SpanishFortCub

If it's true that the Cubs could get him by adding $3 M over five years and they didn't, they're stupid. If it was just $5 M over five years, they should have done it.

And that's why the Cubs have always been and will likely always be losers.

Some of you are going to go ballistic, but you should know that many baseball insiders don't believe Murton will be one of the Cubs' top three outfielders.

Jacque Jones in RF. 5th place in NL Central. Multiple firings at end of season. There, three predictions.

If Furcal goes elsewhere (and if he does, let's hope it's to Tampa so the Cubs can get involved on these Lugo talks), I'd be tempted to throw the 5/50 contract at Burnett and see if he's interested. But that's just me. Maddux is gone after this season and Wood very well could be.

If he blows out a knee or rips a groin off the bone or tears up that shoulder again in 2007 or 2008, he might regret passing up the 10 million. By the way, for the agent, that's $400,000 left on the table. How much do you think Kinzer's Atlanta home costs? I'll guess $600,000. Hmmm. I'm not trying to be a smartass. I'm just saying leaving $10 million on the table is a gamble.

If he takes 3/40, he's leaving 10 million on the table. Like any player, you have to approach the contract with the mindset that it could be your last.

As a journalist myself, I have no problem with LoDuca's column today. It was an opinion piece; that was clear. Some of you need to relax. He didn't make himself the story; he wrote a column predicting where 10 guys would end up. Not one of his predictions, by the way, is all that off-base.

It's still very early. Many baseball people think it could be the winter meetings next month before anything significant gets done.

No offense, but some of you guys don't know crap. Nomar can't play SS at the major league level and stay healthy. Walker is a defensive liability. I mean, damn.

Maybe they should just stick an unproven guy like Cedeno at SS and stick an unproven guy like Murton in the leadoff slot. Or not.

I'd give them Murton and Walker for Crisp. This love affair with Murton is weird.

You have no idea what would have happened if Nomar hadn't gotten hurt in April. Until then, Neifi was a backup. That's clearly the plan this year as well. Good grief, people.

I have several sources close to the Braves and every last one of them says Furcal is gone. The Braves have Andy Marte ready to go at 3B and they'll move Betemit to SS. The only way they keep Furcal, I'm told, is if they find a taker for Chipper Jones. that would allow them to move Marte to LF.

If Marcus Giles is available, I'd pursue him with vigor. However, the Cubs' problem is they don't have much to deal. What do the Cubs have that the Braves would possibly want?