Welcome! What's Next, Jimbo?

That's a picture this page has longed to see for a number of years. So, why is this page underwhelmed? Isn't Juan Pierre the answer to the 2 year old gap in leadoff? Didn't Jim Hendry just unload multiple high ceiling prospects to get him -- something Jim has never done before?

Yes, but this page realizes that patching a hole in the Titanic wouldn't have made that ship reach New York. This page is afraid that Juan is all the good news we Cubs fans are going to get this offseason.

"Oh! Stop whining!" we hear from the Crayola Crowd. "It's still 158,289 minutes until Opening Day. Spring Training hasn't even started yet. Why are you doomsaying now? There's still plenty of time for this team to make moves. Patience!"

Oh, to be so naive.

What moves are there left to make? Who is available? More imporantly, what's the plan?

"A plan?" they ask? Yes. What is Jim's plan. Right field was a hole starting October 2, 2004 when Sammy Sosa walked out early on the last game of the 2004 season. Shortstop has been a hole since Nomar Garciaparra's soft tissues separated from his groin.

The Rafael Furcal plan was blown spectacularly. Right field could have been Brian Giles, but that wasn't even attempted. Milton Bradley was monopolized by the A's of Oakland. Bobby Abreu is available if you give up Mark Prior (aside: I just received an autographed Mark Prior Baseball and Stand today compliments of my cousin - Chanukkah arrived early). Miguel Tejada *might* be available, but most likely isn't. Edgar Renteria has already moved.

In short, there's not much left to be had. So much for being patient.

If we Cubs fans are patient with year 13 of the Andy MacPhail regime, what will we see? Austin Kearns and his 150 strikeouts? Adam Dunn and his 200 strikeouts? Korey Patterson and his 250 strikeouts? Neifi Perez for 400 at bats? Julio Lugo is up for his cage match with his wife on pay-per-view at halftime of the Superbowl and isn't very good, anyway.

Patience? Please. We want to know what the PLAN is. If there needs to be patience in simply developing a PLAN, then it's time to move on.

Either that, or someone doesn't know that the time to pull the rip cord has passed.