NL Central

Hey Jim Hendry, don’t mean to wake you, but I have something to tell you:

It’s only 174 days until opening day 2010!

Yeah, I know, that sounds like a long time. But when you are trying to do a chemistry makeover on a team with so many expensive, long-term contracts, there's no time like the present. 

The following is part of a weekly series called "Through the Eyes of..."  In each segment, I share interviews with or stories about those who I view to be the "Good Guys." The men and women who participate in and are the very fiber that make up the great game of baseball.

"Through the Eyes of..." is a part of my personal crusade to present baseball in all its beauty, splendor, and goodness, instead of through hashing and rehashing all that is broken with our national treasure. TC

Over the coming weeks, there will be a number of tough decisions made on the north side of Chicago. Now that it appears the ownership issue will be settled soon, the business of baseball can begin again.

One decision that needs to be made is regarding free agent pitcher Rich Harden. Harden, who was acquired at the trade deadline in a move that directly countered the Milwaukee Brewers' acquisition of CC Sabathia, might have been the best Cubs starter down the stretch this past season.

News on Tuesday afternoon is that Major League Baseball has approved the sale of the Chicago Cubs to the Ricketts Family.

Much like the 2009 season, a process that took way too long and left a lot to be desired is now finished. The Cubs have a new owner, with a new vision (assuming the Tribune Company ever had a vision), and a new set of expectations for the 101-year loser.

The Houston Astros, after 157 games this season, are 73-84, in fifth place in the NL Central, and 17 games back of the first place St. Louis Cardinals

The Astros' chances at the postseason are deader than...well, it would be in poor taste to give names, but deader than a certain environmentalist actor who died in his early 20s from a drug overdose.

So after scouring Cot's Baseball Contracts, we have come up with a number of hypothetical trades for the Cubs and Zambrano this offseason that might, or might not, make sense.

Cubs acquire: Francisco Cordero

Reds acquire: Carlos Zambrano

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Why this makes sense for the Cubs

-Cordero is one of the elite closers in baseball coming off a fantastic 2009 season

Filed:Sept. 16, 2009

The Chicago Cubs starter Carlos Zambrano (Cubbie Nation/file)

Stop it. Everybody.

Over the next few seasons, some of baseball's brightest young stars will become free agents for the first time.

And while baseball fans like myself are excited to see how much money these young stars will get on the open market, simply thinking about a new contract must be a scary thought for the mid-level teams who simply do not have the salary structure to take on huge contracts.

I'm not unrealistic. I'm not delusional. I know the Cubs aren't going to win anything, other than (if they're lucky) some 15 more meaningless regular-season games, this year.

But I have decided to keep hoping against hope anyway.

The Chicago Cubs will look to salvage a series win Sunday, after missing an opportunity to go up two games to none on division foes the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday at Wrigley Field.

Chicago fell behind 5-0 early, but stormed back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning before closer Carlos Marmol gave up a two-run double to the Reds' Drew Sutton in the top of the ninth. It was the Cubs' first loss in their last five games, and dropped them to 41-28 on the season at home.