Now It Gets Interesting: Chad Tracy Muddies Waters of Cubs' 2010 Roster

Guessing what Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry will do next is like guessing under which cup the carnival employee has hidden the ball: you need to have watched every dizzying and confusing previous movement, and even then, there's a chance he's cheating you.

Hendry's Cubs announced Wednesday that they have signed corner infielder and free agent Chad Tracy to a Minor-League contract that includes an invitation to big-league Spring Training. Tracy will join Micah Hoffpauir and Bryan LaHair in competition to be the back-up first baseman and left-handed power bat off the bench for Chicago.

What makes this move so interesting, however, is that the particular role is not necessarily even available. Chicago has a host of tough and potentially convoluted roster decisions to make between now and Opening Day, as no fewer than five spots remain fairly undefined.

In one scenario, Hendry could assign fifth outfielder Sam Fuld to Iowa to begin the season, thereby making Kosuke Fukudome the back-up center fielder to newly-acquired Marlon Byrd and making room for (most likely) Hoffpauir as the backup at both first and left field. In another, he could look to trade the disappointing Mike Fontenot, opting to give Jeff Baker the starting second base job outright. That would open a spot for any of the three left-handed sluggers, with Tracy having the edge because of his experience at third base.

In still another permutation, Hendry would coax Lou Piniella into starting the season with an eleven-man pitching rotation. That would allow Chicago to go six deep on its offensive bench, but would require long relievers and swing-men such as Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija, and Carlos Silva to be stretched out. Moreover, the strategy clashes with Piniella's general philosophy, which has called for the Cubs to carry 12 pitchers for the majority of the last three seasons.

Finally, there exists the slim possibility that this move augurs a real and meaningful shake-up: Chicago, in this fanciful scenario, would trade their two flawed second basemen in for one of two low-risk, high-reward, free-agent options. Orlando Hudson and Felipe Lopez each bat from both sides of the plate; both bat near the top of the order. Both of those attributes make them appealing, as do their solid defensive reputations.

Ideally, were this far-fetched possibility to become a reality, Hendry would procure a useful Major League-caliber pitcher in return for Fontenot and Baker, thereby answering the remaining questions about the team's 2010 roster construction.

All of that is speculation. It seems all too likely that Tracy, a very good hitter when healthy, will fall back into his pattern of unhealthiness. It also seems likely Chicago is done spending money this off-season, and that makes the last scenario extremely unlikely. For Hendry and his team, however, the Tracy signing is a solid move with virtually no risk and a high potential reward.