However, one obvious thing is different from now and then: prospects. Lots and lots of prospects. The Cubs can reasonably fill all the holes they have now with up-and-coming players, rather than spending themselves into a budget nightmare (see: Soriano, Alfonso).

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However, there's a big problem: Colvin can't find playing time. He's stuck as the fourth outfielder amongst three performing veterans in Alfonso Soriano, Marlon Byrd, and Kosuke Fukudome. And, although Lou Pinella promised Colvin playing time, those three have been performing too well to bench them a few times a week.

There is a position it would not take a terrible amount of effort for Colvin to learn that the Cubs seem to be offensively challenged at: first base. Derrek Lee is hitting .233, Xavier Nady is hitting .222, and Jeff Baker is hitting .221.

Tyler Colvin is hitting .306.

There's another major issue: Colvin is the Cubs all-around best defensive outfielder. Kosuke Fukudome is the best right fielder on the team (possibly in team history), Marlon Byrd is solid in center, and Soriano is looking alright in left now that he's abandoned the hop.

Colvin's the most likely of that group to move to first base (my guess would be Byrd second). Fukudome's just too good in right—and too mediocre elsewhere—and nobody would want to rely on Soriano at the receiving end of ground-outs and double plays. And since Byrd was signed to be the everyday center fielder, it appears Colvin would be the one to move to first.

Lou Pinella has said that he's going to start lineups with the players who are hitting the best. And that lineup should include Tyler Colvin on an everyday basis.

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In the previous years, the Cubs have managed to win a total of one playoff game while watching the Red Sox break their curse in 2004 (and again in 2007 for good measure), the cross-town rival White Sox win their rings in 2005, the rival Cardinals win their ring in 2006, and the Yankees win World Series No. 27.

This year seems to be different, though. A lot of predictions have the Cubs as an outside possibility to get into the playoffs—as the wild card—and only to scuffle in the NLDS. Questions are abundant for this team, namely those about the abilities of Carlos Zambrano, Carlos Marmol, Carlos Silva, Geovany Soto, Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano, and Mike Fontenot, amongst others.

However, these doubts can work to the advantage of the North Siders. The failures of the 2009 season can absorb all these doubts and not leave the team questioning itself this year. Instead, the 25 men who head north this April can just go out and play ball.

A large number of guys on the Cubs could wind up having bounce-back years, which could put the team in a good spot. Geovany Soto, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, and Mike Fontenot are the potential starting players with question marks about their ability to perform—whether it be from poor stats or poor health. Also potentially on the bench with offensive question marks are Xavier Nady, Chad Tracy, and outside possibility, Kevin Millar.

On the rubber, the Cubs first and second starters the past three seasons have the biggest questions. If Zambrano can control his emotions, he can turn into the pitcher that threw a no-hitter in 2008; if Ted Lilly can bounce back and remain the Cubs most consistent starter. Carlos Silva and Carlos Marmol have the same question: Can the hole in their pitching styles be covered by their pitching strengths? Angel Guzman's shoulder is another dark spot for the Cubs; but should Guzman be healthy, he could easily be a lethal setup man.

The 2010 Cubs are full of questions. However, the answers to these questions could lead to the largest baseball-induced celebration in history.

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Millar helped the Boston Red Sox break their World Series Championship curse, and Tracy was once considered one of the elite young corner infielders in the game, but both these things were half a decade ago.

Since then, both players have gone from stardom to obscurity. Millar's batting average has begun to falter to the hands of time, hitting .272, .254, .234, and .223 over the past four years, respectively. He's gone from full time first baseman/DH to a backup at those positions, and an emergency third baseman.

However, he still provides a great amount of clubhouse chemistry and a veteran backup bat, either on the bench or with the AAA Iowa Cubs.

Tracy, however, is a more interesting story. In his rookie season at age 24, Tracy put up a highly respectable line of .285-8-53, even while posting a major league low .935 fielding percentage at third base.

His sophomore season was much more successful, hitting .308-27-72, primarily playing at first base and right field. 2006 saw Tracy return to third base, posting .281-20-80 at the plate, and again fielding .935 at third in 147 games at third base.

At this point, he seemed like a fringe star ready to break out: A lefty hitter who could play three positions, he seemed like a valuable player in the Arizona organization who they could move around to get the best team on the field (he'd also played seven games in left field at this point).

However, Tracy's stats took another downturn, as he posted a career low .264 average (and a dismal .222 with two outs and runners in scoring position), and was relegated to backup role, playing in a career low 76 games.

Things wouldn't get better for Tracy in 2008 or 2009, hitting .267 and .237, respectively. However, his games played would continue to increase, playing in 88 games in '08 and 98 games in '09. Tracy had lost his job to various players at various positions: Mark Reynolds at third base, Josh Whitesell at first base, Justin Upton in right field, and Geraldo Perra in left field.

The combination of young Diamondbacks talent and Tracy's dwindling statistical lines lead to his release after the 2009 season.

Enter the Cubs aspect. In the last days of January 2010, Chad Tracy signed a minor league deal on the 26th, and the deal was announced a day later. Tracy received an invitation to spring training as part of the deal, along with a $100,000 bonus should he manage to win National League Comeback Player of the Year.

While Tracy probably will not get the playing time to win that award, there is a good chance he will become a useful bench piece for the Cubs. With only a few left handed batters on the team (Kosuke Fukudome, Mike Fontenot, switch hitters Koyie Hill and Andres Blanco; and possibles in Micah Hoffpaiur, Sam Fuld, and Bryan LaHair), Tracy could easily be poised for a shot as a bench warmer.

With experience in positions the Cubs showed huge holes in during the 2009 season due to injury (namely third base and left field), Tracy is positioned well for a trip north with the team.

The biggest factor Tracy has on his side is simply a change of scenery. He'd been scuffling in Arizona. If healthy and able to regain his stride, Tracy could prove to be a major asset off the Cubs bench.

I'm sure Jim Hendry would love for that to happen too.

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As a starter, Smoltz has had success in limited appearances in the National League the past two years, going 3-4 with a 3.45 ERA in 68 innings of work. If you discount his work in the AL East, he's been more than solid if handled properly. With Lilly out of the picture until after the regular season starts, Smoltz can bolster the rotation until Lilly's return (projected sometime between mid April and mid May).

This is where this proposal gets interesting. After Lilly returns, Smoltz would move to the bullpen. With the release of Kevin Gregg and the trade of Aaron Heilman, the closest thing the Cubs bullpen has to a veteran presence is John Grabow.

Carlos Silva may also provide this, should he not manage to get himself back into shape and win a rotation spot. Smoltz could be the veteran right handed setup man Jim Hendry had been looking for and couldn't seem to find this offseason.

Joining the Cubs gives Smoltz a chance to join a contender, and possibly one last shot at another World Series ring. He could help mentor such youngsters as Marmol, Esmalin Caridad, Angel Guzman, Randy Wells, and even might help Carlos Zambrano get his head on straight and ascend to the perennial Cy Young-status player everyone knows he can be.

With less than a week left before pitchers and catchers report, the Cubs would be foolish not to send at least one scout to see John Smoltz work out. He could be the missing piece to the World Series puzzle.

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"Ground ball to Gonzalez, he flips it to Grudzielanek, on to Karros, and the Cubs are just three outs away from the National League Pennant and a trip to the World Series!"

And then, of course, roughly 10 minutes later, "The crowd is going wild! Here's Borowski's 1-1 pitch. A pop fly, shallow center, Lofton charging at full speed, he dives... AND MAKES THE CATCH! THE CUBS WIN THE PENNANT! THE CUBS WIN THE PENNANT! THE CHICAGO CUBS ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES! RON, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!"

But what if the Cubs never had to acquire Kenny Lofton along with Aramis Ramirez? Let's say Patterson plays 155 games and keeps going at the pace he was going in 2003 before he injured his knee—let's say he never hurt his knee. He'd have hit .298, getting 183 hits, 32 doubles, 24 home runs, 103 RBI, and gone 30-39 in stolen base attempts. Essentially living up to be the five-tool player the Cubs had hoped for when they selected him over J.D. Drew, amongst other outfield options, in the 1998 draft.

Also, what if the Cubs had managed to sign their 14th round draft pick, a catcher from Port Charlotte High School named Matt LaPorta? His contract would have cost, at the most, one million dollars. Which, yes, is a lot of money, however, this is the man considered of such a caliber that he was the centerpiece of the trade that brought CC Sabathia to Milwaukee. Since then, LaPorta switched to first base and outfield duties, and was taken in the first round by Milwaukee, he's now considered a huge part of Cleveland's plans for the future.

Or 48th round draft pick, a skinny, yet highly-successful pitching phenom just out of high school, Timothy Leroy Lincecum out of Liberty Senior High School in Renton, Washington. A 48th round draft pick doesn't sign for much money, and if the Cubs had the foresight then to throw enough money at him to come out of college (as they did with 2003 ace Mark Prior), they would've had baseball's best young phenom, taken as what could've gone down as the biggest draft steal in Major League history.

But, alas, Lincecum went on to college, Patterson hurt his knee, and the grounder got through Gonzalez's legs, and the Loveable Losers remained just that.

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