Fantasy Baseball: 2015 Chicago Cubs Fantasy Outlook

Mar 10, 2015; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant against the Cleveland Indians during a spring training baseball game at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Here we are! Pitchers and catchers have reported, and Spring Training is in full swing (pun intended). Most of us will start having fantasy baseball drafts very soon, and we here at Fantasy CPR are no different. It is time to dust off the notes from last season, and check out which players could have an impact on your fantasy league.

2015 Chicago Cubs Projected Starting Lineup:

C: Miguel Montero (.243, 13HR, 72RBI, 0SB with Arizona)
1B: Anthony Rizzo (.286, 32HR, 78RBI, 5SB)
2B: Javier Baez (.169, 9HR, 20RBI, 5SB in 52 games)/Arismendy Alcantara (.205, 10HR, 29RBI, 8SB in 70 games)
SS: Starlin Castro (.292, 14HR, 65RBI, 4SB)
3B: Mike Olt (.160, 12HR, 33RBI, 0SB in 89 games)
LF: Chris Coghlan (.283, 9HR, 41RBI, 7SB)
CF: Dexter Fowler (.276, 8HR, 35RBI, 11SB with Houston)
RF: Jorge Soler (.292, 5HR, 20RBI, 1SB in 24 games)

Montero is a career .264 hitter, even though he has not been above .245 in the last two seasons. The move to Wrigley Field should help him out in both average and power. He is not a top tier catcher anymore, but he could be a top ten guy this year with the Cubs. He remains an option in 12 team leagues or larger right now, but you standard leaguers should keep an eye on his progress.

Rizzo had a breakout year last year, and is going among the top five at first base, which is either late first or early second round. If you want Rizzo, you are going to have to pay for him, but there is no reason to think he wont hit 30 homers again, and 100 RBI is a distinct possibility for the improved Cubs.

There is a distinct possibility that Baez will not travel north with the club. He has been even worse at the plate this spring than he was last fall. Not only that, but Joe Maddon is not happy with his defense. Those of you in standard leagues can leave Baez for now, but you deep league players should find a bench slot for him. He will be up soon enough, and he has too much potential to ignore.

That would mean that Alcantara would man second base. He is worth a look in deep leagues if you are desperate. He has a good combination of power and speed, but will probably hurt your average.

Starlin Castro has a little bit of power with his average. He has a little bit of speed on top of that. He is not a specialist at anything, but he wont hurt you anywhere. He is a good pick in the middle rounds of your standard draft.

The Cubs love Mike Olt, which is bad news for you Kris Bryant lovers. Olt has a ton of power, but his batting average makes Adam Dunn look like Ted Williams. Olt has had a strong spring, which has led to the Cubs trying Bryant in left field. He looked good in his first game there, opening the possibility that the Cubs could start Bryant in left to get his bat in the lineup. Bryant has destroyed spring pitching, hitting .406 with nine homers and 15 RBI. Olt could be worth a look in the late rounds if you are desperate for power in standard leagues. He should be owned in all deep leagues.

As for Bryant, he is worth owning in all leagues. That said, be prepared to use a late fifth round pick on Bryant in standard leagues if you want him. I will elect for a safer option.

If Coghlan somehow manages to hang on to the left field job, he is a solid addition to your outfield in leagues of 12 or more teams, but you can likely do better in standard leagues.

I love the signing of Fowler for the Cubs. He has more power than a lot of leadoff hitters, and though his speed has declined some, he is still capable of swiping 40 bases if the Cubs let him. He will score enough runs to make him valuable, and hit for a good enough average to not hurt you. He is a solid pick in the late middle rounds of standard league drafts.

Soler dazzled in September last year. He has raked at every level of the minors, and looks primed to do the same in the majors. There is a possibility that he wont hit .290 over the course of a full season, but he should at least be in the .270 range. He has 40 homer power, but will likely be around 25-30 this year. 100 RBI is a real possibility hitting in this lineup. Soler is consistently being drafted above his ESPN ranking, so you may have to reach a little to get him. It may be worth it if you are willing to take the chance.

There is a chance that Matt Szczur hits his way into the lineup. Coghlan would be a good utility guy because he has experience at 2B and all of the outfield slots. If Bryant can’t seize the spot in left, then Szczur has a shot. He has hit .355 this spring, and hit .226 with two homers and five RBI last September. He is worth a look in deep leagues if he gets some playing time.

The Cubs are going to face a tough decision soon. That is what to do about Addison Russell. He was the prize of the Jeff Samardzija deal, and put an already deep farm system over the top. Many scouts think he is ready right now. He is a better defender at short than Baez or Castro. This leads many to believe that if the Cubs aren’t shopping Castro already, that they will be soon. They traded Emilio Bonifacio last year to open up third base. Now they need to open up shortstop for Russell. He has little left to learn in the minors, and should be in the majors by the middle of June.

Due to the lack of depth at short, those of you in standard leagues may want to pick up Russell if you have an extra bench slot. Those of you in deep leagues should be able to find room for him on your bench.

Next: How Does The Rotation Look?

Mar 16, 2015; Peoria, AZ, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester (34) pitches in-between innings against the San Diego Padres at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

2015 Chicago Cubs Projected Pitching Rotation:

Jon Lester (16-11, 2.46 ERA, 220K with Oakland/Boston)
Jake Arrieta (10-5, 2.53 ERA, 167K)
Jason Hammel (10-11, 3.47 ERA, 158K with Cubs/Oakland)
Kyle Hendricks (7-2, 2.46 ERA, 47K in 13 starts)
Travis Wood (8-13, 5.03 ERA, 146K)
Edwin Jackson (6-15, 6.33 ERA, 123K)
Hector Rondon (4-4, 2.42 ERA, 63K 29/33 saves)

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Lester was an ace despite the W/L record last year. He should be drafted as a fantasy ace this year. The Cubs are going to be the most improved team in baseball this year. Lester has a great shot at 20 wins or more, and he has strikeout totals that approach elite status. He is a solid pick in the late second or early third round.

Arrieta was a pleasant surprise to the Cubs and fantasy owners alike. Can he do it again? There seems to be a lot of speculation that he can’t based on his draft position. He has been unimpressive this spring, and never posted an ERA under 4.50 in his previous four seasons. He also only had one minor league season in which he posted an ERA better than last year’s mark. Some regression is likely in order, but the wins and strikeouts will be in the same area. He should be able to keep his ERA in the low to mid 3’s, which makes him worth a slot in your standard league rotation.

Jason Hammel boomeranged and signed with the Cubs in the offseason after being rented to Oakland. He has posted an ERA under 3.50 in two of the last three years, and strikes out a decent number of batters. He is worth a spot at the back of your standard league rotation.

Hendricks was terrific after his call up last year in the wake of the Samardzija and Hammel trades. There is reason to believe it is no fluke. He only posted an ERA above 3.00 once, and that was in the slugging Pacific Coast League. He won’t rack up strikeouts, but the wins and ERA/WHIP can be a huge asset to your squad. He is worthy of a middle round pick.

Wood, Jackson, Tsuyoshi Wada (4-4, 3.25 ERA, 57K in 13 starts), and Jacob Turner (6-11, 6.13 ERA, 71K with Miami/Cubs) are all fighting for the fifth rotation spot. If none of them work out, they also have Felix Doubront and Eric Jokisch who have been mostly starters of the course of their careers. The Cubs don’t have any immediate help ready in the minors right now, so they have to hope one of them steps up. Wada has the better track record, and has had the better spring, but the Cubs seem to like Wood’s upside better. Wada is worth a look in deep leagues if he makes the rotation. Wood likely is not unless you are desperate. As far as Jackson, I wouldn’t draft him for an enemy team.

Rondon looked good as the closer last year, and should see a sharp increase in save chances this year. He strikes out a good number of batters, and keeps his WHIP around 1. He is a good middle tier closer in the middle of your draft. He does have a guy behind him in Pedro Strop that could take over the role if he struggles early, so he may not have a very long leash.

Stay tuned to Fantasy CPR as we continue our team by team fantasy previews! Up next: the Cincinnati Reds!

Next: Top 15 Pitcher Rankings

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