I firmly believe that the Cubs can compete next year...It will just take a productive offseason, one that isn't filled with incompetent moves and inactiveness.

The way I see it, the Cubs have two options at this point.  

1. Pack it in and build for the future.  I sincerely hope this does not happen.  I would be crushed as would many Cubs fans.  However, if the offseason doesn't go as I suggest in number 2, this is likely the best plan B because going halfway is going to do nothing but land us in mediocrity for the next 5 years.  Anyway...
2. Make a splash this offseason.  These are the priorities the way I see them.

-Resign Aramis Ramirez.  Letting him walk would be a colossal error.  He will be one of the best 3B in the game for the next 5 years at least.  Think ARod without the steals.  He is so good and when compared to the next best option at 3B for next year he is basically a baseball god.  This is of paramount importance.  Maybe if we sign some other players and show him we are comitted to winning next year he will be more inclined to play for us again.  I predict it will probably cost 15 million a year for 3 or 4 years, maybe 1 or 2 million per more.  We'll see.  Regardless, get this done.  Scott Moore is not a viable option for a winning team next year and maybe not ever.  He should be nothing more than a bench player for the Cubs next year.

-Sign Soriano.  Need I say more?  He has hit 45 home runs and stolen 40 bases.  His OBP is .355 and OPS is .926.  Sign him.  Play him at 2B.  This will probably cost 15 Million per and again, maybe 1 or 2 million more.

-Sign Zito.  Zito will be an incredible addition to our Pitching Rotation which is currently shaky at best.  Having Zito as a number 2 would be huge for this team.  An added bonus is this: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2006/09/new_york_teams_.html  If true, that means that there will be less competition for Zito and the previous favorite (the Mets) is out of the running.  We must have another very good pitcher.  If we do, our rotation will be significantly better.  This should also take 15 million per.

-Sign a 4th Starter.  While less critical than signing Zito, I am positive that we need more depth in our rotation.  We can't just continue to plug in random prospects in the 4th and 5th slots and expect to compete.  That would be a mistake.  I think we have a few options here.  My personal favorites are signing one of these three: Glavine, Vicente Padilla, Adam Eaton.  They are solid pitchers who won't cost that much.  That is important.  I chose Eaton for our purposes here but there are many options.

-By the way: CF is the place where I am torn the most about what to do.  Trading for Vernon wells would be great but I just don't have any sense of how much it would take to get him. That being said, if we could trade for him without creating a hole elsewhere, go for it.  There are ways to fill gaping holes, creating another gaping hole is not one of them. I'll address this later.

-Finally, the last major point is this: DO NOT SIGN CARLOS LEE.  As has been discussed ad nauseum at BCB, Matt Murton has outperformed Lee in the second half while Lee has been on a hot streak AND playing in Texas.  Murton is more than acceptable for LF next year and signing Lee would be silly.  That is probably $10-11 million that can be used elsewhere.  Murton makes the MLB minimum and is a very good option.

One thing to keep in mind is this:  I know that it appears that the cubs will be adding a lot of salary if they follow my plan, and they are, but realize this:  Aram is already on the books for 11 Million so that is only a 4-5 Mil. increase, we're getting 12 Million off the Books since Wood's contract is expiring so trading him for Zito, so to speak, only costs 3-4.  We are also getting a lot of monely off because Maddux is gone.  Adding Soriano is the largest expense by far.

So here is the roster as I see it shaping up.

1-Murton-LF-        $337,000 (MLB Min)
2-Barrett-C-       $4,333,000
3-Soriano-2B-  $15,000,000
4-Lee-1B-        $15,000,000 (Not sure, But iirc it was 15ish)
5-ARam-3B-    $15,000,000
6-Jones-RF-       $5,000,000
7-Pie-CF-              $337,000 (MLB Min)
8-Izturis-SS-      $3,200,000
9-Pitcher's Spot

BN - Theriot-IF       $337,000
BN - Pagan-OF       $337,000
BN - Blanco-C     $1,000,000
BN - Lofton-CF   $2,500,000 (A stab in the dark at salary)
BN - Moore-IF        $337,000

Notes:
-As I said, I am torn about CF.  I think given the money situation, this may very well be the best way to go.  Play Pie at the MLB minimum with Lofton to spell him.  Lofton is old and can't be an everyday player so he certainly can't be the replacement for Pie on his own.  Furthermore, Pierre will not be worth the money he is going to command on the free agent market and it will be better spent elsewhere.  IF he doesn't demand a lot, go for it, but that is a big IF, and maybe not even then.  I think maybe Wells is a good choice.  If we could trade Barrett and prospects for him I would be really happy with that and then sign a catcher like Leiberthal or Molina, or at least one who can hit both righties and lefties and then we'll still have Blanco to spell them.  In any case, it remains to be seen.  

-As for Jones, I think he will be serviceable in RF, particularly if we get somebody who can spell him against Lefties and occasionally against righties.  If we do that, RF becomes a very productive spot in the Cubs lineup.  Moises Alou had crossed my mind.  He is a free agent and could come back to the Cubs in a bench role for a relatively cheap price.  As it stands, I have Pagan in that role because he comes 1-2 million cheaper and will probably give somewhat similar production, although I can't say for sure since he's been injured all year.

-I know how many of us feel about Izturis, but I think if he is buried at the bottom of the order he won't hurt our hitting too badly and with his plus defense, we should be fine.  By the way, I don't consider Ronny Cedeno as an option.

-I think that bench will actually be pretty productive and I think that will be a fearsome lineup.

Pitching:

SP - Zambrano $8,500,000 (couldn't find it, gave a $2 mil raise over '06)
SP - Zito         $15,000,000  
SP - HIll               $337,000 (MLB min)
SP - Eaton        $4,000,000
SP - Prior         $4,000,000 (Slight raise over '06. dunno what'll happen)

RP - Wood        $1,000,000 (incentive laden)
RP - Eyre          $3,200,000
RP - Howry       $3,000,000
RP - Dempster  $4,333,333
RP - Aardsma      $337,000 (MLB min)
RP - Miller        $1,000,000 (Incentive Laden)
RP - Ryu              $337.000 (MLB min)

Notes:

-Basically I envision these people battling it out for the 5th Spot: Miller, Prior, Ryu, Guzman, Marshall, Marmol, Mateo, O'Malley.  Hopefully Prior is healthy, in which case he should win it easily and outproduce his spot in the rotation, but the fact that he is there shows that I have maybe 20% confidence that this might actually happen.

-Sign Kerry Wood and tell him he is in the bullpen.  It will be a cheap contract that is incentive laden.  If some other team wants to give him a huge contract to start, bid him goodbye.  It won't be worth it.

-Same goes for Miller, except he will have the chance to earn a starting spot.

-Keep Dempster, but he won't close.  I think we should use one of Howry and Eyre to close even though I kinda suscribe to the theory that we should just use them when the situation dictates instead of only in the 9th inning.  They are our best relievers, case closed.

OK, so I've put down salaries.  If some of them are wrong, I apologize, I couldn't find next year's salaries online.  If you know a place I made a mistake TELL ME, and do it NICELY.  I didn't spend all this time to get blasted by some jerk for an honest mistake.

The total comes to around 108 Million, plus or minus a few depending on raises and such.  This is doable for the Cubs BUT, it will be the most they have ever spent.  If the Cubs are committed to winning next year, I believe that is the only way for this organization, in this situation to put a winning team on the field.

QUESTIONS

-First, obviously, what do you think of the plan?  And I mean the PLAN, not what you think the chances are that the cubs will do this.

-Second, What do you think the chances are that this happens? (I actually mean this this time.  I just wanted to make sure question 1 got attention)

-What should we do in CF?  I don't know.  It is a puzzle.  The way I suggested is just one way.  Do we need Lofton if we bring Pie up?  Should we resign Pierre?  Should we Trade Barrett and Prospects for Vernon Wells?

-What about the bullpen?  We have a few very good options but after that there isn't much.  I think the BP I suggested is decent.

-What about the bench.  Should we sign somebody like M. Derosa from Texas who is a free agent this season?

I honestly believe that this team can contend.  It has many high-OBP/OPS guys and more than enough power.  I believe that this payroll is within the Cubs means.  I think the only question is do they have the cajones to man up and get what needs to be done, done.

Thanks for reading this, I hope it is an informative look for some of you but also some good food for thought about where we stand and could be next year.  Please keep debate constructive.  Again, I did NOT do this to be blasted by some moron.