Chicago Cubs: Spring Training Information

By Rob Letterly 
Location: Ho Ho Kam Park - Mesa, Arizona 
Pitchers and Catchers Report: February 13th 
First Game: February 25th 
Schedule

Projected Opening Day Lineup

1. Alfonso Soriano - LF
2. Ryan Theriot - SS
3. Aramis Ramirez - 3B
4. Milton Bradley - RF
5. Geovany Soto - C
6. Derrek Lee - 1B
7. Mike Fontenot - 2B
8. Kosuke Fukudome - CF
9. Ryan Dempster - SP

Projected Rotation

1. Ryan Dempster
2. Carlos Zambrano
3. Ted Lilly
4. Aaron Heilman/Jeff Samardzija/Chad Gaudin/Sean Marshall
5. Rich Harden

Projected Bullpen 

Long Relief: Sean Marshall 
Situational: Chad Gaudin/Aaron Heilman/Chad Gaudin/Neal Cotts/Kevin Hart 
7th Inning: Luis Vizcaino 
8th Inning: Kevin Gregg 
Closer: Carlos Marmol 

Key Battles: One battle that never materialized is that of leadoff man.  The high strikeouts, low OBP, and tremendous streak power of Alfonso Soriano suggest he bat elsewhere in the order, but with no obvious alternatives at his disposal, Manager Lou Pinella enters this Spring Training session with the finally healthy Soriano in the first hole.  Reed Johnson will platoon with Kosuke Fukudome in CF, either one providing the fielding excellence necessary to cover for the shaky Soriano and the newest Cub, Milton Bradley, who played only a handful of games in the outfield last year with Texas.  Switch-hitting Aaron Miles will replace Mike Fontenot at second base against tough lefties, as well as spell Theriot at short and Ramirez at third. 

The key battle on this club is for fourth starter.  Rich Harden will be handled with care again this year, and is best suited for the fifth slot in the rotation.  The fourth slot will go to probably the winner of a Aaron Heilman/Chad Gaudin derby.  Sean Marshall has been a good soldier during the last two campaigns as a swing man, and Pinella would probably love to keep him in that role, unless Marshall rises head-and-shoulders above the rest this Spring.  Ditto Jeff Samardzija, the former Notre Dame football All-American, who is slated to start this year, somewhere.  Unless he himself rises above the rest, he will most likely begin the year stretching himself out in AAA Iowa, which brings us to Heilman and Gaudin.  Both men claim to have three-to-four pitches in their respective arsenals, although both have only shown two effective pitches as relievers.  Whichever of the two can show the elusive third-and-fourth pitches this spring will find himself in the middle of the best rotation in the National League.  The other will be relegated to a middle-relief role, or possibly used as bait for a LOOGY.  Neal Cotts, the sole left-handed reliever, actually fares better against righties. 

What to Expect: Pinella now fully and unequivocally understands what it means to manage the most star-crossed franchise in American sports.  Last year's loss to the Dodgers is privately regarded as a failure, after a 97-win regular season.  The new owners, fronted by Tom Ricketts, will want an immediate return on their substantial $900 million investment, and the long-suffering Cubbie Blue fans have finally become edgy after two quick exits in the NLDS.  Pinella and Jim Hendry believe that the 2009 Cubs lineup finally has the kind of speed and lefty-righty balance, to not only carry them to the NL Central crown, but farther on into the playoffs.  Hendry also promises the club will have the ability to make mid-season adjustments, such as the Harden/Gaudin acquisitions last July, to fill any performance gaps.   Cub fans hope this includes the long-rumored pickup of San Diego staff ace Jake Peavy, and Hendry has stockpiled prospects to permit such a deal.  The window to win is closing quickly, and the Phillies loom large as the main hurdle to clear.

Rob Letterly is a contributing editor of Goatriders Of The Apocalypse, bringing you Cubs news and humor from now until the end of the world.