How far can the Chicago Cubs move up after active offseason?

Don’t look now, but the Chicago Cubs have had potentially one of the strongest offseasons of any MLB team. Now the question becomes does the plan molded this offseason turn into more wins at Wrigley Field in 2023.

With a rebuilt roster, could the Chicago Cubs contend in the National League Central in 2023?

This offseason, the Chicago Cubs have completely remade their roster, adding veteran players, including the latest signing of first baseman/designated hitter Trey Mancini. It’s the latest roll of the dice from the Cubs on players who had disappointing seasons last year, but have the potential to bounce back in 2023.

Take a look at the names added by the Cubs this offseason.

Put all of those moves together and you have a potential Opening Day lineup that shakes out with plenty of new faces in it, including five players inked this offseason.

Of course, there are plenty of questions that come along with the new lineup. Can Hosmer, Bellinger, and Mancini find their groove again? Will Swanson continue the stellar play (5.7 bWAR) he flashed last season with the Atlanta Braves? However, if the Cubs can get solid production from their new names, improving upon last season’s 71-91 mark should be an easy goal to attain.

But how far can these new-look Cubs actually go? Can these new-look Cubs compete with the St. Louis Cardinals for the division crown. On the surface, St. Louis seems to have too much firepower (including former Cubs catcher Willson Contreras taking over for Yadier Molina behind the plate). But what about the rest of the division? FanGraphs is taking the glass half-empty look, projecting the Cubs to finish third in the Central with a 74-88 mark, well behind the Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers (86-76) but well ahead of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds (finishing tied for fourth at 62-100).

One of the reasons for the pessimism? In 18 hitting and pitching categories, the Cubs are projected to finish in MLB’s top 10 in only two (fourth in stolen bases and fourth in strikeouts per nine innings). It’s a dire outlook for the new-look Cubs, a team that FanGraphs projects to finish 23rd in overall fWAR at 34.5 (just below Pittsburgh’s 35.2).

But projections are just that, and the Cubs believe the team they have indeed assembled a team that is better than 2022 and can be a team to contend with in 2023.

The Cubs will need health and bounce back seasons from a number of players for that to happen. However, if things fall right after a roster-shifting offseason, expect the Cubs to challenge Milwaukee for the spot as the second-best team in the division.

What do you think about the projections? Can the Cubs top the .500 mark in 2023? Do you have faith in Bellinger and company bouncing back this season? Let us know in the comments section below.