MLB Preview: Chicago Cubs

2011 Recap
The Cubs struggled in Mike Quade's first (and only) full season as manager, finishing fifth in the NL Central with a 71-91 record. Chicago was paced the plate by shortstop Starlin Castro (.307 BA, 10 HR, 66 RBI, 22 SB) and 3B Aramis Ramirez (.306 BA, 26 HR, 93 RBI), and Matt Garza was the teams' best pitcher (10-10, 3.32 ERA, 197 K, 1.26 WHIP). Sub-par seasons by Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto and Carlos Pena at the dish, as well as pretty much every starter not named Matt Garza (the team walked a major league-high 580 walks, and was also 25th in ERA) doomed a team that had hoped to contend with the Reds, Cardinals and Brewers for a playoff spot.

New Arrivals
2B/3B Ian Stewart (trade w/ COL)
OF David DeJesus (free agency)
OF Dave Sappelt (trade w/ CIN)
SP Travis Wood (trade w/ CIN)
P Andy Sonnanstine (free agency)
OF Reed Johnson (free agency)
SP Paul Maholm (free agency)
1B Anthony Rizzo (trade w/ SD)
SP Chris Volstad (trade w/ MIA)
Stewart is a solid infielder that will need to help replace Aramis Ramirez's production at third base. DeJesus is a well-rounded outfielder that provides a high-contact left-handed bat to the lineup, and will be battling with Reed Johnson for a starting spot in the outfield. Sappelt will be fighting for the fourth outfield spot, and is a career .309 hitter in the minors, including .316 in his two years in AAA. Maholm, Sonnanstine, Wood and Volstad will likely be fighting for three available starting spots (I think Sonnanstine will likely end up in long relief). Rizzo tore up the Pacific Coast League in San Diego's farm system last season (.331 BA, 26 HR, 101 RBI in 93 games), but despite struggling with the Padres last season (.141, 1 HR), will be given the opportunity to be the opening day starter at first base.

Prospect to Watch: 3B Josh Vitters
With Aramis Ramirez now with the Brewers, there is a real opportunity for Vitters to take the starting third base job for Chicago, though he'll have to beat out both Stewart and Baker. Vitters has a solid bat, and while his 2011 Triple-A stats weren't mind-blowing (.283 BA, 14 HR, 81 RBI), he absolutely tore up the pitching in the Arizona Fall League (.360/.383/.540). Vitters is a high-contact hitter, as he had just 22 walks and 54 strikeouts in 129 games in Triple-A, and has the look of a future 5 or 6 hole hitter.
2012 Outlook
Perhaps the biggest offseason acquisition for the Cubs was the hiring of former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein as the team's new president of baseball operations. Epstein doesn't have an easy task ahead of him, but was able to move longtime headache Carlos Zambrano to Miami, as well as acquire solid prospects in separate trades with San Diego and Cincinnati. The team needs better performaces out of its starting pitchers to approach a .500 record this season under new manager Dale Sveum, but there will be growing pains. The future infield of Rizzo, Darwin Barney (2B), Starlin Castro (SS) and Vitters is exciting, but will need time to develop, as this season looks to be more of a rebuilding effort.