Rizzo was the highest ranked amongst the first basemen, with Mayo listing him as the No. 1 first-base prospect in baseball. Rizzo was acquired on Jan. 6, along with minor-league starter Zach Cates, in exchange for Andrew Cashner and minor-league outfielder Kyung Min-Na.

Rizzo, 22, is in his third organization—all of which have seen Jed Hoyer in a major front-office role. Rizzo struggled in his call-up in 2010, but his potential is anything but lost. His athleticism, quality defense and left-handed power still have lots of intrigue.

Much like his new teammate, Tony Campana, Rizzo has survived lymphoma (though the two had different varieties of the disease). His push to survive is an inspiration, and his potential to be the best first baseman the Cubs have developed since Mark Grace is intriguing to Cub fans worldwide.

Also checking in on Mayo's list was 2011 second-round draftee Dan Vogelbach, who ranked 10th on Mayo's list of first basemen.

Vogelbach was thought to be a potential supplemental first-round pick in 2011. However, he fell to the second round, where the Cubs grabbed him and paid him a well-over-slot bonus, reportedly of $1.6 million.

In many ways, Vogelbach is very much like Prince Fielder. Both are portly first basemen who throw right-handed, hit left-handed and have enough power to send a hanging changeup into another zip code. Reports are that Vogelbach has shed some weight for his first pro season.

A high-school draftee, Vogelbach is still multiple seasons away from the big leagues. While Rizzo easily has the title of First Baseman of the Future for the Cubs, there are a lot worse fallback options than Vogelbach. At the least, either one could net a massive trade return after a couple seasons of further development.

The third Cub to make Mayo's list is outfielder Brett Jackson, who ranked fifth on Mayo's list of outfielders. The 23-year-old outfielder moved up a slot from his No. 6 ranking heading into 2011.

The 2009 first-round draft pick did vastly better after being called up to AAA Iowa from AA Tennessee in 2011. Jackson is seen as a complete—if imperfect—player. His strikeout rate may raise issues, but his ability to hit for contact and power intrigue at the plate. Add in his above-average speed, range and arm, and Jackson looks to be a solid MLB player—though likely not a superstar.

While many clamored for Jackson's call-up in Sept. 2011, acting GM Randy Bush had no interest in doing this. The Cubs were well out of the playoff picture, and it was in Jackson's best long-term interest to continue to develop as a player rather than be rushed. New GM Jed Hoyer and president of baseball operations Theo Epstein seem to share this view.

2011 first rounder Javier Baez came in eighth for the list of top shortstops. Baez signed at the last minute in 2011, garnering a $2.65 million signing bonus. Considered a very complete prep player, Baez will look to make a name for himself in the Cubs system in 2012, along with Vogelbach.

Some scouts project Baez's big frame and bat to shift him over to third base in the long run. However, much of the same comparisons have been made with Junior Lake, and Josh Vitters is still in the system, so something will have to give. Vitters has worked at first base and in the corner outfield spots recently.

Most likely, though, is a highly exciting infield around 2015 or so of Baez, Lake, Castro, and Rizzo, with Jackson, Matt Sczcur, and hopefully a polished Vitters in the outfield.

While there are still many holes to be filled, the Cubs' farm system does at least offer a few shimmers of hope of a brighter future.

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In 2011, the Cubs acquired Lopez from the Braves AAA affiliate for struggling minor league left handed pitcher Ryan Butcher, who had been previously acquired from the Nationals in a minor league swap for Matt Avery. Butcher seemed to slowly figure things out in the Braves system in 2011.

Lopez, meanwhile, came up to the Cubs and pitched admirably, posting what wound up being tied for his third lowest season ERA of his career at 4.42, starting 16 games and relieving in 10 more, totaling 97 2/3 innings. While not impressive, Lopez did help plug a hole on the sinking ship that was the Cubs 2011 rotation.

Lopez's split contract will pay him $235,000 in the minor leagues and $900,000 in the major leagues, tweets ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine.

Added to the moves to acquire Travis Wood, Andy Sonnanstaine, Chris Volstad and Paul Maholm, the Cubs look to have a bona fide battle for rotation spots in the spring. Those four, along with incumbent Cubs Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Casey Coleman, Jeff Samardzija and even possibly a few prospects in Robert Whitenack, Jay Jackson and maybe even Trey McNutt, should guarantee the Cubs plenty of competent major league starting options.

In 2011's spring training, the Cubs seemed to have starting pitching depth, but it vanished by April 10th. When Braden Looper didn't break camp, he retired. Todd Wellemeyer also called it a career after being sent to AAA Iowa. When fourth starter Randy Wells and fifth starter Andrew Cashner went down after only making one start each, the fallacy of that so-called depth was brought to light.

Lopez may not be the sexiest acquisition, but he's a solid minor-league signing. While no team plans on having major injuries, the starting rotation could currently suffer multiple major blows and still perform competently.

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Starting with the still well-known poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon," the Cubs have often inspired creativity in many various forms.

While many were likely lost to time, here is a list of the top five songs written about the Chicago Cubs.

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The first was new manager Dale Sveum being asked once again about the possibility of Prince Fielder to the Cubs.

Sveum, keeping in line with his various quotes throughout the winter, stated once more that the Cubs have not had serious discussions with Prince Fielder, and that Fielder will not become a Cub.

Sveum's exact quote was: "It's just not going to happen. We have Bryan LaHair and Rizzo waiting in the wings."

Sveum's constant quotes go against a report by ESPN's Jayson Stark that the Cubs may still be in it for Fielder, but only on their terms. However, it's looking more and more like the Cubs signing Fielder on "their terms" may mean a contract not unlike one given to an aging utility player.

Part of Theo's interview/Q&A session with fans addressed the trade of Andrew Cashner for Anthony Rizzo.

In the interview, Theo said that the Cubs saw Cashner's "best role ultimately was going to be as a relief pitcher", and that "Anthony Rizzo has a chance to be a middle-of-the-order, power-hitting left-handed first baseman who plays good defense."

In addition to filling a clear void for the future of the Cubs, Rizzo offers the potential to "add to that core to build around," to again quote Epstein's interview.

In a separate Q&A session, manager Dale Sveum, GM Jed Hoyer, and Assistant GM Randy Bush addressed Cub fans.

Sveum said of current starting first baseman Bryan LaHair's 2011 season "[he] hit 38 home runs in AAA last season, and I don't care where you hit 38 home runs, you're a pretty good hitter."

Sveum also praised new third baseman Ian Stewart's athleticism and power, and the front office's work on retooling the major league roster.

New GM Jed Hoyer criticized the Miami Marlins' boom and bust style of team building:

"The Florida Marlins style of making the playoffs and winning the World Series every time they do it, that's not really one to follow." Hoyer went on to reiterate the new mantra of being a constant contender and eventually winning the World Series.

Assistant GM Randy Bush, a holdover from the Hendry era, praised the efforts of Hoyer and Epstein since taking over, saying that the two "have made everyone feel comfortable, that they're a part of the process, that they can be a part of the vision going forward, and it really has energized the whole process."

The final piece of news was the announcement that the Cubs will be adding a patio in right field.

The patio is slated to hold 150 people, and will tentatively be either rented as a whole, or in three separate 50-person sections. The patio will take over the reserved seating area in right field, and not any areas of actual bleachers.

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New President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein received a rousing ovation from the crowd in his first fan-oriented appearance since taking over in October. His reaction was only topped by the news that Kerry Wood had been re-signed. Wood then emerged from behind a blue curtain to welcome the rowdy fans.

Wood's new deal will pay him $3 million in 2012, with a team option for 2013, also at $3 million. No buyout was reported as part of his new contract. While it's a significant raise from his 2011 salary of $1.5 million, Wood again left potential higher money on the table to stick with the Cubs. CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salsbury wrote that Wood was seeking $4 million a year.

Much like last year, when he turned down offers from the Red Sox and White Sox that would have paid him a $5 million salary, Wood took the lesser money to stay a Cub.

Wood was pushed out the door after the  2008 season, when the Cubs acquired Kevin Gregg from the Marlins for Jose Ceda. Ceda had previously been acquired from the Padres for Todd Walker.

At the time, then-GM Jim Hendry said, "Kerry is certainly deserving of a three- or four-year contract." Speculation and rumors at the time were that Wood was willing to accept a one-year deal to stay a Cub. With the failure of Kevin Gregg at closer, one has to wonder if that would have been the right move.

Coming back into the fold for 2011, Wood was promised a post-playing career position with the Cubs, according to ESPNChicago's Bruce Levine. The job, rumored to be as a broadcaster, would seemingly stay intact with Wood's new contract agreement.

Also of note on Friday were two reports from ESPN.

The first, from Jayson Stark, stated that the Cubs may still be in the bidding for Prince Fielder. Even with the acquisition of top first base prospect Anthony Rizzo, the Cubs still have a lot of room in the 2012 budget, and Scott Boras could agree on a deal with the Cubs for Fielder on the Cubs' terms.

With Rizzo waiting in the wings, the deal would presumably be for no more than three years with a very high annual salary. While this may go against what Boras wants for Fielder, it may wind up leading to Prince making more money by the end of his career. Signing a short-term contract in Chicago could put him in place for a 10-year deal in a couple of years, when more teams will have openings at first base and cash to spend.

The second report, from Levine stated that Alfonso Soriano has reiterated his willingness to waive his no-trade clause. The catch is that Soriano will only waive this to join a contender, so any chance of flipping him to Baltimore for Brian Roberts has been crushed.

The Yankees are one possibility for Soriano. His old team could send the Cubs a mid-level prospect for Soriano, assuming the Cubs eat the vast majority of his contract. Soriano would slide in at DH, with his contract expiring just in time for the Bronx Bombers to shift Alex Rodriguez into that slot.

Another possibility for Soriano is the Texas Rangers. Assuming they come to terms with Japanese pitching sensation Yu Darvish, it'd seem highly unlikely that the Rangers sign Fielder, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi on Twitter. With that in mind, the Rangers seem to potentially be in the market for another big bat to add to their high-powered offense. Soriano could take over at DH and see his numbers rise in the hitters paradise that is The Ballpark At Arlington.

My personal dark horse pick for where Soriano will land is the Tampa Bay Rays. As I wrote back in December, Soriano could provide cost-controlled power and speed for the offensively starved Rays. While Soriano wouldn't net the return of someone like Alex Cobb from the Rays' system, he could bring in a solid starting prospect, which is what the Epstein and Hoyer regime seems to be all about.

In a final, smaller move, the Cubs have reportedly signed utility man Alfredo Amezaga to a minor league contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports via Twitter. Presumably Amezaga will get an invitation to Major League camp, but will provide depth and insurance at Triple-A Iowa.

All in all, a very interesting first day of the Cubs Convention. More is sure to come over the next two days of the convention, and the month and a half until spring training.

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Presumably, the gem of the offer would be Tigers top prospect Jacob Turner, who would easily become the Cubs' top starting prospect. Turner, who made his MLB debut with the Tigers this season, is considered to have ace potential, something the Cubs desperately lack. Maybe youngster Dillon Maples has it in him, but he's still a few years away, and high school arms are always a wild card.

The 20-year-old Turner made his MLB debut this season, making three starts: July 30th against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, September 1st against the Kansas City Royals and September 22nd against the Baltimore Orioles. The call-ups came quickly for Turner, who was the ninth overall pick of the 2009 draft.

Between AA and AAA in 2011, Turner went a combined 4-5 with a 3.44 ERA in 131 innings and logged in 20 starts (17 at AA, three at AAA). His success in the minors (he also pitched well at two levels in 2010, splitting time between A and High-A ball) warranted his call-up.

Turner's first career MLB start was admittedly solid. Matching up against the Angels' Dan Haren, Turner pitched well, but took the loss. Just two months after his 20th birthday, Turner went 5 1/3 innings against the Angels, giving up three hits, two runs (both earned) three walks and struck out six. He threw 57 of his 96 pitches for strikes. The Tigers would lose that game, 5-1. While solid, Turner's services were no longer needed by the Tigers at the MLB level, and he was returned to the minor leagues.

In September, Turner made two more starts, but with far less success than his debut. On September 1st, Turner took the ball against the Royals. He only lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up seven hits and six runs (all earned) while walking none  and striking out two. Turner threw 52 of his 81 pitches for strikes.While getting a no decision, the Tigers lost 11-8.

September 22nd treated Turner no better as he lasted only three innings against the Orioles, giving up seven hits and five runs (four earned), without registering a walk or a strikeout. Turner threw 36 of his 64 pitches for strikes.

It's easy to speculate that Turner's September struggles were the simple result of fatigue on the youngster. Only a second-year pro, Turner saw his innings jump from 115 1/3 in 2010 to a total of 143 2/3 innings in 2011. Not much should be made of his September scuffling, as he's still only 20 and a top prospect rising up the charts.

As far as I can tell, Turner simply has to be included in any deal for the Cubs to send Garza to Detroit. The term "overwhelmed" was first reported by CBS Sports's Jon Heyman on Twitter, and has since become the accepting and prevailing logic in regards to Garza's availability.

Garza posted career lows in ERA (3.32) and HR/9 (0.6), complementing his other stats, all of which were solid. The only numbers that weren't great for Garza in 2011 was his win-loss record, though the bullpen's struggles when Garza was in line for a win and the Cubs' inability to hit behind him was well documented in 2011. A 10-10 record is not bad on a team that finished 20 games below .500.

While Turner is definitely a top prospect, he still wouldn't be all the Cubs would need to move Garza. The Tigers seem unwilling to move fellow top prospect third baseman Nick Castellanos, though this shouldn't be a roadblock to the deal. The Cubs have Ian Stewart in place to start at third for the next couple of years. Josh Vitters' stock may have taken a tumble the last couple of seasons, but he's still seen as a solid prospect even though he's taking longer than had been hoped to develop (a risk that comes with all high school draftees). Factor in Junior Lake's projected move to third, and the Cubs should be alright at the hot corner.

The Cubs could, however, realistically ask for one of Detroit's intriguing left-handed starters, as Andy Oliver, Casey Crosby and Drew Smyly all rank in the Tigers' Top 10 prospects, according to MLB.com. Oliver has seen the show, and probably wouldn't be packaged with Turner. Smyly is a softer tossing left-hander, which the Cubs already look to have two of with the recently-signed Paul Maholm, and Travis Wood, who was acquired in the trade for Sean Marshall.

This leaves Casey Crosby. Crosby, 23, has battled arm injuries in the past, missing out on the 2008 season due to to Tommy John surgery, and had all but three appearances in 2010 because of an elbow injury. However, the 2007 fifth rounder is still considered to have front-of-the-rotation stuff, simply needing the time to refine his craft. Already having lost two seasons to arm injuries, Crosby seems like the perfect candidate for a change of scenery. He was simply okay in AA Erie in 2011, going 9-7 with a 4.10 ERA over 25 starts, logging 131 2/3 innings.

Crosby is also a Chicagoland native, hailing from Elburn, IL and pitched for Kaneland High School, where he won the Illinois Gatorade Player Of The Year in 2007. While it's hard to judge whether he'd be a Cubs or White Sox fan having pitched so far from the city limits of Chicago, it's not hard to say that the potential to play as close to home as he could get would be an added motivator for the young lefty. With a mid-90's fastball, a nasty curve and a developing changeup, Crosby could find himself in the Cubs' rotation by 2014.

Even if the Tigers were to offer Turner with Crosby, it still likely wouldn't be quite enough to sway Hoyer and Epstein to move Garza. However, the Tigers could offer a couple of farther-off prospects, preferably an outfielder or two with potential not unlike Ronald Torreyes, the wild card of the Marshall trade.

While it may seem like the Tigers are giving up far too much for Garza, his value to them would be sky-high. I'm sure Jim Leyland and Dave Dombrowski would love to see Doug Fister continue to post his miraculous numbers ever since the Tigers acquired him from Seattle (8-1, 1.79 ERA). However, the reality is that he probably won't.

The Tigers are looking at the real possibility of A.L. MVP and Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander having the only ERA under 4.00 on their team. Garza would easily slot into their No. 2 rotation spot, and offer a more solid rotation bridge between Verlander and the likes of Fister, Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer.

If the Cubs can get great value for Garza, it'd be worth it. While Hendry gave up a lot to acquire Garza, his 2011 campaign only increased his value, and could net the Cubs a few major pieces of the team that eventually lets all us Cub fans die happy.

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While not the sexiest of remaining names, Maholm was ranked as MLBTradeRumors.com's top remaining ground-ball starter on the market.  Maholm, 29, has spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who drafted him eighth overall in 2003.  He was picked right after Orioles right fielder Nick Markakis, and right before now-White Sox starter John Danks. 

In Maholm, the Cubs would satisfy some pitching needs. 

Throughout his career, Maholm has shown a strong ability to induce ground balls.  For his career, his ratio of ground balls to fly balls is 1.12:1; the MLB average is 0.8:1. 

His ERA hasn't always reflected this, but some of that is owed to the poor Pirates team behind him.  Batters have posted a .314 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) against Maholm, which is 15 points higher than the .299 MLB average.

Maholm can also pitch relatively deep into a game. 

While he's only crossed the 200-inning mark once—206.1 innings in 2008—he's averaged 6.2 innings per start in his career, which is above the MLB average of 5.98.  Based on his career averages, if Maholm were to get 34 starts, he would log 210 innings. 

Notwithstanding the potential move to Wrigley, pitching in front of a defensively solid infield of Ian Stewart (3B), Starlin Castro (SS), Darwin Barney (2B) and Bryan LaHair (1B) should help Maholm's numbers. 

Factoring in the outfield of David DeJesus (RF), Marlon Byrd (CF) and whoever the Cubs stick in left once they (hopefully) deal Alfonso Soriano, Maholm's numbers should improve.

The Cubs' 40-man roster is currently full, so signing Maholm would mean having to drop or trade another player.  Soriano has drawn some interest, according to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman on Twitter.  Trading Soriano and upgrading the rotation would be further positive moves in a line of already solid moves made by the Cubs' new front office.

Furthermore, by snagging Maholm from the Pirates, the Cubs would be weakening an NL Central division rival.  Maholm's 3.66 ERA was second-best on the 2011 Pirates, behind only breakout starter Jeff Karstens's 3.38 mark.

Coming off a three-year, $13.75 million extension he signed following his solid 2008 campaign (9-9; 3.71 ERA; 206.1 innings; 31 starts), Maholm should be in line to make some decent money. 

His 2011 numbers were somewhat comparable to 2008 (6-14; 3.66 ERA; 162.1 innings; 26 starts), so a modest raise could be in order.

For a team whose starting-pitching struggles were well documented in 2011, Maholm should be a solid upgrade.

UPDATE: The Cubs officially announced the signing. Maholm will make $4.25 million in 2012, with a $6.5 million option for 2013, or a $500k buyout. No corresponding 40 man roster move has been made yet.

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They sent young right-hander Andrew Cashner and minor-league outfielder Kyung-Min Na to the San Diego Padres for top first-base prospect Anthony Rizzo and minor-league starter Zach Cates.

On the surface, the trade seems fairly balanced. In Rizzo, the Cubs get the top-ranked first-base prospect in baseball. In Cashner, the Padres get a major-league-ready starter who can slot either into their rotation or as a late-inning reliever.

Add in players who had moderate success at the same level, and are within a year of each other, and it seems to be a rather balanced trade: each side getting a position player, and a pitcher.

However, there's much more than this to these trades.

Cashner is already 25 and has only logged two MLB seasons after being drafted in the first round in 2008. The former TCU closer struggled as a reliever in 2010, but was named the fifth starter in 2011, a role which he filled once.

While his lone start was strong, he went down with an injury to his throwing shoulder, was out for five months and came back as a reliever.

During that extended DL trip, the Cubs saw two things happen.

First, the rotation seemingly fell apart, as guys like Doug Davis and Rodrigo Lopez were asked to fill the void.

Second, Jeff Samardzija, who was out of options and seemingly on his last legs in Chicago, finally put everything together and had a great campaign.

Initially a long/middle reliever, Samardzija finished the season throwing in high-leverage, late-inning spots—and succeeding. Samardzija finished the 2011 season at 8-4 with a 2.97 ERA in 75 games, logging 88 innings.

Samardzija has never hidden his desire to start, though his numbers as a starter were awful when he was given his handful of chances in 2009 and 2010. However, his ERA those seasons was 7.53 and 8.38, respectively, so he was pretty bad whenever he stepped on the mound.

The former top-flight Notre Dame wide receiver seemingly put everything together last season.

Whether it was a combination of maturity, seasoning (he didn't start pitching until college, and even then it was more an offseason hobby while football was out) or now-former pitching coach Mark Riggins, Samardzija finally established himself as a true MLB pitcher.

The ability to make Cashner expendable is mirrored on San Diego's side, as Rizzo became a trade chip when the Reds got Yonder Alonso and others for Mat Latos.

While the Reds did try Alonso at third base and the outfield, it was obvious he was a major-league-ready first baseman, and would be entrenched there for years to come.

Zach Cates, the 22-year-old starter acquired by the Cubs, went 4-10 with a 4.73 ERA, logging 118 innings over 25 starts in 2011 at A-ball. Cates, a third-round draft pick of the Padres in 2010, signed well over slot for $765,00, while the MLB recommended slot bonus for the third round was $380,700 that year.

His stock did take a dip with his poor showing in 2011, but the potential is all still there. The pitcher-turned-catcher-turned-pitcher still has a quality fastball and will look to hone in his control—53 walks over 118 innings doesn't bode well.

Going to the Padres is South Korean outfielder Kyung-Min Na. The 20-year-old Na has played all three outfield positions in the Cubs minor-league system.

Despite having issues hitting for average, his career on-base percentage sits nearly 100 points higher than his batting average (.244 batting average, .335 on-base percentage), which bodes well. Both Na and Cates may or may not ever see their new organization's 40-man roster.

GM Jed Hoyer has now acquired Rizzo twice, and President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein has now done deals involving Rizzo twice.

The team likes his combination of skills: hitting for contact, hitting for power, getting on base and solid defense. There's an obvious familiarity. Hoyer said to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat that Rizzo will "most likely" start the year as the everyday first baseman for the AAA Iowa Cubs, and that Bryan LaHair will still be the Cubs' starting first baseman.

Furthermore, this once and for all will kill the rumors of Prince Fielder to the Cubs. The front office is happy with LaHair at first until Rizzo can step up. There would be no point in signing Fielder now.

While this deal likely would have been thought about long and hard had Samardzija not had his breakout 2011 campaign, his success surely made it easier to deal Cashner.

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The trade of Chicago's would-be ace to Miami started once the Marlins snagged Ozzie Guillen from the White Sox for two of their top prospects. Yet another piece of the Hendry regime has been sent packing, with a large chunk of cash, for young starter Chris Volstad.

The trade closes a question mark for the rotation after the 2012 season. Unless Matt Garza is traded, the only projected member of the Cubs' rotation that will be a free agent this time next year is Ryan Dempster. Garza is set to hit free agency after 2013, Travis Wood after 2016, Randy Wells after 2014, Andrew Cashner after 2016, Jeff Samardzija after 2015 and now Volstad, who shouldn't hit free agency until after 2014. Suddenly, what was a position of long-term weakness is now a position of potential long-term depth.

In Garza, the Cubs have an established, top-of-the-rotation pitcher. Cashner and Samardzija are seemingly in the same boat: unproven as starters, amazing relievers and both want a shot to start. Both offer the potential of top-end power pitcher stuff. Wood, acquired from Cincy with two prospects for Sean Marshall, looks to be a mid-rotation lefty. Randy Wells is a back-end starter with a bit of upside, though, he'll most likely never ascend past a fourth starter's role.

Volstad provides the Cubs with a durable, young starter with three full seasons of team control. A ground-ball pitcher, the 25-year-old Volstad seemingly is the perfect change-of-scenery player. Volstad went 5-13 with a 4.89 ERA, logging 165.2 innings over 29 starts. The 2005 first-rounder never seemed to ascend past a back-end starter role, despite a stellar partial season in 2008 (6-4, 2.88 ERA, 14 starts and one relief appearance).

Sorting out the Cubs' rotation for 2012 now becomes a bit more of a challenge for new manager Dale Sveum, but in a good way. Garza and Dempster are sure locks for the top two rotation spots. Beyond them, it's anyone's guess. Cashner and Samardzija could both prove to be ready to handle a starter's workload and squeeze someone out, or both could wind up in the back of the Cubs' pen. Travis Wood may show signs of improvement or continue to struggle as he did last year and be optioned to Iowa. Volstad seems to be a lock somewhere between the No. 3 and No. 5 spots in the rotation, and Wells will most likely either get a rotation spot or be traded.

Of course, the Cubs could always wind up with a surprise in camp. Andy Sonnanstine may show the ability he demonstrated in 2008 when he went 13-9 with a 4.38 ERA over 32 starts for the American League champion Rays. Or a youngster like Casey Coleman, Jay Jackson or Robert Whitenack could pitch their way onto the roster.

For a team that was stuck plugging guys like Doug Davis into the rotation last season, the starting depth seems to have gotten a lot deeper this season.

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According to Ken Rosenthal of MSN Sports, the Cubs and Marlins are in the final stages of a deal which would send Carlos Zambrano to the Miami Marlins for Chris Volstad. According to reports from Rosenthal and ESPN Chicago's Bruce Levine on Twitter, the Cubs will eat roughly $15 million of Zambrano's $18 million salary for 2012.

Zambrano, in the last year of a massive five-year, $91.7 extension handed to him by former GM Jim Hendry, will move to the Miami Marlins. Full of fresh faces in manager Ozzie Guillen, shortstop Jose Reyes and pitchers Mark Buehrle and Heath Bell, the Marlins will add Zambrano in hopes he can regain his pitching stride. At the cost of roughly $3 million and Chris Volstad, it's a worthwhile gamble.

Ozzie Guillen has stated for years that, if he were to manage Zambrano, a close personal friend of Guillen's, that Big Z would have his best season yet. Guillen made these comments when he was still the manager of the cross-town White Sox. Now in a new home, Ozzie will have his chance to see if he can fix the 30-year-old Zambrano.

Zambrano, as part of his extension, has a full no-trade clause. Presumably, he's waived this to join the Marlins. It'd make sense, as even after Theo Epstein's visit and talk with Zambrano this offseason, it seemed more and more likely the volatile would-be ace was on his way out the door in Chicago.

In exchange, the Cubs pick up Chris Volstad, in what is most likely a straight-up swap. The 25-year-old Volstad is in his first year of arbitration eligibility in 2012, should make just under $3 million in arbitration. The 6' 8" former first rounder has struggled with keeping runs off the board over the last three years, with a special weakness to the long ball. Volstad has given up 29, 17, and 23 home runs each of the last three years, respectively.

Volstad's appeal to the Cubs is twofold. First, he has obvious upside, not only because of his age, but from a very promising partial rookie campaign in 2008, in which Volstad went 6-4 with a 2.88 ERA; however, all of his numbers have ballooned since. Still, that early success is enough to draw interest. Second, Volstad won't become a free agent until after the 2014 season, so he's under team control for a while, something important to Theo, Jed and the rest of the Cubs' new front office brain trust.

In the end, this is a win-win deal for both clubs. The Marlins get a rotation upgrade, and the Cubs get another young, cost-controlled starter with upside. The deal is contingent upon approval from the Commissioner's Office, as it is with all deals in which more than $1 million changes hands. Also delaying the finalization of this is the passing of physicals on each end. However, this seems like a done deal.

So, what do you think? Good deal, bad deal, lopsided, or just neutral?

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