“Otherwise, there’s no reason to show up or build a team,” Epstein said. “It’s postseason or bust every year. That’s what our goal is. That said, we’re obviously building for something greater, which is a time when we can expect to get into the postseason every year. “Behind the scenes, regardless of the results, there’s progress being made. But as far as 2013, you can define it as a success or failure by whether we make the postseason, and ultimately whether we win the World Series. But absolutely. There are stories every year about teams that don’t necessarily look like the favorites on paper that find their way playing meaningful games in September, playing into October, playing into deep October. Baltimore, Oakland last year, they are great inspirations for teams in our position.”
Well, further in the column, manager Dale Sveum gives evidence that major failure is on the 2013 horizon.
Sveum said being .500 “is not acceptable.” Sveum
expects the Cubs to compete with a revamped rotation, a new set-up man
and another year of growth from the kids.
“The one thing you hate doing is saying .500 will be good, because
it’s not good,” Sveum said. “It’s not 101 losses, but .500 isn’t getting
you to the playoffs. Just getting in the playoffs is what’s
satisfactory.”
But then Sveum leaks some real news. Sveum said the Cubs have “an above average chance we might be 100
percent healthy on May 1,” referring to the two unknowns-- rehabbing
pitchers Matt Garza and Scott Baker. Garza was sidelined in late July
for elbow issues, while Baker, a free agent signing, is coming off elbow
reconstruction surgery.
If it is postseason or failure, there will be no postseason chance if 2/5ths of your starting rotation may not be available until May. There is also a total lack of power and speed on the team to manufacture runs. The Cubs will go with weak hitting DeJesus in CF and bench player thrust into a full time role in Schierholtz in RF.
In another article, ESPN projects that the Cubs will be "competitive" in 2015. That means three more years of rebuilding from the minors. However, 2015 may still be optimistic since Epstein still demands all hitters have 500 AB in AAA. At the present slow progression, Soler and Almora will not have that full season in AAA until 2015.
The Cubs will be a bad team in 2013. The idea that management believes their current squad can compete for the playoffs this year is the marketing department's Hail Mary ploy to try to sell season tickets to a skeptic public.
