Of all the published trade rumors in this off season the one that really pops out and would change everything is the Washington Examiner's report (Jim Williams; http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/51846...), of the Cubs swapping Kerry Wood for Jose Vidro and Ryan Church. (Cubs would probably have to include a AA or Advanced A B-level prospect with $2M).

Wood is going to make $12M and with the statement at the Cubs Convention by dusty Baker that Wood could start in the bullpen tells me that Wood is not part of the pitching plans for '06. This essentially is a stealth FA year for the oft-injured strikeout king and working out of the bullpen would not increas any FA value or engineer the value for the Cubs to pick up his enormous mutual option. I say now he is good as gone and if he is not, and he is not starting he will be a cancer in the clubhouse.

Vidro also is returning from surgery and oft-injuries where he is making $7.5M where the Nationals have acquired a bigger offensive infielder with Soriano and possibly are going sign Sosa to an incentive contract making the OF too crowded for Soriano and Vidro.

Even with the Cubs giving the money to the Nationals (which might pay for Sosa ironically), this would reduce the overall Cubs payroll to about $92M and then allow the Cubs to possibly make a bold move to acquire Zito ($8M in '06) for Jerome Williams, Rich Hill, Jerry Hairston Jr., and possibly a Advanced A prospect.

Subtracting Hairston (and Williams) and then adding Zito would put the Cubs around $98M and also add Zito to the rotation (Zambrano-Prior-Maddux-Rusch) which would be the best in the NL-C and maybe the entire league. Perez could effectively platoon with Vidro who will need some rotation to keep playing. This would then allow the Cubs to keep fan-favorite Augie Ojeda and Baker favorite Marquis Grissom adding Ryan Church to platoon with Jacque Jones in RF against tough right-handers.

Yes this is all possible if Wood, once the darling of Cubdom is peddled to the Nationals. It would also do Kerry a favor and allow him the opportunity to show the FA market he is a good risk or not.