With White Sox camp underway, the Cubs hosted their first spring training workout for the pitchers and catchers on Wednesday.

The trip to Arizona came quickly for the boys in blue following their October return to the postseason.

A big free-agent acquisition, Alex Bregman, is one of many position players in camp early, along with the pitchers and catchers. Bregman is just one of the many reasons the Cubs enter this spring with World Series expectations.

“That’s what you want,” said President of Operations Jed Hoyer. I think the excitement in camp is palpable. I think the players are talking about it, the coaches are talking about it. I think they’re excited about our team, they’re excited about our group. Both from a talent standpoint, also from a just camaraderie standpoint. So many of the guyswere here last year, and I think they feel like we had a really good season last year, but there’s unfinished business, and I think in a lot of ways that’s the best spring training.” 

“It’s the same as last year, to win a World Series. That’s the expectation we hold ourselves to. If you’re in here and you don’t want that, you know you got to take a look in the mirror, and everybody in here wants that, and everyone’s working collectively because we all have our own role to play, you know, role to play within that, you know, giant puzzle,” said pitcher Matthew Boyd.

Boyd is part of a deep starting rotation that likely includes what they hope is a revitalized Shota Imanaga, along with Cade Horton, Jameson Taillon, and newcomer Edward Cabrera.

“The word, the D-word [depth], right? You know, like you’re just going to keep saying it — depth, depth, depth, and so you build depth. look every team’s going to sit here and say we’re in a good spot right now and but I think we’ve you know, it’s the it’s the it’s one of the things that can, you know, go wrong in a season, and it’s a tough position to, to fill on the back end of it, and so that’s why you work so hard on the front end to, to make sure you’re in a good spot,” said manager Craig Counsell.

The Cubs aren’t putting any target date on Justin Steele’s return, but he will be back at some point after missing what will be more than a year following surgery on his throwing elbow. Also, Craig Counsell already confirmed that Daniel Palencia will be the closer despite some big additions to the bullpen.

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