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The Chicago Cubs’ Opening Day starter will be Ryan Dempster, while Matt Garza will be the second man in the team’s rotation.

Wait—what?

It appears that manager Dale Sveum may have a screw loose in his head, because this rotation call just seems foolish.

There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Garza is the top pitcher on the Cubs staff, and Dempster is perhaps only here because of his contract, which left him with the option of staying or going. 

Last season, Dempster went 10-14 while boasting an ERA of 4.80. Yeah, that is really some ace-quality pitching, don’t you think?

Garza, on the other hand, went 10-10 in his first season on the North Side, while having an ERA of 3.32 and 197 strikeouts—both career bests.

It is just bewildering, and it doesn’t make much sense. Perhaps if the Cubs were starting on the road and were setting up Garza for Opening Day at Wrigley Field, that would be understandable.

It isn’t though, and that is what will have fans wondering when April 5 rolls around.

This is the second year in a row that Dempster has been given the nod, and it is just bewildering that this is who the team is going with, especially since they will be taking on the Washington Nationals with Stephen Strasburg on the mound.

In last year’s Opening Day start, Dempster looked like the fifth man in the rotation—perhaps even a guy who had thrown his last pitch.

The team was playing the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Dempster failed to slow them down, as he gave up six runs on six hits in just 6.2 innings. Two of those were home runs, and it was becoming quite clear that Dempster didn’t exactly have his stuff anymore.

Well, he will have to prove all of the Cubbie faithful wrong this Opening Day, as many will continue to be scratching their heads until they see exactly what Sveum is seeing.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.
Follow @Real_Jeff_Chase

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Chicago Cubs have decided to send first baseman Anthony Rizzo to Triple-A to start the 2012 season, and that is the right move by Theo Epstein and Co.

The Cubs acquired Rizzo from the San Diego Padres this offseason in exchange for pitcher Andrew Cashner, instead of pursuing the likes of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder.

The move was a great play for the club’s future, and that is exactly what it is.

Rizzo isn’t ready to enter the big leagues, and no one should have been expecting him to be the starting first baseman on Opening Day, let alone on the roster.

He still needs to develop, and that won’t happen being thrown into the lineup at first or sitting on the bench.

This spring was promising for the lefty, as he batted .364 in 33 at-bats with just two homers. Those numbers are hopefully a sign of things to come, but the team will likely want to increase those power numbers while making him into a consistent big-league threat.

Last year, Rizzo batted just .141 in 128 at-bats. He had just one home run along with eight doubles, so who knows how he would perform consistently on the big league level despite having a strong spring.

Instead, he will be groomed and made ready for the Cubs future. Obviously, this team isn’t set to compete for a World Series this year.

To say that is not the goal would be ridiculous, but given the rebuilding effort going on, it is clear that type of success isn’t seen as realistic in 2012.

Bryan LeHair remains to be the likely Opening Day starter at first base, but don’t be surprised to see Dale Sveum use a combination of different guys at the position throughout the season.

The team will continue to build and develop, hopefully putting themselves in position to once again contend for a title in the near future.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.
Follow @Real_Jeff_Chase

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

According to ESPN Outside the Lines report, the Milwaukee Brewers reigning 2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun has tested positive for taking performance-enhancing drugs.

If this holds true, Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers needs to be named the 2011 NL MVP right now.

While both Braun and Kemp had unbelievable 2011 campaigns, Braun’s is now tarnished with this allegation. With that being said, there is no reason why Braun shouldn’t be stripped of the title. 

Some would argue that Kemp had the better year anyways, so there is enough reason for why the MLB should turn their voting around and give the award to Kemp.

In 2011, Kemp batted .324 with 39 home runs and 126 RBI. Those numbers were the best of his career, and he easily was the most dominating hitter in the National League this past season. Braun had a great year as well, hitting 33 home runs with 111 RBI; his batting average was the only better statistic, as it stood at .332.

Braun’s Brewers had a much better season than the Dodgers, and that was likely one of the main reasons why he was given the award. This new situation though will make some wonder if he really deserves to be named the 2011 MVP.

Many will wonder though if the MLB will be willing to punish Braun to that extent. Never in the past has the league revoked a player’s MVP award for PED use, but considering the amount of time between the award and allegation, some could argue that the league should change its ruling in this case.

Obviously it will remain to be seen what comes of this situation. Braun will likely be appealing his case to the MLB to try to clear his name and the likely result of a 50-game suspension.

If it holds true, Kemp deserves this MVP award that obviously Braun didn’t win fairly.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Aramis Ramirez, who has manned third base for the Chicago Cubs for the last nine and half years, has declared that he will play elsewhere next season. But if the fish are not biting, could Ramirez return to  the North Side in 2012?

Without a doubt, Ramirez makes the Cubs a whole lot better. After hitting .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBI in 2011, Ramirez has proven that he still can produce the numbers of an elite third baseman. While he isn’t the greatest fielder in the world, his batting outweighs his poor fielding, and he is still the best option.

If new Cubs’ president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer decide that they will not spend over the top this winter, perhaps spending a little extra to bring back Ramirez will be within their payroll. There is no doubt that Ramirez will be much cheaper then a player such as Prince Fielder, but Ramirez’s age (33) definitely causes hesitation to handing out anything long term.

Ramirez has been a consistently productive hitter when healthy, and when he plays his best there are not many third baseman who hit better then him. If the Cubs decide they want to stick with their farm talent, then Ramirez may be a good option over the next couple of years.

While prospect Josh Vitters will have his chance to show what he can do this spring, there is just no guarantee that he will produce. His numbers also indicate that he will not put up anything close to what Ramirez does.

While Ramirez and his agent continue to stand tall on their decision to not return to Chicago, perhaps once free agency really kicks off, the two parties will discuss and find a way to make things happen and keep Ramirez in Chicago.

There is no doubt that Ramirez’s asking price will be high, but he will likely come at no greater price then many other players the Cubs would target if they were to try and find a replacement. Being the best third baseman on the market, his price remains to be seen.

On the other hand, the Cubs just may not spend at all, and they could decide that Ramirez is a piece they can live without. If the Cubs don’t sign a guy like Fielder, though, they will be left without a power hitter. Alfonso Soriano just isn’t a consistent option.

If the Cubs want a power hitter but have no intentions of breaking the bank, they need to sit down with Ramirez and hammer things out. There is no doubt that they need him to have some life in 2012.

Otherwise, the North Side may look drastically different this coming season without Ramirez manning third.

Jeff Chase is from Chicago and is an undergrad at Arizona State University. He currently is interning with B/R and is in process of becoming a Featured Columnist for Arizona State football.

More Cubs Articles by Jeff Chase:

Cubs with the Most Trade Value

Could DeMarlo Hale be the Next Boston Piece to Join Cubs?

Should Epstein Target James Loney?

Cubs Rivalry Steal Could be Mark Buehrle

Evaluating the Cubs Options at First

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

After hiring Dale Sveum as their new manager, the Chicago Cubs now will move on to making offseason player moves. New president Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer have stated that other than Starlin Castro, no player is untouchable.

That means that many players that were cornerstones at Wrigley Field in 2011 could be gone by the start of 2012. The Cubs have yet to discuss any offers, but with the Cubs having so many holes in their roster, it would not be a surprise if some guys ultimately do get dealt.

The Cubs will need to find some major help in pitching, infield and outfield. In order to do so, they will have to trade talent to get talent.

These are the rankings of the players that the Cubs could get the most in return for.

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Once the World Series ends, Chicago Cubs‘ new President Theo Epstein and General Manager Jed Hoyer will get started on making their mark on the Chicago Cubs. The first thing they are going to have to do is go out and get some talent because this club has many holes to fill.

The Cubs likely won’t be big spenders, but most either expect them to go after at least one big player or make an impact by bringing in a few solid veterans.

Epstein and Hoyer have a lot of work ahead of them, but luckily they have a few pieces already in place in Starlin Castro, Sean Marshall, Matt Garza and Andrew Cashner. They will be looking for things out of top prospects Brett Jackson and Trey McNutt over the next few years, but they also need to focus in on the now.

These are 10 players that Epstein and Hoyer can take a shot at to start their time in Chicago out right. 

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