2010 record: 75-87
Biggest offseason acquisition: Matt Garza, who, along with Carlos Zambrano, could give the Cubs the angriest 1-2 pitchers in baseball.
Biggest offseason loss: Tom Gorzellany, on purely technical grounds.
Is this the year that the Cubs…: Whatever you were going to say, no.
Best name on 40-man roster: Welington Castillo, Dominican duke.
The That Guy’s on This Team? Award: Kerry Wood, whose presence here seems more weird than it should.
Spring standout: Last year’s star callup Starlin Castro has 12 RBIs and 4 home runs, which can only mean his untimely demise is imminent.
Probable Opening Day starter: I’m sure Zambrano has already made it abundantly clear to Mike Quade that he will start on Opening Day.
Biggest question for 2011: Has Alfonso Soriano been so underwhelming for so long he’s come all the way back around to being underrated?
Strengths: Idyllic ballpark with laissez faire attitude toward the wearing of shirts
Weaknesses: The oppressive weight of history
Semi-serious assessment: The Cubs are a little better than I first thought before taking a closer look at their lineup. Carlos Pena is a good fit for Wrigley, and Garza should fare well in the National League. I don’t know if it adds up to contending per se, but I think they’ll enjoy a solid season of not completely sucking.
Continue reading Scratchbomb’s Thoroughly Compromised 2011 MLB Preview: NL Central