Chicago Cubs

I would love for nothing more than to be able to tell you that the Cubs are going to win the NL Central this season, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. But that just isn't the case, of course.

Forget about the way the team finished last season for none of that matters, nor does it carry over into this season. Still, there is something gnawing at me that tells me this division is very winnable, despite the miserable 2010 season.

For one thing, Sweet Lou is no longer asleep at the wheel, and we have a manager who actually wants to do this and is even somewhat lucid.

My big knock on the Washington Nationals’ offseason so far has been their failure to upgrade their starting rotation or bullpen.

The answer to the headline is yes...and no.

In my third article of this 30 in 30 series, we take a look at the Chicago Cubs, one of the hottest teams in all of baseball at the end of last season.

Posting an impressive 24-13 record under interim manager Mike Quade at the end of last season, the question now for Chicago is no longer "Just how bad are the Cubs?" It has been replaced with the much more optimistic "Just how GOOD are these Cubs?"

With the acquisition of Matt "oh no, we gave up way too much for him" Garza, the Cubs would appear to have the makings of a pretty good starting rotation for 2011, barring injuries and/or trades. But just who will bat leadoff in this lineup?

Let's take a look at the candidates and see if anyone exists on the current roster. Hey, it had better, because the Cubs seem set at every position.

Kosuke Fukudome

The Cubs acquired Matt Garza and two non-factor minor leaguers from the Rays, in case you've been living under a rock. While there has been much gnashing of teeth about whether the Cubs gave up too much in return for Garza, the real question is what will be the next move for Jim Hendry and the Cubs?

“Now let’s make this an evening
Lovers for a night, lovers for tonight
Stay here with me, love, tonight
Just for an evening
When we make
Our passion pictures
You and me twist up
Secret creatures
And we’ll stay here
Tomorrow go back to being friends”

The Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs made a surprising trade Thursday when the Rays agreed to send pitcher Matt Garza, outfielder Fernando Perez and a minor league pitcher to the Cubs for a package of prospects including pitcher Chris Archer, outfielders Brandon Guyer and Sam Fuld, catcher Robinson Chirinos and shortstop Hak-Ju Lee.

Tampa Bay Ray fans are watching their team fall apart by the seams of Matt Garza's 95 mile per hour fastball.

The Chicago Cubs have acquired SP Matt Garza, a minor league pitcher and OF Fernando Perez for a plethora of young players including OF Sam Fuld and RHP Chris Archer, the 2010 Minor League Baseball Pitcher of the Year.

Matt Garza threw a no-hitter in 2010, and topped 200 innings for the second year in a row while posting a 3.91 ERA. He will take that resume from Tampa Bay to Lakeview in 2011, as the Chicago Cubs acquired him Friday in an eight-player deal.

Quite similar to the way Jerry Angelo handled the offseason of the Chicago Bears, Jim Hendry has made every move at his disposal this offseason in the hopes of saving his job, albeit with considerably less money.

Heading into the winter of 2010-11, most fans and experts knew that the Cubs did not have much money to invest. They'd have to sign players on a budget and would have to do much of their improvement through trade.