Are the Cubs contenders the next 2-3 years?

[JonnyRed]

I got into a discussion with a Sox buddy today (I know, why bother) about what the expectations are for our Chicago baseball teams the next few seasons. I said the Cubs should be contenders the next 2-3 years at least. What does everyone think? Here's my reasoning:

 

> Starting pitching: should be better next year with Hill and Marshall developing to offset Lilly cooling off

 

> Bullpen: Solid with Marmol hopefully becoming a dominant closer and Demp, Howry, Wuertz, Wood and a lefty or two in the pen.

 

> Core hitters: Our big three are all still in their prime and should deliver all-star caliber seasons.

 

> Good influx of young talent.

 

Looking to next year, all we need is to firm up RF and decide if we go with a Kendall/Soto platoon behind the plate. Thoughts?

[jersey cubs fan]

There's no reason why they can't be contenders for the next 2-3 years, at least in the NL Central. But they've got some work to do. Lee and Soriano are both already past their prime. Ramirez is leaving his prime years, and as a health risk he may decline a little sooner than may be expected. They'll need somebody to step in and contribute offensively. Hopefully Pie and/or Murton can be regular positive contributors next year, otherwise we might be looking at yet another season of mediocre offense.

[Derwood]

an established RF would go a long way

[Sammy Sofa]

Depends on who buys the team.

[Derwood]

Depends on who buys the team.

 

ownership doesn't/shouldn't affect how the core group performs

[UMFan83]

I don't think so unless some tinkering is done. I think the cap is pretty much hit on payroll especially with new ownership, so we really have to rely on young talent coming up. I think the Brewers, realizing how close they are, will make a splash in FA to improve their team, and the Cardinals will always be there. I just don't see it unless the division plays down to this level.

[Yestheydo]

I sincerely believe they have all the ingredients right now for a dynasty. They just need to gel a teensy bit more.

[UMFan83]

I sincerely believe they have all the ingredients right now for a dynasty. They just need to gel a teensy bit more.

 

A dynasty? You mean multiple championships?

[Sammy Sofa]

Depends on who buys the team.

 

ownership doesn't/shouldn't affect how the core group performs

 

Then if this the core group, no. Too streaky. I feel that further acquisitions are needed to make this a truly impressive team with some longevity.

[Ender]

I don't see why not. I think the Astros and Cardinals are going to take some time to rebuild and while the Brewers should improve I don't see them improving so much that there isn't going to be a playoff race.

[Derwood]

Depends on who buys the team.

 

ownership doesn't/shouldn't affect how the core group performs

 

Then if this the core group, no. Too streaky. I feel that further acquisitions are needed to make this a truly impressive team with some longevity.

 

well, barring trades, the following players are here for at least the next 2 seasons ('08 and '09)

 

Lee

Ramirez

Soriano

Ramirez

Murton

Pie

Theriot

Fontenot

Zambrano

Marquis

Lilly

Hill

Marshall

Marmol

 

if you can add another bat (RF or C) you're in decent shape.

[DivineBovine]

We looked pretty damn good going into 2004 too. Too bad that didn't work out.

 

Unless you have a team with All stars at every position, its tough to look ahead. But at least they've started to spend some dough. As long as you spend money and not make completely stupid decisions, you'll be competitive. If this continues, I like their chances.

[CubmanPi]

I sincerely believe they have all the ingredients right now for a dynasty. They just need to gel a teensy bit more.

 

A dynasty? You mean multiple championships?

True, a dynasty means multiple championships, but a dynasty by Cub definitions would be to achieve 85+ wins in 4 years out of 6.

[Little Slide Rooter]

I dont know if Id use the word dynasty, but we definitely have the type of team that will be in contention for years to come. We have the core of our team signed long term. The Brewers coukd be a threat for a while, but once their guys start coming up for free agency, and the Yanks, Mets, Angels, and Red Sox start throwing obscene contracts at them, the Brewers wont be able to match them. The Cardnals are going to ultimately have to realise that if thy want to win, they'll have to sever ties with the Albatross Brothers(Edmonds and Rolen) and go after some real talent.

[RynoRules]

an established RF would go a long way

 

Ding ding

[Bleed_Cubbie_Blue]

They certainly have the potential. But so much can change in that time period.

[soccer10k]

I would say that yes, the Cubs will be playoff contenders for the next few years barring some major injuries. But the team that is more likely to be good for a while is the Brewers.

[XZero771679666304]

I would say that yes, the Cubs will be playoff contenders for the next few years barring some major injuries. But the team that is more likely to be good for a while is the Brewers.

 

 

That's true, until the Brewers have to start paying their core players.

 

 

 

And the Cubs should be fine for the next 2-3 years, especially if Hendry is replaced by someone competent.

[Rob]

Lee, Aramis, and Z are all top players for the next couple of years... though they are getting darn close to their decline phases.

 

Soriano, Lilly, Hill, Marshall, Marmol, Gallagher, Wuertz, Pie, Murton, and Soto all have strong chances to be above-average contributors at their positions.

 

Theriot, Fontenot, DeRosa, Moore, and Fox all have a good chance to be fairly valuable if used properly. (Still not sold on Theriot and DeRosa as hitters... at least not #1, 2, or 5 hitters)

 

Only Marquis and perhaps Cedeno are likely to have fairly significant roles while being a drain on the pitching or offense.

 

The trick is going to be in trusting the young guys... instead of paying for overpriced junk to fill in. (I could see us re-upping Floyd, and signing LoDuca).

[CubinNY]

This thread is completely out of control. Completely.

 

The Cubs are coming off of back to back losing seasons and are mediocre this year. They very well could finish below .500.

 

That's the makings of a dynasty?

 

Lee, Aramis, and Soriano are good players and are capeable of putting up all-star calibur numbers. But all are on the wrong side of 30.

 

They need a catcher, SS, CF, LF/RF, and probably a 2nd baseman. Not all of them have to be all-stars. But at least they should be able to get on base at a decent clip.

 

They have Zambrano as a starting pitcher. I like Hill a lot and think he is a very good pitcher, but that is about it.

 

Bullpens are a crapshoot.

 

Now, their minor leagues look to be improved but they aren't Tampa or Arizona.

 

Depending on who the next owner turns out to be, the Cubs certianly should be in contention in this division with the likes of Pittsburgh, Cincinatti, and Houston. But I don't see them as a perenial World Series contender unless some of the minor league talent really steps up and/or they fall into a few Aramis/Lee type trade scenarios.

[Cynosure]

Zambrano in my opinion is still not in his prime.

 

I think Lee is going to start to decline next year or the year after.

 

Soriano is already in his decline but he will still be solid throughout his contract barring injuries.

 

Wood could become one of the most dominant closers in the game if he gets his act together and doesn't get hurt.

 

Ramirez is in his prime now and I see him as having his career year within the next two years and then start to decline.

 

Lilly can provide us with 15 wins consistantly. I believe he can do this whole-heartedly if he starts getting better run support.

 

Hill and Marshall are still developing and both have potential to be great. Or hey trade them and get another ace.

 

If Prior can come back (LOL I KNOW I KNOW) then we could have a nice little rotation of: Zambrano, Lilly, Prior, Hill/Marhsall or whoever we trade them for.

 

Don't forget Hendry said that this off season they are going to focus more on trades than free agents, should be a wild ride.

 

In my conclusion, I think next year has to be the year with the future looking bleak after unless our farm system churns out a few monsters.

[soapy]

I think it will depend on how well the young guys like Pie, Murton, Theriot, Soto, Gallagher, etc. develop over the next two years. I'd be surprised if the payroll is raised too much more. That's especially true this year with the sale not likely to be complete early in the off-season.

 

I think they would need to have a few of the above mentioned players really step forward to have a strong shot at remaining contenders for the next few years. This team is very average right now with a couple of their core players possibly due to decline in the next few years.

[RynoRules]

This thread is completely out of control. Completely.

 

The Cubs are coming off of back to back losing seasons and are mediocre this year. They very well could finish below .500.

 

That's the makings of a dynasty?

 

Lee, Aramis, and Soriano are good players and are capeable of putting up all-star calibur numbers. But all are on the wrong side of 30.

 

They need a catcher, SS, CF, LF/RF, and probably a 2nd baseman. Not all of them have to be all-stars. But at least they should be able to get on base at a decent clip.

 

They have Zambrano as a starting pitcher. I like Hill a lot and think he is a very good pitcher, but that is about it.

 

Bullpens are a crapshoot.

 

Now, their minor leagues look to be improved but they aren't Tampa or Arizona.

 

Depending on who the next owner turns out to be, the Cubs certianly should be in contention in this division with the likes of Pittsburgh, Cincinatti, and Houston. But I don't see them as a perenial World Series contender unless some of the minor league talent really steps up and/or they fall into a few Aramis/Lee type trade scenarios.

 

 

Did anyone in here really say "makings of a dynasty"?

 

The Cubs should be solid solid contenders for several years. If they are able to add a RFer with .900 - 1.000 OPS potential and perhaps a true no. 2 starter, they are very likely to be the class of the NL for the next 3-4 yrs, IMO. Just one of those two things would make them clearly the best team in the Central, IMO. The Brewers are young and fun, but their starting pitching has a long way to go.

[Bote McBoteface]

This thread is completely out of control. Completely.

 

The Cubs are coming off of back to back losing seasons and are mediocre this year. They very well could finish below .500.

 

That's the makings of a dynasty?

 

Lee, Aramis, and Soriano are good players and are capeable of putting up all-star calibur numbers. But all are on the wrong side of 30.

 

They need a catcher, SS, CF, LF/RF, and probably a 2nd baseman. Not all of them have to be all-stars. But at least they should be able to get on base at a decent clip.

 

They have Zambrano as a starting pitcher. I like Hill a lot and think he is a very good pitcher, but that is about it.

 

Bullpens are a crapshoot.

 

Now, their minor leagues look to be improved but they aren't Tampa or Arizona.

 

Depending on who the next owner turns out to be, the Cubs certianly should be in contention in this division with the likes of Pittsburgh, Cincinatti, and Houston. But I don't see them as a perenial World Series contender unless some of the minor league talent really steps up and/or they fall into a few Aramis/Lee type trade scenarios.

 

I agree with pretty much everything he said, with the exception of him saying that Ramirez, a 29 year old, is on the wrong side of 30.

 

 

The Cubs were very bad the past two years. They're not good this year, in all honesty. And even in 03 and 04 they were not great. This is not the makings of a dynasty.

 

We have Zambrano, Hill, and Lilly in terms of good starting pitching. Marshall certainly has been impressive, but I wouldn't really trust him too much going into next season.

 

Our team this season is a mix of aging (and, in some cases, very aged) stars and over-performing young guys. That's not a good mix for the future. They are also mostly overpaid. I would not one bit be upset if this team got completely torn apart in the offseason. The Brewers have a great young team. They're probably better than us this year and they're only going to get better, and they'll be together for quite a long time.

[CubinNY]

 

 

Did anyone in here really say "makings of a dynasty"?

 

 

I sincerely believe they have all the ingredients right now for a dynasty. They just need to gel a teensy bit more.

 

I dont know if Id use the word dynasty, but we definitely have the type of team that will be in contention for years to come. We have the core of our team signed long term. The Brewers coukd be a threat for a while, but once their guys start coming up for free agency, and the Yanks, Mets, Angels, and Red Sox start throwing obscene contracts at them, the Brewers wont be able to match them. The Cardnals are going to ultimately have to realise that if thy want to win, they'll have to sever ties with the Albatross Brothers(Edmonds and Rolen) and go after some real talent.

 

So, yes.