They might be ok first time through the order but the 2nd time through, big league hitters will adjust and continue to pound them 2nd and 3rd time through.

 Gallagher right now as a starter??? That's just not a good idea or realistic option.

The "one piece of the puzzle" argument doesn't sell with me, because that is talk that applies to teams who are front-runners, not teams looking to get in the back door.  The Cubs' perpetual  business plan is to be just good enough to get in the back door of the playoffs.  They'll never truly be in a "just one more piece needed" position.  They may try and sell that political spin, like they do every year with the semi-annual bullpen revamping, but it's never truly the case.  

Remember, the closest the Cubs have been to the "one more piece" scenario NOT invoving the revolving door that is the bullpen was when they took a team with five spots in the order batting under .250 and told us all how they just needed one more power bat.  Then they narrowed it down to one player - the only player they thought they could get for nothing - Fred McGriff.

Here's my point: the 2007 Cubs have a BETTER chance of making the playoffs with Griffey on the roster instead of Jones and Marshall.  And Marshall will not - EVER - be a permanent starter on this team.  The "jury's still out" argument is just the usual overvaluing justification used to try and extrapolate the occasional good start of a mid- or lower- ranged prospect over a theoretical career that isn't going to happen.  The jury isn't out, you're just hoping for a better verdict after several more appeals.

Seriously, can you envision ANY scenario - if Marshall were a memeber of a different team, having come up through their system - where you would be advocating trading for Marshall?  I sure can't.

Griffey may not want to move, granted.  But I'd trade Marshall/Jones in a second for someone who's going to help this team score runs down the stretch.  Just beating our collective breasts and moaning "underperformers!" hasn't been an effective solution - in 2007 or in the past several years.  And I'm not one for watching the few, sparse, rare playoff opportunities pass by under the faint hopes that some undrafted prospect might turn out to be a servicable bottom of the order starter - maybe, perhaps, possibly - somewhere down the line.  

I cannot buy into the threshold that Marshall has just such a high ceiling that I shouldn't possibly consider trading him for anything less than what I would firmly believe is the absolute LAST piece of the puzzle needed to win the World Series.  I'll take a chance on a proven bat, even just for a year or two, before the threshold for getting into the playoffs again rises beyond the level that the Cubs will even be able to pretend to aspire to.  I wouldn't do that with EVERY or ANY prospect - Veal, Smardzaluffagus, and the like I'd hold to a higher value - but getting a bat who can really help down the stretch is what I'd consider value for Marshall/Jones.  His selling price is higher now than it will ever be again.

If you want to trade someone like Guzman who is injury prone, I'm all for it. Injury prone guys do not fair well in Chicago ala Wood & Prior. You need stability and you just don't know what you're getting with Jr.

Many like to complain about the Cubs selling low.  Wellll, here's their chance to sell high.  They should have done so w/ the Mark Murton.

So basically the Cubs will be making no moves then?