Keeps Getting Stranger

From Richie Sexson playing left field to Kerry Wood as the closer.

According to a team that has spoken with the Cubs, Chicago has at least kicked around the possibility of trying out Kerry Wood as a closer, if they can't obtain one elsewhere.

"You need a closer," Baker said. "Where would the Dodgers be without [Eric] Gagne? Where would the Yankees be without Mariano Rivera? That's mandatory in baseball now if you're going to win."

Baker wasn't asked about moving Wood into that role. But one scout who had heard of that idea said: "That has John Smoltz written all over it."

Atleast Baker knows the closer is important. It is a very sensible approach I believe. It will take some balls to actually name Wood as a closer though.

I believe a rotation can get by with 2-3 excellent starters and the rest average to mediocre at best. You dont need good starters 1-5 in your rotation to win 90-100 games a year. Mark Prior, Carlos Zambrano, and Greg Maddux make a nice 1-3 combination.

And if you really want to get whacky the Cubs could make Wood a closer and pursue the idea of maybing swapping Johnson and Sosa or somehow prying away Tim Hudson from the A's.

If the Cubs deal Sosa to the Mets for Floyd, it's been widely assumed their next move would be to chase Carlos Beltran. But the Cubs have also been exploring other outfield options. And one of them is Twins outfielder Jacque Jones, who could be available if the Twins re-sign Corey Koskie and need to free payroll space.

I love Jaque Jones defense and he has been a decent hitter for his career but his over all numbers are nothing to cry home about. His OBP is not very good, and strikes out a good number of times. For awhile I have been pushing for the Cubs to pry away Shannon Stewart from the Twins. He solves the leadoff problem right away. Jones is just another middle of the order hitter.