Fantasy Forces:
SP-Matt Clement (28)- Clement wore out his welcome in San Diego and Florida but finally put it all together last year with the Cubs.
Clement has a big fastball and great slider but has had trouble with his command. More aggressive and more accurate, he uses his deep
repertoire to keep hitters off guard and should be highly affective again.
SP-Mark Prior (22)- Drafted with the second overall pick in '01, the Cubs were chewing at the bit to catapult the minors and throw
him into their young rotation. Called up on May 22, he fanned 10 in his six-inning debut and pitched as if he were a 5 year veteran,
hurling a big fastball and hard curve at hitters with pinpoint control. All told he compiled 6 double-digit strikeout games while
making a run at ROY despite winning just 6 games. A Cy Young or two is in his future.
RF-Sammy Sosa (34)- Sosa went into '02 needing 50 homeruns to reach the 500-plateau but fell one shy, snapping his record-tying four
year run of topping the 50 mark. While McGriff was supposed to offer the best protection Sammy has seen, it never happened as the
Crime Dog was slow out of the gates. Overcome with a back injury, the result of a diving catch, Sosa slumped throughout much of the
second half. With a newfound zest for the game with Baker's arrival, a rebound is surely on the horizon although his days of hitting
60 are likely over and he is likely to see more injuries here and there.
SP-Kerry Wood (25)- Despite winning 8 games the first half, Wood was having difficulty commanding his pitches, primarily his big
slider, and went into the break with an ERA over 4.00. Shortly thereafter he made an adjustment that stopped him from throwing across his
body, making the flame-throwing ace nearly unhittable. Avoiding the disabled list for the first time since his rookie season, he is
nearly four year removed from major surgery and should no longer be an injury risk. While his talent has been evident for years now,
Wood will finally make a run for the Cy Young.
Past Their Prime:
RP-Antonio Alfonseca (30)- The man from Dragonslayer opened the season as the Cubs closer but pitched his way out of the role. Leading
the league in blown saves and lowest save percentage, Alfonseca will give way to Remlinger and will settle into more of a situational set-up
role, although some saves will come his way.
LF-Moises Alou (36)- Signed to a generous contract after an Enron-incuded stint in Houston, Alou struggled to stay healthy and was a
mere shadow of his prior production. A career .303 hitter, if he is healthy he will be dependable but that is a very big if.
SP-Shawn Estes (30)- Once an 19-game winner, the years of arm troubles have taken their toll on Estes, who isn't nearly as old
as his arm is. Estes sank to an all-time low last year and even though he will vie for a spot in the rotation, he isn't the same
pitcher he was only three years ago.
MI-Mark Grudzielanek (32)- Grudzielanek comes over as a man without a spot, seemingly relegated to primary backup, which given
his versatility should still garner a fair amount of action. While reliable, he has lost a step on the basepaths and is not as
dependable as he once was. |
Supporting Cast:
CF-Corey Patterson (23)- Given the starting job, Patterson looked like he was ready to unleash the five-tool label that followed him in
the minors. But any strides he made in the first half fizzled in the second. He became less patient and more desparate as the
year progressed, being dropped from the leadoff spot all the way down to eighth in the lineup. With further strides and more focus on
the speed aspect of his game, he will be a dependable leadoff hitter, but is not there yet.
SS-Alex Gonzalez (29)- Before there was Arod, there was Gonzalez but the never never came to fruition and instead he became a
steady fielder with decent speed and dependable power. This year should be more of the same as he settles low in the lineup.
C-Damien Miller (33)- Miller comes over after grabbing a ring with the Diamondbacks, where he established himself as a steady .270s
hitter with double-digit power potential. More importantly, he handles young pitchers well and the Cubs have plenty of them.
Away from The BOB, he will likely see a dip in his production.
RP-Mike Remlinger (37)- Remlinger spent the last four years bridging the gap to Atlanta's endless stream of quality closers.
Now, with Alfonseca's collapse last year, he steps in as the primary closer and should see plenty of opportunities. There is still a
possibility the Cubs will acquire a closer though, which would relegate Remlinger to his former role.
Risky Business:
3B-Mark Bellhorn (28)- What baseball fan was not taken by Bellhorn's improbable season that resulted in the 27 homeruns.
Prior to that he was a .198 hitter with four homeruns over four partial seasons in Oakland. Versatile with the glove and effective in
getting on base despite the continued sub-par averages, he will likely get the shot to play third but is designated for a backup utitily
role before too long.
Better Days Ahead:
1B-Hee Seop Choi (24)- With the Crime Dog going to LA, the acquisition of Eric Karros was a move to bolster the depth at first behind
Choi. The towering Korean appears to be whole package- power, average, patience, vast fielding skills, and dependable speed despite
his large frame. A clear candidate for ROY, there will be some periods of adjustment but he looks like the real deal.
P-Juan Cruz (24)- To say he had a rough rookie season would be an understatement. Despite pitching well early in the season
from the rotation, Cruz couldn't buy a break and littered with inconsistent control went into the break at just 1-10. Not intent on
devastating the young fireballers psyche, Kimm moved him to the bullpen, where he was highly effective. A future denizen of the
rotation, he will vie for a spot this year but is likely to see a lot of time in the pen.
2B-Bobby Hill (24)- Touted as a top prospect, the switch-hitter made his debut amidst Delino DeShields swirling career and gave
flashes of the all-tool talent he had in the minors. Committed to getting on base, he is an active baserunner who can surprise with
his power and should be in the second spot in the lineup. If Baker runs out of options, Hill would be an effective leadoff hitter.
P-Carlos Zambrano (21)- Traveling in an opposite direction from Cruz, the burly rookie began his career in the bullpen before getting
a shot to start. Although he won only 3 games in 16 starts, he had a chance to display his explosive repertoire, centered around a
high-90s fastball. With all the tools to be a top-of-the-order pitcher, the only thing holding him back is better command. He
will be firmly entrenched in the rotation this year and should be an anchor down the road. |
