30 Teams in 30 Days 2018 06 Chicago Cubs

I think the cleverest insight I had during the 2016 baseball season, during which the Cubs broke their 108-year Championship drought, was a bastardization of a famous line from "The Dark Knight" - you either die a lovable loser, or you live long enough to see yourself become a hated dynasty." Chicago didn't quite live up to that aphorism last year, as they fell in the NLCS for the second time in three years, but they do have the long-term pieces to be competitive well into the foreseeable future. Let's look at some of them, shall we?

All-Acquired Factor

Like the Astros three days earlier, this team's entire starting lineup and bench are comprised of players returning from last year. However, there was some significant turnover in the rotation and bullpen, as the Cubs picked up a pair of both starters and relievers. The two highest-ranked players of this foursome appear in the SI preview: starter Yu Darvish, the offseason's top free agent target, and reliever Brandon Morrow, who the Cubs plan to use as a traditional ninth-inning-only closer, rather than the more fashionable "high-leverage" role, in an effort to limit wear and tear on his arm. The other two new acquisitions are trending-up Fifth Starter Tyler Chatwood (ranked 288 by MLB.com) and former closer Steve Cishek (464). Drew Smyly was also added on a two-year deal, but with the understanding that he'll spend pretty much all of 2018 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.

Fantasy Astrology Relevance

What the Washington Nationals are to Libra, so the Cubs are to Leo: not only do both the aforementioned Darvish and Morrow suit up for the "Lions," they've also got star first baseman Anthony Rizzo and multi-position weapon Ian Happ (who hit a home run on the first pitch of the 2018 season). There was a time when the Capricorn "Goats" were fantasy relevant, back when Albert Pujols was the best hitter on the planet, Hanley Ramirez was still a shortstop, and Francisco Rodriguez was leading the league in saves. That has sadly not been the case in recent years, although Kris Bryant and Jon Lester are doing their level best to bring their sign back into the conversation. 

Song

Sweet Home Chicago - The Blues Brothers

A more famous song about Chicago might come immediately to mind, but I thought this particular version of the Robert Johnson blues standard was appropriate for the Cubs, given that the official address of one of the Blues Brothers, "known traffic menace" Elwood Blues, is 1060 West Addison, also known as Wrigley Field, the home of the North Siders. Luckily, the Windy City has another major league team, so I can fit both songs into this feature.

Colossus

There are a couple of reasons why the Cubs remind me of Colossus #14. When you first meet Phalanx, the gargantuan serpentine creature bursts out from beneath the sand and takes to the sky, which to me represents this team becoming perennial playoff contenders after years spent in the basement, accumulating high draft picks. (The Astros followed a similar strategy, but the Cubs did it first, and more dramatically.) The other reason has to do with Chicago's sheer amount of versatility: Ian Happ and Ben Zobrist are noted super utility threats, infielders Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, and even catcher Willson Contreras can play the outfield if needed, and I wouldn't be surprised if Kyle Schwarber could still catch in a pinch. This remind me of the versatility of Phalanx's movement: it can burrow underground, fly using its inflatable air sacs, and even if some jerk kid were to come along and shoot those sacs with an arrow, the colossus can still coast close to the ground for a while by flapping its stoney wings. Let's just say I wouldn't like to come up against either of these two in the playoffs...