The Cubs' G.M. may not be Neo, but he sure seems to be an ace when it comes to dodging bullets.

Case in point: Jorge Julio. Many Chicago fans were upset when the Baltimore reliever wasn't included in the Sosa trade. The fair-weather Hendry fans were singing his praises a few weeks later when this little gem broke through the sporting world.

Remember Francis Beltran? Bandwagon fans aside, probably. This kid was a fairly bright pitching prospect that did so-so in limited Big League time (Wuertz/Wellemeyer, anybody?) who ended up being shipped around when our favorite North Side team acquired Nomar Garciaparra. Tonight, CubsNet runs this tidbit:

Including Francis Beltran in the Garciaparra trade last year looks even better now. The Washington Times reports that Beltran underwent Tommy John surgery today and will likely miss the year.

If only Jim could somehow work his magic with our starting five!