The Future is Now

While this team can still compete for a title, the absence of a pitcher as dominant as Mark Prior is clearly a hindrance. That said, teams have won with far worse staffs than Carlos Zambrano, Kerry Wood and Matt Clement. Oh yeah, and that old guy Greg Maddux. The California Angels best in 2002, Jarrod Washburn, would be the Cubs 4th starter today.

So how do you still compete this year? By upgrading the offense. What’s more, the team can compensate for the lack of Prior AND make the team even better in 2005 by going and getting some of the available players. Carlos Beltran is going to be available. Nomar Garciaparra is available. Eddie Guardado is available.

I have no doubts that these players would come here and resign once the season ended. Money is not a problem as over $40 million in salaries will clear in the next 18 months. And there are holes on this team. And the holes are not in the rotation. The holes are:

Second Base
Short Stop
Left Field
Closer

And there is a potential hole in Right Field after 2005.

Start filling them now. 2005 can be the year. And so can 2004.

14 Days Later

Nice move by the Cubs with Aramis Ramirez. It’s been reported that he might miss another 2 weeks. But that's not the issue. Guess what? Had they DL’d him, he’d be eligible to come of the DL tomorrow. Always fun to play with 24 guys when you could play with 25.

What's with Jim Hendry? Why is he afraid to make moves?