Batting Order: The Cubbies enter the year feeling good about the order, especially after signing big name free agents Nomar Garciapara and Ivan Rodriguez. Those two give the Cubs a pair of stars to place in front of sluggin' Sammy Sosa for a truly formidable 2-3-4 in the lineup. The rest of the line-up is constructed of solid hitting OB9 players and lower OB guys (Soriano, Dejesus, and Castro) who've got potent charts. There's a good assortment of consistency and power here, giving the Cubs a lineup they can feel comfortable with heading into 2014.
Rotation: A very solid bunch without much difference between starters 1 and 4. The key will be the high K ratios they expect, as their low controls could often lead to sticky situations for these starters. They're very reminiscent of the Houston Astros starting staff, but their division is much better suited to handle their low controls. If these guys can pitch admirably, the Cubs could be a shocking playoff team.
Bullpen: Chicago boasts a fantastic bullpen, headed up by pricey closer Tom Gordon. The rest of the relievers are studly tier 3 relievers, each a different control, which helps them in a myriad of situations. With four arms, they're also capable of bailing out a bad start.
Overall: Although they enter far from being considered favorites, it's conceivable that the Cubbies could (finally) shock the world and become pennant contenders. The pitching is suspect but isn't too far behind their divisional competition (except for Milwaukee). More importantly, they have the impact bats capable of winning a game in a swing and a bullpen built to finish and win close games. They'll be favored as the fourth best team, but Chicago could very well be the surprise team of the NL Central!
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