2009 Chicago Cubs Preview

Key Additions:
Aaron Miles (2B), Milton Bradley (OF), Kevin Gregg (RP), Corey Koskie (3B, 1B), Aaron Heilman  (RP)

Key Subtractions:
Kerry Wood (RP), Mark Derosa (2B), Jason Marquis (SP, RP), Henry Blanco (C)

A look at the lineup:
The Cubs had a very successful offense last season and that should continue again this season.  Alfonso Soriano and Ryan Theriot got things going at the top of the lineup and Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez were beneficiaries of that, driving in a combined 201 runs in 2008.  The Cubs have the best lineup, and also the most powerful lineup, in the NL Central once again this year and they are certainly the clear cut favorites to win the division yet again in 2009.

Catcher:
Geovany Soto had a great rookie season behind the plate last year earning himself an All-Star starting selection and Rookie of the Year honors.  Soto finished the regular season with a .285 batting average to go along with 23 home runs and 86 RBIs.  This is the beginning of an extremely successful career for Soto and his power numbers should only improve.

Backing Soto this year will be 29-year old Koyie Hill, who only started nine games last year behind the plate for the Cubs.  With Henry Blanco gone, Hill be relied on to give Soto an occasional break.  However, Soto will most likely play at least 130 games this year so Hill should not be much of a factor unless Soto goes down with an injury.

First Base:
Derrek Lee continues to be one the top first baseman in the National League with a great 2008 season in which he drove in 90 runs while batting .291.  Lee had a spectacular year in 2007 and it was going to be tough to live up to the MVP-type numbers he put up two seasons ago.  But Lee is still a great number-three hitter for the Cubs and he is also a very solid fielding first-baseman.

Backing Lee this year will be 29-year old Micah Hoffpauir, who in only 33 games last season batted .342 with 14 runs scored and eight runs-batted-in.  Hoffpauir is a nice, young left-handed hitter that could be put into the lineup when the Cubs face a tough right-handed pitcher.

Second Base:
With last year’s start Mark Derosa jumping ship for the Cleveland Indians, the Chicago Cubs brought in veteran second baseman Aaron Miles to fill the spot.  Miles spent the last three season division-rival St. Louis and last year he batted .317 in 134 games played.  Splitting time with Miles will be 28-year old Mike Fontenot.  Last year, the left-handed hitting second baseman hit .305 and made 86 starts during the course of the season.  This should be the most interesting Spring Training battle with Fontenot the returning part-time starter and Miles the newly signed free agent.  Either way, the Cubs have two solid options to start at second base.

Shortstop:
Ryan Theriot had a spectacular season last year with Cubs batting .307 and serving as a great number-two hitter in between Soriano and Lee.  Not only was Theriot solid at the plate, but he finished the season with a .975 fielding percentage, committing only 14 errors in 149 games played at the shortstop position.

Aaron Miles can also play some shortstop and will serve as the backup this season.  But it’s hard for anyone to see anyone else getting significant playing time at shortstop with Theriot on the roster.

Third Base:
The big guy, Aramis Ramirez, is back this season for the Cubs.  Ramirez, more known for his bat, did a solid job at the hot corner in 2008 with a .945 fielding percentage and only committing 18 errors in 147 games started.  But Ramirez had a stellar year at the plate with a batting average of .289 with 27 home runs and 111 RBIs.

The Cubs went out and signed veteran third baseman Corey Koskie this off-season and he will serve as the backup to Ramirez.  Koskie could also see some time at first base on occasion, but he will be mainly used off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the late innings.

Left Field:
There is no way you can keep the bat of Alfonso Soriano out of the lineup and this why the former Yankees second-baseman is now the left-fielder for the Cubs.  Soriano led the team in home runs and runs scored this past season with 29 and 103, respectively, and he also knocked in 75 runs out of the leadoff spot.  His power and speed gives the Cubs an extremely dangerous and athletic hitter at the top of the lineup, paving the way for a very good offense.

Center Field:
Right now, it looks like Reed Johnson is the top man on the depth chart in centerfield for the Cubs heading into the 2009 season.  Johnson started in center in 78 games for the Cubs and he hit .303 for the season, scored 52 runs and had 21 doubles in only 103 games played.  This year the Cubs do not have veteran Jim Edmonds, so it looks like Johnson will be the primary starter.

Another Cubs rookie All-Star from last season, Kosuke Fukudome, may see some time in center field because of the newly acquired Milton Bradley.  Last year, Fukudome finished with a .257 batting average as he struggled for most of the second half of the season and in the playoffs.  If he can get back on track, Johnson and Fukudome could find themselves splitting time in center.

Right Field:
As we just mentioned, the Cubs picked up Milton Bradley this off-season.  A free agent from the Texas Rangers, Bradley was mainly a designated hitter in 2008 and he made the All-Star team because of his stellar play.  Last year, Bradley batted .321 with 22 home runs and 77 RBIs.  While he is a little rusty playing the outfield every day, Bradley can still hold his own out in right field and it’ll be hard to keep his dangerous bat out of the lineup.

A look at the pitching:

Starters:
The Cubs have perhaps the best starting rotation in the National League.  At the top of the rotation is All-Star Carlos Zambrano, who was 14-6 with a 3.91 ERA last year.  Right-handed Ryan Dempster had a breakout year as a starter in 2008 going 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA, good enough to earn himself his first All-Star selection.  Mid-season acquisition Rich Harden did not disappoint in his half-season in the Windy City going 5-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 12 regular season starts.  Two southpaws round out the rotation for the Cubs with veteran Ted Lilly and 26-year old Sean Marshall.  Marshall started some games last season when some regular hurlers went down due to injury, but he looks to be the number-five starter this year with the departure of Jason Marquis.

Bullpen:
You would think that the Cubs losing All-Star closer Kerry Wood to free agency would be devastating to a team’s bullpen.  But it doesn’t look like they will miss a step this year as fellow All-Star, Carlos Marmol, will slide right into the closer role.  As the setup man for Wood last year, Marmol had 30 holds, seven saves and had a 2.68 ERA.  To replace Marmol’s spot in the bullpen, the Cubs signed veteran Kevin Gregg.  Gregg spent the last two season as the Florida Marlins closer and gathered 61 saves during that time.  Right-handers Jeff Samardzija, Luis Vizcaino and Chad Gaudin return to this year’s team and newly acquired Aaron Heilman should be a solid sixth-inning and situational pitcher out of the pen.

Outlook:
The Cubs lost Derosa and Wood, but gained Bradley, Gregg and Miles. I would say the plusses definitely outweigh the minuses here, especially with guys like Fontenot and Marmol ready to step in to more significant roles.  Add all that to a team that had the best regular season record in the National League last year, you have a serious World Series title contender on your hands.  That is of course, if they can get past the Curse of the Billy Goat.

Prediction:
The Cubs will win the NL Central and they could be the 2009 World Series champion.  But it is still very early to tell.