How about sign Fukudome and Kuroda, trade Pie for Greene straight up and then offer Marmol, Gallagher, Veal, Marshall, Murton for Crawford. Would kill our team longterm, but look at short term (assuming Soriano agrees to move down in the order) Crawford, CF Fukudome, RF Lee, 1B Ramirez, 3B Soriano, LF Greene, SS DeRosa, 2B Soto, C Zambrano Lilly Kuroda Hill Prior/Marquis Wuertz Wood Eyre Howry Dempster That is a World Series contender minus the bullpen Spend: Crawford - $6m Fukudome - $13m Kuroda - $10m Greene - $4m Dump Prior - (-$4m) Total - $29m Thats about double the Cubs plan to spend, but you'd have to think that the management would be more willing to approve $30 million in payroll increase if we are getting 4 quality players as opposed to 1 A-Rod or opposed to our wild overspending of last year.