Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.Considering the Cubs were probably the most disappointing team in baseball in 2009, they definitely have their work cut out for them this offseason in order to return to being a legitimate contender. I guess Cubs fans should take solace in the fact that a winning season was considered a colossal failure -- after all, they have had a winning record in three consecutive seasons for the first time since the Nixon administration now. It's simply a sign that the bar has been raised in Wrigleyville. No longer content to play "lovable losers," Lou Piniella's Cubs are determined to win it all. New owner and lifelong Cubs fan Tom Ricketts has guaranteed the Cubs will win a World Series under his watch.
After altering the best Cubs team since 1945, general manager Jim Hendry has to find a way to get some of that magic back in 2010. He'll have to start by unloading one of the biggest mistakes of his career.
Who Might Leave
Milton Bradley, OF; Reed Johnson, OF; Aaron Miles, 2B; Rich Harden, SP; Kevin Gregg, RP
Shopping List
First and foremost, the Cubs are going to have to do everything they can to rid themselves of Bradley. It will be a difficult job, especially if they try to get out of some of his salary, but there are reportedly some smaller-market teams who believe Bradley could thrive with them (the Rays and Rangers, to name two). Moving Bradley would free up right field for Kosuke Fukudome, where he's most comfortable. Obviously, this leaves a hole in center field. The Cubs would want someone who could fill that hole admirably from a defensive standpoint and likely be a table-setter for the lineup. Marlon Byrd (free agent) and Curtis Granderson (trade) have been connected to the Cubs thus far as possible candidates to fill that void.
The other spot in the positional lineup where there's a seemingly obvious hole is second base. The Cubs could elect to use Mike Fontenot and Jeff Baker in a platoon here, but neither is the long-term solution as the everyday second baseman. The Cubs could possibly look at moving Ryan Theriot to second and promoting star shortstop prospect Starlin Castro at some point. Some scouts think the 19-year-old could be ready during the 2010 season, but it would be a stretch to count on him being ready to contribute to a contender just yet. The Cubs have also been connected to Luis Castillo in trade rumors. He would work out well as a short-term fill-in at second and could conceivably hit atop the order. Perhaps the best option, should it be possible, would be the Cubs bringing in free agent Chone Figgins to play second and bat leadoff.
The Cubs also need to shore up the bullpen in front of closer Carlos Marmol and setup men Angel Guzman and John Grabow (who is reportedly a sure thing to re-sign in Chicago). Former first-round pick Andrew Cashner could figure prominently here, but Jeff Samardzija will not. He's strictly going to be a starter and will likely compete with Tom Gorzelanny for the fifth spot in the rotation now that Harden has departed.
Money Matters
With new ownership in town, the Cubs can reportedly add some payroll -- not much, but it's a better situation than most other teams who need to shed dollars. Because of this, the Cubs are in the position of being able to sign someone even if they can't trade Bradley or have to pay most of his salary in a deal. There is talk that the Cubs would be competing with the Yankees and Angels for Granderson, should the Tigers decide they have to shed his contract. More realistic in center, though, would be a lower-dollar free agent like Byrd. As for the rest of the team, there likely won't be any huge monetary shifts. Yes, the team can take on additional salary, but many of the players they signed in the past three seasons have escalating contracts and none of them are going anywhere. Moving Bradley and Aaron Miles would greatly increase Hendry's flexibility in improving the team.
Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly are both entering the final year of their contracts, but there hasn't been much discussion of an extension for either just yet. A lot of those talks will probably hinge on 2010. If the team appears close to a championship, they might re-up. If they fall apart and appear in need of a rebuild, they'd likely let both walk and start a youth movement.
Offseason Goals
Really, a lot of the Cubs' issues in 2009 -- other than Bradley and the inability to fill the void left at second base by Mark DeRosa -- were internal. Ryan Dempster struggled through the first half of the season with his infant daughter fighting a rare disease. Once she was finally able to come home, he rebounded -- going 5-2 with a 2.27 ERA in his last nine starts. Geovany Soto struggled through an abysmal season. Whether it was due to the World Baseball Classic, being distracted after testing positive for marijuana or just an off year, he failed to even come close to expectations. Alfonso Soriano was plagued by injuries and had the worst offensive season of his career. Aramis Ramirez missed six weeks with a separated shoulder. One-time closer Kevin Gregg blew several games. Marmol was awful in the setup role before excelling at closer. There were many more failures, too.
Still, through all that, the Cubs won 83 games. Thus, the most important offseason goal other than ridding themselves of Bradley is to find a way to get everyone already on the roster to play up to expectations. Fill out the bullpen and find answers at second base and center field, and the Cubs will be in good shape in the NL Central.
