MLB Preview: Chicago Cubs

The 2008 season marks the 100 year anniversary of the Chicago Cubs last World Series title. Cubs fans can't think of a better way to mark that anniversary then by sipping some champagne after another title this season.

That vision may be closer to reality than even Cubs fans might think, the Cubs made the post-season last year before being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS. Chicago made one of the bigger moves this off-season by signing Kosuke Fukodome from Japan. Fukodome expects to give the Cubs some added defense, and a patient approach at the plate, which has been an achilles heel of Cubs teams in the past.

Now it's time to answer three questions about the 2008 Chicago Cubs.

(1) Now that the Mark Prior era is officially over, will the Cubs be better off as a result?

The story of Mark Prior is one that is all to familiar to Cubs fans, and is a tragedy in a baseball sense. Prior burst onto the scene in 2003 and became the league's most dominant pitcher. Prior was on the mound during the infamous Steve Bartman game, and his career only went downhill from there.

Prior didn't pitch at all last season for the Cubs as he was once again ravaged by injuries. He left the Cubs to sign an incentive bound contract with the San Diego Padres. The Cubs still have many quality pieces in their rotation and will be led by horse Carlos Zambrano.

Zambrano has been overshadowed by Prior and Kerry Wood throughout his career, but last season he became the dominant story for the Cubs as he predicted a Cy Young award during spring training. Zambrano didn't win the Cy Young award but once again threw over 200 innings and posted a sub 4 ERA.

Zambrano will be followed in the rotation by Ted Lilly and Rich Hill. Both of these lefties have a very similiar approach and although they won't overpower hitters are still able to retire hitters, and have very respectable strikeout numbers. Hill has perhaps the games best curveball as he has a Barry Zito like 12 to 6 rotation on his out pitch.

After the top three the rotation gets a little dicey as the team plans on bringing Ryan Dempster out of the bullpen and back into the starting rotation this season. Dempster was never a favorite of Lou Piniella's as a closer last season, and since he has had experience starting the club thought it would be a good time to bring him back into the rotation.

The fifth spot will be a battle between Sean Marshall and a cast of others including prospect Sean Gallagher if he's not traded to Baltimore as part of the Brian Roberts package.

(2) Do the Cubs need to upgrade their 2b position and acquire Brian Roberts?

It seems like Cubs fans and journalists in Chicago think this is the best move for the team, but I think the team has enough options in place and shouldn't part with their top prospects.

Roberts will no doubt add a lot of intangibles to the Cubs offense as he is one of the better leadoff hitters in the game as his patient approach would be a welcome sign to Wrigley this season. Roberts also does play solid defense so the Cubs would benefit by that.

However the team has a solid option in Mark DeRosa, who despite suffering a bizarre injury to his heart early this Spring appears to be fully recovered from that incident. DeRosa batted 290, with an OBP of 370 last season, while driving in over 70 runs. Though Roberts will give them better defense at second, I don't think it outweighs what the Cubs would have to give up to acquire Roberts. Rumors persist that Baltimore wants Sean Gallagher in all trade discussions, and the Cubs have too many questionmarks in their rotation to trade one of the game's best pitching prospects.

(3) Is it time for the Cubs to shift Soriano to the middle of the order?

The answer is a resounding YES! to this question. Soriano is the game's elite power hitter and has no business belting 30 homers while barely driving in 70 runs a season. Soriano not only is the team's biggest source of power, he also is not a patient hitter at the plate and his OBP is amongst the leagues worst for a leadoff hitter.

The team would be much better suited to put Fukodome or Brian Roberts if the team does go forward with trade talks. The Cubs are costing themselves more than a handful of runs per season by continuing to keep Soriano at his preferred spot in the lineup. Fukodome had an OBP over 100 points higher than Soriano last season, and despite playing in Japan, a stat like that speaks universally.

The Cubs should be in a two team battle with Milwaukee this season, and may have to keep their eye on the Cincinnati Reds this season as they have young players waiting to produce. The rest of the regulars in the Cubs lineup should perform as usual as Derek Lee, and Aramis Ramirez continue to anchor the North Sides offense