R.I.P.

It certainly looks bad for Nomar Garciaparra. He's going to be out at least a month, possibly longer. Bruce Miles, in the Daily Herald, posits:

The Cubs are hoping for the best, but they're fearing a tear. Such an injury would end the season for the 31-year-old Garciaparra... With Garciaparra being a free agent in the fall, it's conceivable he has played his last game as a Cub.

The Cubs are right now, back where they were last April when Alex Gonzalez broke his wrist. There really is no long term backup plan at shortstop. While Neifi Perez is playing very well, planning on using him for 150 games is not a viable option.

(Aside: We could go off again whining about how this page's begging for Miguel Tejada was so correct, but then there's no use crying over the history of ignoring prime free agents.)

We Cubs' fans are back to looking to Jim Hendry for help. He clearly blew it last year by waiting so long to make a trade for a shortstop. Had he acquired Orlando Cabrerra last May, the team probably wins a few more games in June and July and doesn't end up three games in back of Houston.

The likely reason Hendry didn't make a trade last May was the cost in prospects was too high. He might have needed to give up a Bobby Brownlie or an Angel Guzman or an Andy Sisco (Uh... Ignore that last name) to get a quality player before the trade deadline.

The options in the minors are thin. While Ronny Cedeno is killing the ball at Iowa, he's very raw. Other than that, there's not much help down on the farm. That means a trade is in order.

Will Jim Hendry finally show the stones to make a risky deal? One of the Hall and Carter for Sutcliffe variety? Or will he sit on his hands again and wait for the summer Free Agent To Be Sales? Hendry does have the currency (read: prospects) to make nearly any team trade nearly any player at nearly any time.

If he waits, he needs to know that he's got two commodities that are in prime condition, but are slowly being used up.

Zamboni and Prior are the real deal. You can ride these horses a long way. The only question is will Hendry pay for a Gucci saddle.

Your suggestions for home to acquire in a trade a welcome. Why do I fear that Alex Gonzalez will be back in Wrigley thereby completing a viscous circle?