Season On The Brink

Jim Hendry got the Cubs to spring for a first class ticket to Atlanta so he could personally recruit Rafael Furcal last weekend. From Bruce Miles' angle, it looks like Furcal will make up his mind between the Braves and the Cub before the Baseball Winter Meetings (incorrectly named according to resident nitpicker Brian).

What should scare you is the fallback plan should Furcal decide that Bobby Cox is a better man to manage a career than is Dusty Baker:

If Furcal decides to remain in Atlanta, the Cubs say they're comfortable with a tandem of youngster Ronny Cedeno and the veteran Perez. It's possible the Cubs will look at Florida's Alex Gonzalez as an option.

This is not a backup plan. This is capitulation. And, with the impending free agencies of Mark Prior and Carlos Zambrano (both after 2008), wasting another year is a sure fire way to get these guys excited about staying with the team long term.

If Perez gets more than 50 starts as a Cub, for ANY REASON, the Cubs finish below .500 and in 5th place. Yes, only Cinci is worse than a Neifi Perez fueled team.

If Alex Gonzalez gets 50 starts as a Cub, call me in 2007.

Jim Hendry has bet the entire 2006 season, and maybe more, on Rafael Furcal. The cheapness that led to the decision not to eat Alex Gonzalez's contract and go after Miguel Tejada in 2004 looks more and more like negligence all the time.