The Cubs ZiPS projections for 2013 are available on Fangraphs now.
The Cubs are projected by ZiPS to have, in shortstop Starlin Castro and first baseman Anthony Rizzo, to have a pair of basically All Star-type players who are also just 23 years old. Those are good kinds of players to have — especially for a team that isn’t likely to be very competitive this season, but has the resources to invest in free agents if and when such a thing is called for in the near future.
The rest of the starting lineup — besides human-shaped albatross Alfonso Soriano, that is — is a combination of decent organizational products (Darwin Barney, Wellington Castillo) and low-risk free agents (David DeJesus, Nate Schierholtz) acquired since the arrival of Theo Epstein et al.
I don't know why he's referring to Soriano as the human albatross. It's not a good contract by any means, but it's far from the worst one in baseball.
It was awful two years ago, so clearly it still is now
@ Berselius:
Not to mention, there have been other players who have established themselves as owning suckier contracts than Soriano.
I think the Cubbies could trade Alfonso Soriano to the Yankees with cash for a young SP who is under salary control and/or a young position player also under salary control.
@ Mickeyd7:
Probably not a very good one, but they seem like a reasonable destination.