How many wins for the Cubs?

[otis89]

I'm going to be the optimist and say about 93 wins gets the Cubs the NL Central crown.

[The Big C]

I think they'll be near 500, so I went positive with 81-85.

[Slightly Sarcastic]

86-76

might be enough for the WC, but probably not enough for the NLC title

[Hammerin Hank]

I'll say 84 wins and a third place finish. The central division has gotten much more competitive and I don't see the Cubs improving more than six games.

[rockin500]

101 or above baby!

[Uncle Dak]

As they are now, I don't think they can contend for the NL Central. They would need many players, not named Aramis or Derrek, to have career years.

Eyre and Howry are decent pick-ups. Jerome Williams has great stuff, he can
put it together. But the pitching hangs under a dark coaching cloud. Wood was finished two years ago. Prior is one Dusty burnout away from the DL.

Prove this wrong Cubbies!

[Cubsfan97]

You always gotta stay positive. nO doubt they will return to 1906 form for 2006.

[sschirmer]

I'm saying above .500, but no more than 89 wins.

[NorthsidePride]

I think the Cubs will make a "major move" before the start of the season, so I being an optimist like Otis there will say 91-95 with the possibility of exceeding 100.

[letsgocubbies]

I think the Cubs will make a "major move" before the start of the season, so I being an optimist like Otis there will say 91-95 with the possibility of exceeding 100.

I really hope that a major move happens as long as long as Zambrano,Prior,or Lee are not in it. I would like like to be a big optimist and say they will win at least 90, but Hendry is the general manager an d he rarely makes big moves. I have them in the 84-86 range, but hopefully we can get another good starting pitcher and we would be set.

[otis89]

but Hendry is the general manager and he rarely makes big moves.

AHEM

2003: Trading for ARam, Lofton, and Simon
2004: Trading for Lee before the season. Trading for Nomar during the season.

What exactly is your definition of a big move?

[Cubsfan97]

AHEM

Trading for Nomar during the season.

What exactly is your definition of a big move?

IDK can you call that a big deal? I mean it WAS big at first but I consider a big trade when it helps the team more. I DO agree that Hendry has made MANY big moves. Getting Ram-RAm, Loften and Simon was big though. That will be one of the biggest things hes done.

[Slightly Sarcastic]

I kinda think finding someone to take the festering sack of dung that is Toad Hundley was a huge trade all by itself. Getting what turned out to be two, count 'em two, important pieces to the '03 season might even have been his best trade as GM.

Getting Nomar+Murton for A-Gonz+Garbage was a pretty sweet deal as well, even if the Nomar part didn't work out as Hendry (and we) hoped it would.


Lee, Aramis, and Pierre were all salary dumps. Not that they aren't all big names, but it's not the same kind of trade.

[Slightly Sarcastic]

I think the Cubs will make a "major move" before the start of the season

I don't think a "major move" will be made before the season, and I think the team you see now is pretty much the team you'll see on Opening Day (I don't consider Walker to be a major move by himself, as part of package then maybe, but I hope he's the everyday 2Bman next season for the Cubs.) The reason I think that is this. It seems to me that the '"available players" are either overrated, overpriced, and/or/all overvalued by the team that currently has them. Sure, the right opportunity might come calling, or Hendry could make something special happen in a Nomar-type deal, but I don't think either of those things will happen until teams start lowering their prices.

I do think there will be a move or two during the season, probably closer to the ASB, maybe "major", maybe not. Depends on where the team is at the time.


We might find out, no matter how much I want to believe otherwise, that Cedeno can't play everyday at this level and need to fill a hole in the MI. That's another reason I want to keep Walker, just in case Cedeno isn't as ready as I think he is, Hairston can play short and we aren't seeing Neifi get everyday playing time.

We might be sellers and dump Jacque off to a contending team for another SP since Maddux and Wood will likely be gone after this year and let Pie get a good dose of ML action in the 2nd half.

But those question marks don't justify getting robbed on a trade now. Play some games and find out if those are really question marks or if the answers are already in place.

[Ravenlord]

as it stands now, 81-85 wins.