Interesting 'hot stove' rumors

I don't know how I feel about the second of these rumors.

Furcal would instantly solve the most glaring weakness the Cubs' offense has had for years: the lack of a credible leadoff hitter. Another recent rumor, which has cooled off of late, had another free agent- Juan Pierre of Florida- coming to the Cubs to play center field. Either would be a good move.

But while Soriano is a good ballplayer, and I'm not wholly adverse to his being the Cubs' second baseman next year, he's not terribly consistent. I'd rather have Nomar Garciaparra playing there- and he's game; after he's spent the past two seasons on the DL, though, it doesn't look like the Cubs will be willing to spend the necessary bucks to bring him back. On the whole, though, Soriano would certainly be an upgrade over Todd Walker (no slouch himself), and while the article's suggestion that an infield of Aramis Ramirez, Furcal, Soriano, and Derrek Lee would be the best infield in the history of baseball strikes me as a little hyperbolic, I'd have to say that it would indeed give the Cubs the best infield of any current major league team- and that by quite a margin.

The downside is giving up Cedeno, a talented kid with a bright future. If Dusty Baker could be persuaded to forgo his penchant for playing inferior veterans and benching far more talented younger players, Cedeno would- in the absence of Nomar- figure to be the Cubs' starting shortstop next season should the Furcal signing fall through.

While Mench isn't a bad ballplayer, I'm not sure he's the answer in right for a team with World Series aspirations (which you had better believe the Cubs have; in the wake of the White Sox championship, Jim Hendry would be tarred and feathered should he not pull out all the stops to bring the trophy to the other side of Madison Street next fall). And while Felix Pie is a future superstar, I'd feel better about having a more experienced and reliable center fielder starting for us next year.

The additions of Bobby Howry and Scott Eyre- both sought in vain by the Yankees, the White Sox, and others- gives the North Siders a pretty solid bullpen. If healthy, Mark Prior, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano are the best top three starters possessed by any team in baseball- though after the last two seasons "if healthy" is a major qualifier, especially in the case of Wood. I'd like to see Kerry as our closer, and Ryan Dempster join an already impressive corps of setup men. Of course, that would mean coming up with another top-flight starting pitcher, and while the Cubs' farm system is loaded with them, most of them have several years of seasoning to go before they're ready for the Show.

While very young, based on his performance late last year, my hunch is that Matt Murton will prove to be the real deal in left.

If the rumors are true, if Wood, Prior, and Zambrano stay healthy, and if Greg Maddux has another good season left in him (I have to think Glendon Rusch, who was recently re-signed to what I consider an excessively generous contract, will be the fifth starter, unless he's beaten out by somebody from the Cubs' pitching-rich farm system), the rotation is set- and center field becomes the only real question mark. Again, I'd rather give Pie a year or two at Triple-A (the spector of Corey Patterson is a grim reminder of what can happen if a talented but unready young player is rushed through the minors too fast), and land Pierre or some other solid veteran to play center. Nothing wrong with having two men on base when the heavy lumber erupts. Corey himself has dug himself a deep enough hole that I don't think he'll be on the Cubs' roster when spring training starts.

Nomar wants so badly to stay with the Cubs that he has volunteered to play the outfield (I'd rather have him out there than Mench). But it's apparently not to be. I understand that the Orioles badly want Garciaparra to play third for them, and just doesn't appear that he's in Hendry's plans. A shame.

And it would be a shame to lose Ronny Cedeno. But I guess you have to give up something to get something, and if there's anything to these rumors, the Cardinals and the Astros will have their hands full next season.

The one thing that might redeem the past season would be a North Side triumph in a subway series next October.

UPDATE: I'm told that ESPN Insider considers the Cubs the front-runners to sign Brian Giles. I, myself, don't believe it; the Cardinals- who have a much shorter shopping list- and the Yankees are both after Giles. And besides- both rumors can't be true.