Let The Quade Era Begin

With the exception of Opening Day, today is one of the most exciting days for baseball fans. As today is the day that Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training for the Chicago Cubs. Otherwise known as the unofficial start to the baseball season. This season for the Cubs, will be much different than what we have seen in recent years. Gone are the familiar names of Lou Piniella, Derrek Lee, Ryan Theriot, and the late Ron Santo. But, we do welcome the additions of Matt Garza, Carlos Pena, and the return of Kerry Wood to the team. Not much is expected from the Cubs this season, but they seem to shine when little expectations are placed on them. I, for one, think that the Cubs will be in contention for most of the season. With that said, lets take at look at what the storylines will be for the Cubs in Spring Training.

Starting Rotation

By far, the biggest storyline to watch will be how the Starting Rotation takes form in Spring Training. Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, and Carlos Zambrano are the only starters that we know will be in the rotation. There is still  no word on who will be the Opening Day starter, but all indications seem to point to Ryan Dempster. As for newly acquired Matt Garza, most projections I have seen have been favorable for Garza. Most feel that Garza will win 15 to 18 games for the Cubs this season, and have an ERA in the mid 3’s. As for Zambrano, most tend to believe that his late season surge was not fluke. For instance, Bill James projects Zambrano at 14-11 with an ERA of 3.67 in 221 innings. If that is the case, then the Cubs rotation should be pretty solid.Considering Zambrano will be either a #2 or #3 starter, those numbers would fall right in line with those spots.

Behind those three, the likes of Andrew Cashner, James Russell, Casey Coleman, Braden Looper, Carlos Silva, Randy Wells, and Todd Wellemyer will compete for the final two spots in the rotation. It would seem that Cashner and Wells are the favorites to earn a spot in the rotation.

Although, I would not be completely surprised if James Russell winds up in the rotation. In the past, the Cubs usually put an emphasis of having at least one left handed starter in the rotation. Considering that Russell is the only left handed candidate,  he may get a push into the rotation.

The Cubs decision on the rotation will have lingering effects on the whole pitching staff. As, those who do not earn a spot in a rotation will likely be given the chance to compete for a bullpen spot. With the exception of Looper, and Wellemyer as they will probably be released if they do not make the rotation. But with Randy Wells, if he doesn’t make the rotation, he could very well be starting the year at Triple-A Iowa.

Bullpen

Watching how the Bullpen shapes up will go a long way in determining how successful the the Cubs will be in 2011.  With Carlos Marmol, and Sean Marshall both coming off dominant seasons, and Kerry Wood replacing Andrew Cashner as the eighth inning setup man, the backbone of the bullpen is set.

However, with the exception of Jeff Samardzija and perhaps John Grabow, we do not know who the middle relievers will be for the Chicago Cubs. Scott Maine figures to be a likely option. As after ending the season on a high note with an ERA of 1.69 in September, most within the Cubs front office feel Maine is ready for major leagues. With Marmol, Wood, Marshall, Samardzija, Grabow, and Maine in place that would leave room for one more reliever. While Angel Guzman is expected to be ready at some point this season, it is not believed that he will be ready by Opening Day. One name to watch as a possible bullpen candidate is Chris Carpenter, who some feel is ready to take that next step to the majors.

Second Base/Leadoff Hitter

The second base and leadoff competition really go hand in hand. Whoever is the starting second baseman will in all likelihood be the leadoff hitter for the Chicago Cubs. Coming into spring , the Cubs have a three headed monster at second base with Blake DeWitt, Jeff Baker, and Darwin Barney all trying to compete to become the everyday starter.

Most feel that the second base position will be a platoon between Blake DeWitt and Jeff Baker. However, the Cubs front office – specifically Greg Maddux – is really high on Blake DeWitt. If DeWitt continues to show progress from working with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, then there is a strong chance that DeWitt will win the position outright.

Darwin Barney, though, should not go forgotten. In fact, Barney was listed on USA Today’s countdown of 100 names you need to know for the 2011 season. Barney will compete with Augie Ojeda for a spot on the team as a backup infielder. Both are essentially the same player as the knock on Barney is that he can not hit major league pitching yet, but is solid fielder. The same goes for Ojeda, who at 36 is only considered to be a defensive specialist. While I do worry about Barney’s offensive abilities, he should  without question be on the team instead of Ojeda.

Carlos Marmol’s Extension

Carlos Marmol took his physical Saturday, and according to a report from Carrie Muskat, Marmol is close to signing a long term deal that should be announced on Monday. However, Jim Hendry told “Talkin Baseball” yesterday that he and Marmol’s agent, Barry Praver, are working on a one year deal as well as a long term deal. If it is a long term deal, it will likely be for three years for around $25 Million.

General manager Jim Hendry, and manager Mike Quade will address the media today from Fitch Park in Mesa, Arizona.