Team: Chicago Cubs
2007 Regular Season Record: 85-77
2007 Postseason Record: 0-3; lost in NLDS
Cost per Win: $99,670,332 / 85 = $1,172,592 per win
2007 Season Recap: The Cubs spent a whole lot of money in 2007 and weren’t really rewarded for it. A larger portion of this money went to signing Alfonso Soriano and resigning Carlos Zambrano. The biggest salary on the payroll though belongs to Derek Lee who is also their best player so I’m not going to complain about that. Anyways, the Cubs won the NL central which was by far the worst division in baseball this year. The Cubs got a scare from the Brewers and for a while even the Cardinals were in the race. In the end the Cubs performed well enough to make the playoffs. They had a short stay though as they got swept by the Diamondbacks quite convincingly.
I have to give the Cubs credit; they do pay the most money to their best performers. Derek Lee had a very good season and hit .317 with 22 home runs. Soriano has 33 home runs on the season and hit .299 so his money was deserved also, that is if anyone deserves that much money to play sports. Zambrano also had a good season with 18 wins.
The Cubs were a team that didn’t have really any bad spots in their line-up but also beyond the top 3 offensive players didn’t have any outstanding play either. On the pitching mound they Cubs were also solid with the 4 regular starters all finishing with 11 or more wins. The Cubs will be looking to improve on the positives this season and to better in other areas. There is some definite possibilities with this team if they can get things clicking.
Key Free Agents: OF Cliff Floyd, SP Steve Trachsel; From a contribution stand point Floyd is a loss. He has always been a solid bat and has performed well in his career and is a good veteran presence that the Cubs might miss. The loss of Trachsel is notable from a depth standpoint. If the Cubs fail to sign anyone else they will be forced to put Mark Prior back into the starting rotation and that is a serious risk at this point.
Offseason Needs: The Cubs biggest need is at pitcher to secure the second half of the starting rotation. Another need is at Catcher and they also could use some help in the outfield. This is scary with such a high payroll already but the needs are there and must be addressed if they want to push deep into the playoffs.
Prediction for the 2008 season: The Cubs will definitely be competitive in the NL central. Not because they are that great of a team but more because the NL central hasn’t gotten any better. This could all change before the season starts but one of the teams in that division needs to take steps to show that they want to take charge. My instinct tells me that next season will be the Brewers year and the Cubs will be on the outside of the playoffs and their fans will be looking forward to 2009 in no time.
2007 Regular Season Record: 85-77
2007 Postseason Record: 0-3; lost in NLDS
Cost per Win: $99,670,332 / 85 = $1,172,592 per win
2007 Season Recap: The Cubs spent a whole lot of money in 2007 and weren’t really rewarded for it. A larger portion of this money went to signing Alfonso Soriano and resigning Carlos Zambrano. The biggest salary on the payroll though belongs to Derek Lee who is also their best player so I’m not going to complain about that. Anyways, the Cubs won the NL central which was by far the worst division in baseball this year. The Cubs got a scare from the Brewers and for a while even the Cardinals were in the race. In the end the Cubs performed well enough to make the playoffs. They had a short stay though as they got swept by the Diamondbacks quite convincingly.
I have to give the Cubs credit; they do pay the most money to their best performers. Derek Lee had a very good season and hit .317 with 22 home runs. Soriano has 33 home runs on the season and hit .299 so his money was deserved also, that is if anyone deserves that much money to play sports. Zambrano also had a good season with 18 wins.
The Cubs were a team that didn’t have really any bad spots in their line-up but also beyond the top 3 offensive players didn’t have any outstanding play either. On the pitching mound they Cubs were also solid with the 4 regular starters all finishing with 11 or more wins. The Cubs will be looking to improve on the positives this season and to better in other areas. There is some definite possibilities with this team if they can get things clicking.
Key Free Agents: OF Cliff Floyd, SP Steve Trachsel; From a contribution stand point Floyd is a loss. He has always been a solid bat and has performed well in his career and is a good veteran presence that the Cubs might miss. The loss of Trachsel is notable from a depth standpoint. If the Cubs fail to sign anyone else they will be forced to put Mark Prior back into the starting rotation and that is a serious risk at this point.
Offseason Needs: The Cubs biggest need is at pitcher to secure the second half of the starting rotation. Another need is at Catcher and they also could use some help in the outfield. This is scary with such a high payroll already but the needs are there and must be addressed if they want to push deep into the playoffs.
Prediction for the 2008 season: The Cubs will definitely be competitive in the NL central. Not because they are that great of a team but more because the NL central hasn’t gotten any better. This could all change before the season starts but one of the teams in that division needs to take steps to show that they want to take charge. My instinct tells me that next season will be the Brewers year and the Cubs will be on the outside of the playoffs and their fans will be looking forward to 2009 in no time.
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