23. Chicago Cubs

Big Leagues- Where to even begin with Chicago Cubs? This team has all the necessary resources to win a World Series, and yet they haven't done so in over a century. The Cubs are historically one of the most disappointing teams in the league, and this year won't be an exception. The Cubs pay out a ton of money to their players and they have great fan support. Their stadium is legendary and they have gone through some of the greatest managers that baseball has to offer in the last few years, but for some reason they just can't seem to put it all together. Their problem doesn't reside in competition like the Orioles, but rather self destruction from the inside. I don't expect the Chicago Cubs to do anything too exciting for at least another 100 years or so.

Here is their opening day roster for 2011:

Catcher- Geovany Soto

1st Base- Carlos Pena

2nd Base- Blake Dewitt

Shortstop- Starlin Castro

3rd Base- Aramis Ramirez

Left Field- Alfonso Soriano

Center Field- Marlon Byrd

Right Field-  Kosuke Fukudome

Pitching- Ryan Dempster, Carlos Zambrano, Matt Garza Randy Wells, Tom Gorzelanny, Carlos Silva

Relief- Carlos Marmol, Kerry Wood, Sean Marshall

This roster has very few fantasy prospects worth looking at. Alfonso Soriano was once a 30/30 man, but his numbers have progressively dropped in the last few years. Kosuke Fukudome will remain an average outfielder and Carlos Pena may find success in the National League. Starlin Castro is a young shortstop that could develop, but as long as he's in Chicago it'll be tough to develop enough to win them games. The best fantasy prospect on this roster is Matt Garza. His ERA is normally below 4 in the AL East and he is famous for saying that he only needs one run to win a ball game. Garza could stay in All- Star form this year and could make a big impact on fantasy rosters as a middle round selection.

Top 5 Prospects

OF Brett Jackson-  Jackson was the 31st pick in the 2009 draft reached Double A in his first season.  He does not have the all start/MVP potential that you'd like from a top prospect, but he does project into a 20/20 outfielder.  When we look at Jackson would see a lot of current Cubs outfielder Marlon Byrd.  He could be a constant in any lineup but always under appreciated.  Jackson will spend next year in Double A and Triple A and we'll see how his game progresses.

3B Josh Vitters- Vitters is the Cubs former top prospect, who has yet to develop.  He was the 3rd overall pick in the 2007 draft, and the Cubs probably wished he would have made it to the majors by now.  But the 20 year old struggled mightily last year only hitting .247 in Single A and Double A.  He also only hit 10 home runs and 20 doubles, which is not impressive for a slugging third basemen.  Vitters finally lost his top prospects label to Brett Jackson and maybe he'll loosen up a little bit and produce.  

RHP Trey McNutt- McNutt came out of nowhere last year to amass a 10 and 1 record over three levels and emerge as the Cubs top pitching prospect.  The 20 year old was a 32nd round pick in 2009 and the Cubs looked at him more as organizational depth.  But his 2.48 ERA over 25 starts last year and his 3.57 K/BB ratio has really impressed the Cubs.  Look for him to start the year in Double or Triple A and continue to progress.  

RHP Chris Archer-  Traded to Tampa Bay in Matt Garza trade.  Archer is a lot like McNutt and the 5th round pick of 2006 came on strong with a 15 and 3 record over 2 levels.  He had a 2.34 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 142 innings.  His control does become an issue at times, but it is not an uncommon problem for young starters.  Look for him in the next few years to fill in the Cubs always revolving rotation.

RHP Chris Carpenter-  The Cubs wish they had the Cardinals Chris Carpenter, but this one will have to do.  He is a little older for most prospects, at 25, but he had a very solid at Double A.  He is not overpowering and does not have great control, but he knows how to pitch.  He had a 1.96 k/BB ratio but could constantly work out of jams sporting a 3.41 ERA.  He will be nothing better than a low quality starter and shouldn't be on any fantasy radars.

Payroll and Direction

The Chicago Cubs have the third highest payroll in the Majors at just over 142 million dollars. The only two teams with higher pay rolls are the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, who have won a combined 3 World Series since 2004. The Cubs highest paid player is Soriano at 19 million dollars a year. They have dumped far too much money into failing players and it's going to take years for the club to rebound. They are not a playoff team for the 2011 season and they will continue to disappoint some of the best fans in professional sports. The Cubs need to get a lot younger, and quite frankly, a lot better before they make any noise in NL Central division that is gaining more and more respect by the day.