Cubs Convention Ends, Concerns Still Exist

The Cubs Convention is over and it is time to take a critical look at what will likely be a season just like all the others.

Meaning it will end with a kick to the groin and another St. Louis Caridnals NL Central title.

Gah.

But first, a memory.

When I was a child, I attended many Cubs Conventions in the dead of winter  for the chance to see, meet and greet my favorite baseball players.

That is also when I first met Harry Caray in hallway near the elevators.  I told him that when I grew up, I wanted to be just like him.  He rustled my hair and said that I would have a great future.  If Uncle Harry knew what I was going now, he'd be proud.

As for the 2010 Cubs, he probably would not feel the same way.

It is Jan. 18 and we are 76 days from opening a new year of being reminded by national broadcasters that it has been more than 100 years since the North Side Nine has won a World Series.  And if the team that is currently constructed makes it to opening day, we might be tacking on another year.

1.  Marlon Byrd

Simply put, teams with Marlon Byrd hitting fifth don't win World Series championships. They just don't.  And the fact that the Cubs' center fielder's best attribute is that his name is not Milton Bradley says a lot about how much this team is going to suck this year.

2.  The fourth outfielder


The Cubs are looking to add a fourth outfielder who is versatile enough to play all three spots.


This is a good news, bad news situation.


The good news is that the Cubs already have this guy.  The bad news is that they signed him to a three-year deal worth $15 million and will be the team's starting center fielder come April.

(As you can tell, I am not a fan of the Byrd acquisition.)


3.  The rotation

The only guy in the starting five I have any confidence in is Ryan Dempster.  The same Ryan Dempster whose 3-2 pitch to James Loney in October 2008 still makes me want to rip what little hair I have left on my head.

Ted Lilly is out until May, which for Cubs pitchers usually means August.  Carlos Zambrano returns, but no one is sure whether we will see the Big Z that posted a 77-45 record, 3.30 ERA, 1.261 WHIP and struck out 7.9 hitters per nine innings from 2003 to 2007 or the guy that went 9-7 with a respectable 3.77 ERA, but a detestable 1.376 WHIP in 2009.

Can Randy Wells be the guy that can build on a 12-win season?  History says he'll blow out his arm in spring training. 

Can Tom Gorzelanny or Sean Marshall be worth a damn?  I think Gorzelanny can, if only because former Pirates seem to thrive in Chicago.  As for Marshall, he will be in Lou Piniella's dog house come March 1 and will be toiling away in the bullpen.

If Jeff Samardzija wants to make a positive impact in Chicago, he would hang up his baseball cleats, drive up to Halas Hall and start spending some time with Jay Cutler.

4.  The top of the order

I always tell Cubs fans to be careful of what they wish for, mostly because a good chunk of them are stupid enough to wish upon a star that Ryan Theriot would someday be the team's lead-off hitter.

Guess what, clowns?  That's probably what is going to happen.

In 2009, Theriot's walks went down and strikeouts went up.  If that's what I wanted out of my lead-off hitter, I would have continued to drive the "Alfonso Soriano For Lead-Off Hitter" bandwagon.

The other candidate is Kosuke Fukudome, who posted a .375 on-base percentage in 2009.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that he stole six bases and was caught 10 times.

For those of you keeping score at home, that is bad.

5.  The Bullpen

I'm trying to find nice things to say about this unit, but cannot do so without being reminded of the slippery slope we will likely see in 2010.

Carlos Marmol has the kind of stuff that gives me the tingly sensation that is usually reserved for pretty blondes.  On the other hand, when he walks the bases loaded, I get a different tingly feeling as my blood pressure begins to rise.

Angel Guzman also has nasty stuff, but I'm never sure when his arm will fall off, for after every breaking ball he throws, I fear as if it is his final pitch in the big leagues.

John Grabow is a nice lefty reliever, but not worthy of a two-year deal worth $7.5 million.

I know I'm supposed to be excited about Esmailin Caridad, Jeff Gray, Justin Berg, Jeff Samardzija, John Gaub, Mitch Atkins and others.  But I was also supposed to be excited about Terry Adams, Kyle Farnsworth and others tabbed as "closer of the future."

6.  Second base

The Cubs do not have a legitimate second baseman on their team.  It's just one of the many holes on a roster where they payroll will likely exceed the $140 million plateau.

Jeff Baker posted a solid .305/.362/.448/.810 line in 224 plate appearances, but I'm not convinced he can do it over an entire season.  If he does, then the Cubs got a steal.  Heck, if he grows some stubble, he'll make the ladies in Chicago forget Mark DeRosa.

Then there's Mike Fontenot.  Rudy Jaramillo can fix everything that is wrong with that kid's swing, and he'll still be three feet tall.  Just can win with that guy.

Orlando Hudson is still available.

But why would the Cubs want to sign a guy coming off a Gold Glove year defensively, and offensively posted a .293/.377/.463/.840 line in 261 plate appearances as the Dodgers' No. 2 hitter?

7.  Defense

The Chicago Cubs committed 105 errors last season, third most in the NL.  If not for Derrek Lee, the Cubs would have led the world in that category.

Is adding Marlon Byrd to that outfield going to cut the team's errors by a significant total?  Doubtful.

8.  Carlos Silva

All the Cubs got for their nutty right fielder was a pitcher who is 5-18 since signing a four-year, $48 million contract in free agency.

The Cubs are hoping Silva turns out to be a decent long reliever.

For the money he is making, he better be the best long reliever to ever play the game of baseball.

9.  Money flow

What separated the Cubs and Cardinals last year was St. Louis' ability to add payroll at the trade deadline.  And for the second straight season, that might be a factor when July rolls around.

John Grabow and Marlon Byrd account for $6.75 million worth of money that should have been allocated elsewhere.

All this adds up to being strapped for cash when Carl Crawford is made available when the Tampa Bay Rays are 15 games out of first place despite having a winning record.

10.  Jim Hendry is still employed

As much as we talk about how players need to have good seasons over the span of 162 games, general managers need to have good offseasons.

The Cubs general manager isn't having a good offseason.  Want proof?  Here are his "best" moves:

• Not re-signing Kevin Gregg
• Trading Aaron Miles
• Trading Milton Bradley
• Bringing on Greg Maddux as a special assistant.

In conclusion, Hendry's two best personnel moves include trading the team's best bench bat to get rid of an albatross contract and swapping terrible contracts while somehow getting a player worse than Milton Bradley.

I was not joking when I said adding Maddux might be the highlight of the offseason.

The sad thing about this is that I could list at least five more things that make me think this team will finish below .500.  But these 10 might be the most damning.

Suffering a Cubs Convention hangover?  Pffft.  The thought of having to watch Theriot lead off games and run bases like a chicken with its head cut off might send me back to the booze cabinet.