For instance, his production from 2007 to 2009 looks a little something like this:

2007   .264 AVG/.386 OBP (101 walks)/40 home runs

2008   .236 AVG/.386 OBP (122 walks)/40 home runs

2009   .267 AVG/.398 OBP (116 walks)/38 home runs

The common thought is imagining what those numbers would look like if he played 81 games in the quite power-friendly confines of Wrigley Field. It's a thought that "Ballhawks" on Waveland Avenue can't help but smile about.

The likelihood of Dunn wearing the blue pinstripes next season seems to be multiplying every day. He made a very vocal campaign for the Cubs to sign him before the 2009 season to no avail, and as Gordon Wittenmyer is reporting, he is seemingly doing the same thing again.

On top of all the praise Dunn is extending toward Cubs management and Wrigley Field itself, the team experiment of placing rookie Tyler Colvin at first base has come to a screeching halt. It is definitely for the best even if the Cubs weren't getting Dunn, as Colvin is absolutely less valuable at first base.

The 24-year-old would almost assuredly struggle defensively in the transition, and Colvin already needs to make some serious adjustments to his offensive game if he's going to make it as a starter. The combination could be terrible and is better left unseen.

Interim manager Mike Quade has all but ruled Colvin out at the position. If he keeps making smart moves like that then he may not be a bad option to helm the club in 2011. Food for thought.

Whatever the motivation for the Cubs not locking down the first base position, Dunn is the beneficiary. The 6'6'' slugger has already ruled out the American league, and re-signing with the Nationals doesn't seem reasonable. The talk is hot right now, so let's hope it continues that way until the Cubs reel him in. A four-year deal worth $50 million would be right at market value, if not a little on the cheap side.

Dunn's athleticism may leave some fans with a bad taste in their mouths, but the man's effort and attitude toward the game is everything you want in big free-agent signing. Any defensive shortcomings are made up for threefold on the offensive side of the game.

He's also remained virtually injury-free his entire career, and is only turning 31 this November. He would be a savvy-signing for a team in transition, giving the team an offensive threat to be constantly feared throughout the Majors (something the team obviously lacked in 2010).

I won't accept the high strike-out rate argument for a second. When you walk over 100 times a season and you're putting up a slugging percentage higher than .525 every single year, the strike-out rate is hardly a liability whatsoever. There is literally no case for it being a problem, but I'm sure if and when the Cubs make their move on him, we will be hearing some brilliant commentary about it on Chicago talk radio. I'm sure I will be calling in to try to nip some of the ignorance in the bud.

The Cubs have to face the fact that their black hole at first base cannot be filled by a Micah Hoffpauir, and they really need to pony up the cash. Signing Dunn will not reverse the tides of misfortune on the North-side, but it's a definite step in the right direction.

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There really is no way to sugar-coat it.

Randy Wells has pitched like absolute garbage over his last eight starts and is on his way to a plainly pathetic sophomore season in the majors. The guy is the not-so-proud owner of a 5.15 ERA on the year.

As some fans know, Wells came from out of the blue to have a startling rookie campaign, which saw him post a 3.10 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP. Many were skeptical that he could repeat his success, because he was a 27-year-old who had been a sub-par minor league pitcher virtually his entire career

Looks like the doubters had him pegged.

In these last eight starts, Wells has posted an ugly 6.56 ERA and took the loss in five of the appearances.

As has been mentioned ad nauseum, his greatest struggles are at the beginning of games. In his first 15 pitches of his starts, opponents are crushing him to the tune of a .365 batting average and an .865 OPS.

Yikes, to say the least.

And a mighty fall from grace for sure. Some fans saw Wells as a Mark Buerhle-type who could be counted on to be a No. 2 starter in Chicago's rotation.

And while Lou and Larry Rothschild have been working hard to help Wells find the  success he had last season, it has apparently been to no avail.

When it comes down to it, Wells looks more and more like a one-year wonder, rather than a guy you can count on to be anything more than a back-end rotation guy.

As much as I personally like him, if he continues to get blasted by major leaguers, he won't have his rotation spot much longer.

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After long-exploring multiple trade and free agent options, the Chicago Cubs finally decided to sign 32-year old Marlon Byrd. Bruce Levine of ESPN reports that it will be a three-year contract worth $15 million.

Byrd didn't hit his stride offensively until reaching Texas, having struggled previously in Washington and Philadelphia. Things changed when he became a Texas Ranger though.

Over the last three years, Byrd has hit .295 with a .352 on-base percentage. His OPS over this span has been well above average, resting at .820.

Some would worry his offensive production is a large result of playing in the offense-friendly Arlington Park, but there may be very little to this issue now that he's moving to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. The two parks offer an almost identical offensive advantage to the hitter, so the effects of transferring fields should be minimal.

Byrd has been under the tutelage of hitter instructor Rudy Jaramillo while playing for the Rangers, and he's fortunate enough to be able to work with him in Chicago as well. Jaramillo was signed to be the hitting coach on the north side back in October, and Byrd should definitely be a large benefactor of his presence.

Byrd is just a middle-of-the-road defensive center fielder. As long as he can replicate his offensive success of the past three seasons, his mediocre defense would be more than acceptable.

Obviously, the Cubs are coming off a very poor return on their past ex-Ranger investment in Milton Bradley, but this should be no reason to worry about Byrd. He has never been a clubhouse problem, and one would hope that this doesn't change in Chicago.

Byrd is not a star, and he's not great at anything. All the Cubs are asking for is that he can continue to do exactly what he's been doing in Texas.

There really weren't too many other reasonable options for Hendry when Curtis Granderson was moved and Mike Cameron was signed. Scott Podsednik is a terrible defender, and is wildly inconsistent offensively. Rick Ankiel, another sub-par defensive player, is very injury-prone. By and large, Byrd was the best move of the remaining choices.

Cubs fans have been burnt with recent free agent and trade acquisitions, but let's all try to approach the Byrd-signing with positivity, which is not exactly a feeling the Cubbie faithful are used to.

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Kelly Johnson, the versatile 27-year-old, has just been told by Atlanta he will not be tendered a deal for the upcoming season.

Not many Brave fans would have expected such a sudden loss of faith in the second baseman after two quality seasons in 2007 and 2008. The young man hit 16 home runs in 2007 while putting up a sterling .375 on-base percentage for the season.

Yet in 2009, Johnson battled injuries while also undergoing a season-long slump. He finished this past season batting .224 with a lowly .692 OPS. The Braves feel safe letting go of him because they have the young infielder Martin Prado to replace him.

The Cubs come into play predominantly because of their “black hole” at second base. Mike Fontenot , Aaron Miles , and Andres Blanco had absolutely no offensive game to speak of. Jeff Baker was lightning-in-a-bottle at the plate last year, but many doubt that the Cubs are content giving him the starting position. Baker would be much better in a role on the bench, where he has spent his entire career thus far.

Kelly Johnson would be a sub-par defender at second base, but his potential offense massively outweighs any of those shortcomings. He will be a very cheap, low-risk signing with very high reward possibility. If healthy, he can definitely replicate his past success.

Honestly, there is no way that Johnson would be worse than what the Cubs threw out at second base last season. As an organization, they would regret missing out on this move.

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The latest news on the Chicago Cubs search for a center fielder is revolving around signing Mike Cameron in the near future.

Cameron, who will be 37 years old at the start of the 2010 season, remains an elite defender in the outfield. Offensively, he really is a hallmark of consistency. 

Cameron is annually a reliable run producer; the past three seasons he’s also hit 21 or more home runs while averaging a mediocre, albeit acceptable, .330 OBP.

Some people complain about his lower batting average and higher strikeout totals, but they are rendered almost meaningless if he’s getting on base acceptably and hitting with his normal power.

When recently asked about Mike Cameron, Lou Piniella replied simply that he loved the guy.

Cameron likely won’t be signed until Milton Bradley is moved in an eventual trade. With Bradley heading out, it allows Fukudome to return to right field, the position where he was an elite defender on the North Side in 2008. Having Cameron and Fukudome manning two-thirds of the outfield would be a top-notch defensive situation.

The Brewers paid Cameron $10 million this past season, but with the market the way it is and factoring in Cameron’s age, he could get a two-year deal averaging around $8 million.

Curtis Granderon is still on the minds of the Cubs, but it seems that no team will make a move for him until the Tigers drop their high trade demands. Rumors have also linked the Cubs to free agent center fielders Marlon Byrd and Rick Ankiel.

If Cameron brings his top-of-the-line defense, consistent offensive production, and quality character to Chicago, I’m sure the organization would be very happy with his signing.

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