The Cubs' Pre-Spring Training Report

The Chicago Cubs are slowly moving toward Spring Training (just days away!). The details about the final Cubs' roster are starting to work themselves out the closer we get to Mesa.

The Northsiders have made a few transactions over the last few of weeks:

1) Agreed to terms with pitchers Kerry Wood and Kyle Farnsworth on one-year contracts;

2) Agreed to terms with free agent pitcher Mark Guthrie, who had been with the New York Mets, on a one-year contract with a club option for 2004 (another solid pick-up for the Cub bullpen – last season, Guthrie was 5-3 with 17 holds, a 2.44 ERA, a 1.13 and an opponents’ batting average of .207);

3) Agreed to terms on a minor league contract with outfielder Tom Goodwin (a speedy contender for the fourth or fifth OF spot);

4) Agreed to terms with outfielder-infielder Charles Gipson, who had been with the Seattle Mariners, on a minor league contract (Gipson hit .236 with eight RBI and four SB, playing mostly as a late-inning defensive replacement. In five seasons with the Mariners, Gipson played all three OF positions, 3B, SS and 2B, and he committed just nine errors. He appears to be a slightly more versatile version of Goodwin);

5) Sent infielder Augie Ojeda outright to Iowa (to make room on the 40-man roster for Guthrie); and

6) Signed first baseman Jose Velasquez (At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, the Cubs plucked this youngster off the roster of the Atlantic City Surf of the independent Atlantic League, where he hit .320 with 31 2B, 18 HR and 92 RBI in 117 games).

In addition to the non-roster players mentioned in the last report, they will be joined by Goodwin, Gipson and Ojeda.

As of this date, the Cubs’ current 40-man roster is:

Pitchers (22):

Antonio Alfonseca
Frank Beltran
Alan Benes
Joe Borowski
Matt Bruback
Scott Chiasson
Matt Clement
Juan Cruz
Shawn Estes
Kyle Farnsworth
Mark Guthrie
Jon Leicester
Will Ohman
Mark Prior
Mike Remlinger
Felix Sanchez
Steve Smyth
Dave Veres
John Webb
Todd Wellemeyer
Kerry Wood
Carlos Zambrano

Catchers (2):

Paul Bako
Damian Miller

Infielders (10):

Mark Bellhorn
Hee Seop Choi
Nate Frese
Alex Gonzalez
Mark Grudzielanek
Bobby Hill
Eric Karros
Dave Kelton
Ramon Martinez
Kevin Orie

Outfielders (6):

Moises Alou
Nic Jackson
Jackson Melian
Troy O'Leary
Corey Patterson
Sammy Sosa

The estimated 25-man roster will probably be:

Antonio Alfonseca
Moises Alou
Paul Bako
Mark Bellhorn
Joe Borowski
Hee Seop Choi
Matt Clement
Juan Cruz
Shawn Estes
Kyle Farnsworth
Alex Gonzalez
Mark Grudzielanek
Mark Guthrie
Bobby Hill
Eric Karros
Ramon Martinez
Damian Miller
Troy O'Leary
Corey Patterson
Mark Prior
Mike Remlinger
Sammy Sosa
Dave Veres
Kerry Wood
Carlos Zambrano

The Cubs’ daily starting line-up will probably be:

1 Bobby Hill (2B)
2 Mark Bellhorn (3B)
3 Sammy Sosa (RF)
4 Moises Alou (LF)
5 Hee Seop Choi (1B)
6 Corey Patterson (CF)
7 Damian Miller (C)
8 Alex Gonzalez (SS)

The Cubs’ starting rotation will probably be:

1 Kerry Wood
2 Mark Prior
3 Matt Clement
4 Shawn Estes
5 Carlos Zambrano

And the Cubs’ bullpen, from middle-relievers through set-up and closer, will probably be:

Juan Cruz
Kyle Farnsworth
Joe Borowski
Mark Guthrie
Dave Veres
Mike Remlinger
Antonio Alfonseca

What does all this mean?

1) Offensively – Carve in granite in Sosa for his .300 BA, 50 HR and 120 RBI. Carefully enter in pencil that Alou should be better prepared to start out the season in chilly Chicago and continue to build from his performance after the All-Star break (.298, seven HR, 34 RBI, 14 2B). But will there be anybody on base for these two to drive in?

First of all, Hill had 42 K in 190 AB last season, while Bellhorn had 144 K in only 445 AB. Actually, Patterson, despite finishing with 142 K in 592 AB, started off the season with only 33 K in his first 190 AB of the year out of the two-hole. He may be better for that spot than Bellhorn. Patterson performed well early before managerial decisions moved him to the one, six and seven spots throughout the remainder of the season. But all three need to cut their strikeout total.

And second, one would have to worry about the protection behind Alou. Bellhorn probably would be better in the number five or six spot behind Alou or Choi as he is has the more veteran bat.

2) Starting pitching -- Wood gets to be the No. 1 man in Chicago – a job that he relishes having; don’t expect a sophomore-jinx season from Prior – will probably have a solid, but not spectacular first full season in Chi-town; Clement needs to – and should – prove to be one of the best No. 3’s in the league by improving on his great year last season; Estes – the experiment, the question mark, the veteran; and Zambrano needs to live up to expectations after a good 2002 campaign and be the best No. 5 in the league. If Estes pitches well, the Cubs will have one of the best rotations in the league, and maybe all of baseball.

3) Relief pitching – An area that the front office truly focused on, and should see major improvement. The acquisitions of Mark Guthrie, Veres and Remlinger should help get the ball to Alfonseca in great shape, who should benefit with an improved season. Hoping Borowski wasn’t a fluke, as he was the only bright spot last year – he won’t have to work as hard this season. Cruz will improve with a set role on the staff. Farnsworth? Stay away. Watch and see how he responds.

NEXT TIME

In the next issue, this column will update any new moves and news from Mesa, and review the top prospects in the Cubs’ minor-league system.