Levine: Cubs Won't Stand Pat At Winter Meetings

By Bruce Levine--

(CBS) As incredible and fun as the Cubs' championship run was in 2016, all of that is now history. A new set of challenges is on the horizon in 2017 for Chicago as the Winter Meetings start on Sunday.

What does a championship buy you going forward? Not as much as you would think. Cubs executives are hungry to build on the success of 2016, with oft-used term "sustained success" in mind. For all of the success the Cubs have had in winning 200 games over the past two season, they can't afford to stand pat this offseason and bask in the championship sunshine.

Bullpen additions and young starting pitching will be the focus of president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer, who will continue conversations and begin new talks with the other clubs (although not likely the White Sox) on possible deals. Both Epstein and Hoyer have been firm in their desire to add pitching.

"The significant bulk of our efforts has been to identify those types of starting pitchers and relief pitchers," Hoyer said Wednesday. "We are trying to match up with (clubs). Certainly, it won't be for a lack of trying on our part to make a deal."

Owning controllable contracts for young pitchers is more prevalent now in the minds of baseball executives. That's particularly true for the Cubs, especially now with right-handers Jake Arrieta and John Lackey set to be free agents after 2017. A long-term deal for Arrieta seems remote. Lackey will turn 39 in October, and his choice may be to retire after the 2017 season.

The Cubs have pitching at lower levels in the minors that could be have an impact in the future, but nothing can be projected for 2017.

"We do have an imbalance in the organization, hitting verses pitching," Hoyer said. "We want to accumulate as much pitching depth as possible."

A big key to Chicago's success over the past two years has been a solid rotation that rarely misses a start. In 2016, the only issue they ran into was Lackey having some shoulder trouble in the second half, and he still made 29 starts. All the other starters were healthy all year.

"We were very healthy this year," Hoyer said. "That is a big part of why we won the World Series. I don't think you can always count on that kind of health every single year. We are building up a reservoir of depth, preferably guys you can option. We will continue to pursue this. It won't be for a lack of trying. We are working to accomplish that."

Trevor Cahiil, Travis Wood, Joe Smith and Aroldis Chapman will also be missing from last year's bullpen, and Mike Mongomery appears to be a front-runner for a starting job after Jason Hammel's option wasn't picked up. That would create a need for two or three left-handed pitchers in the bullpen. The Cubs filled one of those Friday evening, when they signed lefty reliever Brian Duensing to a one-year deal. He had a 4.05 ERA and 1.20 WHIP last year in 14 appearances for the Orioles, and he has held lefties to a .236 lifetime batting average. Duensing missed much of 2016 after having elbow surgery.

The Cubs going after a young starter would most likely entail more conversations with the Rays about Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi or Drew Smyly. As was reported recently, the Cubs won't be in the mix for White Sox ace left-hander Chris Sale on the trade market.

Knowing the free-agent pitching class is mediocre at best, trades should dominate the Winter Meetings that run Sunday through Thursday.

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.