Restricted? Does he have to trade his boxers for briefs for the next three weeks?

My suggestion is that the Cubs treat Zambrano the way he treated his teammates on Saturday, and the way he's been treating his fans' hopes for the last four years: open the door, kick, close door, deadbolt.

Zambrano is a wasted roster spot and, even worse, an epic disaster of a contract. While it seemed impossible to give away Milton Bradley last year, his deal was small enough that there might be another albatross out there; Seattle had their own mistake in Carlos Silva, and the Cubs struck a deal.

But Zambrano's salary is comparable to baseball's top-ten. There isn't a team on the planet that wants a guy throwing garbage for $18 million a year.

If Tom Ricketts is sincere in his wanting to build a championship team at Wrigley Field before another 100 years expires, then trading dead contracts for other dead contracts isn't what that work-in-progress should be. The Cubs got lucky with Silva; lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place.

Unless, of course, you're past your prime, a head-case, or bad. Then your agent will get you a $10 million annual salary from Hendry a couple times each November.

If you wouldn't urinate in your baby's bottle and hand it to the child, why would Ricketts continue to expose these rookies to Zambrano?

Ricketts needs to separate the emerging new core of his team—Tyler Colvin, Starlin Castro, Andrew Cashner—from the overpaid feces formerly known as an ace. Additionally, sending him to the minors would only subject future generations of potential Cubs to this trash of a baseball player.

Buy him out, and let him go rot somewhere. Enough is enough.

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Andrew Cashner, the Cubs first round draft pick in 2008, dominated for seven innings as the Iowa Cubs won 1-0. Cashner was an elite closer in college, but the Cubs are trying to make him into a starter.

Trying?

Since being promoted to Triple-A, Cashner is putting up numbers that could easily be confused for those of super-prospect Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals.

In three starts, Cashner is 3-0 with a 0.95 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP. He has allowed only 13 hits and walked just two while striking out 14 in 19.0 innings pitched.

These numbers come after he earned a promotion in six starts, going 3-1 with a 2.75 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 36.0 innings.

So far this year at two levels, Cashner's allowed 35 hits and 15 walks while striking out 56 in 55.0 innings. In nine starts, he's 6-1 with a 2.13 ERA.

Perhaps the only position group (infield, outfield, bullpen, starters) that's exceeding expectations on almost a daily basis is the starting rotation for the Cubs. Despite his inability to get a win, Tom Gorzelanny has been solid and Carlos Silva's five wins lead the staff.

With Ted Lilly returning to form from injury and Ryan Dempster continuing to post solid numbers, the rotation is almost too full to consider Cashner a candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation. As it is, Randy Wells is fighting to keep that spot over Opening Day starter Carlos Zambrano right now.

My recommendation, and prayer, is that the Cubs do not screw up Cashner's development the same way they did that of Jeff Samardzija. Do not bring the kid up and stick him back in the bullpen "for experience." If he's going to be a starter, leave him in the rotation in Iowa so he can get more innings on his arm.

The numbers Cashner's putting up make it hard to imagine Wrigley Field is too far away for the 23-year-old. The Cubs pulled the trigger on bringing up 20-year-old shortstop phenom Starlin Castro, and he's been fantastic. Could Cashner be next in line?

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The bullpen is thin, the bench is soft, and the bats are taking turns being stone cold. It’s bad enough that your Opening Day starter is being paid almost $18 million to throw two or three innings a week in the bullpen in early May, and Carlos Zambrano isn’t even doing that very well.

The national media is now picking fights for the Cubs to deal with internally. Fox’s Ken Rosenthal decided that Cubs GM Jim Hendry should fire Lou Piniella, and the Cubs have spent a long weekend telling people “everything’s going to be ok.”

Meanwhile, they’re dropping five of six to the Pittsburgh Pirates and are staring up at four teams in the Central Division.

It’s time to blow this thing up, people. Why prolong the pain of this ridiculously underwhelming roster when Hendry could, for once, be proactive in building a winning team?

Now for the million dollar question: if the Cubs are going to tear this thing down, who is, and more importantly, isn’t available?

The only thing Cubs fans have had to be excited about has been the promotion of 20-year-old super prospect Starlin Castro. And, other than a couple errors in his first home game, the kid’s been everything he was sold as being; he’s hit the ball to all fields, has shown better range than Ryan Theriot at short, and stole his first base of the season on Monday night.

Castro should be the future for the Cubs.

But…

And this is a big, Beyonce-sized but folks. There’s a huge “what if” on the horizon that must be discussed if you’re the Cubs, and now is the time to do it.

In Miami, all hell is breaking loose in the Marlins’ clubhouse. After fouling a ball off his shin last night, superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez didn’t exactly hustle after booting a ball later. Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez yanked Ramirez off the field, and a war of words began.

Gonzalez said anything less than 100 percent is not acceptable, and Wes Helms said he thinks Ramirez needs to apologize to his teammates for his lack of effort on Monday night.

Ramirez’s response to his manager?

“It’s his team. He does whatever he (expletive) wants,” Ramirez said. “There’s nothing I can do about it. It’s brutal.”

When asked about his ankle, Ramirez added, “That’s OK. [Gonzalez] doesn’t understand that. He never played in the big leagues.”

Them’s fightin’ words!

Ramirez is a 26-year-old shortstop who has already been an All-Star and won the 2009 National League batting crown. In his four-year major league career entering 2010, Ramirez hit 103 home runs, had 313 runs batted in and stole 164 bases.

The cliff notes of Ramirez’s scouting report is “second coming of A-Rod.”

Ramirez received the richest contract in the history of the Marlins organization in May of 2008, a six-year, $70 million deal (his annual salaries from 2010-2014 will be $7M, $11M, $15M, $15.5M and $16M). When his current contract expires, Ramirez will be 31.

To truly frame any consideration of the Cubs making a move for someone like Ramirez, we need to place Ramirez into some context. The Florida Marlins acquired Ramirez as the centerpiece of a trade that sent Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston. Indeed, if you examine the history of the Marlins, they have a great track record of trading players before they cost the franchise too much money and getting exceptional value in return.

Now let’s circle back to the question at-hand: if you’re Jim Hendry, and you’re trying to save your job during the 2010 season… and if you’re the Ricketts family, trying to turn 101-plus years of misery into something special… what expense is too great? And what players aren’t touchable?

Tom Ricketts has made his feelings very clear publicly that he wants to build the organization from the bottom up, using home-grown talent to supplement the stars (and concrete contracts Hendry couldn’t sell to his own parents) on the major league roster. One would have to think the poster child (and I mean “child”) for this philosophy would be Castro.

Here’s your Kardashian-sized but : but what if Starlin Castro could get Hanley Ramirez to Chicago?

The Marlins might be intrigued by some of the contracts the Cubs have on their roster, especially expiring contracts of veterans. The Cubs cherry-picked Derrek Lee away from the Marlins for Hee-Seop Choi in the winter following the epic disaster of 2003, and also acquired Juan Pierre, Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca from Florida in a series of moves that sent, among others, Dontrelle Willis and the Marlins current No. 2 starter, Ricky Nolasco, to Miami.

A history of dealing between Florida and Chicago exists in the recent past.

There’s one more point to consider when considering any move involving Castro. There’s another kid in the system named Hak-Ju Lee who also happens to play a very, very good shortstop. Some scouts have whispered that, when Lee is ready, Castro see a similar fate to Theriot and move to second base because Lee is a superior defensive shortstop.

However, Lee won’t turn 20 until November this year and is a couple years away. In those same few years, the Cubs could be turning third base over to Josh Vitters, another of their top prospects.

So the Cubs are an organization that has a future shortstop playing the position at Wrigley Field right now, but they have a player that might be better in the minors. What to do?

Consider the following offer: Castro and Aramis Ramirez to Florida for Hanley Ramirez.

There are some in baseball circles that believe Ramirez’s comparisons to Alex Rodriguez run deeper than his astounding production at a young age. Because of his size and power at the plate, many believe Ramirez will eventually make a permanent transition to third base.

So what would the progression be for the Chicago Cubs if this deal went down?

My proposal would be that Ramirez stays at shortstop and Theriot at second for the remainder of the 2010 season. This winter, however, Hanley Ramirez would replace Aramis Ramirez at third base and Theriot would move back to short for one more season, or until Hak-Ju Lee is ready. The Cubs would then move Vitters permanently to first base in Double-A; one of the biggest negatives about Vitters’s game has been his defense at third base, so moving him to first may have eventually happened anyway.

While some Cubs fans might scream that giving up on Aramis Ramirez makes no sense, there is no guarantee that he will be in Chicago next year. He has a player option for 2011 worth $14.6 million that, if Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly are gone, he wouldn’t necessarily have to exercise.

Ramirez will be 32 in late June, and the Marlins could put him at third base for the next two years at comparable cost ($30.6M) to Hanley Ramirez’s deal ($26M). Adding Aramis Ramirez in Florida would allow the Marlins to move Jorge Cantu to first base full-time, which would be an improvement for them as well.

If Aramis Ramirez doesn’t pick up his player option for 2011, then the Marlins save $26 million in the deal. What’s most important for the Marlins, though, is that replacing Hanley Ramirez with Castro at short falls in line with their historical pattern of turning a peaking young star into a younger, cheaper version of the player.

With the apparent chasm growing between Ramirez and his manager and teammates in Florida growing, the Marlins might be willing to make a deal soon. If the Cubs want to start rebuilding for the future, considering a deal that brings him to Chicago could be the right blockbuster to consider.

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In breaking news late Friday morning, the Cubs have recalled their top prospect, 20-year-old Starlin Castro. Castro will reportedly bat eighth in the Cubs lineup and start at shortstop, moving Ryan Theriot to second base, as the Cubs face the Reds in Cincinnati at 7:10 pm EST.

If you haven't heard of Starlin Castro, here's your introduction.

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So now the Cubs have Alfonso Soriano making $18 million to play seven innings in left, and Zambrano making $17.875 million to pitch 3-5 innings per week.

Jim Hendry: EPIC FAIL.

Manager Lou Piniella went on to say that this isn't a "panic move," but has indicated to Chicago media that it might be permanent.

There are a couple routes that this move could take the Cubs. By sending Zambrano to the pen, they might be looking to move him and begin an implosion in the final seasons of both Ted Lilly and Derrek Lee's contracts.

This might also be Piniella reaching his breaking point with the incredible failure being performed annually by Hendry. The Cubs' general manager failed to address the offense of the team last year when he added Milton Bradley. This year, he sent Piniella north with a bullpen full of rookies and John Grabow.

No matter how you look at it, this move shows that the Cubs are not in the same class as the St. Louis Cardinals and are far away from competing in the National League.

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Blanco, who will turn 26 on April 11, was the best defensive middle infielder on the Cubs major league roster, but was a lightweight at the plate. In 2009, Blanco batted just .259 with one home run and 12 runs batted in from 123 at bats in 53 games in Chicago.

The Cubs are now one week from beginning their season with a relatively thin infield again. It appears Mike Fontenot will win the starting second base job for a second consecutive season, with Jeff Baker now headed to the bench as the utility infielder. Kevin Millar is also making a push for a reserve role.

Tyler Colvin will make the trip north as the Cubs' fifth outfielder after tearing the cover off the ball in March.

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The Cubs have a lot of money tied up in their outfield. Between the albatross contracts of Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome, the corner outfield spots are pretty well locked up because of financial obligation.

Meanwhile, the Cubs brought in Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady as free agents this winter to replace "Baseball's Kanye West," Milton Bradley. More money spent on veterans.

Nady is still recovering from Tommy John surgery, his second, and can't throw very well yet. So the Cubs need a fifth outfielder, and Colvin's the guy.

Colvin is destroying the ball in Arizona, and has jumped past Sam Fuld as manager Lou Piniella's choice to be the swing guy in the Cubs outfield. He's been among the franchise's top prospects for a number of years now, but has never received a shot at the bigs because of the concrete ceiling provided by the big money being spent on other, older players.

In the past few years, the Cubs have had some fair success bringing guys up to play every day. Ryan Theriot and Geovany Soto have both been productive parts of the major league club, with Soto winning the 2008 NL Rookie of the Year award and Theriot now winning the leadoff spot for 2010. But how can Colvin become the next player to be promoted into a contributing role?

Colvin is regarded mostly as a corner outfielder, with many questioning his ability to cover enough ground to play center in the majors. Once Nady is healthy enough to throw, the Cubs will have a kid that's blown up this spring sitting and watching for weeks at a time.

To me, Colvin being brought up is a good move by the Cubs because, on the surface, it appears he could be a productive major league ballplayer. But looking at the depth chart, it's hard to see where he fits into the roster. It's hard for established major league players to maintain a level of consistency when they're only seeing three at-bats per week; asking a rookie to handle the same role is even harder.

This is a make-or-break year for the Cubs. Derrek Lee and Ted Lilly are in the final years of their respective contracts, and 2011 could be a rebuilding season for the Cubs. However, the contracts of Fukudome, Soriano, and Byrd will have all three veteran outfielders in Chicago next year.

I would love to see what Colvin can do in the majors. If the 2011 team is going to include uber-prospect Starlin Castro at shortstop (with Theriot potentially at second), then seeing what a young, cheaper outfielder can do would be worth watching for me. But the depth chart doesn't appear to afford Colvin the opportunity to be a factor in 2010, and that could mean a wasted prospect.

Opening Day is in less than two weeks, and the Cubs have more questions to answer than their outfield platoon. We'll see how Colvin fits as the season rolls along.

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Sources tell the Tribune that the Cubs have asked for permission to build a 360 square foot sign that would rest 72 feet off the ground, likely blocking what has historically been the "Budweiser" roof across the street from the stadium.

In the last couple years, however, that red roof has been leased to other businesses, including the Horseshoe Casino. The Ricketts Family, now owners of the Cubs, have been clear since taking over the organization they want to expand the potential revenue sources for the team.

One major hurdle for this proposition is that, according to the reports, the new signage would change the "look" of Wrigley Field. Wrigley has historic landmark status with the City of Chicago, which handcuffs any significant changes that could/would be made to the structure of the stadium.

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It's also time to wonder if your favorite player will stay on your favorite team throughout the entire season.

Because of the finances of professional sports, keeping superstar players in smaller markets is harder than ever. This reality drives some small-market teams to unload stars entering their prime in exchange for older players simply because of the boatload of prospects returning in the transaction.

Today, let's examine a scenario in which the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres could make a deal that helps both clubs.

San Diego sends first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and pitcher Clayton Richard to Chicago for first baseman Derrek Lee, minor league third baseman Josh Vitters, shortstop prospect Hak-Ju Lee, minor league pitcher Jay Jackson, and cash.

Why Would the Padres Make This Deal?

Well, the Padres wouldn't be happy about Lee making $13 million in 2010 (Gonzalez will make $4.5 million), but that's why the Cubs would send cash back in the deal. Lee is coming off a fantastic season (.306 AVG 35 HR 111 RBI) that saw him bounce back from a mediocre 2008 campaign.

Offensively and defensively, Lee and Gonzalez are fairly similar players. Both are middle-of-the-order guys with good pop and excellent gloves. So for both teams, the statistical production at first base would be comparable in this exchange.

What's most important to San Diego is that they would be receiving back a bounty of good, young prospects and a first baseman with just one year left on his deal.

It might take a miracle for Gonzalez to stay in San Diego after this season. He'll turn 28 in early May and is entering the prime of his career. Throw in that he's a left-handed-hitting defensive stud, and the Padres could do more for the future of their organization by dealing him than trying to negotiate an extension right now.

If the Cubs were willing to send back one of their top positional prospects in Vitters, the Padres could get an eventual replacement at first (or third) base. Vitters is still very raw and has an electric swing. The only problem with that electricity is that it's on all the time; Vitters' stats appear to indicate that he's allergic to walking. 

Vitters hits sexy, big fly balls...Hak-Ju Lee is another story. He's still a baby (19), but some analysts have considered him a strong enough shortstop to possibly push the Cubs' top prospect, Starlin Castro, to second base at some point. While most analysts doubt that, even the mentioning of the youngster in the conversation at shortstop for the Cubs shows the respect he's earned in a brief minor league career.

Jackson has been a solid starter in the Cubs' minors for some time and might be ready for his shot at the majors soon. The exchange of Jackson for Richard does little more than set the arbitration clock back further for the Padres.

Why Would the Cubs Make This Deal?

Because they would get one full season to negotiate a long-term extension with Gonzalez. And yes, it's that simple.

Lee is going to be 35 in September, making him seven years older than Gonzalez. As we've already discussed, the offensive and defensive skills of the two first basemen are similar enough that neither team would feel much of a fall-off in 2010. However, the fact that Gonzalez bats left-handed should make him especially attractive to Jim Hendry, a general manager that has made nearly a dozen mistakes trying to find the right lefty to bat before/after Aramis Ramirez.

Gonzalez would help fans forget Jeromy Burnitz, Jacque Jones, Kosuke Fukudome, Milton Bradley, Jim Edmonds, and every other lefty that's been churned and burned through the home dugout at Wrigley in the last decade.

With Lee's $13 million coming off the books after this season, the Cubs would be able to turn that salary freedom into an extension for a good, younger first baseman.

Moving Jackson for Richard would add a major-league ready, left-handed pitcher to either the back end of the Cubs rotation or, more importantly, the bullpen. As the Cubs' staff stands now, only Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Marshall, and John Grabow will be available lefties on Opening Day (Ted Lilly is still rehabbing).

If manager Lou Piniella wanted to bump one of these guys to the rotation, the bullpen would need an arm; I'm among those that would argue it already needs two.

This is a deal that would bolster the Cubs' immediate major league roster for the next few years. It would also enhance the Padres' organizational depth and give them some strong prospects to build around moving forward.

The biggest reason this deal wouldn't happen is the Cubs' new ownership. Tom Ricketts has said he wants to build the organizational depth from the bottom up, so unloading a few of the team's top prospects for an established major league veteran that's going to cost the team over $10 million per year to keep in nine months isn't likely part of that plan.

However, getting younger at first base (Gonzalez) at the expense of a kid that strikes out too much (Vitters), one that has a better prospect at the same position (Lee), and swapping a young arm that probably needs one more year (Jackson) for one that's ready for the majors now (Richard) might be something Ricketts would grant permission to pursue.

For more great Chicago sports thoughts, news and notes, check out Tab's blog on ChicagoNow: the Daily Chicago Sports Tab!

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If you haven't heard of Starlin Castro, here's your introduction.

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