CHICAGO (AP)—There were standing ovations for Theo Epstein and chants from the crowd.

The Chicago Cubs’ new president of baseball operations sure got a warm welcome at the Cubs Convention over the weekend from championship-starved fans who see him as a potential savior, the guy they hope will team with general manager Jed Hoyer to set the course toward the club’s first title since 1908.

“People are raving about them being rock stars,” top prospect Brett Jackson said Sunday. “We’re excited to see what kind of show they put on.”

That’s sort of the unknown as they try to revive a stale act that produced just 71 wins last season and finished fifth for the second year in a row.

Already gone are sluggers Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena along with troubled former ace Carlos Zambrano, who got traded to Miami, and more moves might be in store. Veterans could be on the way out, and the youngsters aren’t necessarily safe, either, so along with the optimism comes a certain sense of uncertainty.

The Cubs have seven possible starting pitchers on their roster, and ace Matt Garza’s name keeps popping up in trade rumors. Chicago probably wouldn’t mind unloading Alfonso Soriano and his hefty contract, either.Who stays and who else will be gone remains to be seen, but there clearly is a different feeling surrounding this team.