Five key issues facing the Cubs this spring

How do you improve on a 97-win season?

It's not easy.

The Cubs had little trouble reaching 97 victories last year, as they cruised to their second straight National League Central title. But what hasn't been easy is getting through the playoffs. The last postseason victory by the Cubs came in Game 4 of the 2003 championship series against the Marlins. Since then, they are 0-9 in October postseason games.

With October 2009 on his mind, Cubs general manager Jim Hendry did about as much changing as a GM could do with a 97-win club while leaving its core intact.

With memories of his right-handed hitters flailing away fruitlessly against the Dodgers in the division series, Hendry has veered left, toward more left-handed hitting. That gives Hendry hope, if not unbridled confidence, that this year's Cubs are better, deeper and ready to get over the hump.

"We got a little more balanced from the offensive side, a little more left-handed, a few more switch hitters," Hendry said this week as he prepared to head to Mesa, Ariz., to start spring training. "I think that'll add to the depth and the versatility factor. We won't have such a right-left overbalance. We've got, probably, a deeper pen going into the season, more candidates for the 12-man pitching staff.

"Obviously, we had a very good team last year. Just gradually move forward and try to get a little bit better."

Of course there are other issues facing the Cubs. Here are five to consider:

The fifth spot: The Cubs have as good a "big four" in their starting rotation as anybody in the game. Of course, they'll have to keep an eye on the cranky shoulders of Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden.

The battle to watch will be who gets the fifth spot, left open by trading Jason Marquis to Colorado. It appears the job is lefty Sean Marshall's to lose, but Chad Gaudin, Aaron Heilman and Jeff Samardzija will get long looks this spring.

As a postscript, Hendry voiced optimism that Harden will be stronger this season.

"I didn't know that he wasn't OK, when all that stuff started at the convention," Hendry said of a report Harden has a minor tear in the shoulder.

The Bradley watch: If the Cubs are worried at all about newly signed right fielder Milton Bradley, it'll have more to do with his physical health than anything that led to some unseemly on- and off-the-field outbursts in the past.

Bradley played in 126 games for Texas last year, leading the American League in on-base percentage and OPS (on-base plus slugging). But he did the majority of his work at DH.

The big outfields and high skies in Arizona will provide the first indication of how good he looks with a glove.

Fukudome 2.0: Kosuke Fukudome, last spring's sensation in right field, may show up this spring with a new interpreter and perhaps more stamina, if he completed the "core" physical fitness work the Cubs said he was doing all winter in Japan.

Fukudome, an on-base machine in April and May, hit .217 after the all-star break last year. He has lost his right-field job to Bradley, and it appears he'll share time in center with Reed Johnson.

He has three years left on his $48 million contract, and he's a key if the Cubs want to be effective with all those left-handed hitters and switch hitters field manager Lou Piniella has at his disposal. Either Fukudome makes the adjustments to baseball in North America, or he risks becoming the most expensive defensive replacement in the game.

The closer: Kevin Gregg or Carlos Marmol? Last spring, it was a three-way competition among Marmol, Kerry Wood and Bob Howry.

Wood won it, but he's gone, and the job's open again. Marmol certainly has closer's stuff, but Piniella is a big believer in spring-training competition. If it's close, look for Piniella to make his announcement during the last week of camp.

Up the middle: Mark DeRosa wasn't the most beloved Cub in history. It only seems that way now, after his trade to Cleveland.

DeRosa was the only right-handed hitter the Cubs could trade, and Hendry and Piniella have wanted more time at second base for left-handed hitting Mike Fontenot.

The Cubs could end up with the all-LSU keystone combo of Fontenot at second and Ryan Theriot at short, with newcomer Aaron Miles filling in for both. And if Piniella ever decides to move leadoff man Alfonso Soriano down, any of these three could hit 1-2.

However the entire picture clears itself up, Hendry seems eager to get going. Just as he did last spring, when he picked up Reed Johnson, Hendry will have his eye on other clubs in addition to his own.

"We've got some competition in some key spots," he said. "We'll do what we'll always do. We'll scout heavily in spring training. If we feel like we need to tinker with it for a spot here or there, we'll be prepared to pick up somebody that might help in a different position or if somebody was hurt."