The Chicago Cubs have been inactive since signing Edwin Jackson, Carlos Villanueva and Nate Schierholtz, so what else should they do before the new season starts? Well, it would be awesome if they signed Michael Bourn, but if we’re being realistic, that’s probably not going to happen. But there are several moves that we could, and hopefully will, see before the start of the season.
Move number one: trade Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Marmol. Now, there have been rumors the Cubs could potentially trade one of them to Detroit for Rick Porcello, or both for Porcello and a prospect or two. Although I would love to see this trade happen, I’m not so sure it will get done, and the Cubs may be stuck holding onto either one or both of these overpaid players. But on the bright side, both could play important roles for the North Siders this season: Soriano as a kind of role-model for the young and inexperienced squad, and Marmol as a set-up man for the new closer. Even though most Cubs fans would probably like to see both of these guys in different uniforms this season, I don’t think it is going to happen, at least not until the trade deadline.
Move number two: sign Jeff Samardzija to a long-term deal. In Samardzija’s short, five-year career, he has progressively improved each year, with 2012 being his best season yet as he emerged as a top of the rotation starter. He is still in his prime and hasn’t had any serious injury problems, so why not lock him down long-term? I honestly don’t know why this deal hasn’t happened yet. It seems Samardzija wants to stay in Chicago, and the Cubs still have some extra cash in their pockets to make this happen in the offseason. As a Cubs fan, I really hope this deal gets done before the start of the season.
There are still several more moves I’d like to see happen before opening day, but these are the highest on my wish list, along with signing an experienced, young and viable center fielder like, say, Bourn (a guy can dream right?) So, now all that’s left to do is sit and wait until spring training.