Baseball Prospectus, Condensed For Your At-Work Reading
What the latest Baseball Prospectus annual has to say about the Cubs, minus all those pesky numbers and the obscure historical and literary allusions:
Ronny Cedeno
"...Cedeno's is a tried and true skill set–the same one that's earning Orlando Cabrera millions of dollars every season..."
Ryan Dempster
"...has experienced a steady decline in his groundball rates over the past three seasons...coupled with command that was never very good to begin with..."
Mark DeRosa
"If the Cubs bring in a Brian Roberts-type...the gains will be less than they might appear at first glance."
Kosuke Fukudome
"An inspired acquisition...a J.D. Drew/Bobby Abreu type of player..."
Rich Hill
"...Hill's probably going to need to work on (a pitch in addition to his curveball) if he wants to be an ace instead of a very solid number two."
Bob Howry
"...probably the Cubs' best relief pitcher entering the season, at least when the wind is blowing in."
Derrek Lee
"Expect a little more in the home run department, but perhaps a little less of everything else."
Ted Lilly
"...his should prove to be one of the best contracts signed between the 2006 and 2007."
Carlos Marmol
"To build on his breakout season, Marmol will have to rely less on his fastball and...work on throwing his good curveball down in the zone."
Jason Marquis
"...a borderline liability for a team that aspires to make the playoffs."
Felix Pie
"...a ton of upside here...(the Cubs) need to make a commitment to him as a big-league regular..."
Aramis Ramirez
"...one of the most underappreciated stars of the NL."
Alfonso Soriano
"...a very good player who sometimes gets mistaken for a great one."
Geovany Soto
"...one of the more valuable prospects in baseball...already the best catcher in the division..."
Ryan Theriot
"...overrated for a variety of reasons...the Cubs need to upgrade at shortstop."
Kerry Wood
"Don't expect miracles...should be a decent major-league reliever."
Michael Wuertz
"...(has) finally developed decent command over (his) slippery, slidey arsenal..."
Carlos Zambrano
"...a pitcher of legendary durability, but...probably closer to a number two than a true ace in most other respects."