MESA, Ariz. -- The message was delivered by the front office. The work has been put in by the players. Now, the time has come for everyone associated with the Cubs to show how all the talk of a heightened sense of urgency will translate into a more memorable finish than last season.

"It's time to go play with urgency and win," said Theo Epstein, the Cubs president of baseball operations. "October really starts in March, in this case."

The Cubs do not want a repeat of last fall. The abrupt end to the season, which included celebrations on the diamond at Wrigley Field for two other teams, created a feeling that the club carried with it throughout what was an important offseason. The goal this year is to be the club uncorking the champagne.

The Cubs were quiet in terms of transactions over the winter, but focused on finding other types of solutions.

"That emotion was raw right after the season," Epstein said. "We've tried to really focus it and it started with a process of being really honest about everything that happened and why we fell short. Being accountable, each of us, for our roles in that. When you fall one game short, or 90 feet short, you have to look in the mirror -- I know I have -- and say, 'There are a lot of things I could've done better so we would've won that one extra game.'"

Faced with budget restrictions, the Cubs' offseason was limited to picking up Cole Hamels' $20 million option, signing veteran utility man Daniel Descalso to an affordable free-agent pact and filling out the roster with an assortment of other role players. Rather than focus on the lack of new additions, Kris Bryant said the players have chosen to view the front office's approach as trusting the group already in place.

"We have all the talent in the world in here and this is all the talent that we really need," Bryant said. "So, it's nice for them to put it in our hands. We'll just go out there and play with that urgency that we want to play with this year. And whatever we had in the past, it doesn't matter now. This year is all that matters."

What's the goal?

The objective for the Cubs is simple: Win the World Series. They reached baseball's mountaintop in 2016, ending a 108-year championship drought in one of the greatest Fall Classics in the sport's long, storied history. They reached the National League Championship Series in '17, but then had a gut-punch of an ending to the '18 campaign. The Brewers beat the Cubs in Game 163 and then the Rockies took Chicago out in the NL Wild Card Game.

So, the Cubs did a lot of internal evaluation throughout this past offseason. No, the team did not make any major splashes on the free-agent market, but Chicago did make sweeping changes to the coaching staff (some decisions by choice and others by circumstance) and brought in some interesting pieces for the offense (Descalso) and bullpen (Brad Brach). Manager Joe Maddon has also been more hands-on, especially with the hitters.

What's the plan?

Epstein called this a year of "reckoning" for the Cubs. By relying heavily on the core already in place -- meaning internal improvements will need to be the driving factor for success -- this season will be important for influencing the franchise's direction over the next few years. Chicago will count on a veteran-laden rotation, hope for strong comebacks from injuries for key players (Bryant and Yu Darvish top that list) and expect to see further development from a young position-player cast.

"I think we're in a good place," Cubs starter Jon Lester said. "It's just a matter of being healthy, you know? You lose Kris Bryant for the majority of the season, that's going to take a toll on our team. And it did. You lose a Darvish for as much as we did, that's going to take a toll on our team. And we still did fairly well. Unfortunately, it ended a little early. But, I like where we're at. We won 95 games without those two guys."

What could go wrong?

The Cubs are counting on several players to bounce back from subpar showings a year ago (mostly due to a team-wide, offensive tailspin in the second half). If hitters like Willson Contreras or Albert Almora Jr. do not take a step forward, that would hurt the lineup. The Cubs need Bryant to be fully healthy and back to MVP-level production, too. A key injury here or developmental setback there and Chicago could find itself spinning its wheels like it did as an offense in 2018.

There are also seven question marks throughout the pitching staff. Yes, the rotation has five potential innings-eaters (Lester, Darvish, Hamels, Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana), but age could catch up to the group. In the bullpen, closer Brandon Morrow's absence early in the season (due to a comeback from right elbow surgery) has the potential to upset the back end. The Cubs need strong showings from the likes of Pedro Strop and Steve Cishek once again, even after heavy workloads in 2018.

Who might surprise?

It almost does not seem fair to put Darvish in this category -- especially given the size of his contract ($126 million over six years) -- but his comeback will be under the microscope. If he is healthy and back at full strength, the Cubs' rotation will take on a much different look. In the bullpen, Carl Edwards Jr. could be positioned to finally reach his potential as a reliable late-inning weapon. Offensively, any number of players (Conteras, Almora and David Bote, as examples) could break out and try to seize more than just matchup plate appearances.