Have the Cubs improved themselves?
Well, it is just guessing until the 2010 season plays out...but let's do a bit of a comparison...position by position.
Now, remember, this is how the Cubs compare to the opening day roster in 2009...Fox, Grabow, Baker don't add into the 2009 equation here. And remember, many moves can still be made before the 2010 season starts.
So here we go!
Catcher:
No change. Soto/Hill
Comments: Not much to say here.
1st base:
No change. Lee
Comments: Nothing more than I think the Cubs should trade Lee
2nd base
2009: Fontenot
2010: Baker
Better
Comments: Fontenot was risky for everyday at 2nd. Miles was supposed to be insurance in case Fontenot didn't work as an everyday 2nd baseman. I didn't want Miles...and neither did the Cardinals. Fail! Baker is an upgrade.
Shortstop:
No Change. Theriot
Comments: None
3rd base:
No Change. Ramirez
Comments: Best player on the team.
Left field:
No change. Soriano
Comments: We expected big things out of Soriano last year, and didn't get them. He should be healthier this year.
Center field:
2009: Fukudome
2010: Byrd
Better
Comments: Fukudome was a bit lost as center fielder. He hit fairly well until the last month of the season...but was not effective at all against left handed pitching. Byrd is better defensively, and should be an upgrade offensively. Byrd won't require being platooned as his career numbers are similar between lefties and righties.
Right field:
2009: Bradley
2010: Fukudome
Better
Comments: This is my opinion...but your mileage my differ. Kosuke is better defensively, and has about as good of an eye at the plate. Kosuke hits better against righties. And Kosuke isn't an asshole. Sorry...but this is an upgrade. I don't care what Bradley's OPS is or his WAR is. It doesn't compensate for the other distractions he brought to the team.
#1 starter:
No change: Zambrano
Comments: None
#2 starter:
No change: Dempster
Comments: None
#3 starter:
2009: Harden
2010: Lilly
Worse
Comments: As good as Lilly was last year, I don't think he can duplicate it. Harden went into 2009 as one of the better pitchers in baseball.
#4 starter:
2009: Lilly
2010: Wells
Worse
Comments: Wells shouldn't be expected to put up the numbers that he did in 2009. Going into 2009, Lilly should have been considered one of the best #4 starters in baseball!
#5 starter
No Change: Marshall
Comments: Can the Cubs improve here?
Closer:
2009: Gregg
2010: Marmol
Better
Comments: Marmol should burst onto the scene this year. Gregg was ousted as the closer for the Marlins in 2008. I didn't expect him to be much better in 2009...and he wasn't.
Setup RH:
2009: Marmol
2010: Guzman
Worse
Comments: Guzman has good stuff...but he isn't Marmol.
Setup LH:
2009: Cotts
2010: Grabow
Better
Comments: The Cubs went into 2009 with Cotts as the only lefty in the bullpen. This was a huge mistake. Grabow isn't great, but he can at least get a few batters out even though he'll probably walk a few of them along the way.
Long relief:
2009: Heilman/Vizcaino/Patton/Guzman
2010: Spellcheck/Grey/Silva/Gorzelanny
No Change
Comments: Heilman and Vizcaino were to be solid pickups...and weren't. Heilman lasted only one season...Vizcaino, only one month. Look, let's face it...the rest of the bullpen is usually just patch work. Grey and Gorzelanny are good additions...Spellcheck and Silva are huge question marks.
The bench:
Miles, Hoffpauir, Gathright, Johnson
Fontenot, Hoffpauir, Fuld, Blanco
No Change
Comments: Honestly, the Cubs really need a veteran here. Hoffpauir regressed last year and cementing the title as a AAAA (too good for the minor leagues...but not good enough for the majors). Miles, Gathright, Johnson...not guys you really want up in a pinch. Unfortunately, Fontenot, Fuld and Blanco don't give me any reason to feel better.
So, if you want to sum it all up...
10 areas are the same.
5 areas are better.
3 areas are worse.
In my opinion, the team is actually better right now.
If you think differently about right field (and I can see how you might think that), that would take one out of the better column and put in the worse column. That would pretty much mean the team is about the same as last year.
At the very least, having an actual lefty setup man in the bullpen should be better...and that will be big.
I'll do updated versions of this as other moves are made.
5 comments:
Zambrano is the ace? By money, perhaps. But Dempster has outpitched him the last two seasons and Lilly has been better 2 of the 3 seasons he's been here. Whether Ted will come back to pitch well next season is a question mark, but Zambrano has not been an "ace" for the last three seasons.
Yeah...you are probably right...
But going into last season, he was considered the ace of the staff...and will likely be considered that again.
He will be our opening day starter. I can't foresee that not happening.
I suppose he'll be the opening day starter because Cubs management will be afraid that they would somehow offend him if he isn't the starter on opening day. I don't know if Z is that weak mentally or not, but that seems to be the Cubs' perception of him.
Z is emotionally weak...we've all seen that.
It's true that Z can have meltdowns during a game. He wants to win and mistakes or errors (whether they are his, a teammates or an umpires) can get him upset. (Me too!) Those are emotions that rise up in an instant and Carlos has had problems regaining his focus quickly enough to avoid even bigger problems. That is something he should work on. (Me too!)
On the other hand, the decision on whom to start on opening day is usually made a week or more in advance and I would hope that if the decision is explained to Carlos in an honest and intelligent way that he will be able to accept that decision and not let it fester in his mind. He may be hot-blooded, but I believe he is fairly intelligent.
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