CHICAGO -- All the details are yet to emerge, but whether Jason Heyward is a Chicago Cub for three years or for eight, the team got its man.

Heyward, an all-around player who brings a skill set the Cubs were lacking, agreed to an eight-year, $184 million contract on Friday with opt-outs, according to sources familiar with the situation, one coming after three years. The team has yet to make the signing official.

With the addition of Heyward, along with their other moves, the front office has completely transformed the offense -- and team -- over the last 12 months, putting the Cubs squarely in World Series contention. They already were contenders before signing Ben Zobrist, John Lackey and Heyward this offseason, but now they’re more complete than ever. No longer do the Cubs have to hope for a warm summer or for the wind to being blowing out; they now can win games in many ways, both on the mound and at the plate.

Lackey, Zobrist, & J-Hey😳😳😳 cubbies comin in hot!!

— Kris Bryant (@KrisBryant_23) December 11, 2015

BOOM!!! #Cubs

— Kyle Schwarber (@kschwarb12) December 11, 2015

At the end of this past season, Theo Epstein identified three areas of improvement for 2016: situational hitting, outfield defense and stopping the run game of the opponent. You can check off two of three so far, as Zobrist and Heyward are quintessential contact hitters while the latter is one of the best right fielders in the game.

For the moment, it looks like the Cubs were not able to complete a second trade-and-sign as they did with Starlin Castro and Zobrist. In that case, it needed to happen as Zobrist wanted to play second base and Castro had to be moved in order for the signing to occur. But with center field open, the Cubs weren’t forced into a trade, so they may go to spring training with Jorge Soler still in right and Heyward in center. It doesn’t improve their outfield defense as much as it would with Heyward in right, but it’s still a situation that can work. The Cubs now have a new second baseman, shortstop and center fielder since opening day 2015. Run prevention up the middle has not been an afterthought.

Even though I might have to change my number I'm perfectly okay with that. I just wanna help fly that #W #goodguys

— Addison Russell (@Addison_Russell) December 11, 2015

Now their offense is nearly complete. After bringing home runners from third base with less than two outs at a league-low rate of about 41 percent, the Cubs picked up two players who are both above 50 percent for their careers. In 2014, Heyward brought home an incredible 20 of 27 (74 percent) players in those situations. Last year he dropped to 54 percent, still higher than every Cub regular, save Anthony Rizzo. Contact, on-base ability and power. The Cubs have it up and down their lineup now.

The front office

Anyone who has been paying attention knows Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer forecasted nearly everything that’s happened to the Cubs since they took over. They didn’t hide their rebuilding plans, instead taking advantage of them. They may or may not admit it publicly, but the best thing to happen to them back then was not having any money to spend. It freed them up to tear the team down and build it back up quickly.

They said they would bring in young talent and rebuild the farm system through trades and the draft and then they would spend money. Some didn’t believe the last notion, because they’ve been burned so many times, but there was Joe Maddon signed to a big deal, then Jon Lester, then Jason Hammel. Then a trade for Miguel Montero added payroll, and then more came this offseason with Zobrist, Lackey and now Heyward. The Cubs even bit the bullet and are paying Edwin Jackson for another year to stay away. Epstein promised transparency and he delivered. And now for the second offseason in a row, he and ownership delivered one of the top free agents available.

The move for Heyward has almost an old-school feel to it. They paid big money to a player who doesn’t hit home runs. That doesn’t happen often, but when that player fits the exact needs of the team -- and is only 26 -- there’s no reason not to go for it. If he leaves after three years so be it. The window with this current pitching staff is about that long, save Lester who’s here for five more years. Soon enough, the Cubs' young position players will be hitting arbitration and the payroll will skyrocket. The more flexibility they have, the better they will be. The opt-out clauses were brilliant -- for the player and the team.

The downside to the deal comes if Heyward isn’t very good and the Cubs are stuck with him for eight years. The deal is back-loaded, according to a source familiar with it, so the Cubs should reap the benefits of it early, but if he’s not very good later in the contract he’ll be eating up a bigger part of their payroll. That’s also when the Cubs should have more money through television deals. The positives far outweigh the negatives. This is a good player who helps make the Cubs a great team.

The National League is there for the taking, and one year after knocking on the door the Cubs have burst through it with a second consecutive successful offseason. Winning the winter doesn’t mean winning the World Series, but in this case the Cubs might win both.