I can't see the Cubs competing with the Yankees or Bosox or Angels or Tampa in a world series with the team they now have. And since they don't have much coming up from the farm, i say get rid of the whole team and get a bunch of good prospects to fortify their farm. This will serve two purposes. One, get rid of all the players they have now, since they aren't going to win which they have proven in three straight playoffs. Secondly, they will have a ton of money to sign top free agents and have a good bunch of prospects coming up. If you look up the top 100 prospects i believe the Cubs have one one or two on the list. Come on Ricketts. Give us better hope than we have now. Please. My biological clock is ticking and i don't have much time left. Certainly not another 100 years.

whatever happened to billy petrick did he blow his arm out i see he was released from 40 man roster but no expalnation

The Cubs released Billy Petrick and he just signed a contract to play for an independent league team.

Mike, really lets put an 18 year kid that has not even played over a 100 games in the minors in the majors at first base. Trade Lee who hits for good average. Put Vitters in at first where he has never played before. Get a second baseman when we already have 2 of them.

You know what I think you need to be GM. WILL NEVER LOSE A GAME!!!

Is Vitters gonna be 30(exageration) before hes ready? He is our top prospect, why baby him like we have with all our other top prospects. Give the kid the keys to the car and let him go out there. And a no trade clause doesnt make trades impossible, just makes the options limited. And as far as Lees value, well do you see his value going up from here on out or going down. I see it going down so that makes his value the highest its gonna be. Please tell me its not gonna be 3-5 years before this kid cracks the majors. That just sounds like the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard. If he were to get traded to the Pads for Peavy he wouldnt be in the minors for that much longer. To me it just seems that most positional players dont benefit from longer stints in the minors. He needs to get up to the show and see better pitching and adjust and if hes half the hitter hes supposed to be he will adjust just fine. He can master facing AAA pitching for a couple years but that wont help in the show.

Lee has a no trad clause and not the best value at this time. Also, Vitters is still at least 2 years away, and moste have him 3-5 years away, right as Lee and Aram's contracts are up.

Bobby....You are right on with Lee's contract, he is up after the 2010 season. But most forget the fact Aramis has an opt out in his contract after the 2010 season...2011 is a player option and 2012 is a club option with a $2 million buyout....Aramis can void his contract in 2012 but would not receive the buyout.

With Vitters defensive ability at 3rd not being stellar, any thoughts of moving him to 1st base since ARam is entrenched at 3rd. This would allow us to be able to trade Lee, while his value is still good, to get some bullpen help and maybe a bonafide 2nd baseman.

I have a bad feeling about Z this year. Hope I'm wrong, but I see major arm injury coming.

and I hope the cubs don't trade Vitters.

So what I don't get is why the Shark is rated our #3 prospect. He played well in the majors last year, does that mean that Vitters and Jackson are better than the Shark?

Neil:

In your opinion, what minor league talent evaluating system/rankings is the best?

Jim...I'm a Baseball America guy. I really like their scouting reports.

The one thing about team rankings is that if a bunch of guys have a very good year it all changes. Texas was fourth last year and the Cubs were 20th. They traded a lot of talent and most feel the Cubs strengths are in the lower levels.

The cubs really need to hold onto Vitters. I think Veal makes the roster in Pitt. Although they do have 5 other leftys on the 40 man.

Anyone read the article on rotoauthority about pitching over 3400 pitches in a year? Funny how Z was on it in 07 and struggled in 08. As well as Harang, Zito, Peavy and others who struggled the following year. Dempster was on the list in 08. C.C. was #1 both years. 10 of the 18 on the list had arm problems the following year. I wonder what Wood and Prior's #'s were?