NL Central Preview: Chicago Cubs
All right Cub fans. My 2005 preview is finally here. With pitchers and catchers reporting today, who could pick a better day to start!? Here is the Cubs portion of the preview, with the rest to follow as I get around to it.
CHICAGO CUBS
2004 record: 89-73, 3rd place
The offseason has seen major changes come to the Chicago Cubs. RF Sammy Sosa and LF Moises Alou have departed, as has Matt Clement, Mark Grudzielanek, Kent Mercker, Kyle Farnsworth, and the list goes on. New guys include Jeromy Burnitz, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Roberto Novoa, Henry Blanco, and Stephen Randolph.
The Outfield: Between Sammy and Alou alone, the Cubs have lost 74 HR and 186 RBI. Sosa's replacement, Jeromy Burnitz, will likely fill in nicely for Sosa and at least equal his production. But LF is still up for grabs. Youngster Jason Dubois and pinch-hit extraordinaire Todd Hollandsworth will likely split time in left. While this provides a nice lefty-right option, platoon systems often result in less production than would be yielded by sticking with one guy. Jerry Hairston Jr., acquired in the Sosa trade, will fill in anywhere he is needed and act as a super-sub with the capability to start. Also, Corey Patterson must decide whether he is going to be a 5-tool player. He has the capabilities, but has not shown consistancy. Patterson needs to cut down on his strikeouts and work to get on base more often.
The Infield: The infield looks solid, with Derrek Lee, Todd Walker, Nomar Garciaparra and Aramis Ramirez. Look for big years from all 4, and the infield will have to carry the club offensively for the Cubs to have success. Nomar is coming of an injury-plagued year, but he is one of the best when healthy. He has never hit below .300 in a season in which he played at least 50 games, and has plenty of pop, too. Michael Barrett showed his potential with last year's breakout performance, and must build on his '04 success. Infield defense is a bit of a question mark with Walker, Nomar and Ramirez. Walker has always been a bit of a klutz with the glove, but Nomar should rebound from last year's lousy performance. Ramirez had a great year with the glove in 2004 and totaled only 10 errors, but his 33 errors in 2004 showcase what could happen. Derrek Lee is Gold-Glove caliber at first, and must stay that way with this infield.
Pitching Staff: If everyone is healthy, the Cubs have arguably the best rotation in baseball. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood are coming off injury-shortened years and must rebound. Mr. Consistancy, a.k.a. Greg Maddux, showed his age last year with a 16-11 record and 4.02 ERA. Carlos Zambrano, last season's ace, must continue his success and work to keep a level head. The 5th spot is still questionable, but Glendon Rusch appears to be the favorite to win the job. Rusch was great last year as a spot-starter and long-reliever, and he needs to carry that success over to starting full-time. If the staff stays healthy, the Cubs are headed to the playoffs.
Bullpen: The Cubs are currently without a proven closer this year, and it appears Ryan Dempster, with all of 2 career saves, will start the year as the closer. LaTroy Hawkins failed miserably last year as a closer, but was highly successful as a setup man. Joe Borowski is coming off shoulder problems and may not return to his 2002-2003 form. The rest of the bullpen is a mix of veterans and youngsters, with Jon Leicester, Todd Wellemeyer and Mike Remlinger looking to continue success in '05. Newly acquired lefty Stephen Randolph could make the difference in the pen, but has been inconsistant in the majors.
Outlook: Overall, much of the Cubs hopes for 2005 depend on good health and a lot of luck. With the closer quandry, LF platoon, and health problems, the Cubs could be headed for disaster. But I have a good feeling about this year's new look team. A better balance of lefties and righties will definitely help the offense, and I think Dempster will succeed as a closer. If most of the team stays healthy, I see a 91-71 season easily within the Cubs reach.
CHICAGO CUBS
2004 record: 89-73, 3rd place
The offseason has seen major changes come to the Chicago Cubs. RF Sammy Sosa and LF Moises Alou have departed, as has Matt Clement, Mark Grudzielanek, Kent Mercker, Kyle Farnsworth, and the list goes on. New guys include Jeromy Burnitz, Jerry Hairston, Jr., Roberto Novoa, Henry Blanco, and Stephen Randolph.
The Outfield: Between Sammy and Alou alone, the Cubs have lost 74 HR and 186 RBI. Sosa's replacement, Jeromy Burnitz, will likely fill in nicely for Sosa and at least equal his production. But LF is still up for grabs. Youngster Jason Dubois and pinch-hit extraordinaire Todd Hollandsworth will likely split time in left. While this provides a nice lefty-right option, platoon systems often result in less production than would be yielded by sticking with one guy. Jerry Hairston Jr., acquired in the Sosa trade, will fill in anywhere he is needed and act as a super-sub with the capability to start. Also, Corey Patterson must decide whether he is going to be a 5-tool player. He has the capabilities, but has not shown consistancy. Patterson needs to cut down on his strikeouts and work to get on base more often.
The Infield: The infield looks solid, with Derrek Lee, Todd Walker, Nomar Garciaparra and Aramis Ramirez. Look for big years from all 4, and the infield will have to carry the club offensively for the Cubs to have success. Nomar is coming of an injury-plagued year, but he is one of the best when healthy. He has never hit below .300 in a season in which he played at least 50 games, and has plenty of pop, too. Michael Barrett showed his potential with last year's breakout performance, and must build on his '04 success. Infield defense is a bit of a question mark with Walker, Nomar and Ramirez. Walker has always been a bit of a klutz with the glove, but Nomar should rebound from last year's lousy performance. Ramirez had a great year with the glove in 2004 and totaled only 10 errors, but his 33 errors in 2004 showcase what could happen. Derrek Lee is Gold-Glove caliber at first, and must stay that way with this infield.
Pitching Staff: If everyone is healthy, the Cubs have arguably the best rotation in baseball. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood are coming off injury-shortened years and must rebound. Mr. Consistancy, a.k.a. Greg Maddux, showed his age last year with a 16-11 record and 4.02 ERA. Carlos Zambrano, last season's ace, must continue his success and work to keep a level head. The 5th spot is still questionable, but Glendon Rusch appears to be the favorite to win the job. Rusch was great last year as a spot-starter and long-reliever, and he needs to carry that success over to starting full-time. If the staff stays healthy, the Cubs are headed to the playoffs.
Bullpen: The Cubs are currently without a proven closer this year, and it appears Ryan Dempster, with all of 2 career saves, will start the year as the closer. LaTroy Hawkins failed miserably last year as a closer, but was highly successful as a setup man. Joe Borowski is coming off shoulder problems and may not return to his 2002-2003 form. The rest of the bullpen is a mix of veterans and youngsters, with Jon Leicester, Todd Wellemeyer and Mike Remlinger looking to continue success in '05. Newly acquired lefty Stephen Randolph could make the difference in the pen, but has been inconsistant in the majors.
Outlook: Overall, much of the Cubs hopes for 2005 depend on good health and a lot of luck. With the closer quandry, LF platoon, and health problems, the Cubs could be headed for disaster. But I have a good feeling about this year's new look team. A better balance of lefties and righties will definitely help the offense, and I think Dempster will succeed as a closer. If most of the team stays healthy, I see a 91-71 season easily within the Cubs reach.
posted by PB4baseball @ 5:01 PM
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