Chicago Cubs' Offseason: Addition by Subtraction

Cubs fans, here we are again.  Another offseason as we wait for Hendry and Co. to make their move.  So far we've been linked to the likes of Matt Capps, Mike Cameron, Curtis Granderson, and Marlon Byrd, yet nothing has came to fruition. 

Maybe just standing pat for now is the key to a successful offseason?  So far, other than the Milton Bradley/Batting practice pitcher from Seattle swap and the worst $2 million player in baseball Aaron Miles being sent to Oakland, Hendry has kept his distance in looking to add fresh faces.

Perhaps this has been the best strategy to take?

Missing out on Matt Capps is a godsend.  As we don't need to couple the overpaid John Grabow with a pitcher that struggled to close out games in the pressure cooker (not) of Pittsburgh.

Curtis Granderson may be an All-Star who plays a great center field, and it's well documented how badly Chicago needs someone to cover the center of Wrigley's pasture.  Yet, when you couple Granderson's incompetence against lefties (.183) with Fukudome's left handed inabilities (.164), it creates two platoon situations when southpaws come to visit Wrigley.

Maybe Hendry has had some foresight, maybe hes taken note that Capps self-destructs when the chips are down, or that Granderson + Fukudome equals an 0 for 8 day when a lefty takes the hill. 

Missing out on Cameron does hurt, as not moving Milton Bradley quickly enough cost us.  Cameron's sparkling defense in center and his ability to consistently hit both righties and lefties would be a nice addition, but we missed our chance.

The one way Hendry can ruin this is to overpay the likes of Marlon Byrd, who sounds way too much like Milton Bradley II.  A player from Texas coming off a career year, whose defense is over-hyped (-9.5 UZR/150 in center last year) would almost be cause for tears if we sign him to a Bradley like deal.

So far, accumulating prospects from the Miles as well as the Aaron Heilman deal have added depth to our system, and as we approach February, some Bobby Abreu like deals may fall into our lap.  Where the money we haven't spent so far will come in handy.