Rebuilding The Cubs: A Challenge Proposed, A Challange Accepted

I was recently challenged by a friend/reader to rebuild the Cubs.  It’s not as if that is a new concept to me, seeing that I’ve played this game on PlayStation, PlayStation3, XBOX and XBOX 360 many times before.

The catch is to do it fairly.  It won’t be like in video games where I can outsmart computer GM’s that don’t appreciate young talent.  Instead, I’ve been challenged to do so taking into consideration that I won’t be able to hold up opposing general managers at gunpoint and acquire Jose Reyes for Aaron Miles and Milton Bradley.

I have until Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. to post it.

Starting Point: The Cubs’ Opening Day payroll was $134,809,000.  The Cubs have $16.5 million coming off the books in 2009 when they wipe away Rich Harden, Kevin Gregg, John Grabow and Reed Johnson’s contracts off the books.  I’m also being given $10 million to work with as a $10 million payroll bump to approximately $144 million seems reasonable given how much money the Cubs bring in.

Those are the details.  What are the chances of this getting done?  Do the Cubs fans who read TBDS have faith in someone who has enough time on his hands to accept such a challenge?

Buck Showalter's Crazy Realignment

A brief outline:

• Four divisions, seven teams
• DH for all
• Bye-bye to both of Florida's teams
• Each team plays each other once in three game sets; one at home and the other on the road
• Four division winners are guaranteed playoff spots. Wild cards are questionable
  

Analysis:

This is probably why Buck Showalter is no longer managing a major league baseball team. This is the most batsh*t crazy idea since -- maybe ever.

He abolishes the two leagues while implementing the designated hitter for all. I'll get to the DH in a moment, but these division races are somewhat of a joke.

This idea feeds into the idea of more ESPN slurping of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry as it sends the Cubs and Cardinals into separate divisions. Why? There's no explanation. Had he done it for the Yanks & Sawks, there would have been an addendum with a full explanation.

Seriously, if Showalter had the idea of breaking up the Red Sox and Yankees cross his mind, he would have likely been fired on the spot and escorted away by bulky men in black suits and banished from baseball like his name was Pete Rose. There would be mob rule outside of the studios in Bristol, Conn., and my hope is that Chris Berman is used as a sacrificial lamb to appease the angered masses.

As for the DH, my feelings have been made clear for quite some time: Anyone who likes the designated hitter is foolish. These are the same people who complain about players unable to perform the game's fundamentals. Guess what, part of those fundamentals that you learn starting in Little League are hitting and bunting.

I've said it once, I'll say it again: "Having someone hit for the pitcher is like having someone take Shaq's free throws for him."

I agree that 18 times for some of these division rivals is way too much. But seeing some of the best rivalries in baseball only six times in a year is a drastic cut for no damn reason.

Among baseball's biggest problems, realignment should be the least of Bud Selig's concerns. And while a NFL-like realignment seems like a really intriguing idea in principal, Showalter leaves out a very important aspect of the game.

The NBA has two conferences. So does the NFL. If baseball has no conferences, how do we select two finalists?

H/T: MLB Daily Dish

Memo To Jim Hendry: I Found Your Left-Handed Bat

There's a firesale in Cleveland. Everything must go. Except for LeBron James, of course. He's not leaving until next year.

Mark DeRosa, Rafael Betancourt, Ryan Garko and Cliff Lee have escaped the Mistake By The Lake -- and that means Victor Martinez should be next. At this rate, if I were Cubs GM Jim Hendry, I'd at least make a call about center fielder Grady Sizemore and see if you can strike while the stove is hot.

But my focuse right now just might be on the 30-year-old catcher that will make what remains on the $4.5 million left on this year's contract and the $7 million on next years. He would look fine sandwiched between Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. (No homo.)

Yes, I understand the Cubs have Geovany Soto coming back from injury soon, but why not build the trade around him? Switch-hitting catchers whose career batting average sits at a cool .297 don't grow on trees.

Geo, cash considerations and friends for V-Mart. Get it done, Jimbo!

TBDS Late Night: Where Inspiration From Facebook Happens

A long time ago in a blogosphere far, far away, this blogging outfit presented a feature called TBDS Late Night which reported on late-breaking news and provided games to watch for and links to read at your own peril. Once in a while, yours truly will revive that segment when necessary. This is one of those times.

Looks like yours truly is bringing back TBDS Late Night as a full-time segment. Maybe, but it's just how my current schedule and news has playded out. But enough of the chit-chat. Let's cut to the gravy.

For the longest time I have compared being a Chicago Cubs fan to being in a real bad relationship, if only because of my past transgressions.

Furthermore, the Cubs have proven to be nothing more than a tease. Take the last three division winners. They all had charming personalities and did some things that brought a smile to your face. But in the end, they left you truly unsatisfied and wanting more as they didn't go all the way. And after taking three-of-four from second-place Milwaukee, they dropped two-of-three to Atlanta. And no, Glavine and Smoltz were not the winning pitchers of record for the Braves in either of those occasions.

So after another disappointing loss, I decided to leave a few suggestions for the Cubs on a friends Facebook page with a promise of more to come. And guess what, I don't break promises.

Here are five things Jim Hendry needs to do.

1. Fire Lou Piniella, let Alan Trammel run the team. Sorry Lou, you're press conferences were entertaining and your hat-tossing, dirt-kicking antics will go down in the history books, but you've got to go. Piniella has clearly lost his team. I'm not just talking about players going nutso on Gatorade coolers or umpires, I'm talking about mentally.

This team has made base-running blunders look like they're the in-thing. Mental errors like throwing to the wrong base, forgetting how many outs there are, missing signs have been an all-too-common occurrence this season. All that points to the man in charge.

If the Cubs were oh-so-willing to fire Gerald Perry (hint, the whack bats aren't all his fault), they should be equally firing the manager who helped get them there in the first place.

As for Tram, read below.

2. Read the Moneyball script and tell Alan Trammel that if he doesn't follow the Billy Beane edict of OBP guys up front, he'll end up like Art Howe. Anyone know where Art Howe is? I didn't think so. And with the way the Cubs are built, the Moneyball-esque charade might actually work with this team. And a hat tip to Steven Jung who said: "If a team with a 140 million dollar payroll has to go with a Moneyball strategy, then 3 words. WE ARE FUCKED."

I couldn't have said it any better myself, but there is a baseball team in Bosotn that has applied the Moneyball concept to a high-payroll situation. And all the Red Sox have to show for it is two World Series titles and a lead in the AL East.

As for Trammel's past managerial experience, I dare you to find 81 wins out of this team. Or this team. Or this team. Research before you blame everything on the manager, OK? Thank you.

The Cubs line-up should be constructed as so: (against righties) Fukudome CF Bradley RF Lee 1B Ramirez 3B Soto C Soriano LF Theriot SS Fontenot 2B ... (against lefties) Johnson CF Bradley RF Lee 1B Ramirez 3B Fox LF Soto C Soriano 2B Theriot SS.

No one's running on this team and station-to-station is going to have to work until Soriano and Theriot learn how to put one foot in front of the other and swiping bags like Robin Hood.

3. Sign Pedro Martinez. Ryan Dempster is out 4-to-6 weeks, and I'll lean more to the six-week mark beause Demp will probably stub his toe on the washer or dryer as he's doing his laundry. Martinez would be the security blanket for when Rich Harden gets injured and/or Randy Wells comes back to earth. And since the Cubs aren't getting Roy Halladay or Jake Peavy, signing Pedro to an incentive-laden deal for the rest of the year is the most cost-efficient move for the Cubs.

Martinez owns a career record of 91-55 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.091 WHIP in the second half, and if that isn't attractive to you, then you, my friend, are baseball retarded.

4. Trade For Matt Holliday. I don't care if you have to go to Oakland, go through the black hole of Raider Nation, handcuff yourself to Billy Beane and trade anyone in the minor league system not named Josh Vitters to get Holliday, get it done. Then sign him to a long-term deal and place him in the outfield for the next five years.

5. Resign. Bye, Jim. Thanks for your time. Ted Lilly will probably go down as your best free-agency signing ever. And that Rich Harden deal was pretty sweet, too. But you have yet to conquer the buy-low, sell-high concept.

To be honest, you were at your best when Lou Piniella was helping you do your winter shopping. Oh, you say Piniella is unemployed? Forget what I said about banishing him, just send him upstairs and get him a nice suit to wear.

Quality Linkage:

• If rappers were NBA players. [The Big Lead]
• Steve McNair tells his side of the story in a live-stream from hell. [Deadspin]
• Cheerleaders and car washes make me wish I went to school at FIU. That and being able to pick up girls by saying "There are worse guys than me on the campus, like Isiah Thomas." [SportsByBrooks]
• KSK continues to humor me as a Pats fan and Titans fan converse. Kind of. [Kissing Suzy Kolber]

My Pitch To Jim Hendry For Matt Holliday

Jim Hendry should rent A's OF Matt Holliday by any means necessary.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry is due for a good move, right? Through 73 games, Hendry is 0-for-the-offseason as Milton Bradley, Aaron Miles, Kevin Gregg and Ryan Dempster have flopped or fell short of the lofty expectations that come with multi-million dollar deals or, in Gregg's case, being traded for a prospect once deemed untouchable.

And just like last season, Cubdom is up in arms over a move by one of its arch division rivals in an attempt to unseat the Cubs from their perch atop the NL Central. I've seen this movie before. And as a Cubs fan, I like where this movie ends. But for some reason, I always fall asleep whenever the part about October rolls around. Funny how that works.

Hendry can make his detractors (mainly yours truly) by making one brash move that could push this team over the top.

Trade for Matt Holliday.

I know this seems like more of a stretch than Prince Fielder's waistline, but here me out. This would be the ultimate rent-a-player scenario, which could appease Sam Zell and the fools at TribCo that are basically holding the Cubs and the Ricketts family hostage. Adding Holliday would make the Cubbie faithful forget all about Mark DeRosa playing for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Stick Holliday in left and move Alfonso Soriano to second. Take note that any move the Cubs make to acquire an outfielder will likely bump Soriano to second base. And I don't want to hear about how bad his defense is there, because if it's bad one place it is bad other places too. At least at second, his numbers will generally out-perform the average second sacker.

Back to Holliday, whose big bat is the boost the boys in blue need. Now, how's that for alliteration?

There are a handful of things Hendry should take into consideration when acquiring his next big bat.

1. How he hits at Wrigley/day games.
2. How he hits on the road against NL Central teams.
3. Production in the second half.
4. Playoff production.
5. The bounty.

And how does Holliday stack up?

1. Well, the numbers at Wrigley aren't pretty where he is a a career .229 hitter with only one homer and four ribbies. However, things look a lot better when the sun is out. Holliday owns a career .319 average, .391 OBP, .531 slugging percentage and .922 OPS.

2. While Holliday has struggled against the Cubs at Wrigley, he hits pretty well against the rest of the NL Central. He's got a career .292 average against the Reds, but has an underwhelming .269 average at The Great American Ball Park. Against the Brewers, Holliday has a ridiculous .342 average and 1.082 OPS. At Miller Park, he owns a .928 OPS. At Busch Satdium II, he has hit an absurd .385 with 5 homers in 11 games against the Cardinals.

3. The most encouraging stat backing Holliday is his .314/.388/.568/.967 slash stats in 1,380 second-half plate appearances.

4. The second most encouraging stat could be his career .289 average and .919 OPS in 11 games. Holliday makes Mark DeRosa look like a bum with numbers like that.

5. It's easy to use baseball-reference.com to back my argument, but it means nothing unless there is a match between the GMs. And there is no harder GM to deal with than Billy Beane, and if you've read Moneyball (or its bad-ass movie script) then you know what's up. Luckily for the Cubs, Hendry and Beane have worked together before, as recently as the deal that brought in Rich Harden.

When it comes to Beane, all trade talks begin with starting pitcher. Which means all trade talks must start with left-handed starter Sean Marshall and right-handed hurler Jeff Samardzijia. Maybe one of the pitchers the Cubs got from the Indians would intrigue Beane. I'm sure if Phil Rogers read this blog, he would have a suggestion of his own. As for hitters, Josh Vitters is as close as to untouchable as they get, if only because he will be with the team in two years when he takes over third and Aramis Ramirez takes over first. Everyone else is fair game.

It's up to you GM Jim. The Cardinals have thrown down the gauntlet and could be poised to run away with the division if the Cubs continue to slip down the slippery slope. But the GM of the two-time defending champs wouldn't let that happen, right?

Bradley Batting First? An Idea Crazy Enough To Work

Look me in the eyes and tell me the following isn't a crazy idea. Trust me, I know crazy!

Someone send this memo to Cubs manager Lou Piniella: The reinforcements are not coming, because if they were, they would be here by now.

The two-time defending NL Central champs are not even a shadow of their former selves. They rank 22nd in on-base percentage, 24th in slugging and 27th in batting average. Chicago's North Side edition of mediocre baseball currently sits in fourth place at 35-37 and still have managed to only be 3.5 games behind the first place Brewers and Cardinals. Contrary to popular belief, the Cubs aren't dead yet. They're not even on life support.

Are they on their death beds? Something like that. The Cubs are like that elderly relative that only gets up to watch the Price Is Right in the morning, Matlock in the afternoon and the 10 p.m. news before bed. Piniella needs to do something to jump start this team, and it has nothing to do with kicking dirt, throwing bases or abusing Gatorade machines or water coolers. Grandma would call this an afternoon snack.

Here is my proposal. First, a line-up shuffle.

The first step involves Alfonso Soriano vacating the lead-off spot for Milton Bradley.

It was the only five days ago when Bradley's OBP was at .360, its highest since April 10 when it was .389. And since no one is going to take on Crazy Uncle Milton's ego or contract, the Cubs are stuck with him until further notice. And I figure, the best way to get his bat going is to get him in a position to see a lot of quality pitches. He owns a career .369 OBP and has gotten on base at a 40 percent clip for each of the last three seasons, drawing a career-best 80 walks last season.

If Bradley can coax a few walks here and there by laying off pitcher's pitches, it could lead to him getting more hitter's pitches to drive to the gaps. And in case you've been living under a rock, Wrigley becomes a hitter's paradise in July and August.

Batting second is Ryan Theriot, for you fanboys who can't get enough of The Riot trying to jack pitches out to left. Maybe, with a guy on base, Theriot, whose OBP is a Soriano-esque .342, will return to slapping the ball to right field ... while occasionally driving an inside pitch to the left-center field gap.

Micah Hoffpauir bats third and plays left. He ranks third on the team with seven home runs and is slugging .467, which ranks second on the team behind only Derrek Lee. Like Theriot, Hoffpauir has a unique group of followers that salivate profusely during each at bat. Let's give him some swing and if he misses, he can return to being a skinny, white version of Daryle Ward.

D-Lee bats fourth. He's not back to 2005 MV-Lee quite yet, but he has proven to be the team's best hitter. Since moving to the No. 4 slot, D-Leezey has been raking. He is hitting .329 with a .413 OBP, slugging .582 and OPSing .996. All of his 11 homers and 32 of his 39 runs batted in have come as the Cubs clean-up man.

Jake Fox bats fifth and plays third. He's got good power, especially to the gaps and has been this year's Geovany Soto. Without the weed smoking, of course.

Finally, we get to the gravy, where somewhere, avid readers of this group will point and laugh with that sh*t-eating "I told you so" look on their faces as I move Alfonso Soriano out of the lead-off spot.

His batting averaged dropped from .280 on May 17 to .235 as of today. It is not as if Soriano can't regain his early-season stroke in the blink of an eye, for Cubs fans have seen this act before. But for the sake of this blog, let's move him to fifth in the order.

I'll concede that his value as a lead-off hitter diminishes a bit when he's not stealing bases. But if he wants to score, he is going to need to steal bases. I'm under the assumption that Soriano has the green light to go whenever he wants. So here is an idea for Sweet Uncle Lou: Throw out the steal sign whenever Soriano gets on first and get those legs in motion. If he refuses to go, Piniella should go Bobby Cox his ass and sit him on the bench right between he and Alan Trammel.

If not, send him home.

Besides, having Soriano running at first is a nice way to keep No. 7 hitter Geovany Soto out of a double play scenario while also maybe moving the infield defense around by opening things up with a little hit and run action.

Kosuke Fukudome bats eigth, where he should draw a lot of walks in front of the pitcher. Pitcher bunts him over (or in Carlos Zambrano's case, drives him in) and the line-up turns over again.

The line-up, again:

1. Milton Bradley, RF
2. Ryan Theriot, SS
   
3. Micah Hoffpauir, LF
   
4. Derrek Lee, 1B
5. Jake Fox, 3B
6. Alfonso Soriano, 2B
7. Geovany Soto, C
8. Kosuke Fukudome, CF
   
9. The Pitcher
   

This is a hybrid model based on Billy Beane's ideology of getting guys with high OBPs on base before the boppers come up. I dont' care about clogging bases or baseball for traditionalists. I hate Joe Morgan, Dusty Baker and bad baseball.

I'm not saying that this will work, but it's worth a shot.

C'mon, this is the same organization that continually trotted out Willie Banks as a starter, Mel Rojas and Antonio Alfonseca as closers and Neifi Perez as an everyday shortstop. What's the worse that can happen?

Ben For Rip? Don't Trip. It Could Happen

What will likely be the last you will see of Ben Gordon in a Bulls uniform.

Ben Gordon has all but punched his ticket out of Chicago, and not because of his play on the court. In fact, one could argue Gordon was the go-to-guy, especially for the four playoff teams he was on while in Chicago.

When Derrick Rose wasn't donning the Superman cape, it was Gordon.

If someone were to ask me for a scouting report for BG7, I would simply say he is a "sticker shooter" ... terminology commonly associated with college basketball shooters that can make shots from the "stickers" (logos) that are found beyond the 3-point stripe.

Skip the Vinny "The Microwave" Johnson analogies, simply put, Gordon is a jump shooter who can drain buckets from all over the court. From the wing. The corner. Top of the arc. When Gordon is open and has the ball, he's going to shoot it and he generally does it well. And while shooting is his biggest strength, it is also his biggest weakness as he can go from "shooter" to "chucker" in a moments notice.

And as good as Gordon is, he isn't great for "great" players are never confused for "chuckers."

I digress.

Gordon looks to be on the verge of heading to the Detroit Pistons once the marketplace officially opens up on July 1. If the rumors are true, Gordon will be getting the long-term contract (to the tune of $11 million per season) he has desperately wanted, but never received from Chicago.

It would be a curious signing for the Pistons (as Bulls.com scribe Sam Smith points out), who would then have a loaded backcourt with Rodney Stuckey, Richard "Rip" Hamilton, Aaron Afflalo and former highly touted Chicago hoopster Will "The Thrill" Bynum.

However, it could make sense if it the Bulls and Pistons could come together on a sign-and-trade deal that would send Hamilton to Chicago and allow Gordon to get max money and a change of scenery he seems to desperately want.

Meanwhile, the Bulls would add the 6-fooy-7-inch Hamilton, who is just as good of a shooter as Gordon while also being a better defender.

And maybe more importantly, Chicago would not be hampered by a lengthy deal, instead the Bulls would have Hamilton's $11.375 million contract comes off the books at the end of the 2009-2010 season just like LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, J.J. Redick and a host of others.

All of whom should be targeted by the Bulls.

Just joking on that J.J. Redick thing, by the way.

Dreams Of A Second Chance: C'mon Kobe, Opt Out And Bring Your Game To The Chi

If I only knew photoshop well enough to put Kobe in a Bulls uni, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

The only way Kobe Bryant could have ignored the comparisons to Michael Jordan would have included going blind and deaf.

Hang time? Check. Fade-away jumper? Check. The undying will to win? Check. Alleged infidelity? Check. Relationship with Phil Jackson? Check. Championship rings? Quadruple check. The only thing missing from Bryant's resume is a stint playing minor league baseball.

And like Jordan, Bryant embraces challenges of all shapes and sizes. So, here, I will propose to Kobe his next challenge.

Opt out of your contract and come to Chicago.

Allow me to point out that Bryant actually exercising his opt-out clause and leaving Los Angeles has odds that are as slim as me dating Erin Andrews on the regular or the Cubs offense showing signs of life.

Now, I understand it would take a lot of contract maneuvering (*cough*LuolDeng*cough*) on the Bulls' part and quite the ploy to lure the NBA's best player, but I have a legit pitch (which does not include any hotel workers) that could bring Bryant to a place he once predicted he would go.

Forwards Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza, who were X-Factors in the Lakers' championship run, will become free agents on July 1st and are unlikely to return unless the Los Angeles front office is willing to turn a blind-eye to the luxury tax fee it would incur if both come back.

Let's be real: Ariza will get dozens upon dozens of brown sacks with green dollar signs on them from some team because of his defensive ability and sharpshooting 3-point eye. Odom should get the same treatment, but maybe this time in the non-descript black briefcase form, as 6-foot-11-inch forwards with unlimited range and post-up moves do not grow on trees.

But it doesn't stop there as Jordan Farmar (restricted) and Derek Fisher (unrestricted) become free agents at the end of next season.

Then there is the case of Phil Jackson, who could do what he did in 1998 all over again, and ride out into the sunset with that elusive 10th ring on his finger.

Sure, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum form a formidable frontcourt duo on paper, but they still carry red flags in their back pockets. Bynum still has yet to put together a full, 82-game season under his belt as he has proven to be brittle in his young NBA career. And call me a hater, but just because Gasol rode Kobe to a title does not necessarily mean the soft label is immediately shed. He still settles for jumpers, and I didn't see him man-up on D-12 much in the Finals.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, a young explosive point guard by the name of Derrick Rose awaits. Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas can serve as frontcourt figures or trade bait, whichever Bryant prefer. Same goes with Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich. With John Salmons and Brad Miller returning as role players next season, adding the world's best player only makes role players better.

Not to mention, the Bulls have a pair of first round picks in which the Bulls could use to draft bench help, or package in an attempt to bring Bryant a superstar sidekick.

Imagine Rose running the break flanked by Bryant on his right, Wayne Ellington on his left ready to spot up for three along with Noah and Thomas crashing the boards.

I think I just wet myself a little. Maybe if Bryant read this, he might, too.

Kobe, your work is done in Los Angeles. But you have some unfinished business in the City of Wind.

Pure Speculation: Tom Glavine Could Fit Cubs Needs

One day after tossing six scoreless innings in a minor league rehab start, the Atlanta Braves released future Hall of Famer Tom Glavine.

The Braves are continuing their youth movement as it will as they will call up golden armed pitching prospect Tommy Hanson, who was the name Padres GM Kevin Towers insisted on getting in return for Jake Peavy. And since Glavine is nearing the age where you see the light at the end of the dugout tunnel (or Roger Clemens' special trainer) Los Bravos were ready to move on.

Last season, the Cubs turned one man's trash (Jim Edmonds) into their hot-hitting, slick fielding center fielder. Much to the chagrin of some Cubs fans (and my favorite Cards fan William F. Leitch) who couldn't put Edmonds' days with the Cardinals behind them, Edmonds was a leadership figure on that ballclub who at this point of the eyar is more healthy than Milton Bradley.

So, should the Cubs be looking to take another risk, this year with Glavine?

I'd say so. It looks as if the Cubs are in desperate need of some veteran know-how and leadership, especially from a pitching point-of-view. And with Carlos Zambrano temper tantrums and Rich Harden's injury concerns always looming, there will always be a need for a quality arm.

(Are you listening Jim Hendry?)

Adding Glavine to the rotation would also allow manager Lou Piniella to add an arm to the bullpen he would actually be willing to use in the form of the 6-foot-7 Sean Marshall.

At press time, the Cubs are deadlocked with the Braves 2-2 in the middle of the ninth and are at the .500 mark with a 25-25 record, and yet, are still only four games out of first place. But no matter how you cut it, being oin fourth place on June 4 is not where the Cubs wanted or expected to be.

If President Obama has taught America anything, is that it doesn't matter who's in charge, gas prices are going to go up ... oh ... and that change is necessary.

Hendry, it's time to do some shuffling. Not down to the donut shop, but to the monstrosity of a roster that you put on the field.

Could 'Turk' Work In Chicago?

He is not Michael Jordan. Nor is he LeBron James. But Hedo Turkoglu, known as the "Turkish Jordan" (which could be comparable to being named the valedictorian of summer school) could be a difference maker in Chicago.

Turkoglu is doing all he can to carry the Orlando Magic into one of the biggest upsets in NBA Playofff history. But this all comes with a price ... a price Magic management might not be able to afford.

Hedo apparently exercised his option to be an unrestricted free agent after this season. New GM Gar Forman needs to make the Bulls a better team.

Am I the only one that sees a match made in heaven?

Adding Turkoglu would allow the Bulls to let Ben Gordon walk away without losing much in the scoring department while adding size. Listed at 6-foot-10 with the ball-handling skills of what Chicago fans might consider the old-school Scottie Pippen "point forward" spot.

At 6-10, Turkoglu can see over most small forwards, and could facilitate moving the 6-foot-6 John Salmons to the two guard slot. In addition to that, Turkoglu could be flexible enough to play the two guard or even the power forward slot in a small-quick line-up.

Obviously, this is all speculation based on the Bulls' need for improvement at that position and the possibility that a player like that is available in the open market. And would probably be contingent on Turkoglu's willingness to come to Chicago and the Bulls' ability to shed the black hole of a contract owned by Luol Deng.

This summer, the Bulls' top priority should be giving star point guard Derrick Rose another option on offense. Preferably one that can score at will and shoot the 3-ball.

And if it's Turk, it just might work.

Stat Boy Presents: Change Cubs Fan Can Believe In

It was lights out for the Cubs almost as soon as Albert Pujols launched a first-inning homer that knocked out the 'I' in Big Mac Land. What can I say? I guess that is The Machine's way to say he is ready to move on from the Mark McGwire Era.

And Stat Boy is eager to move away from the era in which Ryan Freel, Mike Fontenot and Aaron Miles patrol third base.

Once upon a time, Freel was a very valuable utility player who averaged 36 steals and a .367 on-base percentage while playing various positions for the Cincinnati Reds from 2004 to 2006. Since then, Freel has strayed away from stealing bases and has wandered over to Craigslist to steal some hearts as he has 21 steals since his hey-day.

And in addition to his 0-for-3 night at the plate, Freel found a way to do the impossible: Overthrow the giant of a Gold Glove winning first baseman also known as Derrek Lee.

Meanwhile, Fontenot continues to struggle, even though manager Lou Piniella moved him back to his natural position of second base. And Miles has been as effective as Mike Damone's five-point plan.

So it's time to get all fantasy baseball in this bitch and invoke some change Cubs fans can believe in.

Radical Step One is going to a local sports equipment store and buying a new second baseman's mitt for Alfonso Soriano, who is making $16 million this year and probably could afford to buy his own glove. Soriano slugged as a second sacker as he mashed 157 homers, posted an .820 OPS and stole 162 bases as a full-timer from 2001-05.

On the other hand, he committed 105 errors at second base in that time.

But second basemen that average 31 homers, 38 doubles, 32 steals and 90 ribbies don't grow on trees. Sometimes the best defense is an offensive attack that will produce long balls, two-baggers and swiped bags.

Soriano's hop and dart-throwing arm in left field would be gone, but not forgotten. Speaking of dart throwing, remember when Bob Brenly said you could throw a dart in the Cubs dugout and find a better defensive outfielder than Soriano.

If I was throwing the dart, it would have hit Micah Hoffpauir.

The life-long Four-A player is what Daryle Ward would have been had he not eaten the entire post-game spread.

Hoffpauir might as well have his name changed to Hoffpower as he has hit .314 with a .372 OBP to go along with four homers and 14 RBIs ... and in 53 less plate appareances has outperformed the Cubs everyday first baseman, who also has four home runs and 18 runs batted in.

"The Hoff" can play left and put Brenly's prediction to the test. And even if he butchers a ball or two (or two dozen), it will matter less if he keeps slugging at a .557 clip.

And at third base, Bobby Scales, please stand up, grab a glove and head over to the area vacated by Aramis Ramirez.

Scales had more hits in his first week in the big leagues than Fontenot and Miles have combined for in their last 14 games combined.

Hopefully on this road trip the Cubs will find their bats while somehow stranding Fontenot, Miles and Neal Cotts at the San Diego Zoo.