Well if the target date is 2015 then the team will also need to address LF, 3B and SP since apparently the goal is to trade away Garza and Feldman and Baker are on one year deals and Villenueva is on a 2 year deal. That still leaves some glaring holes in the starting rotation.
So basically they need notable upgrades still at most of the roster to become competitive by 2015.
But supposedly there is being great progress made because they have one more top 100 prospect. Yippee.
Well I gave a cheap alternative for the 2014 season IF they wanted to make some moves. Yes I am aware that in 2015, players like Soriano, and some pitchers won't be here and I am hoping that Shark and Garza are locked up.
I feel and I have read enough of your posts too that you have to upgrade position by position. Not saying in one year as you well know and I know you agree on this point too, but Choo for example would be a far superior upgrade to Dejesus. Better runner, massive OBP (which the Cubs need), better power and better average. The Cubs could lock him up for a while a then as you are also aware, move on to the next issue at hand whatever it may be.
To me, coupled with replenishing of the farm which is also needed, that speaks volumes in the stride of moving forward.
Like I said, someone like Michael Morse would also be an alternative and a power hitter tied to a modest contract that wouldn't hinder the Cubs progression in any way, and give them an additional power bat.
The pitching staff is going to be in my thinking for Theo & Co. a solid 3 (not stellar) at the top of the rotation, and then they will juggle pitchers 4 and 5 like the Baker's, Feldman's, and maybe Arroyo's of the world and then possibly flip them until hopeful pitchers like Appel/Gray and others come through the ranks.
Soler is going to have to come a long way (not that he can't) by 2015 to replace Soriano, and that's why you need players like Choo or whomever to be established already, and get that much needed evenflo in length of contracts throughout the Cubs team.
That was a big downfall during Hendry's tenure and why to me was part of the reason the Cardinals endured a lot of success. It seems that not only did the Cardinals have an influx of players to use in the organization when needed, but contracts like Carpenter and Wainright, Holliday, Molina, and Pujols for example were never expiring at or near the same time. They may have lost one, but it's a lot easier to replace one of those contracts, than it is to replace 3 or 4 at the same time.
The Cubs had Dempster, Lee, Ramirez, Soriano, Zambrano and others coming off of the books in roughly a 2 year window coupled with a change of management. Like it or not, there are some marquee names on that list that are not easy to replace. Hell, it took one top Cubs pitching prospect to get a top positional prospect from the Padres, and there were great risks in doing that.
Sorry to be all over the board on this, just rambling on...