Spring Training Begins

Wow, it's been a long time since baseball ended, and quite a while since my last post.

Looking back at the off-season, one has to think it has been productive for the Cubs.  With the departure of Dexter Fowler through free agency, they had to get a center fielder, which they seem to have solidified with the acquisition of Jason Heyward.  I think they may have over-payed, especially with all the opt-outs and whatnot, but he is a solid player.  Also, after the Castro trade, which I also think was necessary, picking up Zobrist was a smart move.  Granted he is getting a little older, but the Cubs have so many talented middle infielders coming through the minor league system that buying some time at second base is not a bad idea.

The Cubs needed to add a starting pitcher, which they did with John Lackey.  Again, Lackey is definitely no youngster, but it seems the Cubs are content to add someone to the mix on a shorter term than the aces who were available long term at much greater cost.

I read recently that Hammel has been trying to remade himself, which is a good idea because he was pretty awful in the second half, which seems to be the norm with him most seasons.  Personally, I think he is going to be on a short leash with the Cubs and that he might really be expendable at the deadline should Hendricks progress and Adam Warren demonstrate that he can handle a fifth starter role or better.

The Cubs look as if, barring injury, they have a really solid roster.  About the only competition I would see, outside the bullpen, is for the reserve and bench roles, and here they have some solid options in house.  Assuming they carry twelve pitchers and two catchers, that leaves four slots, three if they carry an extra reliever.  Baez and Coghlan look like locks for two of the slots, and LaStella looks pretty strong as an additional reserve infielder, so that means the real competition is for a right-handed hitting outfielder.  Szczur possibly has the upper hand because of his defensive skills.  I could see the Cubs making a run at Austin Jackson if the price is right, but the last time I looked people were projecting him to sign at around $10MM, which is a lot to pay for a guy who is not going to get consistent playing time and is coming off a couple of disappointing seasons.

Should be interesting, but certainly not as exciting as last spring training, which is to be expected when you are coming off a 97 win season.