With Alfonso Soriano on the disabled list and the Cubs looking for a replacement leadoff hitter, it would seem like a perfect fit for the Northsiders to go after veteran outfielder Kenny Lofton. Not only would he be able to bat at the top of the order while Soriano is gone, but him and Reed Johnson would make a much better platoon in center field even when Soriano comes back. Though Jim Edmonds has shown signs of positive improvement in recent games, it’s doubtful he’ll make it through the season as the starter. He just doesn’t have the bat speed for his type of swing at his age.

Lofton still has plenty left in the tank. Last season, he posted a .380 OBP and 21 steals (in 25 attempts) with the Rangers in 84 games after being traded by Cleveland. And he has the advantage of starting midseason so he’ll still be fresh come playoff time.

That sort of speed and veteran leadership at the top of the order would do a lot for the Cubs as they vie for the top seed coming out of the NL. Kenny Lofton has been there (with the Cubs in 2003 even) and has proven he can give a spark to a ballclub time and time again. He may not be the best option available, but rumor has it the Cubs are interested in Randy Winn, a poor man’s Kenny Lofton at best. Why would you give up even a halfway decent prospect for Winn (that you could save as trade bait for C.C. Sebathia or AJ Burnett) when Lofton is still a free agent waiting to be signed?

Like the Edmonds deal, there really is nothing to lose. And with the Cardinals heading for a tailspin with Albert Pujols and 87% of their rotation on the DL, the Cubs have some room for error.

The following post was written by staff intern Kevin Kaplan. He did not invent the Kaplan Test Prep Course. 

Spring training in the MLB is in full swing, and today if you’re a Cardinals fan, you can momentarily rest easy. If you’re a Cubs fan, well, at least you can rest easy with the fact that you can continue to go to Wrigley Field to see the Cubbies battle. Oh, wait, maybe you can’t …

On St. Louis’ side, things are looking pretty good. Albert Pujols tried his best to scare the Cardinals faithful when it came out that surgery might be the answer to an arm injury that he sustained in 2003.

The words of the Cardinal’s physician, Dr. George Paletta, did not make anybody feel any better. Paletta said Pujols experienced a “high grade tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, as well as bone spurs, inflammation and arthritis in the joint — all of which have likely developed as a reaction to the ligament tear.”

Well, on Wednesday it was revealed that Pujols would not be going the route of surgery. That was very bad news to anybody who would be playing the Cardinals, and the Florida Marlins were the first to experience that news firsthand.

In their Thursday morning encounter, Pujols topped off a string of three homeruns in a row by Cardinals batters to top the Marlins 5-2. These spring training games are key for the Cardinals, as their roster seems to be up in the air. Pitching will be an interesting spectacle as the season progresses, but overall the Cards look good. While the Cards won the day, the same couldn’t be said for the Cubs. Falling 2-1 to the Athletics in Cactus League play, the highlight for the Cubs was a three-inning four hit shutout by (former Cardinal) Jason Marquis.

A loss for the Cubs is nothing new, however, and after all it is only Spring Training. The headline news for the Cubs lately has been the fact that they may not be playing in Wrigley Field anymore. Before anyone has a heart attack, the second oldest stadium in the country isn’t going anywhere (though there are renovations planned).

The issue begins with the acquisition of the Cubs franchise by billionaire Sam Zell. The Cubs franchise had been owned by the Chicago Tribune for years, but Zell is now selling them off. The problem is that, as of now, he also plans on selling off the naming rights to the field. This would allow Wrigley Field to be called any number of different things.
Since 1926, Cubbie nation has gone without a pennant, all the while being assured the one constant that America’s most dedicated fans could go to WRIGLEY FIELD and watch their “lovable losers” take
the diamond.

Now, they might not even be able to do that.