The 2007 Chicago Cubs

So if the Cubs get all of the players I want them to add for 2007, this is what the team will look like:

LF Carlos Lee
CF Gary Matthews, Jr.
RF Jacques Jones
3B Miguel Cabrera
SS Alex Rodriguez
2B Ronny Cedeno
1B Derrick Lee
C Joe Mauer

The starting rotation will be:

Carlos Zambrano
Barry Zito
Mark Prior
Sean Marshall
Carlos Mármol

And the closer will be Eric Gagne

That would be quite a team, Of course, it’s never going to happen. All of these players will not be available, and if they were, it’s unlikely the Cubs could make the deals to bring them all on board.

So what is more realistic? By realistic I mean, what could the Cubs actually pull off? What could happen if Jim Hendry became bold, aggressive and creative? What could he accomplished if money wasn’t a consideration? What would the Cubs look like in 2007 if they took their rightful place as the “Big Dog” in the NL Central? If all of that were to happen, the Cubs could look like this:

LF Carlos Lee
CF Juan Pierre
RF Willy Mo Pena
3B Miguel Cabrera
SS Alex Rodríguez
2B Ronny Cedeno
1B Derrick Lee
C Michael Barret

Starting rotation:

Carlos Zambrano
Jason Schmidt
Mark Prior
Sean Marshall
Carlos Mármol

Closer – Troy Percival

How is this going to happen? Let’s take a look.

Carlos Lee will be signed as a free agent to fill left field. The Brewers would love to resign him, but in the end, CLee will be too expensive. Plus, the Brewers have a dearth of outfield talent. Maybe not as talented as CLee, but pretty talented at a much lower price.

In center field, there will be a lot of thought about not re-signing Pierre, but in the end he will be the best available option. Expect Gary Matthews, Jr. to re-sign in Texas.

Willy Mo Pena will acquired in an off-season trade with the Red Sox to play right field. The Cubs will give up prospects. Pena showed great potential in Cincinnati, but his stay in Boston has been less than stellar, including a stint on the DL. Boston will want to move Pena and the Cubs will need him to replace Jacques Jones.

Miguel Cabrera will be acquired in a trade with Florida to replace Aramis Ramirez. The trade could involve Matt Murton and Jerome Williams.

ARod will be obtained through a trade with the Yankees. The Yankees will get Aramis Ramirez and Jacques Jones. If the Cubs have to throw in someone else, it’s okay with me. ARod has not been a good fit in NY. Cubs fans will love him and he’ll be the new King of Chicago.

With ARod taking over at SS, Ronny Cedeno will move over to second. If Ronny can concentrate on his fielding, his weak hitting can be overlooked at second much easier than at short.

Derrick Lee will be back at first base. The Cubs will look forward to an injury-free year from DLee.

Joe Mauer may be the best catcher in baseball, but Michael Barrett is one of the better offensive backstops. His defense is improving, but it’s Barrett’s offense that will keep him in the lineup.

The Cubs will bring in Jason Schmidt as a free agent. They’ll miss out on Barry Zito, but Jason Schmidt may actually be the better choice. He’ll be a solid #2 starter.

Troy Percival will be signed as a free agent. He’s coming off of an injury that has kept him out of baseball in 2006, so this signing will be a bit risky. If it proves to be too risky, don’t be surprised to see Hendry go after FA Keith Foulke. He’s not closing any more, but he’ll be a free agent and he’s the type of project that Hendry likes.

There you have it. The blueprint for the 2007 Chicago Cubs. Of course, if this doesn’t happen, it’s Jim Hendry’s fault, not mine.