I thought the Cubs got the best man available as their manager, Lou Pinella. There were a lot of people crying for Joe Girardi, but I was pulling for Pinella because he doesn't want to be caught up in another Devil Rays situation. The fact the Cubs got him tells me that we aren't going to sit back and wait for Pryor & Wood to get healthy. Pinella said he didn't want to be part of a "rebuilding project".

Honestly the Cubs have some rebuilding to do, but maybe not as bad as some might think. I'll take Carlos Zambrano as a #1 starter over anyone in the National League. Beyond him I'm OK with Rich Hill as perhaps a 4th starter. As far as Pryor, at this point I wouldn't even plan on him being there, maybe he fights for the 5th starter. Kerry Wood will be in the bullpen and with less wear & tear on his arm (only pitching one inning) might work out to be a decent closer. There's another player from Japan (a closer) that we should take a look at as well. We have two big gaps to fill and that will require free agents or a trade.

The biggest free agent starters mentioned are Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt. Zito is a lefty and will be in demand by the high dollar teams like the Mets, Dodgers, Yankees, etc. He would be the best, and you will certainly "overpay" for his services. Much like the Tigers did with Kenny Rogers and Pudge. If the Cubs are really serious they most certainly should persue Zito.

The only other way is to make a trade. The Cubs do have some young talent. It's probably going to be a combination of both trade and free agents. They do need a big bat in the lineup. Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee have been mentioned. Looks like Carlos (who hits a ton at Wrigley Field) is going to Houston. Soriano brings speed and power into the mix. There's also rumblings about A-rod. I don't see that happening but he is a great player. The Cubs would move him back to shortstop instead of 3B. Lou Pinella is said to be like a second father to him back from his Seattle days. That would also give the Cubs a chance to trade Cesaer Izturis. I like Ryan Theriot as a #2 hitter. He didn't have a lot of big league time, but the fact that he hustles, moves runners over, and plays a solid 2B will also make Ronnie Cedeno a valuable bench player or possible trade bait. Jim Edmonds is going to be let go after the World Series, he's getting up there in age, but a gutsy, get dirty player with a golden glove, and 20-30 home runs. I always like free agents from rival teams that like to "give-it" to their former teams. We play the Cardinals 18 times a year.

If Jim Hendry is really against the wall like the media says, the Cubs should be aggressive. There are a bunch of #2 and #3 starters that we could probably trade for. It's time for Hendry to step up to the plate and hit a home run. How are the Cardinals always able to land one or two pitchers every year? They lose Matt Morris but pick up Jeff Suppan and Jeff Weaver. These guys are perfect examples of mid-level pitchers that could be obtained with an aggressive front office. As much as I hate to say it, the Cubs should follow the Cardinals lead and go get it, not wait for things to happen. Scott Rolen was another example of a GM making things happen. The Phillies were crazy to let him go, but the Cardinals made an attractive offer and pursued the trade.