“We have a lot of really good players here,” Swanson said, via Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. “The only question mark and challenge is: How does it all fit together? Because there are so many (pieces). But that’s a great problem to have. And that’s something that (Craig) Counsell is obviously going to be able to figure out. Because that’s how he’s always been.”

As Swanson mentioned, Craig Counsell is going to have to do some roster construction. The new Cubs manager found success with the Milwaukee Brewers and is looking for more of the same in Chicago. He is familiar with the National League Central and projects to be a great hire for the team.

Swanson later broke down Chicago’s all-around roster, highlight the depth.

“We’ve got depth on the mound,” Swanson continued. “We have depth at pretty much every other position as well. I’m just excited to see how it continues to jell. Last year, we really thought we were going to be good. And we ended up being pretty good. Just not good enough. Now having a lot of the same personalities, it feels a little more seamless.”

Chicago just missed the playoffs in 2023. Still, it was not a bad season. Swanson seemingly believes the Cubs can take a step forward during the 2024 campaign.

Cubs’ 2024 outlook

Does Chicago have question marks? Yes. They are not the perfect team.

With that said, the Cubs should have enough talent to contend for an NL Wild Card position, and possibly even an NL Central division title.

They may not be ready to make a legitimate World Series run yet, but anything is possible.