[luckymann]

LAST YEAR: 66-74 11 ½ GB, 6th / .289 / 3.49
BNN PREDICTION: 80-74 20 GB, 7th / .255 / 2.71
FARM SYSTEM: 14th
BEST PROSPECT: P Sam Streeter (9th)
PAYROLL: 3rd, $30,255
HIGHEST PAID PLAYER: P Bob Ewing, $2,700
CASH BALANCE: $233,223
GAINS: 2B Mark Grudzialanek (trade); P Dave Dravecky (trade)
LOSSES: P Wilbur Wood (retired); C Jayhawk Owens (trade); 2B Brent Butler (trade); RF Mark Teahan (trade); P Bill Parsons (trade)

Same time last year in my preview for the Cubs I noted their “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” stance and offseason trade inactivity. Well it obviously was broke, if their 1903 performance is any indication, and this offseason they have tried to fix it. I remain unconvinced that they have. Then again, I’m not sure it was really all that broken.

The acquisition of reigning Cy Young pitcher Dave Dravecky is a key one, going a long way to fixing the rickety bridge between ace Bob Ewing and the rest of the rotation. A half-year under the belt after missing 1902 with injury should have greatly benefitted SP2 King Cole, which will also help this cause. SP4 remains a worry, but top prospect Sam Streeter could fix that. He’s started 1904 at Reading but that may just be service time related, as I can see no other reason for him not being with the parent club. When he comes up the Cubs should be in possession of a rotation sturdy enough to keep them in plenty of games.

Second baseman Mark Grudzialanek, their other notable offseason acquisition, is another canny add. He won’t start many games but offers experience and a steady backup option in the middle infield behind Woody Woodward and Charlie Gelbert. But at 34 he’ll only do so for a season or two, so they will need to recruit well to shore up that section of their roster, especially with Gelbert also being on the slippery slope of mid-thirties life. And not just there. This is a fairly old group that needs upgrading at a number of positions, and that takes time. Perhaps too much time, given the poor state of their farm system. So they may need to wade back into that marketplace to bide them over.

That said they also have some great young guns. Frank Snyder had a slightly off year last year but still projects into the stratosphere at catcher. 22-year-old LF Greg Gross was one of the real unsung heroes last season, leading the division in plenty of offensive stats and winning the batting title, while 23-year-old Todd Dunwoody has already shown us what he is capable of. The third member of the outfield, powerhouse RF Jay Johnstone, is hitting his prime at 26 and could be the lightning rod for the Chicagoans this campaign.
So all in all I don’t think the Cubs will be as dire as the experts are saying. Nor do I think they’ll figure in the pointy end this time around.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: P King Cole; C Frank Snyder; RF Jay Johnstone