USA Today reports on Cubs' outfield

According to the USA Today, the Cubs will only be as good as their high priced outfield.  That certainly was true last year -

"With Milton Bradley moping, Alfonso Soriano limping and Kosuke Fukudome whiffing, the 2009 Chicago Cubs were done in by their $214 million outfield.


Bobby Scales was called up after 10{ years in the minors and asked to save the day. Jake Fox was all-hit, no field. Sam Fuld was all-field, no-power. First baseman Micah Hoffpauir, thrown into the outfield to supply offense, batted .239.

What a mess."

Last year's result was a mess, considering the Cubs should have easily repeated as NL Central champs.  But things have changed this year.  Gone is Milton Bradley's bad attitude, replaced by the professional acting Marlon Byrd.  Soriano's knee has been surgically repaired and, according to Sori, feels great.  And the Cubs have a legitimate backup for their outfield in Xavier Nady, so if one of the starters goes down or struggles, they have a legitimate back up ready to go.

Hopefully, the Cubs' outfield will improve and, if so, so will the Cubs.

Here's the link to the rest of the USA Today's article - http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/2010-02-28-1440694430_x.htm. 

Four vie for two openings in Cubs rotation

From the Chicago Tribune -

With Ted Lilly out through at least April, the Cubs will be searching for two new members of the rotation, one to replace him and one to replace the departed Rich Harden.

So Cubs camp will turn into a tryout camp.

"An opportunity really," said pitching coach Larry Rothschild, preferring not to use the word tryout. "Somebody's going to get a real nice opportunity."

Four veterans — Sean Marshall, Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Samardzija and newcomer Carlos Silva — will join several youngsters with the knowledge that one of them could stick all season. And all four look at themselves as starters.

"Absolutely," Gorzelanny said. "That's the way I have to go in. I'm not going in trying to make the bullpen, I'm going in trying to be a starter."

Said Marshall: "I'm training my body to start and pitch every five days and I can always back off and adjust. I like starting, and I like knowing when I'm going to pitch.

"But I also like the relief role when I don't know when I'm going to pitch. You have to get amped up for it. I prefer starting but know that I'm an asset in the bullpen."

Marshall and Gorzelanny are left-handed, as is Lilly. Other than those three, the Cubs' rotation would be all right-handed with Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells.

"I just want people who can get people out, I don't care who they are," Rothschild said.

While Lilly was 12-9 in 27 starts last season, the other four veterans were a combined 7-12 in 24 starts.

Those four, to varying degrees, were mostly relievers, with Marshall making 46 bullpen appearances and Samardzija 18. At least two likely will end up in the pen, although all will be given several spring starts.

Silva is the most experienced starter, going 13-14 in 33 starts in 2007 with the Twins before encountering arm problems last season in Seattle that made him readily available in exchange for Milton Bradley.

Gorzelanny was 20-19 in 53 starts for the 2007-08 Pirates, while Marshall was 13-17 in 43 starts for the Cubs in 2006-07.

Obviously, none can replace Lilly, who had shoulder surgery.

"We've got a lot of games in spring," Rothschild said. "It's a lot easier to put them in the bullpen after starting than it is the other way. And I want guys to have consistent starts when possible."