I think their goal this year is just to get to .500. While the Brewers and Cardinals each lost a keystone player, they are still much better than the Cubs. The Cubs could be competitive if a couple of their prospects like Anthony Rizzo and Brett Jackson can hit major league pitching like they do in the minors, but even then they lack the starting pitching to win the division. The only team to really improve was the Reds, specifically by acquiring Latos and Marshall. They see the division is weak and know now is their best chance to win before Votto becomes a free agent. The Pirates may be better this year as well, but they’ll need some of their former top prospects (mostly Pedro Alvarez) to have monster years.

Let me ask you this. What chance do you think the Nationals get Prince Fielder? I know he profiles better in the AL for later in his career, but out of all the teams pursuing him I think the Nats are the best fit. Cubs are no longer in it. Baltimore is years from contending. Texas may not be able to afford him if they sign Darvish. And Seattle is the place where power hitters struggle mightily (remember Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre at Safeco?). The Nats have some money. And they have some talent (Harper & Rendon) coming up the pipeline in the near future too. Do you think they have a real shot at him?

Hey, Steve. So far I like what the Cubs have been doing. Unlike Jim Hendry, Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer haven’t been afraid to trade away talent for prospects. I actually thought the Rizzo trade was a steal for the Cubs. A potential set-up man or closer for a potential middle of the order bat? I was surprised the Cubs gave up so little for Rizzo. I thought they’d at least have to include Garza to get Rizzo. I also like the Sean Marshall trade. They got a lefty starting pitcher, a fourth outfielder, and an A-ball prospect who has a chance to develop into an everyday 2nd baseman.

I’m glad the Cubs were able to get him. He certainly has his work cut out for him though. Honestly, the organization from the farm system up is a mess.
I think the Red Sox will promote Cherington to GM. That makes the most sense to me since he worked directly under Epstein. The big question for both teams now is who’ll manage? Quade is probably out and Francona left Boston. I think both teams will take a hard look at Ryne Sandberg, as Epstein thinks highly of his abilities.

I’d have to agree with you on that, Steve. Theo Epstein has proven that he can put together a World Champion-caliber ballclub. If he could do that for the Cubs he’d become a living legend. I hope the Cubs get him. He seems to understand that developing talent is just as important as inking big-name free agents. If the Cubs don’t get him, then Andrew Friedman is my next choice. Who else do you think would be a good fit for the Cubs?

They can try moving Dempster, but I don’t think there’s much of a market for him. He rebounded from a terrible April by doing well in May and June, but he hasn’t looked good in July. His inconsistency might scare off a lot of teams or at least limit his trade value.

With the Cardinals fighting for a playoff spot I don’t think Rasmus is going anywhere even though he hasn’t performed as hoped. Upton could be available, but it might take quite a package of prospects to get him because of his potential.

Well, I know the Cubs are shopping Alfonso Soriano pretty hard, but even with picking up most of his contract I don’t think there are many teams interested. Although the Phillies are looking for a right-handed bat they look more interested in Carlos Beltran. I think that Kosuke Fukudome and Carlos Pena have the best chance of being traded. Pena’s got a ton of power and drives in runs and Fukudome gets on base. Both also are good defensively and unlikely to be resigned next season.
What about the Nationals? Do you see them as buyers or sellers?

I don’t know… Casey Coleman is starting for the Cubs and he has not had a good season.

Ever since you posed this question I’ve been giving it lots of consideration. Can the Cubs actually sign Pujols or Fielder? Right now I see it about 50/50. Here’s how I think it breaks down (sorry it’s so long):

As you said, the Cubs can definitely afford either of them. They have enough money coming off the books due to expiring contracts–such as Carlos Silva’s and Kosuke Fukudome’s–that will give them financial flexibility. Plus, if they can shed some other contracts via trades this summer like they want to, then they’ll be in an even better position.
The Cubs would prefer Pujols over Fielder. Even though he is four years older than Fielder (31 to 27) and having a down-year by his standards, Pujols is still considered the best hitter in the game. Also, he is better defensively than Fielder. And aside from ability, Pujols is a bigger draw. By luring away the best player from their No. 1 rival, the Cubs would be in a great marketing position that could really draw in the crowds. With attendance declining at an alarming rate this season at Wrigley, the Cubs front office needs to do something bold to draw the fans back.
The Cubs will be the team most desperate to sign Pujols. A little while ago, ESPN.com ran an article about teams that were in financial trouble. One of those teams was the Cubs, but don’t look for them to cut spending too much. If they cut spending drastically, then the quality of the product out on the field will suffer, which in turn will cause an even further drop in attendance and an even greater loss of money. At this point, the Cubs need to draw fans back to the ballpark, and as previously stated, signing Pujols is the best way to do that, especially if you don’t think you can put a competitive team out on the field next season.
However, the Cubs will be rebuilding. Other than Starlin Castro, the Cubs have no young players that are projected to be above average in the future. They do have some intriguing talent like Darwin Barney and Tony Campana in the majors right now, but it’s too early to tell what can be expected from them long-term. And with the exception of the guys at the back-end of the bullpen (Sean Marshall, Kerry Wood, and Carlos Marmol), the Cubs don’t have good, reliable pitching. Out of the entire starting rotation, only Matt Garza has a good chance to stay in the rotation for the next few years barring a surprise trade. Andrew Cashner could also be in that rotation, but he only made one start until getting injured so it’s difficult to evaluate him as a starter, though his stuff is very good.
As for their farm system, the best position player prospect is outfielder Brett Jackson according to Baseball America. From what I’ve heard he does a little bit of everything well but doesn’t excel at any one area. He could be a solid regular, but most scouts don’t see him as a future star. Matt Szczur is another outfielder they have who was recently named to the USA roster in the Futures Game, but he’s only in his first year of A-ball. As far as pitching prospects go, Trey McNutt is their best and could be a solid number 2 or 3 starter, but he’s still probably two or more years away from making the majors. Robert Whitenack was another pitcher making a name for himself this season by going 7-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 11 starts at Single-A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee, but he has since been lost to Tommy John surgery.
Rebuilding and the lack of any immediate help from the farm system could affect Pujols’ or Fielder’s decision to sign with the Cubs. As it stands now, I think the Cubs have a better chance of signing Pujols. For one, Pujols has made it clear that he wants to be the best-paid player in the game. He has already refused several times to give the Cardinals a discount, and as previously stated the Cubs are one of the few teams that could shell out that much cash. Another reason is that Pujols already has a World Series ring and Fielder doesn’t. Fielder may be more inclined to sign somewhere that gives him a good chance at winning right away. Pujols may be more content to wait a few years for another opportunity at a championship since he already has one to his name.
There is a good chance that Pujols or Fielder could choose not to sign with the Cubs because they will be rebuilding for some time. If the Cubs want to increase their chances at signing one of these guys, then they need to trade for prospects and eat a few of contracts. Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, and Carlos Pena all have hefty contracts that are hard to move because of the dollars attached to them and the subpar performances of the players. But the players still have value, it’s just less than the value of their contracts. The Cubs need to restock their farm system by trading these guys for prospects. Yes, they will have to eat almost all of the contracts, but by getting prospects it could show Pujols and Fielder that the team will get better in the not-to-distant future.

They’re not going anywhere this season. At this point, a part of me wants them to finish at the bottom just so they can get a high draft pick next year.

Fanspeak is lucky to have her. She a pro-stalker in real life as well. Charlie really missed her calling when she became a nurse practioner. She would’ve made a great PI…

I think the worst part about the Zambrano situation is that everything he said is true. Should he have thrown a fit publicly? Of course not. But the fact that he’s right is a big reason why people like John Kruk and Bobby Valentine are saying he didn’t need to apologize for his outburst. Even Cubs’ commentator Bob Brenly called the team ”dead-ass” on a local radio show.

I wish they would, but I don’t see it happening this season. Their batting average with RISP is atrocious, their pitching is inconsistent, and they have practically zero speed. Also most of the veterans on the team are simply underachievers (i.e. Soriano, Zambrano, Ramirez). And let’s not even talk about the numerous injuries this season. Quite frankly I’m just looking forward to next season at this point. They have a lot of money coming off the books with Fukudome’s, Ramirez’s, and Silva’s contracts expiring, so they could make a run for Pujols. If they don’t get Pujols, then Prince Fielder is a possibility. But even if they sign a player like Pujols I think it’ll be at least a couple more seasons until they can get competitive again. They have some talent in the minor leagues, but most of those guys are two or more years away from the majors.

I see Ohio State winning it all, but Kentucky isn’t too far behind. How about you?