Apparently rival executives have made it known that the Cubs are willing to trade Mark Prior. Good luck with that. Prior reportedly won’t be able to pitch until spring training, so even if he is dealt it’s not as if he’ll be ready and healthy to start the 2008 season. I love how the article said that “he is expected to pitch in 2008.”

Hey, it’s the Cubs way–buy high and sell rather low. Interesting that they will give Wood a guaranteed $4 million plus incentives but they are hesitant to tender Prior a contract or go to arbitration with him. I’m guessing Prior would cost around $3 million for next year.

It’s not yet December, but to date I am disappointed with the Cubs’ offseason. The talk of Wood as closer and a possible Eckersley-like career salvation makes for great copy and sports-talk fodder. The reality of it is that it most likely will leave the Cubs with instability in the pen and doing the closer shuffle repeatedly in 2008.

Not sure why the Cubs didn’t make an effort to sign Cordero. Imagine him and Marmol in innings 7-9. Then you’d have Wood, Eyre, Howry and the others. Shutdown city.

Instead what will probably happen is they will go out and overpay for some left-handed stick to throw out in right field. Matt Murton will once again hit the bench. And that’s a shame. I’d bet that given a full season Murton would pound 30 doubles and 20 homers, and get on base enough to score 100 times if he was to bat in the 2-hole.

There’s still time so perhaps it’s overreacting at this point. But so far they aren’t much better than they ended the season, if at all.