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Cubs Report To Camp Early and Leaner
Cubs Report To Camp Early and Leaner
Chicago Cubs enter spring training with serious questions about their veterans, key spots in their lineup, and the back of their starting rotation. The franchise will need to positively answer all those questions if they wish to win the NL Central as they did in 2007 and 2008.
After a disappointing 2009, the club commenced spring training on a positive note as all but six position players arrived prior to the Feb. 22 reporting date.
Chicago Cubs hope to return to the playoffs in 2010.
“It’s a pretty good sign, it really is,” said Cubs skipper Lou Piniella. “These guys are working hard on that back field.”
A few Cubs have reported to camp after leaving behind much of their behinds. Catcher Geovany Soto arrived 40 pounds lighter.
Pitching ace Carlos Zambrano has also lost some weight. He’s shed about 15 pounds and is now down to 260. Zambrano is coming off a subpar season where he finished 9-7 with a 3.77 ERA.
“I can be better,” said Zambrano when he reported with pitchers and catchers. “Obviously to be better, one of the ways is to work hard, be in shape, be in better shape and to do everything exactly right, not only physically, but mentally. I’m prepared for that.”
The Cubs are a veteran team and many of those veterans need bounce-back years (Zambrano, Soto, Alfonso Soriano, and Mike Fontenot) if the club wishes to return to the postseason. Of course it’s hard to tell if the veterans actually had a bad year or if they are just at the end of their careers.
“I think some guys obviously feel like the way it ended last year, when you don’t get in the postseason after you’ve been in it a few years in a row, I’m sure a few of them took a good look at themselves, too, and thought what else can they do to maybe better themselves, which helps the club,” said general manager Jim Hendry.
Outfielder Alfonso Soriano will no longer be the club’s lead-off man. That honor will fall to either shortstop Ryan Theriot or right fielder Kosuke Fukodome, or perhaps both. Theriot had a poor on-base percentage in 2009 and Fukudome struggles against left-handed pitching.
Milton Bradly, who was traded to the Seattle Mariners, will be replaced in the order by centerfielder Marlon Byrd. He’s a free agent signing from the Texas Rangers.
A huge question mark is second baseman Mike Fontenot. The Cubs desperately want his left-handed bat in the lineup but they don’t want his .236 average. If Fontenot fails to improve look for the Cubs to replace him with Jeff Baker; he joined the Cubs last July via a trade with the Colorado Rockies.
The Cubs weren’t a great offensive team last season. They are hoping the additions of Byrd, outfielder Xavier Nady (playing for a big contract year in 2011), and new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo will help rejuvenate the lineup.
With left-handed pitcher Ted Lilly out until May (arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder) the Cubs are thin at the 4th and 5th spots of their starting rotation. Competing for those two spots are four pitchers: left handers Tom Gorzelanny and Sean Marshall; and right handers Carlos Silva and Jeff Samardzija. The losers will pitch out of the bullpen.
Closer Carlos Marmol needs to have a consistent 2010. Prior to finishing last season 11-for-11 in save situations, Marmol lost his closer job to Kevin Gregg.
The Cubs are old and Piniella has only one year left on his contract. Regardless of how this “questionable” team does in 2010 the Cubs will probably look considerably different in 2011.
Look for the Cubs to remain in the race through mid-July. After that fans should prepare for the annual “wait until next year” mantra.
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