hoff overgrowth: DeMarco: Expect Cubs to make big splash

With trimmed-down payroll and weak lineup, Theo and Co. want big bat

Matt Slocum / AP

Prince Fielder has up to five seasons of major production ahead and should be a big target for the Cubs, NBCSports.com contributor Tony DeMarco writes.

OPINION

updated 4:52 p.m. ET Dec. 1, 2011

Tony DeMarco

The winter meetings begin Sunday in Dallas, and although the general manager and manager shuffling is complete, so much needs to happen player-wise, led by the destinations of free-agents Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and C.J. Wilson.

So who's going where? Here are a handful of teams primed for action on which to focus:

Chicago Cubs
Add it up: Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer are the new guys in charge, they've already changed managers, and $40 million has come off the payroll from Aramis Ramirez, Kosuke Fukudome and Carlos Pena. Think things are about to change on the north side? You bet.

Although the new front office will put major emphasis on procuring and developing young talent, and are certain to bring their brand of statistical analysis/roster building with them from Boston, the trimmed-down payroll and lineup needs dictate the signing of an impact free-agent bat.

After all, Ramirez and Pena tied for the club home-run lead, and Ramirez led in RBIs. And you know that Epstein and Co. also will try to unload Alfonso Soriano, the antithesis of their type of player.

So somebody will have to pick that power slack, and that's why the reported interest in Fielder fits. Body-type notwithstanding, there should be little argument that at 27, Fielder has up to five seasons of major production ahead. And you'll just have to live with an expected decline in defense in that period.

Plus, the Fielder market might not be as crowded as originally thought, as only other non-contenders such as the Nationals seem to be involved at this point. Meanwhile, Pujols is at least four years older, and is more valuable to the Cardinals than to anyone else, and offers are likely to reflect that.

The other option is signing neither, and instead taking a course of a slower rebuilding and implementation of a new way of doing things. Not the worst way to go, although maybe not a sellable idea to the Wrigley faithful.

The next major need lies in the rotation, where only Ryan Dempster can be counted on, while Carlos Zambrano can't, but will return anyway. This makes speculation about trading arbitration-eligible Matt Garza (the staff's top pitcher) a bit out of whack.

Look for more subtle moves like the signing of free agent David DeJesus, who probably will play right field. One possibility: A change of scene is a must for Colorado third baseman Ian Stewart.

Tigers
After getting to the ALCS, there's even more urgency to take the next step. And when you consider that both the Yankees and Red Sox find themselves in ? by their standards ? slightly vulnerable positions, there might be no more opportune time for the Tigers than in 2012.

There also is $23 million to spare with Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen coming off the books. Third base must be addressed, and there are several options. Signing Reyes and moving Jhonny Peralta to third sounds sexy, but taking the longer-term risk on the mercurial Reyes doesn't seem like a Dave Dombrowski move.

Signing Aramis Ramirez for two years does, and the Tigers could use another power bat. That also could lead them to making the biggest offer to Cuban-defector outfielder Yoennis Cespedes ? especially if they can put Delmon Young in a deal for either a third baseman or even a top-of-the-order type such as Coco Crisp. Maicer Izturis at third/top of the order is another way to go that fits manager Jim Leyland's style, as Austin Jackson has to move to the bottom third of the order for good.

One more quality starting pitcher ? Buehrle, Wilson ? would put them a very enviable position rotation-wise. But adding another quality reliever would be the more cost-efficient way to go.

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