2012 Cubs Preview: Infield

Shortstop Starlin Castro

Rebuilt, unproven group looks to make lasting impact

If there's one thing for sure about this infield, it's that the times are a-changin' at Wrigley.  None of the four starters on the infield from just two years ago are still in the organization.  On Opening Day 2010, Derrek Lee started at first base, Mike Fontenot started at second, Ryan Theriot started at shortstop, and Aramis Ramriez started at third.  Lee, Fontenot, and Theriot were all traded midseason; Ramirez played through 2011 before leaving as a free agent and signing with Milwaukee.  The starters now are less familiar to the Cubs faithful, a younger group that will work hard all the same.

Starting at first base, for the time being, will be 29-year-old Bryan LaHair, a career minor leaguer who has had very little playing time in the majors.  In fact, the only major league action he's seen besides last year's 20-game trial was in 2008 with Seattle.  

First baseman Bryan LaHair

LaHair has a chance to prove he should have been in the major leagues all along, however, if he produce with his massive power potential.  He has hit at least 25 homers in each of the last three seasons in the minors in AAA, including 38 last year to make him the Pacific Coast League MVP.  He also boasted a .331 average and a .405 OBP, rounding out an excellent season overall. This hard work earned him a trip to the major league Cubs, and he didn't disappoint, blasting a huge game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to ruin Cincinnati pitcher Mike Leake's shutout.

With LaHair, the power potential is there.  His defensive and all-around offensive skills, however, remain to be seen at the major league level.  He will most definitely have to make adjustments as the season goes on; pitchers aren't going to leave a hitter like this with too many fastballs in the middle of the plate.  His key will be hitting breaking pitches; namely curveballs, which he seemed to have some trouble with last season.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo

LaHair is exciting in his own right, but top prospect Anthony Rizzo is waiting in the wings to steal his job.  Rizzo was acquired from San Diego for another top prospect in starter Andrew Cashner.  Rizzo has monster power potential as well.  Last season he hit .331 with 26 homers and 101 RBIs for AAA Tucson in only 93 games.  The Theo & Jed brain trust resonate well with Rizzo, as Theo drafted him in Boston, then traded him to Jed in San Diego in the Adrian Gonzalez trade, and now they have gotten him back together.  

Some critics point to his major league trial in 2011 and raise red flags on his potential.  In 153 at-bats

 Rizzo batted only .141 with one home run, and I think all of the hype surrounding himself may have gotten to him.  That is not enough playing time for him to be judged on his future.  He still has the most polished talent of any prospect in the Cubs' system right now, and he'll make an impact soon.  The Cubs brass has said he'll start the season in the minors, but he hopes to change their minds with a strong Spring Training.

At second base, the story one year ago was the battle between Blake DeWitt and Darwin Barney.  There was DeWitt, the chronic underachiever in the big leagues who offered little offensive value and not as much effort as you would like on the field, and Barney, the younger option who was unknown offensively.  I endorsed Barney, and I'm still glad with that choice.  Although Barney isn't a great hitter, he made great contact last year and showed 100% effort all the time, using his superior athleticism. 

Second baseman Darwin Barney

I expect Barney's offense to continue to improve after it tailed off at the end of last season.  DeWitt's role this season, if there is one for the major league Cubs, remains to be seen.  He saw time at second base, third base, and left field last season and should again play numerous positions.  His .385 career slugging percentage shows he doesn't have hardly any pop in that bat; if he wants to make himself more valuable to the team, I suggest he become more patient to draw more walks and get on base.  

I also like what I've seen and heard about second baseman Adrian Cardenas, who could oust DeWitt for the utility role.  Cardenas has never played in the major leagues but did play left field, shortstop, third base, and second base for AAA Sacramento in the Oakland A's system.  He is two years younger than DeWitt at 25 and was claimed off waivers from Oakland earlier this month.  To make room on the 40-man roster, DeWitt was designated for assignment.  

Cardenas has a career .303 average and a .368 OBP in the minors, both good marks for a middle infielder.  Overall, if the Cubs are going younger and newer, Cardenas is the guy that should make the roster.

Second baseman Adrian Cardenas

As shortstop, the situation isn't nearly as confusing.  The cornerstone of the franchise (for now, at least) is the shortstop Starlin Castro who will be entering just his third season in the major leagues.  After a superb, All-Star 2011 season in which he nabbed the NL hits crown, Castro looks to build both offensively and defensively to become an MVP candidate sometime in the future.  Despite being super-athletic, agile and speedy, he has a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball.  

Offensively, he needs to develop more power to take his game to the next level.  If he could reach 20 homers per season, he would be in the same conversation as elite shortstops like Hanley Ramirez.  Defensively, he definitely needs to work on his accuracy.  He can fire the ball across the diamond like any other raging 22-year-old, but finding the glove is obviously key.  If he could even get his arm accuracy into the average range, his wide range at shortstop would make him an elite defender overall.  This kid doesn't need too many days off, but Dale Sveum should sit him at least once a month.  He was only yanked from a game after starting it once last year and that was in the 12th inning, so I wouldn't expect to see much of that, either.

Third baseman Ian Stewart

At third base, newcomer Ian Stewart will get the bulk majority of the playing time.  Stewart replaces the long-standing Aramis Ramirez who spent over eight seasons at the hot corner for the Cubs.  Stewart is coming off a horrible 2011 in which he didn't hit any homers in 48 games for Colorado.  He was highly-regarded as a prospect in the Rockies system, however, and hit 25 homers for the 2009 Wild Card champion team.  In Baseball America's 2005 prospect rankings, Stewart was #4 overall with vast power potential, coming off a 30-homer season in A ball at the age of 19!  In that same 2004 season he threw in 19 steals and a .398 OBP, but he hasn't been able to match that success since.  He has still been good with home run totals in the high teens, but couldn't recreate that monster season.

Stewart returned to the minors in 2011 for the first time since 2008.  He definitely showed that his injuries hadn't erased his talent with 14 homers and 42 RBIs in only 45 games, and he does walk more than most third basemen.  If he can unlock his power potential he showed early in his career and in 2009, this 27-year-old could be primed for a career year.

Cardenas and Jeff Baker should provide backup here.  I have never been a fan of Baker's because he's such a non-factor offensively, but I do have to admit that he has nice value to give lefties a day off against a lefty starter.  Baker has drastic righty-lefty splits, and his numbers against lefties are far more impressive.  In his career he's batting .309 against lefties and .239 against righties, while slugging a respectable .526 against lefties but only .364 against righties.  Of the 11 home runs he has hit while on the Cubs over two and a half seasons, all but one have come off a southpaw.

Well, there will be a lot of new faces around the infield this summer for the Cubs.  Of the seven players mentioned here, three were acquired this winter.  It's definitely a younger group, as Baker, 30, is the oldest player out of the entire group.  Although losing one of the team's core players over the last decade in Ramirez was a big loss to some, it was the right move in the long run.  The team needs to get younger and more athletic to build its own culture.  If Ramirez were one of the 'nice guys' of baseball and pledged to help the young kids learn the ropes, we might have a different story.  But then again, Carlos Pena is a 'nice guy', and he was let go of anyway.  It's up to the 22-year-old Castro to welcome his new teammates in.  He should get used to them too, because most of them are here to stay.    

Jim Hendry Walks On; Randy Bush New Interim GM

Jim Hendry walks the concourse for the last
time as general manager of the Cubs.

Late August has become a time of change for the Cubs the past two years.  Last August, Mike Quade replaced Lou Piniella as manager.  In a move I never thought would actually happen in season, GM Jim Hendry was officially fired yesterday, ending his 9-year stint with the Cubs.  Assistant GM Randy Bush has taken over on an interim basis but will not be considered for the full-time job as the organization searches for someone outside the organization, said chairman Tom Ricketts at the press conference.

Being general manager of a big market team requires standing up to a lot of scrutiny.  Sometimes you have to make move, regardless of whether you want to or not.  But Hendry was in a very odd spot.  Ricketts told him that he would be fired in mid-July but that it wouldn't be announced until August, after the deadline to sign draft picks and after the non-waiver trade deadline.  So Hendry had to sign all the remaining picks, including top pick shortstop Javier Baez, and make a trade in the Kosuke Fukudome trade, while knowing he was going to be fired.  Now that's loyalty.

Hendry was choked up during his interview at the podium, and he shouldn't be ashamed.  The Cubs under Hendry went 749-748 during his tenure, but he was still their most successful GM in over half a century, building them to three division titles with essentially two different teams.  He brought in two high profile managers in Dusty Baker and Piniella, both of whom had a sizzling start in their first two seasons but faded in their next two.  Hendry, with Baker, came five outs from getting the Cubs to the World Series in 2003.

Interim GM Randy Bush

Despite all the success Hendry had, many fans thought it was time for him to go and the team to get a fresh start.  I can see understand the viewpoint, and although I didn't necessarily agree, I think the move sent waves in the form of a wake up call through the organization, specifically the players.  The next GM will be a high profile guy as well, which is a good thing.

The reason I didn't think they should remove Hendry is because, seeing the tough position Hendry was in the last two offseasons because of the large payroll, the Cubs have a bright future.  Of course, the payroll was Hendry's fault, but the draft class this year is one of the deepest they've ever had and lots of ending contracts should make this a bullish offseason.  Hendry was also prepared for the big free agent frenzy also, possibly going after Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder.  But if Hendry had to go, now is the right time.

Right now is a crucial time to get the Cubs back on the winning track, at least at the GM's desk.  With the draft picks signed, it's up to the GM (Bush, for now), scouting director Tim Wilken, VP of player personnel Oneri Fleita, and all of their staff to develop them and get 'em to the bigs as soon as they're ready.  While that is the focus for the next few years, the Cubs obviously have the opportunity to add more this winter in free agency and a new GM will want to prove himself by making a big splash such as a Pujols or Fielder.  Success or failure in these moves will decide the Cubs' success over the early 2010s.

Now the big question everyone wants the answer to is who the next GM will be.  Lists of candidates have already been thrown out there in the media and blogosphere.  Although Ricketts made clear in the press conference that the evaluation process will not be public at all, he did say he wants an experienced executive who comes from a winning culture.  This could include, but is not limited to, Josh Byrnes, Padres VP of baseball operations and former Diamondbacks GM who impressively built the 2007 NLCS team, Jerry DiPoto, Diamondbacks Senior VP of scouting and player development, or Rich Hahn, White Sox Assistant GM.  But if it was up to me, I'd go a different route.

Rays GM Andrew Friedman:
scouting and development master

The turnaround of the Tampa Bay Rays was been constructed by scouting and development.  They went from a 66-96 team to a 97-65 team overnight, and at the helm was GM Andrew Friedman.  In the process, Friedman mastered the art of winning from scouting upwards.  That combined with the free agent buying power and overall resources that the Cubs have, and Friedman could be the best in the business in no time.

Friedman is still the GM of the Rays, but reports have stated that, with the restrictions of the limited revenue sources the Rays have, he wants out.  Time to pounce!  

Homestand Analysis: Florida, Philadelphia, Houston

Record: 5-5
Final Record: 42-60

Fresh off a trip to the All-Star Game, Starlin Castro returned to Chicago to rejoin his team for a four-game set against the Florida Marlins, who were making their last trip to Chicago under that name before they become the Miami Marlins next year.  The Marlins went out with a bang too, taking three of four games and outscoring the Cubs 27-13.

Two of the three losses should have been wins for the Cubs, and only one of those two was actually the Cubs' fault.  A typical Carlos Marmol ninth inning implosion blew the lead and the game in both teams' first game after the break on Thursday night.  After a win on Friday and a blowout loss Saturday, the Cubs were robbed of at least extra innings by second base umpire Lance Barrett, who blew the call on a pickoff play that would have gotten Kerry Wood out of a serious jam in the 8th.  Wood and the Cubs were livid, but there is no instant replay on those calls and they just had to deal with it.  Wood went on to walk in the go-ahead run and the Cubs would never get the lead back.

While losing three of four to Florida might have seemed bad, the Cubs had an even taller task ahead of them when the Phillies came to town on Monday.  But for the second year in a row, the Cubs beat Phillies ace Roy Halladay and opened off the series with a surprising win.  Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena added home runs in the game.

While Ramirez and Pena and known sluggers, it would still be a surprise to see one of them homer of Phillies southpaw Cliff Lee, widely regarded as one of the best pitchers in baseball known for his impeccable control.  But it was a kid with five career homers heading into the game who would homer off the veteran Lee on this night.  Castro's two-run first inning blast gave the Cubs a lead that would hold up until the 8th, when Sean Marshall blew it on a double by Chase Utley.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, Mike Quade has taken a lot of blame for leaving in pitchers too long.  Perhaps preparing for potential extra innings, Quade left in the demoralized Marshall to pitch the 9th, and a two-run double by Michael Martinez gave the Phillies a lead they wouldn't give back.  The mistake by Quade was inexcusable, and I was highly disappointed that this problem still plagues Quade.

After the Phillies finished their series win with a blowout in nothing-to-see-here fashion, the stumbling Houston Astros came to Wrigley Field.  The Astros had gone 9-3 in their last 12 games at Wrigley Field before this series, but that was certainly bound to change.  This year's version of the Astros is unprecedentedly bad and on pace for around 110 losses, which would be a franchise worst.  In fact, the Astros have never lost 100 games in the franchise's 50 year history, but that will change at this rate.  And a sweep from a fifth-place Cubs team definitely won't help them avoid it.

The Cubs took the Friday matinee by power, as Alfonso Soriano and Ramirez had key homers to take it 4-2.  Randy Wells, pitching for his life in the rotation, came through with just one run allowed Saturday and was allowed to stay in the rotation.  Marlon Byrd and Geovany Soto joined the homer party in support.  Speaking of homer party, Carlos Lee gave the Astros the lead 4-3 on Sunday with a shocking two-run homer in the 8th.  Lee, a notorious Cub killer, has 36 career homers against the Cubs, which is 17 more than he has against any other opponent!  But my immediate reaction to Lee's homer on Sunday was, 'Isn't this guy too old for this now?!'  Lee's homer, just his eighth of the season, was quickly forgotten by Cubs fans, however, as a Soriano single tied the game just a half-inning later.  In the 10th, Jeff Baker singled to left to win the game and begin the walk-off celebration.

And just like that, the Cubs took their first three-game sweep of the season.  Oh, and that was also their first three-game winning streak in nearly four months of baseball.  See, it wasn't that hard guys.  Does it really count against a team like the Astros?  For our purposes, yes.

For how ugly the homestand started, you have to give the team credit for rebounding and sweeping the Astros.  But the Cubs should have taken three of four from the Marlins and two of three from the Phillies, counting the game that Marshall and Quade unintentionally colluded to blow.  Counting the sweep of the Astros, that would've been an 8-2 homestand.  But the past is the past, and as the all-mighty Da Coach says, the past is for cowards.  Point being the Cubs have to take the positives and work forwards to have any chance of a late-season rebound like last year's.  

Crosstown Showdown: White Sox 4, Cubs 3

Alfonso Soriano steals his first base of the season,
beating the tag from shorstop Alexei Ramirez

Peavy returns from DL, wins despite ineffective start

CWS leads 2-1

It was yet another one-run loss for the Cubs, who have lost in this fashion in three of their last four losses.  A comeback attempt for the third straight game fell short and the Cubs dropped their second in a row.

The Sox got their first two runs off Doug Davis in the fourth when A.J. Pierzynski tripled home two runs.  The Sox also got a third run in the inning from a squeeze play by utility man Brent Lillibridge.  This play represents the Sox' best attempt to play smallball.  But the truth is that such a play wasn't even necessary in that situation, especially considering Lillibridge's knack for clutch plays this season.

A Starlin Castro RBI single put the Cubs on the board, but the Sox got an insurance run just a half-inning later thanks to an error by trippin' second baseman Blake DeWitt.  Of course, Davis could have prevented the run from scoring by not hitting Lillibridge with a pitch, but the bottom line is the inning should have already been over.

Incredibly, Carlos Pena hit his third homer in as many days, as if competing head-on with counterpart Paul Konerko, who actually didn't homer in this game to end his consecutive-game-with-homer streak at five.  Pena has gathered respect from all of his teammates as the calming influence as well as the defensive leader of this team, and it's great to see him catch fire offensively, too.

Jeff Baker redeemed himself for his big strikeout last night and singled home a run in the rally that knocked Peavy out of the game in the 6th.  Unlike the night before, the Cubs were very patient with Peavy, who had serious trouble locating his breaking pitches and gave Pierzynski a workout behind the plate.  His slider was all over the place, including bouncing in the dirt.  Much of Peavy's success in his career can be attributed to the fact that everything he throws, from his running fastball to his changeup to his slider, is hard, hard, and harder.  He's got a 'hot' heater and a power slider, a lethal and winning combination.  But when he loses control, everything kind of flies off the end.  The result: 104 pitches and 10 baserunners allowed through only 5.1 innings.

The Cubs bullpen was absolutely perfect on this night, throwing three innings and striking out four while allowing no baserunners between rookie Chris Carpenter, Jeff Samardzija, and Sean Marshall.  Unfortunately, the Sox bullpen almost equally as good.  Sox closer Sergio Santos has a save in each of the last two games; he has thrown a total of 26 pitches between the two games, including only three balls, no baserunners, and five strikeouts.  This, this is the definition of dominance out of the 'pen.

Overall, this was a very entertaining series, with intriguing battles between the first basemen and Ozzie Guillen and Geovany Soto's catcher's mask.  The Cubs lost two of three but now head to Kansas City for a weekend series against the Royals who are only one game better than the Cubs record-wise.  They're also only 20-21 at Kauffman Stadium and have the bottom end of their starting rotation going, so the Cubs could capitalize.  After all, the Cubs will finally be playing someone at their own level.


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Crosstown Showdown: White Sox 3, Cubs 2

Rain nearly ends close game prematurely, but Cubs return from delay flat

Series tied 1-1

After the Cubs took a surprising win in the first game of the series, the Cubs came back and played another competitive game Tuesday night.

Matt Garza was unable to contain Paul Konerko and for the fifth night in a row, Konerko homered, tying a franchise record.  Garza also gave up a run in the 3rd on a sacrifice by Juan Pierre.  The Sox had an early 2-0 lead, but the Cubs came back again.  Carlos Pena homered in the fifth to get the Cubs on the board, and the Cubs loaded the bases in the 6th when the weather began to change unfavorably.  Jeff Baker, batting with no outs and those loaded bases, needed to just put the ball in play somewhere and hope to get the tying run home from third to tie the game, no matter how he did it.

On the Cubs telecast on WGN, Len Kasper even said the Cubs would be happy with a double play ball just to get that one run home before the delay could possibly end the game.  Because if Baker wasn't able to get that run home, the game could be ended as a rain-shortened final score of 2-1 through six innings.  And the way the wind was wreaking havoc didn't suggest the storm was going to let up anytime soon.  Baker struck out looking, and the umps went straight to delay before Aramis Ramirez could have a chance to bat.

Luckily for the Cubs, Ramirez got his chance nearly two hours later and drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly.  But it only took an inning for the Sox to get the run right back, Brent Morel driving it in with a sac fly.  There was no comeback this time, and the Sox evened the season series at one apiece.  

The Cubs played a hard game, although they certainly got lucky after Baker's strikeout could have cost them the game.  The pitching has done a great job of containing a powerful offense thus far, although stopping Konerko has definitely been a problem thus far.  But the Cubs offense was alarmingly aggressive, and only made Mark Buehrle throw 70 pitches into the 6th inning and didn't a single walk the entire game.  The Sox bullpen was even less unforgiving, allowing only two hits, no walks and no runs over 3.2 innings.  Patience should be the key against hard-throwing righty Jake Peavy, fresh off the DL and possibly rattled.  The Cubs need to make him earn strikes, especially because it will take some time for his pitches to start getting the full movement on them.  For pride's sake, just win tonight, please.  

Darwin Barney: The Right Man for the Job

Cub fans, meet Darwin Barney.  Many of you have already been acquainted last season, but still many of you are still getting to know the former Oregon State University Beaver.  Getting to know the guy will come quite in handy, as he's here to stay.  If Barney is sent back down to the Minors even once this season, it will come as a surprise to me.  He played so well in Spring Training that he pole vaulted right over the two above him in the depth chart in Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker.  Becoming the first rookie to start on Opening Day since Kosuke Fukudome in 2008, Barney has already entered the Cubs' record books.

Not only does Barney bring energy; he's a hardball, max-effort type player.  These kind of guys are very fun to watch and also conducive to winning, which is obviously a plus.  The max-effort skills of players like Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki have contributed to their widespread popularity probably more than anything else.  This status means that the player will hustle on every single play, work as hard as possible on fundamentals, and play the game 'the right way'.  Barney didn't show up in the Majors just to wave to the TV cameras and bask in popularity; he's here to win.  And he's going to prove that this season.

Barney is also Mike Quade's type of player.  Right away from the Carlos Silva incident, Quade took a no-nonsense attitude.  Barney's just here to play.  The fact that Quade even allowed a rookie to hop over a six year Major League veteran in Baker and a 'valuable' trade return in DeWitt shows that Quade is going to play whoever is going to get the Cubs the win on a certain day.  And as of Opening Day, that man is Darwin Barney.  Although Baker and DeWitt will be getting starts at second base as well, Barney could have the position locked up in just a month or so.      

Scouting Report on 2011 Cubs

The following is a report on the 2011 Cubs by an anonymous baseball expert contacted by Sporting News.

"First baseman's Carlos Pena's lefthanded bat adds to the offensive balance, but this team still has enough holes to prevent it from winning.  I expect the Cubs to be far more competitive than last season, but they don't have a particularly strong rotation and they have a big offensive hole at second base.  This team may go as afar as Carlos Zambrano takes it.  That's a little unsettling base on Big Z's injury problems early last season.  He's also capable of becoming a distraction.
"(Marlon) Byrd, (Alfonso) Soriano, (Tyler) Colvin and (Kosuke) Fukudome offer depth in the outfield.  Starlin Castro is going to be an outstanding player, I believe.  Is Blake DeWitt the answer at second?  I don't know.  And the Cubs probably don't, either.
"The Cubs used to roll out a dominant rotation.  They can't say that anymore.  You don't know what you're going to get out of many of these guys. ... To me, the Cubs are missing another anchor for the rotation."

This guy is absolutely right on a few things, and a little out of date on some others.  But I couldn't agree more with his point about the offensive hole at second base, which will be manned by a platoon between Blake DeWitt, Jeff Baker, and even a bit of Darwin Barney.  The future of second base for the Cubs is Barney.  He's a career .286 hitter in the minors and a terrific contact hitter.  And although he isn't ready for the starting job to break camp this season, I think he will steal the job by the end of summer or Spring Training next year.  Not only is that a compliment to his talents, it speaks towards the Cubs' lack of quality players there.  DeWitt is a career .259 hitter with no speed and little power, although he too is a decent contact hitter.  Baker can only hit lefties, and even then he isn't anything special.  How a guy with his talent level plays in the Majors I don't understand.  So while Barney might hit for a good average, the Cubs will have to go through a season of DeWitt and Baker.

Just a note about this report is that it was written before the Cubs acquired Matt Garza.  That acquisition probably would have drastically changed this report.  The part where the scout says, "the Cubs used to roll out a dominant rotation.  They can't say that anymore," is no longer valid.  First of all, the Cubs haven't rolled out a dominant rotation since 2008.  Second of all, the current rotation isn't quite dominant, but is the second best in the division behind on Milwaukee's.  When he says, "[about Zambrano] he's also capable of being a distraction," he's making a serious understatement.  For the last few years, Zambrano has been a ticking time bomb that goes off at some point in summer.  But the powers of anger management will be put to the test this summer, and we could see a sane Carlos for once.

Overall, the scout pegs them somewhat accurately.  He thinks "this team still has enough holes to prevent it from winning," but that's probably a pessimistic look at this team.  With bad defense, no speed, a decent bullpen, average offense and an above average rotation, I see the Cubs finishing no worse than .500 and giving Milwaukee and Cincinnati a run for their money in this weak division.

Hot Stove Buzz #6

After a sad start to their offseason, the Tampa Bay Rays have turned it around and made some moves to possibly keep themselves in contention after all.  After watching the majority of the talent on the 2010 Rays leave in Rafael Soriano, Dan Wheeler, Carlos Pena, Randy Choate, Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Dioner Navarro, J.P. Howell, Brad Hawpe, and Carl Crawford all leave via free agency, the outlook for the 2011 Rays looked bleak.  But in the last week, the Rays and their fans have gotten some hope in the form of the signings of Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez, and Felipe Lopez.  Damon and Ramirez, former teammates on the Red Sox, both won World Series rings in 2004.  Damon got another one with the Yankees in 2009, although both have been all over the postseason in the past decade.  Lopez has never been in the playoffs, but has the same winning attitude that Damon and Ramirez have which is exactly what the Rays are looking for.  While I think Damon and Ramirez have a lot more potential remaining for offensive production, the motivation and confidence of the two have come into question in recent years.  Lopez has not had these problems, but definitely doesn't bring as much to the table at the plate or in the field.

When first reading that the Rays were close to signing such big names as Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon, clients of superagent Scott Boras no less, I was surprised.  I'm sure many other fans were too, seeing as they are the Rays and have only been mentioned in the same breath as winning in the past three years.  However, after further review, the Rays actually have a history of going after high profile veterans.  Remember which team Wade Boggs got his 3000th career hit with?  Which team sluggers Jose Canseco and Greg Vaughn played on together in 2000?  Which team was the front runner to sign Barry Bonds after his finish with the Giants in 2007, although a deal was never reached?  Prior to now, it would be hard for me to see why a free agent would want to come to Tampa Bay considering how bad they were for the majority of the 2000s, but perhaps it was seen as a rebuilding challenge for an old veteran wanting a challenge.  Other recent news and notes:

-Jermaine Dye would rather retire than play in the Minors, a preference he also had last winter.  The Cubs and Brewers both gave him Major League offers last winter, but he didn't sign with either and sat out the season.  "I'm still working out.  I'm still in shape.  I'm still motivated," said Dye, although many teams aren't sure motivation is enough for him to earn a Major League contract offer.  Now 37, many scouts aren't sure Dye can hit well enough to deserve a full time job.  After a strong first half, Dye's second half of 2009 was very bad and that doesn't help his cause now either.

-In Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com's chat with fans regarding the Cubs and White Sox, there were a few interesting ideas thrown out there.  A fan asked Levine if the Cubs were "any closer" to signing shortstop Orlando Cabrera, to which Levine replied that he hadn't heard anything suggesting so.  But this sparked that idea to me; why not sign Orlando Cabrera to play second base?  Currently, the Cubs have three potential seocnd basemen in Blake DeWitt, Jeff Baker, and Darwin Barney.  DeWitt is only 25 but has little potential, Baker is 30 but never really had any potential unless he's facing a lefty, and Barney has potential but has little experience.  In a wacky and wild idea, the Cubs could dump DeWitt and Baker to anyone who will take them and let Cabrera and Barney man second base.  Just an idea.

-Albert Pujols on the Cubs?  Another idea from that chat is to have the Cubs make an aggressive push for Albert Pujols next winter.  Quite an interesting idea, especially considering the Cubs will have the financial flexibility to do it.  Prince Fielder will also be a free agent and has actually been realistically mentioned by experts as someone the Cubs could go after.  Could signing one of these two be the reason Carlos Pena was given only one season?  Will Tom Ricketts be aggressive enough to go after one of these two?  And finally, with Derrek Lee, Carlos Pena, and Micah Hoffpauir gone after 2011, who else would play first base in 2012?

-While the Cubs wanted to upgrade defensively at first base by signing former Ray Carlos Pena, the Rays also wanted to upgrade defensively by signing the best defensive first baseman of all time in Casey Kotchman.  That's too bad, because no matter what they'll have to downgrade after Kotchman.

-Alexei Ramirez was handed an extension of 4 years, $32.5 million with the White Sox.  At around $8 million per year, Sox fans are calling it a bargain.  It might be considering his offensive production power-wise is great for his position, and although he doesn't steal bases too well he is great defensively.      

Cubs Hire Mike Quade As Manager

Apparently, there's enough room in Chicago for two 'Coach Q's.  The second, Mike Quade, was hired by the Cubs as manager on Tuesday.  Quade went 24-13 as the interim manager of the Cubs in 2010, one of the leading factors for the Cubs to choose him over Ryne Sandberg in a tight battle.  Quade was definitely the favorite among the players although many, especially those who had come through the minor league system, had good to say about Sandberg, too.  Quade earned a two-year deal after 17 years coaching in the minor leagues and the last four seasons spent as the Cubs third base coach.  This means he is very familiar with the Cubs organization and the players that play for it.  He also did not rule out bringing on Sandberg to the major league level to be a coach.

This decision could be a mistake.  Had the Cubs gone .500 under Mike Quade's interim trial, I would bet we would be sitting here talking about the hiring of Sandberg.  The main reason I have come up with for the team's vastly improved play in September is because the players were excited for a change.  Not that Lou Piniella wasn't doing the job, but just that the players woke up a little.  2010 was a dull season until Piniella retired and that was the first sign of change for after the season.  Players realized that now was the time to make their impression for 2011 because the fact that change would take place next year just got a lot more realistic.

I like Quade's attitude and baseball smarts; Cub fans now get a manager who completes his sentences and thoughts without seeming like he's daydreaming all the time.  The Cubs will be more open to change under Quade, this has already been brought up from what I've heard about the Cubs going for the low profile, in house replacement rather than going out and getting a guy like they did with Dusty Baker and Lou Piniella.  There will be no adjustment time on or off the field; the players already know Quade and most hold a high respect for him. This was the case for Baker and Piniella, as both said at one time that they 'didn't know what they were getting into' when they took the job.  Chicago is a lot to handle, but only if you aren't used to it.

Sandberg also knows almost all the players because at one point they have probably played in one of his four minor league teams, most recent Iowa (AAA) in 2010.  Sandberg also is a changed man since his playing days, as his understudies could tell you.  As a player, Sandberg is a Hall of Famer but was never a vocal leader, and kind of just settled into his role and did a fantastic job every year.  He always gave it everything, but didn't hold many negative opinions or criticisms about anything in general.  Now he criticizes what he doesn't like, a good trait of a manager.  You need somebody to be brutally honest if they are going to be a manager.  This sounds mean, but you can't let personal affection (player as a friend) get in the way of organizational decisions.  Sandberg had the traits to do it, but didn't get his name called.  Tough luck.  Sandberg will be managing in the majors within three years, I can absolutely guarantee that.  Mike Quade has a team to toy with, so Cub fans, we'll see what happens.

Opening Day Aces

13 games, 26 teams, 26 aces.  Those are some stats, but I have some much better: 1,922.  That is the total number of wins from today's Opening Day starters combined.  2,430 is the number of games in a season.  If 1,922 is about 4/5 of 2,430, imagine every game of last season excluding September.  All of those games have been won by one of these starters.  The leader of the group is Roy Halladay, whose 148 wins beats Derek Lowe's 141.  John Lannan of the Nationals has only 20 career wins, lowest on the list narrowly beating Yovani Gallardo's 22, Shawn Marcum's 24 and Scott Feldman's 24.

A few notable starters:
-Jon Garland, now the ace in San Diego, makes the Opening Day start.
-The A's hand the ball to Ben Sheets who hasn't pitched since 2008.
-The Indians give the start to Jake Westbrook who hasn't pitched since May 2008.
-Vicente Padilla starts for the ace-less Dodgers.

The matchups for today (bold games are the matchups I suggest watching):
All times CT, TV listings for Chicago area (if applicable)

Indians (Jake Westbrook)
at White Sox (Mark Buehrle)
1:05 PM  ESPN2, CSN

Phillies (Roy Halladay)
at Nationals (John Lannan)
12:05 PM

Marlins (Josh Johnson)
at Mets (Johan Santana)
12:10 PM

Cardinals (Chris Carpenter)
at Reds (Aaron Harang)
12:10 PM  ESPN

Dodgers (Vicente Padilla)
at Pirates (Zach Duke)
12:35 PM

Blue Jays (Shawn Marcum)
at Rangers (Scott Feldman)
1:05 PM

Tigers (Justin Verlander)
at Royals (Zack Greinke)
3:10 PM

Rockies (Ubaldo Jimenez)
at Brewers (Yovani Gallardo)
1:10 PM

Cubs (Carlos Zambrano)
at Braves (Derek Lowe)
3:10 PM  ESPN, WCIU

Padres (Jon Garland)
at D-Backs (Dan Haren)
4:10 PM

Giants (Tim Lincecum)
at Astros (Roy Oswalt)
6:05 PM  ESPN2

Twins (Scott Baker)
at Angels (Jered Weaver)
9:05 PM  ESPN2

Mariners (Felix Hernandez)
at A's (Ben Sheets)
9:05 PM

Cubs Positional Breakdown: Overall Grade

I am really excited for this season of Cubs baseball.  Every summer the Cubs roll around and gets the entire North Side up and moving.  Popularity for baseball is still rising to levels it has never been before.  Wrigley Field is a great place to hang out, eat some unhealthy food and drink a beer (soft drink), sit back and watch some great baseball.  Like I do every year, I'm going to be sweeping the ticket websites for the cheapest possible way to get into the ballpark, after which I am free to move about the upper deck, hopefully getting tickets $15 a pop or cheaper.  That's not such a easy task with the Cubs' ticket pricing these days, but head to Stubhub.com who have very cheap tickets, most spring games starting under $10 if you hurry.  

For the actual product on the field I am excited also.  Minus Rich Harden, Jim Edmonds, Reed Johnson, Jason Marquis, and Mark DeRosa and plus Randy Wells, Marlon Byrd, Tyler Colvin, and an amazing farm system are the only differences between the 2008 club and this club.  I don't see a reason why we won't win some games.  Here are my grades:

Starting Rotation: B+
Much will depend on Zambrano's success, Lilly's return and the #5 hole.
Bullpen: B-
There's no lack of talent, but there are too many young players to be sure of success.
Infielders: A-
Newfound depth gives us Lee, Ramirez, Theriot, Baker, Fontenot, Castro, and Soto all as options.
Outfielders: B+
Soriano is the problem, but Byrd and Fukudome are both above average.
Coaching/Management: A
Ricketts is turning the Cubs into a world class franchise, Piniella is still around and Jaramillo is a god.

Overall Grade: B+

Cubs Positional Breakdown: Infield

C: Geovany Soto
It was what all reigning Rookies of the Year worry about that got Soto, the sophomore slump.  He was on the long list of MLB players thrown off their spring schedule with the WBC and also the fact he had tested positive for marijuana at a drug test.  Combined with the fact he gained some more weight showing up at Spring Training (which the Cubs weren't too pleased about), it was set up to be a bad year for Soto.  He got off to a terrible start, got hot for a few brief stretches, but remained cold for most of the year.  Soto is a big rebound candidate for 20 HR and 80 RBI after he lost an impressive 40 lbs. over the winter while still not reducing any of that power.  Look for a big bounce back in 2010.


1B: Derrek Lee
Lee, an undoubted cloubhouse leader of the Cubs, is a free agent after 2010.  I think resigning him should be our first priority next offseason because of what he offers to the team, on and off the field.  Lee has 20+ home runs in five of his six seasons in Chicago, after losing most of the 2006 season to the wrist injury that contributed to the Cubs losing the most games in the National League.  He also has 80+ RBI in those same five of six seasons.  His defense is Gold Glove worthy and he is clearly the defensive leader on the infield.  He is a critical part of the Cubs' offense that needs to rebound from 2009. 

2B: Jeff Baker
A midseason pickup from Colorado last year, Baker hit for a very high average while playing solid defense.  He will need to keep his game elevated to keep his job because there are a few other candidates, but the competition will be motivation for sure.  I really like this guy, especially after he was able to consistently get on base no matter if the rest of the Cubs were being shut down offensively.  The game that always comes to mind for me is when the Cubs were in San Francisco in September, Baker hit a two-run go-ahead homer against closer Brian Wilson.  This delayed the Cardinals' NL Central championship party for another day.  Even with the Cubs out of the playoff race, such as effort is quite a standout.

3B: Aramis Ramirez
Another important cog to a potential offensive rebound, Ramirez missed more than two months becoming the biggest injury in a season full of them for the Cubs.  His production was greatly missed, and his underappreciated defense now was a problem as well.  The Cubs were stuck with putting the 5'9" Mike Fontenot at the hot corner so he didn't come close to 6'1" Aramis' big play ability.  Ramirez is a near lock for 25 HR and 100 RBI, but his upside still could reach 30 and 115.  I like Ramirez's range on D, I see he loves stabbing liners bound down the left-field line.  His arm isn't quite as excellent because his strength sometimes takes away accuracy but Lee does a good job of masking that by digging out errant throws most of the time.

SS: Ryan Theriot
One of few underrated Cubs, Theriot is an opposite-field single smacker.  139 singles highlight a season in which Theriot was relied upon for offense more than expected.  A surprising power surge got him greedy and he began to lose much of his plate discipline, one of the skills that had made him a successful contact hitter.  His strikeouts rose by 35, his walks fell by 22, and his OBP lost 44 points.  A move to the leadoff spot should encourage himself and Cubs personnel to help him find that skill again.  Theriot is a guy who hustles hard every time he gets on the field, an attribute always good when found in speedy shortstops.  I still think he defense is underrated and although he won't make all the highlight reel plays, he is quick to dive up the middle and his throws under pressure of a quick batter are usually very accurate and the speed of a bullet.

UTIL: Mike Fontenot
Possible second baseman, I wouldn't have him at second if I were the Cubs.  After going on big hot streaks during 2007 and 2008, 2009 exposed a lot of weaknesses in his swing and defense.  His height is a minus defensively.  His power, which appeared to be an impressive 15 HR over a full season type after hitting 8 in limited action in 2008, has gone flat after hitting just 8 last year with many more at-bats.  I don't like Fontenot much because of his streakiness.  There are at-bats when you can watch him and just know there isn't a chance he is getting on base.  He could be used for trade bait at the deadline.

UTIL: Andres Blanco
A product from the minor league system, Blanco took the Cubs by storm on the field.  Bob Brenly even called him "the best defensive infielder the Cubs have seen this decade," referring to the 2000s.  I saw plays where Theriot, his double play partner, didn't try hard to make a quick toss because he knew they wouldn't get a double play but Blanco would turn it so quick and whip it to Lee they would get two anyway.  Blanco's offense is a bit below average but he showed the ability at times, I just think he was overwhelmed by major league pitching for the first time.  A backup at SS and 2B mostly, watch for Andres to be a late-inning replacement.

Backup 1B: Micah Hoffpauir
A favorite in Spring Training 2009, Hoffpauir was projected to have a nice rookie season off the bench.  His hot bat in that spring led to a quick start in the big leagues, but he struggled down the stretch to a .239 AVG.  In 234 at-bats (roughly half a season), Hoffpauir hit 10 HR and 35 RBI.  He filled in for Derrek Lee most of the time.  In early 2009, it looked like Micah could hit anything.  However, it seemed like big league pitchers figured him out and easily handled him with good breaking pitches.  His swing, messy and unkempt to begin with, got messed up by the constant change of speed and he was never able to completely adjust.  His popularity has fallen a bit in favor of other prospects like Starlin Castro, but he could still get some good playing time.

Backup C: Koyie Hill
His mediocre .237 AVG and 24 RBI in half a season wouldn't show it, but Hill made great strides at the plate in 2009.  He made some big adjustments to seeing big league pitching on a regular basis and continued to hit at an acceptable rate for a catcher the entire year.  He was able to adapt his swing to accommodate many pitches.  He also enrolled his status as one of the top defensive catchers in the National League, throwing out 40% of potential basestealers.  He became a big key on the field while Soto was on the DL for about a month.  Hill fills Henry Blanco's former role as a defensive minded backup catcher.  Koyie's contributions on both sides of the ball make him a useful part of the 2010 Cubs.