Cubs president makes blunt statement on impending free agents

The Chicago Cubs know they're walking into a pressure-packed year. After a strong showing last year that ended in a trip to the National League Division Series, the Cubs went all-out in the offseason, trading for hard-throwing starting pitcher Edward Cabrera and winning a bidding war for third baseman Alex Bregman against the incumbent Boston Red Sox. But the Cubs aren't just feeling the pressure to win in light of their talented newcomers. They also know that the group they've assembled for this season is unlikely to look very similar in seasons to come. With over 40% of the projected 26-man roster eligible for free agency next season, Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer isn't pulling punches about how much turnover the Cubs are likely to experience in a year's time. “We certainly feel very confident in our team going forward, but it's going to look different (next year) than this,” Hoyer said this week, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. “There are certain times when, contractually, you kind of know what the consistency is going to be; our roster is pretty consistent from last year to this year, but there is going to be change. Craig has talked to the players about trying to embrace that.” Some of the big names the Cubs will see hit the open market: outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ, starting pitchers Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and Jameson Taillon, and second baseman Nico Hoerner. “I think it's both an opportunity and a challenge,” Hoyer said, per Feinsand. “If you're replacing, you're replacing a lot of really good players. You have some freedom to restructure things a bit. It’s not going to be a simple, easy task, but it presents a lot of opportunity.” As for which of those players the Cubs will do everything they can to re-sign? That answer will come from Hoyer through actions this winter, not words. More MLB: Blue Jays Lose 23-Year-Old Free Agent to Mets Just Before Opening Day