He struck out 197 batters while only walking 63 batters. That is a fantastic strikeout to walk ratio. Garza was also on the mound for 198 total innings; a good number for any pitcher in the major leagues today. Garza, like all Chicago Cubs pitchers, have to pitch in the hitter-friendly Wrigley Field. Garza had a total ERA of 3.32, with pitching half his starts at Wrigley Field. His 2011 WHIP total is 1.26, which is great compared with other major league starters.

The Cubs failed most of time Matt Garza started. Garza could have easily won at least 13 to 15 games in 2011, Had Cubs played better offense and defensive performances during most of his starts. After Garza, the rotation itself does not intimidate opponents or give the Chicago Cubs  a decent chance to win.

Garza has been a reliable starter with Minnesota and Tampa before he was traded to the Cubs prior to the 2011 season. He is still only 28 years old and is entering his prime years. The Cubs should take advantage of this, and sign him to a long-term contract extension.

Matt Garza will give the Cubs a solid pitcher who can give them the innings, strike outs, and wins needed, and most importantly, a real ace to count on every time he goes to the mound. The Cubs have to understand what they have with Matt Garza.  Hi is the ace of their starting rotation. They can build a stronger rotation around him making the Cubs even better in 2012 and the coming years.

If the Cubs do not sign Garza or trade him by the July 31^st deadline as rumors have persisted, they will be wasting a golden chance to lock up a solid talent that will help the Chicago Cubs be successful. It will take a lot longer for the Cubs to rebuild their rotation without Garza around. They will have to bring in a pitcher via free agency or trade to fill Garza’s starting role. The Cubs will then have to develop their own pitching talent from their farm system (which was just overhauled thanks to Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer). This process of developing players takes time.

The Cubs faithful understand that Epstein and Hoyer need a season or two to start making the Chicago Cubs a successful and long-term success. Starting with signing Matt Garza, the Cubs can put those pieces together, and it will not take long to build a winning ball club. When you have great talent locked up in your organization, you will see results.

The former All Star closer had his worst statistical season as a Cub, and every save, whether he locked it down or not, turned into an adventure. Marmol posted an ERA over four, walked 48 hitters in 74 innings, and blew 10 saves.

Those 10 blown saves are a startling number when you figure in the fact that prior to 2011, Marmol blew 12 saves in his entire career combined. Of course, these issues with walks isn’t anything new for Marmol.

Marmol has had a history of control issues, but they’ve often been offset by his absurd strikeout ability. In 2010, Marmol struck out 16 batters per nine. In 2011, that number fell to 12. Still a solid number, but not good enough to help him out of trouble when he’s walking six guys per nine.

Heading into the spring, we already know Marmol is going to be one of the focal points of this Cubs team. He’s one of the few big name guys, and is going to be expected to rebound in a revamped pitching staff.

Ahead of camp, Marmol shed quite a bit of weight in an effort to get back to his top form. He’s also working on his pitching mechanics, having already eliminated his cutter from his pitches.

Of course, the big question with Marmol is whether or not he’ll even be with this team for the entire season. Marmol was briefly mentioned as a trade candidate this winter, but didn’t find a new home like so many other closers did in the offseason. Nonetheless, a strong start could punch his ticket out of town around the trade deadline.

He’s still just 29. But he’s also making a healthy chunk of change. Even with the Cubs not expected to contend for a title this season, there are still a certain amount of expectations for many of the guys on this roster, one of them being Marmol. He’s expected to be a top tier closer in the Major Leagues, and I’d expect a return to that form this season.

The Cubs surely have a backup plan if Marmol should falter, most likely starting with Jeff Samardzija. But for now, Carlos Marmol is the Cubs’ closer and you can expect him to do whatever he’s going to have to do to bring it back together in 2012.

It’s in the pitching staff where we should see some of the more intriguing competitions in the spring take place, both in the rotation and in the starting rotation.

As of right now, Matt Garza and Ryan Dempster are considered the only surefire locks in the starting five, but Paul Maholm is also considered an easy favorite to land a spot. You can very likely add Chris Volstad to that group, leaving one spot open for the likes of Travis Wood, Andy Sonnanstine, Randy Wells, and Jeff Samardzija.

Though Sonnanstine’s name is in there, he’s not really considered a favorite to land anything more than a bullpen gig, meaning that last spot is going to come down to Wood and Samardzija, along with Wells.

Samardzija spent the entire 2011 season in the bullpen, and that stability finally appeared to pay off. Shark came into the year out of options and needing a strong spring to even make the team. But he performed well in relief, though Dale Sveum has already said he’ll be stretched out and be a candidate for a rotation spot.

Samardzija posted, by miles, his best season as a Cub in 2011. After a disastrous 2010 campaign, Shark bounced back with a 2.97 ERA in 88 innings. He posted a strong nine strikeouts per nine, while keeping his walks down to 50.

Now, Samardzija wants to be in the rotation. That’s no secret. This isn’t the first time he’s been considered for a spot in the rotation, but the only difference is this time he’s believed to have a legitimate shot. With the Cubs in a full scale rebuild, that fifth spot is probably wide open.

Samardzija has come a long way in his development and looks to have finally grown into a solid Major League pitcher. But are the Cubs better served to try him out in the rotation, or keep him in his role where he was successful in the bullpen?

Keeping him in the bullpen would be the best course of action for the Cubs and Samardzija. Could he be solid in the rotation? Maybe. But he proved last year that he can be a top notch reliever, which is something the Cubs need, particularly at the back end of the ‘pen.

With Kerry Wood in the twilight of his career, and Carlos Marmol serving as potential trade bait, Samardzija has a chance to grab an increased role in the bullpen in the very near future. The Cubs should let him stay in a role where he had so much success, and leave that final spot to one of Wood or Wells.

That turnover, both in the pitching staff and on the field, has left several positions that are either open competitions, or at least positions where the Cubs will have an open mind.

Of the latter variety is the Cubs’ situation at second base. Darwin Barney broke onto the scene in 2011 and became a fan favorite with a strong first half. He heads into the spring as the favorite to hang onto the job, possibly through the 2012 season. But there are plenty of people out there that wonder how long he’ll actually hang onto the job.

Now, I love Darwin Barney. Do I think he’s a starter in the bigs? Not with that bat. But I love his hustle and think he’s a solid defensive player. As a backup to spell either the starter at second or short, he’d be a perfect asset to the team.

That’s not to say that Barney couldn’t be a starter in the Majors on a more permanent basis. The biggest drawback there, however, is his bat.

Barney stole the second base job, when he wasn’t even considered part of the competition that Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt were involved in in the spring. Part of what helped him to win his job was his bat, and the fact that neither Baker or DeWitt appeared to actually want the job at second.

Barney hit .306 in the first half. That went along with a .334 on-base percentage and just 31 strikeouts in 294 at bats. However, in the second half, Barney’s production tailed off, striking out more in less ABs and an average of just .234. It also didn’t help that Barney brings virtually no power to the spot, at a position where more offense is typically expected.

Heading into this year’s spring camp, Barney knows the second base job is his to lose. Now he must focus on keeping it away from Baker and new acquisition Adrian Cardenas, who was claimed off of waivers from Oakland.

Baker is likely of little concern to Barney, mainly because the Cubs will have him playing all over the diamond, but many have speculated that Cardenas could be a guy to watch as a candidate to take the job from Barney, not because of his defense, but because of his bat.

Cardenas has toiled for quite a bit in the minor leagues, but has hit well at every level. In Sacramento last season, he hit .314, with a .374 OBP, knocking in 51 runs, while also adding 13 swipes. He’s shown that he has a better bat than Barney, as long as it translates quickly to the Major League level (where he has yet to appear), but he defense is very questionable. Despite the fact that Cardenas can play multiple positions, he doesn’t exactly play any of them well.

As of right now, the job is Barney’s. As it should be at this point in the spring. But if someone comes into camp, or starts off the regular season, outhits him, then his job security could very well be called into question.

If the Cubs get the option to play at Miller Park in Milwaukee, many more fans will be upset about that. The Cubs should not play their home games in any other city than Chicago. The city of Milwaukee or any other city the Ricketts family is considering should not be allowed to take revenue from the great city of Chicago. The most logical place to play is U.S. Cellular Field.

Wrigley Field is over 100 years old. Wrigley Field needs structural renovations to make sure it is as safe as it is majestic; a place to watch and enjoy an 81 game baseball season. The Ricketts family knows that an overhaul, to make it a touch more modern, will improve the already fan friendly atmosphere that Wrigley Field provides. They want to improve the team clubhouses and provide Cubs players and their opposition an adequate and more updated atmosphere.

If these major overhauls insure that Wrigley Field remains the home of the Cubs for many more seasons to come, they must be done soon. Wrigley Field is a landmark.  It is by far the best baseball stadium in MLB to take your family to enjoy the national past time on a great afternoon.

If, in the end, the Ricketts family decides  to do all of necessary upgrades and structural renovations that need to be done, it will likely take longer than an offseason to make sure it is done well. The Cubs should and probably will play their home games at U.S. Cellular Field in 2013.  Cubs fans will be happy when the work is done and play resumes at Wrigley Field.

Garza’s name has been running around rampant in trade rumors this winter, which had him heading anywhere from Toronto, to Detroit, or Boston, or New York.

As of right now, it looks like Garza is going to be a member of the Cubs when the season gets underway in April. However, he could still be traded by the deadline, when a team is super desperate to add a starter to make a real run in the fall.

But while some have already resigned themselves to the fact that Matt Garza won’t be a Cub for too much longer, it appears that the Cubs are exploring the possibility of keeping Garza around on the North Side for quite a bit longer.

It’s been reported by several outlets that the Cubs have at least discussed the possibility of an extension with Garza and his agent. If you listen to both sides talk, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that an extension could be in the future.

Jed Hoyer (from ESPN Chicago):

“It was a long (arbitration) process, but we talked to Matt a number of times since and we’re happy we didn’t have to go into a hearing room with him,” Hoyer said. “He’s a great pitcher and a guy we’re going to talk to him about being part of our future, for sure. We need more guys like Matt, not less, and if we can work something out we’ll certainly have those discussions.”

I don’t think it’s any secret at this point that I’d be in favor of an extension for Garza. With his second full season in the National League, Garza could become the ace of the Cubs for the next few seasons. He should still be in his prime when the Cubs are ready to compete for a title within the next few years.

In his first season with the Cubs, Garza rode a strong second half to a 3.32 ERA and 197 punchouts in 198 innings. Of course, the defense and bullpen behind him didn’t do him any favors, as that 10-10 record indicates.

But as poor as his stats might look, they could have been a lot worse. Dempster got off to a very rocky start in April, sporting a 9.58 ERA in six April starts, surrendering 33 earned runs in 31 innings in the season’s first month. That includes the start against Arizona where he got blasted for seven runs and only recorded one out before getting yanked.

Dempster would spend the rest of the season battling to try and get that ERA back to respectability, though it wouldn’t be easy. It stayed above five until the middle of July until a decent finish brought it to the mid-four range. Of course, his disastrous start against the Padres, giving up nine earned, to close out the season left him with the 4.80 ERA.

As far as the amount of runs Dempster gave up, the totals were some of his highest since he was a Florida Marlin back at the beginning of the 2000s. He gave up over 200 hits and the 108 earned runs he surrendered was his highest total since 2002. Yet, he did manage to, once again, eclipse the 200 inning mark.

There’s no doubt about it. Ryan Dempster was bad in 2011. But was he really as bad as it would first appeared? One look at his peripherals, and it might not be as bad as it seems.

All three of Dempster’s strikeout, walk, and home run rate were right in line with his career totals. His strikeouts per nine were just a touch lower and his walks a bit higher, but his home runs were down in 2011. One glaring statistic for Dempster in 2011: a .324 BABIP.

So was Dempster just unlucky in 2011? That’s part of it. That .324 number is, by far, the highest of his career. That’s at least one reason that Dempster should be able to rebound in 2012.

Dempster comes into the 2012 season the no. 2 starter for the Cubs, behind Matt Garza. He’s been mentioned in trade rumors just a bit, but has stated repeatedly that he has a desire to remain on the North Side for the rest of his career. Whether or not that actually happens, though, depends on this season.

It’s hard to imagine Dempster having as bad of a season this year as he had in 2011, as far as his ERA and run totals go. As long as he continues to maintain the numbers he’s put up since he moved to the rotation, which he even did for much of last year’s campaign, then he’ll be fine. It’s almost impossible to imagine him being that unlucky again.

Over the past few seasons, they’ve attempted to fill that hole at the top of the order with the likes of Ryan Theriot, Kosuke Fukudome, Alfonso Soriano, and even Starlin Castro for stretches last season.

Heading into 2012, the list of leadoff candidates figures to be pretty short. As well as Castro hit in the top spot in the order last season, only a few candidates are likely to be considered, and he’s not one of them.

When it comes down to it, the choice is probably obvious, but that won’t stop the Cubs from considering, at least, David DeJesus, Tony Campana, and Darwin Barney for the leadoff spot in 2012.

DeJesus is the new guy, and the most likely candidate, at least at the beginning of the season. He’s coming off of a pretty disappointing season with Oakland, after a steady career with the Kansas City Royals.

He’s not the ideal guy at the top of the order for the Cubs, but he obviously brings experience from the spot, as 2,580 of his 3,797 career at-bats have come from that no. 1 spot. He’s a career .292 hitter there, with a .365 on-base percentage, so he could do the job, just don’t expect him to steal many bases.

Tony Campana is an intriguing guy. Obviously, with Soriano, DeJesus, and Marlon Byrd, there isn’t room for him to start in the outfield, unless he pushes one out or at least one gets traded, with the latter being the far more likely option.

Obviously, for Campana he has the speed for the position. He’s one of the fastest players in the game, with 24 swipes in just 95 appearances last season. He was only caught twice. If he can get on base a lot more (just a .303 OBP last season), then he’d definitely be a spark at the top of the order.

Then there’s Darwin Barney. Even with Campana being a fourth or fifth outfielder, Barney is the most unlikely option. After a solid start to the season, Barney tailed off in the second half of 2011. He hit just .238 and had a .286 OBP. Considering there’s speculation as to whether or not Barney will even keep his job at second for the entire year, I don’t really see him hitting anywhere in the lineup besides eighth.

As of right now, it’s DeJesus. He’s not the fastest guy out there, but he knows how to get on base and his experience hitting leadoff should be an asset in the batting order. And unless Campana steals a job or someone is traded, he’s likely going to be there for a while.

They’ve been rumored to have been close with the Detroit Tigers, and have supposedly held discussions with a number of other teams, including Toronto, Boston, and the Yankees.

But Garza remains a Cub. And barring something unforeseen, he will be when the Cubs get underway for the 2012 season. Whether or not he finishes out the year or is gone by the trade deadline is something that remains to be seen.

The high volume of Garza trade rumors since the offseason began has spurred a debate as to whether or not the Cubs should consider trading him and maximizing his value, or signing him to an extension and building around him.

As of right now, Matt Garza is the Cubs’ ace. The starting staff has seen an overhaul to the point where he and Ryan Dempster could be the only returning pitchers from 2011 in Chicago’s starting five. But despite a solid season in 2011 from the 28-year-old Garza, many have wondered if he actually has the chops to be an ace in the Major Leagues.

If this was in the American League, then I would agree. In his brief time with the Minnesota Twins and with the Tampa Bay Rays, Garza was solid, but he wasn’t really ace material. In the National League, though, it could be a different story.

Garza’s numbers from last season speak for themselves. Ignoring his 10-10 record, which doesn’t display the fact that the Cubs blew the game eight times after Garza left with a lead, his stats were among the best in the NL.

He finished with a very strong 3.32 ERA and 1.26 WHIP. His nine strikeouts per nine innings were  good for seventh in the NL and his 197 punchouts also finished in the top ten. His xFIP, at 3.19, was among the best in the league as well.

Garza has one of the league’s best fastballs, averaging around 94 MPH. Last season,  he mixed up his pitches more and was a better pitcher for it. He still leaned on that fastball, but mixed in his slider and changeup regularly.

If Garza can take even a small step forward and improve this season, then there’s little doubt in my mind that he can become an ace for the Cubs when this team is ready to contend, which should come within the next couple of years. He has a few years of his prime left, and could still have a couple of prime seasons left when the Cubs are in contention.

I obviously understand the purpose behind a potential trade of Matt Garza. If they can get a team to overpay for him like he’s Roy Halladay, then the front office should pull the trigger. But they should take a step back and look at the fact that they already have a potential ace in Garza, and should put a great deal of thought into locking him up for at least a few more seasons.

The Chicago Cubs have watched an interesting offseason. They saw Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols leave the National League all together.  The Milwaukee Brewers were hit even harder when 2011 MVP Ryan Braun tested positive for PED’s in his system. Braun may be suspended for 50 games depending how his litigation and appeal battle go.

The Chicago Cubs and Theo Epstein have told the Chicago Cubs fan base that it will take some time to make the Chicago Cubs a winner consistently. Well when two of your division rivals that made the playoffs in 2011, St. Louis and Milwaukee, both lose key players to free agency and possibly a suspension the Cubs can look at the team they have and say to themselves we can surprise a lot of people this season and win the division.

The Cincinnati Reds are going to be favored to win the National League Central Division because of their starting pitching and potent offense.  Other than the Reds you can assume the Cardinals will take some major steps back even though they still have Lance Berkman and a strong pitching staff led by Chris Carpenter and a returning Adam Wainwright. The Pittsburgh Pirates showed some promise during the first half of 2011, but they are an up and coming team that won’t be a challenge for the division in 2012.

Theo Epstein should look at the 2012 season as an opportunity to see what he and his general manager Jed Hoyer can do to give the Chicago Cubs a shot at winning the Central Division. They should definitely part ways with Alfonso Soriano. Other than hitting home runs in bunches, he is a liability on the field.

With Starlin Castro, Marlon Byrd and Darwin Barney leading the Cubs in a new direction in 2012 the Cubs have to improve on defense. The team as a whole gave up more errors that led to many games the Cubs lost. A lot of these errors can be blamed on youthfulness of some of the Cubs players. This year these same players will have another year with them which will bring maturity that they will need to put on the field to help make the Chicago Cubs more successful.

The Cubs starting pitching is not the best, but Matt Garza could win at least 20 games and keep opponents from scoring runs. The pitching staff will be a huge factor if the Cubs will even be in the hunt with the Reds for the division.  Ryan Dempster will need to pile up innings and strike out hitters to complement Garza in the rotation. Randy Wells will have to rediscover the pitching he had that excited Cubs and their fans that thought he would be a regular in the Cubs starting rotation for years to come. The Cubs bringing in Paul Maholm and Travis Wood are upgrades from the pitchers the Cubs used last season when their starters went down with injuries.

This team the Chicago Cubs put on the field will be better than the 2011 team, but no one will expect the Cubs to make any significant jumps in the standings because the team as a whole is still raw. Theo Epstein and the Chicago Cubs themselves can use this in their favor and shock the National League and the rest of baseball by proving them all wrong and winning the Central Division in 2012.