I am aware that I have posted here before about the dire need for pitching help, but I just cannot seem to get over this. I have watched so called title teams base their years on run production, and hope mediocre pitching will get them through. Well this team is based on mediocre pitching and above average offense.

Please do not yell at me about what I characterizing as mediocre pitching; personally I feel that the trio of Z, Lilly and Hill are the third or fourth best "top three" in baseball (behind AZ, NYM, and Boston), but the drop off after that is a complete joke. And due to Lilly and HIll being southpaws, we have to split them up.

So I am stealing from MLBTR a list of names that, most of which,  would be better fit in the 3 slot than Lieber, Dempster, and Marquis.

Freddy Garcia (32) - Type B
Kyle Lohse (29)
Rodrigo Lopez (32)
Eric Milton (32)
John Thomson (34)
Jeff Weaver (31)
David Wells (45)

I took out Clemens, he is done. Russ Ortiz, no comment needed.  The remaining pitchers are, in my very humble opinion,  worth a look. Personally, Rodrigo Lopez is a valuable commodity. He pitched in the AL east during 2005 and 2006, put up quality numbers, and probably could be had for a minor-league deal at this point.

I am aware that this team is good enough to get the through the NL-Central, but when you get to play the Pirates, Reds, and Astros 16+ times a season, that is not something to be to over zealous about. We, as fans, deserve more than the "Catastrophe among the Cacti" in October. Pitching wins; that is a fact. We can ask the Yankees how they have enjoyed all of those big bats these last 8 years.