It was again a year not to remember for the Chicago Cubs in 2010, as they once again failed to deliver on high expectations.
Chicago finished fourth in the NL Central with a record of 75-87. It was so bad for the Cubs, manager Lou Piniella stepped down with just 37 games remaining in the season. Mike Quade replaced Piniella down the stretch, and was given the head coaching job for good after leading the Cubs to a 24-13 finish.
The Cubs also said goodbye to first baseman Derrek Lee, starting pitcher Ted Lilly and infielders Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot. The biggest additions for the 2011 season are Carlos Pena, Matt Garza and Kerry Wood.
Here is a look at the predicted starting lineup and starting rotation, plus our MLB predictions on where they will finish the season.
Projected Lineup
Chicago has some potential offensively this year, but just how good they are will depend on the seasons they get from third baseman Aramis Ramirez and outfielder Alfonso Soriano.
Ramirez is one of the top overall hitters in the league when healthy, but he can't seem to keep from getting hurt. Soriano hasn't lived up to the player the Cubs envisioned when they brought him in, but if he turns it around this unit will be drastically improved.
The Cubs also have nice assets in catcher Geovany Soto and young outfielder Tyler Colvin, who expects to take over the every day job in right field. Throw in Pena, who could thrive in Wrigley Field, and the Cubs suddenly look like a team who could be a lot better than you might expect.
Don't forget about two of the Cubs top hitters in 2010 in Marlon Byrd and Starlin Castro. Byrd hit .293 and was Chicago's only All-Star, while Castro led the Cubs with a .300 average at the age of 20.
Projected Rotation
The Cubs have a pitching staff that could be much better than expected heading into the season. If Carlos Zambrano throws like he did to finish the season, where he went 8-0 with a 1.41 ERA, Chicago could be looking at the 2011 Cy Young winner.
Ryan Dempster has been extremely reliable for the Cubs since making the switch from closer to starter, and with the addition of Garza, the Cubs should have a 1-3 that can square off against any other three in baseball.
Still, the overall grade of this pitching staff will come down to the arms of Carlos Silva and Randy Wells. Silva started great, but faded down the stretch, while Wells wasn't close to his form of 2009, and could end up losing his job to Andrew Cashner if he doesn't turn things around this year.
2011 Projection: Second Place NL Central
While it seems like Chicago has more question marks than answers heading into the 2011 season, the potential is there. A lot has to go right for this team to even have a chance at winning the NL Central.
Still, it’s hard to overlook the success Quade had to finish the season, and the talent that is still on the his team. We have the Cubs jumping up to second in the division with the Cardinals loss of ace Adam Wainwright. The Cubs MLB odds to win the NL Central are currently listed at +400.
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