Line-up:
1. Alfonso Soriano LF
2. Kosuke Fukudome CF
3. Derrek Lee 1B
4. Aramis Ramirez 3B
5. Milton Bradley RF
6. Geovany Soto C
7. Mike Fontenot 2B
8. Ryan Theriot SS
I like the Cubs 1-6, but Fontenot and Theriot are just terrible. It is ridiculous to have a club with an outstanding 1-8, but they can find better people. Fukudome and Bradley are really streaky and Bradley normally has injury issues. But if this line-up can stay healthy then they should be in really good shape. They put up enough runs to carry this team in the NL Central.
Pitching Staff:
1. Carlos Zambrano RH
2. Ryan Dempster RH
3. Ted Lilly LH
4. Rich Harden RH
5. Sean Marshall LH
Closer Carlos Marmol RH
This pitching staff is top notch, but could really use Jake Peavy. If they were able to acquire Peavy this team would be over the top. The Key to this rotation is whether Rich Harden can stay healthy. In his games last year for the Cubs he was absolutely dominant. People are also predicting Carlos Zambrano to have a bad year, but I think the opposite. He is going to win at least 18 games next year, and strike out 200.
Prospects:
1) Josh Vitters, 3B: Hopefully the home run power should start to come in 2009. Great contact hitting skills and still very young.
2) Jeff Samardzija, RHP: I have no idea what to expect here. Could be great, could be horrible, track record very erratic.
Overall:
The Cubs really let me down last year, and I believe they can win the NL Central again with the team they have, but I don't think they will be able to go far in the playoffs as long as Peavy is still on the Padres.
100-62
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