Chicago Cubs

I understand that the new Cubs owners have no appetite to increase the payroll for 2010. And, if you look at it reasonably, one can understand.

Yet we all know that the way in which Cubs GM Jim Hendry has spent the money has left a huge void and right now, as currently constructed, the Cubs are not a contending team.

Whether you agree with me or not, and no matter if you like my writing or you do not, I want to send a message to everyone in the Chicago Cubs community on Bleacher Report:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

And, if you happen to be Jewish, Happy Hanukkah and Rosh Hashanah.

After all, we're all Cubs fans, right? We may not see eye to eye, but we do have the Cubs best interest at heart.

I happen to think that, so far, this has been another horrible offseason for Cubs GM Jim Hendry. I also happen to think that the Cubs glass for 2010 is half-empty.

With Matt Capps seemingly on his way to the Nationals and the Cubs still in need of a right handed set-up man at the back of their bullpen, I ask, why not turn to an all too familiar face in Kevin Gregg?

Let me start out by saying I am a Cubs fan, and this suggestion is in no way meant as ill will towards the North Siders.

Simply put, Kevin Gregg is not a closer, at least not in large market such as Chicago where each outing is put under a microscope. While he was seemingly unable to take the pressure of the ninth inning, he is in no way a bad pitcher.

Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry almost made another free agent mistake on Wednesday. Thankfully, money means more to some players than the chance to win.

Former Pittsburgh closer Matt Capps, who was on the Cubs radar as a potential setup man for closer Carlos Marmol, agreed to a one-year deal with the Washington Nationals. Capps will reportedly get a base salary of $3.5 million, with another $425K in performance incentives built into the deal.

Adding Capps could have been the final piece in the puzzle that gets Hendry fired if he had taken the money in Chicago.

Whispers wandered around the web earlier this week that the New York Yankees had called the Chicago Cubs to inquire about the availability of the Cubs' ace, Carlos Zambrano. A lot has been written already about that potential marriage, so I won't waste a lot of space on it other than to mention it as a foundation for the discussion I'm about to begin.

Who hates the Yankees? Okay, everyone outside of New York. But the hatred is especially deep in Boston, where the rival Red Sox watched the Bronx Bombers spend a billion dollars to buy a World Series championship in 2009.

After letting their top target, Mike Cameron, slip away to the Red Sox while they tried desperately to unload Milton Bradley, the Cubs are now left holding six million dollars, and wondering who will be manning center field next season.

Looking at the list of available free agents, I'm not convinced that anyone out there can provide any more bang for the buck than former first round pick Tyler Colvin. Let's examine the potential candidates on the free agent market:

In the offseason, much is made of the comings and goings of established major league players in free agency.

But many often overlook the same thing happening in the minor leagues.

In the "Recapping Minor League Free Agent Losses" series, I'll be looking at what, if anything, each team is losing at the minor league levels.

I'm not going to bother covering every player, because not all of them are very important and I have little to say about many of them. I'll just be touching on those who I think could be of value to another team in free agency.

The recent reports suggesting that the Bronx Bombers were interested in at least exploring a trade with the Cubs for Big Z has left me wondering, once again, just what the hell Jim Hendry is thinking.

True, Zambrano has a full no-trade clause and hasn't expressed any willingness to relinquish it, but for Hendry to not even entertain the idea, if true, is stupid.

There is an old saying, that two heads are better than one. In baseball, we use a slightly modified variation on that axiom: two bats are better than one.

Presuming that the Oakland A's move forward with their signing of Coco Crisp, there will be somewhat of a logjam in the outfield for the Athletics.

Fortunately for Billy Beane, Cubs GM Jim Hendry just happens to be looking for a center fielder.

While the rumors continue to circulate about Byrd being the word for the Cubs, don't dismiss the possibility of a trade with Oakland. Hendry has worked deals with Beane before, most recently the Jake Fox trade, plus Davis fits the mold of the type of player Hendry should be looking for.