What to make of the Cubs lineup

Dale Sveum is losing sleep over the order of the Cubs lineup, according to this ESPN Chicago report, and it is not hard to see why. The Cubs best hitter, Starlin Castro, had 10 home runs a year ago, leaving the Cubs with no consistent run-producer, or a prototypical leadoff man. If Alfonso Soriano can continue his hot spring, he at least seems like a logical choice for the cleanup spot in the order. Likewise, if Darwin Barney translates his improved offense this spring to the regular season, he would be a good candidate to hit second. David DeJesus was signed with the thought of his high on-base percentage working well in the leadoff role, however he has had a slow spring coming off a bad 2011 season. In the end though, his proven OBP track record and limited pop may work best leading off games.

Here is my opening day lineup if I were Dale Sveum:

1. David DeJesus

2. Marlon Byrd

3. Starlin Castro

4. Alfonso Soriano

5. Geovany Soto

6. Brian LaHair

7. Ian Stewart

8. Darwin Barney

Bullet of the Day

Courtesy of MLBTradeRumors.com:

"On this day in 2002, the Yankees released outfielder Ruben Rivera, who allegedly stole teammate Derek Jeter's glove from his locker at the club's Spring Training complex and proceeded to sell it."

Bullet of the Day

This one comes courtesy of Bleacher Nation's Brett Taylor, writing for Bleed Cubbie Blue:

The Tampa Bay Rays have picked up a new mascot: a giant cat, dressed like a DJ. Dubbed "DJ Kitty," the mascot started as a scoreboard gimmick, and has evolved into a fully-formed excitement-provider. All other teams are jealous.

2012 Outfield Values

Check out an article I wrote for Vigilante Baseball on values you can find in the outfield based on early average draft position data: http://vigilantebaseball.com/2012/02/2012-outfield-values/

Favorite Albums of 2011

10. Yuck – Yuck

Just solid, throwback indie rock.

9. The Antlers – Burst Apart

There doesn’t seem to be a wasted track on this album. It is chill but engaging at the same time. The music stays in the forefront of your mind, never seeming to drift into the background.

8. Radiohead – King of Limbs

Abruptly dropped on the world with five days notice earlier this spring, it was hard to know what exactly to make of this eight-song mini-album. This is not vintage Radiohead, and doesn’t evoke the same level of emotions as In Rainbows. However, that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a gem of an album, with a rightful place in the Radiohead discography.

7. Friendly Fires – Pala

The Friendlies strike again and they do not disappoint. Similarly to their debut, Pala rolls off one impressive song after another providing that highly sought after replay value. There’s no Jump in the Pool or Paris here, but more than a few songs come close.

6. Washed Out – Within and Without

Earnest Greene had a lot to live up to as he released the debut Washed Out full length, after releasing a plethora of strong songs in the form of an amazing EP, the impressive High Times cassette and a quality tour CDR. Despite the pressure to deliver, Within and Without is a cool, confident release. While it is somewhat toned down, Greene effortlessly nails the mood he sets out to achieve. I have the feeling the next Washed Out album will sound completely different.

5. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Fleet Foxes usually take a little growing on my ears before I really realize how good the music is, a worthy follow up to their debut.

4. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Just something about these guys, it’s a refreshing sound to hear.

3. Panda Bear – Tomboy

A pleasure to listen to, this album flows cohesively despite the unique nature of each song.

2. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

This arguably had a stronger set of huge singles than Zonoscope, but doesn’t quite top Cut Copy as a whole in my book.

1. Cut Copy – Zonoscope

Simply the most replay-able album of the year, with multiple signature songs.

Headline of the Day: "Cardinals Sign Koyie Hill"

I cannot wait for Cubs pitchers to face him for the first time. Three curves, three strikes, find some pine. Have fun Cardinals.

The hits keep coming: Cubs acquire Anthony Rizzo

It is one good trade after another so far for Theo and Jed as the Cubs trade for highly regarded 1B prospect Anthony Rizzo and pitcher Zach Cates (who?) from the Padres for former first round pick Andrew Cashner and outfielder Kyung-Min Na. 25-year-old Cashner is a flame thrower and will be missed--but only if he can manage to stay healthy. Shoulder surgery derailed his 2011 season and his rehab was littered with setbacks.

My first reaction to this trade is wow, how did the Cubs just acquire Anthony Rizzo for only Andrew Cashner?

Heading into the 2011 season Cashner and Rizzo were pretty equally regarded, Cashner having made his Major League debut in 2010 as Baseball America's #95 overall prospect. Rizzo entered the 2011 season as BA's #75 overall prospect and also made it to majors, but was demoted after a horrendous showing of .141/.281/.242 in 153 AB. While this is obviously terrible, it is a small sample size for a 21-year-old in his first big league exposure. Rizzo went on to tear up triple-A to the tune of .331/.404/.652 and his stock looked to be sky high heading into 2012.

While Andrew Cashner has star potential, clearly so does Rizzo who was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Boston a year ago. With Cashner's injury and Rizzo's dominance at triple-A this looks like a small price to pay for Theo and Jed as they continue to rebuild the Cubs with one solid trade after another. The previous trades leading up to this all look to be wins for Chicago, but this trade is the huge steal in my opinion.

The pieces are falling into place, slowly but surely, as the Cubs inch closer to respectability.