CUBS have had a quiet off-season with limited capital.....but adding PENA and GARZA gives CUBS a little hope for 2011

The CHICAGO CUBS have had a pretty quiet off-season compared to the usual suspects in free agency and winter meetings. But the 2011 team will have somewhat of a different look and CUBS Brass and CUBS FANS should be optimistic that the CUBS have tried to make the necessary changes in order to start building a Division winner.

The changes or additions start at First Base with Tampa RAYS Free agent CARLOS PENA who the CUBS inked to a $10 million one year deal. Which should ease the void left by Derrek LEE. Pena will probably hit behind "ARAM" Aramis RAMIREZ. That should give the CUBS some flexibilty no matter who they are facing...a righty or a lefty.

Just recently the NORTHSIDERS add another RAYS player in Bulldog Pitcher Matt GARZA. Garza brings with him Outfielder Fernando PEREZ and left-handed pithcher Zachary Rosscup.

One has to give the RICKETTS Family a little credit for giving GM Jim HENDRY a little flexibilty in a cap that is already well spent for the 2011 Season.

The Opening DAY Starting Lineup at a glance should look like this:

CF Marlon BYRD
SS Sterling CASTRO
LF ALfonso SORIANO
3B Aramis RAMIREZ
1B Carlos PENA
RF Tyler COLVIN
C Giovanny SOTO
2B Blake DeWITT
P Ryan DEMPSTER

RF Kosuke FUKODOME might start and probably will in front of COLVIN.

Not a bad lineup considering the limited movement the CUBBIES had in the Off-Season.

The Pitching Staff is above average if they can ever get BIG Z Carlos ZAMBRANO moving in the right direction.

1 Ryan DEMPSTER
2 Matt GARZA
3 Carlos ZAMBRANO
4 Carlos SILVA
5 Randy WELLS

The BULLPEN will be lead by CLOSER
Carlos MARMOL

Set up men
Kerry WOOD
Sean MARSHALL

This lineup should finish in the middle of the pack in the NL Central......the CUBS know they have much work ahead of them....but don't give up on the 2011 CUBBIES.......anything can happen.....ANYTHING