sox both loading up
They warned us.
From both ends of the Red Line that runs through the center of Chicago, the front offices told the skeptics: We're roaring into relevance like a couple of those mass transit trains.
The Cubs will introduce Jon Lester on Monday, showing off the free-agent signing that signals Theo Epstein wasn't bluffing when he told impatient fans his regime would do what's necessary to contend once their organizational rebuild reached the appropriate point.
And the White Sox have a response named Melky Cabrera, who agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract Sunday, one more addition in a whirlwind of transactions that are fulfilling general manager Rick Hahn's assessment that one more offseason of improvements like last winter's would make his team a legitimate contender.
It's game on in Chicago – and we don't have to wait until Opening Day.
Oh, but the beginning of the season will be so enticing for on both baseball sides of town – the go-for-it Cubs show off refurbished Wrigley Field in the Sunday night opener April 5 against their arch-rivals and National League Central targets from St. Louis.
The next day, the all-in White Sox are at Kansas City, the pennant-winners they must emulate and catch in the American League Central.
Last spring, Hahn said he and the White Sox hierarchy decided, "It was clear the 2015 season was going to be different."
Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer were careful not to put a date on when they'd plug the crucial veterans into a roster full of emerging talent. No need – that's the underlying proclamation at Lester's introductory news conference.
It's an annual miscalculation to anoint the busiest teams of the offseason as automatic winners the next summer. But euphoria is an easy sell in a town with one World Series championship in the past 97 seasons.
How much of it is warranted? What, really, do both teams' moves mean for the 2015 season? What now might seem like a cross-town, head-to-head competition – irrelevant other than four days in May when they play each other – counts most in the context of the Chicago teams' own competitive divisions.
What have they accomplished with their key off-season moves?
Cubs
The move: Joe Maddon gets five-year deal as manager.
The upshot: Pouncing on Maddon's opt-out at Tampa Bay, the Cubs' credibility factor grew incrementally. A proven winner, Maddon is a perfect match for the forward-thinking front office and an enticement for players considering the Cubs.
The move: Lester signs six-year, $155 million contract.
The upshot: Securing a rotation ace is crucial for a team that has developed offensive prospects much more quickly than pitchers. Combined with last season's emergence of Jake Arrieta, the Cubs are the only NL Central team with two of the Top 15 in the majors in pitching WAR last season.
The move: Jason Hammel signs two-year, $20 million contract.
The upshot: Hammel's 4.26 earned run average after a July trade to Oakland might have made some potential suitors wary, but the Cubs clearly remember his 2.98 in 17 starts before they moved him. That will work just fine for a No. 3 starter.
The move: Acquired catcher Miguel Montero from Arizona for two minor leaguers.
The upshot: The veteran catcher adds leadership, not only for the more experienced rotation, but also with young Kyle Hendricks likely to be one of the starters and others like C.J. Edwards and Eric Jokisch on the way. Teaming with Welington Castillo behind the plate, Montero is an upgrade over John Baker, who was non-tendered.
The move: Acquired second baseman Tommy LaStella from Atlanta for pitcher Arodys Vizcaino.
The upshot: LaStella might not even make the Opening Day roster, but he provides depth in case the Cubs want to make one more go-for-it deal from their collection of young infield talent.
White Sox
The move: Signed outfielder Melky Cabrera for three-year, $42 million contract.
The upshot: Cabrera provides more punch for the offense, and his addition likely signals there's more to come. He replaces Dayan Viciedo, whose name already popped up frequently as a trade possibility.
The move: Acquired pitchers Jeff Samardzija and Michael Ynoa from Athletics for infielders Marcus Semien and Rangel Ravelo, catcher Josh Phegley and pitcher Chris Bassitt.
The upshot: Bringing former Cub Samardzija back to Chicago plays into the intra-city rivalry but, more important, creates a strong 1-2 rotation punch with Chris Sale. The deal is the White Sox's strongest indication they're serious about 2015 because they were willing to trade young talent, especially Semien and Ravelo.
The move: Signed first baseman Adam LaRoche to two-year, $25 million contract.
The upshot: Nowhere was Hahn's planned roster evolution more focused than on the first base/DH mix. He knew Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn would be gone by now. Jose Abreu made an impact at first base last year and now moves to DH with the addition of LaRoche's superior defense and solid supplementary offense.
The move: Signed closer David Robertson to four-year, $46 million contract.
The upshot: Proof Hahn really was looking at a two-year process, Robertson fills a gap created last winter when closer Addison Russell was traded to Arizona. That swap produced center fielder Adam Eaton, a crucial addition of energy to the top of the lineup and the clubhouse culture. Robertson settles a spot that nobody has held more than two years for the White Sox since Bobby Jenks.
The move: Signed reliever Zach Duke to three-year, $15 million contract.
The upshot: The White Sox needed more than a closer to solidify a mostly young bullpen. This is a sure signal the front office is into the fine-tuning of the roster.
The move: Traded pitcher Andre Rienzo to Miami for pitcher Dan Jennings.
The upshot: More fine-tuning, this fills a major hole at lefty reliever. Jennings is an effective ground-ball pitcher who will fit the White Sox's home park.
The move: Claimed catcher Rob Brantly on waivers from Miami.
The upshot: Catching hasn't been a plus position recently and Phegley, a backup, was in the trade with Oakland. Brantly is a younger option.
GALLERY: MLB's offseason trades