The move presumably takes the Cubs out of the running for free-agent slugger Prince Fielder, as the 22-year-old Rizzo is among the top prospects in all of baseball and will presumably be the Cubs' first baseman of the present and future.

Acquired in the trade that sent Adrian Gonzalez to the Red Sox last offseason, Rizzo is a got a taste of big league action last season but struggled over 128 at-bats, hitting just .141 BA, 1 HR, 9 RBI.

Still, he was dominant upon his return to Triple-A, hitting .331 BA, 26 HR, 101 RBI in just 356 at-bats. Considering how young he still is, he should only get better.

Earlier in the offseason, talk of a Rizzo-based package to acquire Cubs starter Matt Garza were among the hotter rumors, but in the end the Cubs were able to hold onto their ace and still get their guy.

That is not to say that Rizzo came cheap though, as Cashner was one of the Cubs' most promising young pitchers and will certainly factor into the Padres' future plans.

Selected in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft, Cashner was used primarily as a reliever in college and was viewed as the best reliever in the draft coming out of TCU.

He made his big league debut in 2010, appearing in 53 games out of the Cubs bullpen and posting a 4.80 ERA and 8.3 K/9 mark over 54.1 innings. Take away two disastrous July outings that season in which he gave up 12 runs in 1.1 innings and his ERA was a dominant 2.89.

Last season, Cashner won the final spot of the rotation out of spring training and looked great in his first start going 5.1 innings and giving up just two hits and one run. He landed on the DL following that start, however, and did not pitch again until September 9, making six relief appearances down the stretch.

He will likely vie for a spot in the Padres rotation this spring, and at 25 years old he still has plenty of upside to emerge as a front-of-the-rotation starter if he can remain healthy.

The Padres moving Rizzo seemed inevitable after the team acquired first base prospect Yonder Alonso in the trade that sent Mat Latos to the Reds, and the Cubs' interest in him makes sense as it is new Cubs GM Jed Hoyer who acquired him last year in San Diego.

Also going to the Cubs in the deal was the right-handed Cates, a 2010 third-round pick who went 4-10, 4.73 ERA, 111 Ks, 118 IP last season at Single-A in what was his first pro season.

The Padres also acquired 20-year-old Korean outfielder Na from the Cubs. Na hit .268 BA, 0 HR, 22 RBI with 20 SB last season over four different levels, advancing as high as Double-A.

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Everyone knows the names Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Gabby Hartnett, Ron Santo, Sammy Sosa and so on. However, for every great player who has been revered in the eyes of history, there are two equally deserving of attention.

So here is a look at the All-Underrated Chicago Cubs team, a group of players who have not gotten the respect that they deserve for their contributions on the field.

Also, bonus points for whoever can identify the player in the introductory picture, a player who spent 20 seasons with the franchise but rarely gets the recognition he deserves and was snubbed again when he did not even make this list.

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With 1B Carlos Pena, 3B Aramis Ramirez and RF Kosuke Fukudome gone for the 2012 season, CF Marlon Byrd likely to be traded at some point and C Geovany Soto in need of a bounce-back season if he wants to retain his starting job, the lineup has more questions than answers right now.

So here is a look at five prospects who could make an impact in the Cubs lineup in the 2012 season, whether it is straight out of spring training or at some point during the season.

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While there are a number of players the team will look to retain and build around, the Cubs also have a number of veterans with bloated contracts that Epstein could look to move as the team begins to rebuild around their young talent.

So here is a quick overview of the Cubs roster, with a look at the key players who won't be going anywhere as well as the odds that some of the not-so-untouchable players are shipped elsewhere by the time Opening Day 2012 comes around.

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With a number of contracts set to come off the books at the end of 2012, a number of young players have begun to see significant roles as the team evaluates their talent moving forward.

With Epstein running the show now, he could look to unload some incumbents as he begins to shape the team in his image, but there is at least a handful of current Cubs who will be instrumental in the team's future and won't be going anywhere.

So here are the 10 players that Epstein will keep and build around for the future.

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It remains to be seen how much he will be given to spend this offseason, but he will no doubt be looking to make a splash in his first season in Chicago as he looks to turn the franchise around, and he certainly has a history of doing that.

When he took over the Red Sox prior to the 2003 season, they were coming off of a 93-69 season, but they had not been to the postseason since 1999 and had only been there four times since 1990.

A culture change was clearly needed, and he went to work immediately bringing in guys that fit what he wanted to do.

Before January of 2003 was over, Epstein had already added a trio of players who would make a huge impact on the team moving forward in reliever Mike Timlin, third baseman Bill Mueller and a underperforming slugger he took a chance on named David Ortiz.

He also added Bronson Arroyo and Kevin Millar before the season began, and while the team made the postseason, more work was needed, and he pushed the team over the top by trading for ace Curt Schilling and bringing manager Terry Francona aboard heading into 2004. The team responded with a World Series title, breaking the "Curse of the Bambino" in the process.

Looking to the Cubs' roster, Epstein is in a similar situation, as he will need to retool the team and change the overall attitude of the franchise. While adding a number of role players was his approach when he took over the Red Sox, he could look to add a superstar this time around.

The Cubs have a decent base of young players to build around, but he will also have to deal with the bloated contracts of Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano, among others, and just how much financial freedom Epstein will have in his first season in Chicago will be interesting to see.

Many expected the Cubs to be in rebuilding mode this season and looking ahead to 2013, when they will shed the bulk of their veteran's contracts. However, that attitude could change now that Epstein is running the show, and that could put the Cubs' name into the Albert Pujols sweepstakes.

A player the caliber of Pujols has not hit the open market since Barry Bonds joined the Giants prior to the 1993 season, and with the Cardinals locking up Chris Carpenter and Lance Berkman for next year, it seems less and less likely he will be back in St. Louis.

When the Cubs dealt Derrek Lee at the deadline in 2010 and signed Carlos Pena to a one-year contract for 2011, it looked as though they were setting themselves up for a run at either Pujols or Prince Fielder. However, when the pitching staff struggled this season, many wondered if the Cubs would be better served spending "Pujols money" to shore up their staff.

While that may be the case, having a better pitching staff won't mean much if the Cubs can't score any runs, and with top run producer Aramis Ramirez heading for the open market, the Cubs have do not have a legitimate run producer on the roster.

Looking back to 2010, the Red Sox unloaded a handful of their top young talent to add first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to an already stocked lineup. So how desperate will Epstein be to add someone like Pujols to a lineup that pales in comparison to the one he had in Boston?

No one will deny that the Cubs need a starting pitcher or two, but coming from a dynamic offense like the Red Sox, you have to wonder if adding Albert Pujols will be priority No. 1 for Theo Epstein as he begins efforts to turn things around on the North Side.

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Throughout the season, the Cubs have had some fantastic players who have been regulars at the Midsummer Classic. Going as far back as catcher Gabby Hartnett, to someone as recent as slugger Sammy Sosa the team has made its mark on the game.

So here is a look at the all-time Cubs All-Star team, with a breakdown of everyone who has been honored at each position, and specifically who has the most All-Star nods at each position.

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After being represented by just center fielder Marlon Byrd last season, although Carlos Marmol was certainly worthy as well, the Cubs will look to be better represented this season despite a poor record.

There are a number of potential candidates for the game, some more realistic than others but legitimate candidates nonetheless.

So here is a look at the handful of Cubs players who are at least somewhat All-Star worthy, the reasons why they should and should not be named to the team, and my take on their chances of being selected.

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Another option could be dealing for one of a handful of top players that will be hitting free agency this season, in order to get a jump on re-signing them to a long term deal, and to contend this year.

Any deal of that sort would require the Cubs giving up some young talent, something they already did this past off season when they dealt three of their top 10 prospects for Matt Garza.

So here is a look at 10 of the Cubs top prospects, and their chances of being involved in any sort of deal the Cubs could look into this coming season.

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For the Cubs, trips to October have been few and far between in the last 100+ years, but that does not mean that the team has been without its fair share of great pitchers.

So here is a decade by decade look at some of the best pitchers ever to don Cubbie Blue and take the mound at Wrigley Field.

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