With right-hander Ryan Dempster back in the fold with a new four-year, $52 million contract, the Cubs will rearrange their pots on the stove.
To the back burner will be the pursuit of San Diego Padres ace Jake Peavy, and to the front burner will be the search for a left-handed batter who can play the outfield. Dempster's return gives the Cubs a rotation that includes him, right-handers Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden and Jason Marquis and left-hander Ted Lilly. Lefty Sean Marshall also will be pushing for a job. In other words, the Cubs are pretty much set with their starting pitching, and Peavy now may be moving from necessity to luxury.
Manager Lou Piniella desperately wants a left-handed bat, or even two, to help balance a lineup that tilts heavily to the right side and one that was completely stymied by the Dodgers in the National League Division Series.
Names bandied about have been Kansas City's Mark Teahen, who can play the outfield corners as well as first base and third base, and free agent outfielder Raul Ibanez. The Cubs have trade bait, either for Peavy or for a player such as Teahen. Infielder Ronny Cedeno is expendable, and Marshall's name came up when the Peavy rumors first surfaced.
Although the Cubs' farm system has been much maligned, GM Jim Hendry has been able to dip into it time and time again over the past few years to get the likes of Harden and right-hander Kevin Gregg, whom the Cubs recently obtained from the Marlins in a trade for minor league right-hander Jose Ceda.
