Cubs Pitching rotation is not as good as they say.... Needs Peavy.

Yes, yes, the Jake Peavy trade talks are starting to bother me even more than the Kobe Bryant to the Bulls trade rumors. They have not yet surpassed the fiasco from last year involving Orioles infielder Brian Roberts, but they are getting close.... That said, the deal needs to me made, and a true Cub fan, like Tom Ricketts claims to be, should know this and make it, or something equally as dramatic, happen.

I am inspired to write this after seeing that the Boys in Blue acquired Aaron Heilman today.... a good pitcher, but not the answer in the rotation. He may be a good replacement for Bob Howry, but that's about it. Would not Garrett Olsen have been just as good in that role? I am hoping this is a move meant to tide us over until the club's sale in final this spring, but you never know. Why do we need Peavy? Let's go over the Cubs rotation, the one that all the "experts" say is one of the best in baseball.

Our Number 1 starter is Carlos Zambrano. I love Big Z, but he is not consitent, plain and simple. He throws a no-hitter, God love him, but then pitches poorly the rest of the season, and looked like he needed to be on a 6-day rotation rather than a four or five, which you need in a pennant race. Big Z is a number 2 or very good number 3 on a World Series Champion.... not the Ace.... not by a longshot. Prove me wrong, Carlos.

Our Number 2 is Ryan Dempster. He was great last year, and Dusty.... I mean Lou.... made the right call giving him the start in Game 1, Ryan just did not come thru. Can we expect him to be an 18 game winner year in and year out? I doubt that. 2008 was a career year, plain and simple, which is fine, and it came in a contract year, which is not a surprise, and the Cubs signed him to a relatively reasonable contract, which is a surprise, but he is not a Number 2 on a World Series Champion. I think by the end of a healthy 2009 he will have 13-14 wins, which is a respectable total, Hell, Kerry Wood never did better, but his ERA will not be so tiny, you can count on that. He should be a Number 3 or 4.

Our Number 3 has Number 1 stuff, but is Mark Prior's Crimson Twin, and his name is Rich Harden. Thank God he's not in the WBC this spring. He is the best pitcher on the staff, but he can't go more than 5 or 6 innings, so that puts him as a 4 or 5 on a World Series Champion.... likely the latter since he may not even be on the active roster due to injury come October, so you can't count on him to be any higher than that, sadly.

Our Number 4 is Ted Lily, and I have no issue with him. He is a consistent guy, not brilliant or overpowering, but has a little Maddux in him. He is also our only lefty, and the one guy we can't afford to lose. Jim Hendry made the right call signing him over Barry Zito.... boy oh boy did he. Imagine him as a number 4 on a World Series Champion.

Sean Marshall has done nothing to show he does not deserve a shot, but we want to put together a World Series Champion, not another one and done. Anyway, it's pretty likely that with Harden and Zambrano on the roster Sean-o will get his fair share of starts. Which is why we come back to Jake Peavy. Jake Peavy the Ace. The Ace who is available and wants.... again, wants to play in Chicago for the Cubbies.... not for the Yankees, not for the Red Sox, not for the Cardinals, but for the Cubs! Why would you not make a deal, no matter the financial cost, Mr. Ricketts, for the undisputed, no doubt about it Ace on what could be a World Series Champion.