So It Begins

The Cubs are slowly leaving signals of not upgrading the offense again for the 3rd straight year.

With all this uncertainty in the air, it should not come as a shock that Hendry said Monday after signing outfielder Todd Hollandsworth to a one-year contract that he "would be comfortable if the season began tomorrow'' with a starting outfield of Sosa in right, Corey Patterson in center and Hollandsworth and Jason Dubois in left.

I have hoped and prayed for a signing of one of the big three but have always stated the Cubs would let down the fans again and fail to sign either one of them. Ordonez really looks like the only option left. The day Beltran is signed the teams that were after Beltran will immediately turn to Ordonez for their offensive needs and drive up his price. This will automatically knock the Cubs out of contention for his services.

So we watch as another very talented mix of off-season free agents, who fans and the Cubs have expressed interest in, never end up signing with the Cubs. Beltran has not even visited with any one with the Cubs yet, and probably never will just like Pudge. Lots of talk but no action in the Cubs front office.

It could be worse Todd Hollandsworth could get a ton of AB's in LF.

"Jim and I had some extended talks on the subject," Hollandsworth said. "Basically, it will be good to get back out there and get 350, 400 or 500 at-bats or however many I get. But they weren't going to say, "This is your defined role, and you're our guy in left field."

Hollandsworth is expecting to go in as the primary starter in LF. Which shows he is not to worried about the Cubs bringing in a replacement. In the end the Cubs always have an excuse not to get the impact players they need. When Beltran and Ordonez are gone, the off-season is over. Two players left to make or break the off-season Hendry. Tick Tock Tick Tock.