The Winter Meetings: What will the Cubs be doing?

Gentlemen, start your engines!!!

Well, today starts the big Winter Meetings in Indianapolis. It's actually interesting to hear about all the different management folk as well as players and agents that show up for these meetings.

For the Cubs, most of their attention will be focused on outfielders this week.

First off there is the never ending soap opera that is Milton Bradley. Repeatedly we have heard that there are three teams interested in trading for him.

The top contender right now appears to be the Tampa Bay Rays. They, of course, want the Cubs to pay a significant slice of that salary still owed to Bradley. And I'm not sure what they have that the Cubs really would accept in return for Milton besides a bag of oranges.

Another team that appears to have some interest in Bradley is the Texas Rangers. Again, they would want the Cubs pay a big part of that salary. A name like pitcher Kevin Millwood has been passed around as the other player involved in such a trade.

It's a bit of a mystery as to who the third team is....but I'll say it's Baltimore. Why Baltimore? No reason outside of the fact that they always seem to take our trash from us. And maybe they'll pay for most of Bradley's salary!

So, with that said, what else could the Cubs be looking at during this week?

Well, assuming Bradley is traded, the Cubs will need a new outfielder...likely a center fielder. The list:

Via free agency...
Marlon Byrd
Mike Cameron
Juan Pierre (my goodness, no! Phil Rogers started that rumor.)
Rick Ankiel
Scott Podsednik

Via trade...
Pat Burrell (but not in center field)
Curtis Granderson

Off that list, Cameron or Byrd seem most likely. But you never know about Jim Hendry...and we really have to wonder how much the Cubs can spend on anyone. The whispers out there say that once Bradley is gone, the Cubs will open negotiations with Cameron.


One other thing to watch for this week is the possibility that the Cubs might try to pick up another starting pitcher. With Ted Lilly's status uncertain for the beginning of the season, could the Cubs take a chance on signing someone like Ben Sheets? Sheets, who missed all of 2009, could be priced too high for the Cubs, though.

Finally, as for acquisitions, the Cubs may look to try to fill a utility spot on the infield now that Aaron Miles and Jake Fox are both gone. That might be Luis Castillo and that could happen in a three way trade involving Milton Bradley,with Pat Burrell being sent to the Mets...but the Mets might not want Burrell,who really can't field worth a damn.

So, outside of Bradley, would the Cubs be willing to trade any other players? It doesn't look like it. The Cubs have a ton of back weighted contracts and would have very few takers for any of their players. Derrek Lee has the most trade value right now, but it looks like the Cubs are starting to talk contract extension with him (his contract runs out after this season). As I said last week, Ryan Theriot (who turns 30 today!) might be the odd man out as Starlin Castro nears taking over at shortstop.

But really, the 2009 Cubs are probably, in the end, going to look a lot like the 2007 Cubs...minus Kerry Wood and Mark DeRosa. They'll just be older. Outside of a Bradley trade and a new center fielder, don't look for the Cubs to make too many other moves this week.