2008 Chicago Cubs Preview

Spring training site

Mesa, Ariz.

2007 record

85-77, won NL Central, lost in first round to Diamondbacks

New faces

RHP Jose Ascanio (trade, Braves); IF Alex Cintron (free agent, White Sox); RF Kosuke Fukudome (free agent, Japan); RHP Jon Lieber (free agent, Phillies)

Biggest offseason acquisition

The Cubs have a lot invested ($48 million over four years to be exact) in Fukudome, hoping he's the next Hideki Matsui. He's a lifetime .301 hitter in Japan with some power (164 homers), and he had a monster year in 2006 (.351, 31 homers, 104 RBI).

Gone but not forgotten

The Mark Prior era is over. He's off to the Padres, where he'll try to reclaim what's left of his career. If he doesn't, he'll go down in the crying shame category of what-could-have-been pitchers.

Spring training battles

Assuming Mark DeRosa gets healthy, the lineup is basically set. The bullpen could shake out several different ways, and that's where most of the drama should lie. Kerry Wood could beat out Bob Howry as the closer if he proves he can handle the new role.

Projected lineup

• LF Alfonso Soriano
• SS Ryan Theriot
• 1B Derrek Lee
• 3B Aramis Ramirez
• RF Kosuke Fukudome
• 2B Mark DeRosa
• C Geovany Soto
• CF Felix Pie
• Pitcher

Projected starting rotation

• RHP Carlos Zambrano
• LHP Ted Lilly
• RHP Jon Lieber
• LHP Rich Hill
• RHP Ryan Dempster

Projected bullpen

• RHP Bob Howry (closer)
• RHP Kerry Wood
• RHP Carlos Marmol
• LHP Scott Eyre
• RHP Michael Wuretz
• RHP Kevin Hart
• RHP Jason Marquis

Biggest strength

Soriano, Ramirez and Fukudome could be a wonderful trio of hitters at the top of the order with a few nice role players around them. Soto and Pie have plenty of potential.

Glaring weakness

When the wind blows out at Wrigley, who besides Zambrano can be trusted? Dempster is moving from closer to starter, and Lieber wasn't exactly stellar the last two seasons in Philadelphia.