Chicago Cubs

To some people, being a dedicated fan of the Chicago Cubs can seem like a struggle at times. Years—even generations—have come and gone without experiencing the long-coveted celebration of a Cubs World Series championship.

Legendary Chicago Cubs player and Baseball Hall of Famer Ernie Banks has died at the age of 83. 

According to Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune, Banks' wife Liz confirmed the news of her husband's passing.

Changes are everywhere on the North Side of Chicago this baseball season. The bleachers—which won't be fully constructed until May—are undergoing renovations, a big board is going up in left-center field, and the product on the field is changing drastically.

Obviously, any change from the past five miserable years of Chicago Cubs baseball is welcomed by a fanbase hungry for a World Series title that has eluded them for over a decade.

When you are the Chicago Cubs, maybe the most cursed, endearing and followed team in Major League Baseball, there is no hiding. When you are this popular and have lost this ugly for this long, you cannot duck great hope.

The Chicago Cubs made what is likely their last major offseason move when they sent infielder Luis Valbuena and pitcher Dan Straily to the Houston Astros for outfielder and leadoff man Dexter Fowler. He gives the team some speed, the ability to get on base and a solid glove in the outfield.

Hopefully, Luis Valbuena will look back at his time at the 2015 Cubs Convention with fond memories. He may or may not have known at the time, but it was his last hurrah in a Chicago Cubs uniform.

The Chicago Cubs made several big moves this offseason to help them in 2015 and beyond. For the first time in a while, they should be relatively competitive this upcoming season. However, they didn't sign these players just to be good in 2015, they signed them to be good through the life of their contract.

The Chicago Cubs haven't won a World Series in over a century and haven't lost any fewer than 87 games in five years, and we're supposed to believe they're going to contend in 2015?

So they say. And you know something? Their chances of at least contending for a wild-card spot deserve to be taken seriously.

It's put up or shut up time for Anthony Rizzo.

Oh, sure, it's January, a long, cold, soggy month of all talk and no action in MLB. But Rizzo's the one who decided to open his yapper and guarantee the Chicago Cubs, one season removed from a last-place finish, would win the National League Central in 2015.

Here's the quote in question, per David Schuster of WSCR Chicago:

Most around the baseball world think the Chicago Cubs had a very successful offseason. After all, they added coveted ace Jon Lester to the fold and bolstered their bench, bullpen and catcher spot. Suddenly, the playoffs don't seem like a pipe dream for the Cubs in 2015. 

For individual players and units on the team, this offseason affected each differently. Some largely benefit from the moves made this offseason, while others do not. Here are the three biggest winners and losers for the Cubs based on their offseason moves.