The new manager of the Chicago Cubs, former Milwaukee Brewers coach Dale Sveum, spoke with CSN Chicago recently, discussing the 2012 Cubs season:
The Cubs' latest hire has continued to suggest the team is not in a rebuilding mode, despite trading away -- or allowing to leave via free agency -- some of the team's top contributors from the 2011 season:
[The roster has] so many guys that have service time in the big leagues... It's more of building than rebuilding. We're just building a team.
The 2012 Cubs roster will have a markedly different appearance with veterans 1B Carlos Pena, 3B Aramis Ramirez, SP Carlos Zambrano and RP Sean Marshall all leaving, as well as prospects such as OF Tyler Colvin and 2B D.J. LeMahieu. In their place, a collection of young, not-quite-prospects -- including 3B Ian Stewart, SP Travis Wood and 1B Bryan LaHair --- will look to push the Cubs into contention.
Sveum insists the Cubs are not rebuilding given that players like SS Starlin Castro and LaHair are not without histories of success. Still, Sveum says the main goal is to create long-term competitiveness:
[You want to be] a team that can win 90 ball games every year. Some you might win 100, you might win 89 and get to the playoffs. If you do that for such a long period of time... your chances of winning a World Series obviously increase a lot.
The Cubs will begin Spring Training on February 12 when the team's pitchers and catchers report to camp.
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