Chicago Cubs: 10 Moves Theo Epstein Must Make Now

It’s funny how one man can create such optimism for a city that has endured so much heartache for so long. New Chicago Cubs President Theo Epstein has already made it clear that he feels uncomfortable being called a savior, but quite frankly it is hard to not look at him that way.

No GM in all of baseball has been able to do the things 37-year-old Epstein has. While Epstein is not going to transform this team into a championship contender overnight, his signing signifies to Cub nation that it is a start.

Theo Epstein is going to have the most difficult challenge of his career turning this Cubs team around.

He is coming into a team that has guys with huge contracts that no one wants in Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano. He'll also have arguably the worst farm system in all of baseball. However, Epstein still will have plenty of money to go out and make some big acquisitions for the Cubs, and there are not many people I would want making these key decisions other than him.

The following are 10 moves that the Chicago Cubs need to make this offseason, whether via trades or free agency.

Sign Catcher Yadier Molina

Heading into the offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals will do whatever it takes to keep their superstar first baseman Albert Pujols. The team also has club options that they will likely exercise for pitchers Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter.

That being said, rumors have been circulating that the Cardinals are not going to pick up Yadier Molina’s $7 million club option and instead pay him his $750k buyout. If this is the case, the Cubs need to strongly pursue the All-Star catcher.

Defensively, there is no catcher in all of baseball better than Molina. He already has three Gold Gloves and a career .993 fielding percentage. Not only is he arguably the best defensive catcher in baseball, but he can hit, too. Molina has a career .274 BA and is someone who rarely strikes out.

The Cubs have given Geovany Soto plenty of chances to be their long-term catcher and he just cannot seem to get the job done. Ever since winning Rookie of the Year in 2008, Soto has only gone downhill, and it is time for the team to move on.

Molina would provide the Cubs with experience, leadership and an array of talent. A catcher like Molina can have a positive effect on any pitching staff that he works with.

Sign Right Fielder Nick Swisher

This offseason the Cubs will be looking to fill the void in right field after the Kosuke Fukudome experiment did not pan out the way they would have liked.

Barring the New York Yankees picking up Nick Swisher’s $10.25 million club option, he will become a free agent. For a team like the Cubs, Swisher would be a perfect fit.

The Cubs struggled mightily last season to produce base runners, and getting on base is exactly what Swisher does. He led a very productive Yankee lineup in OBP last season. Swisher is a very unique player and someone the Cubs would be lucky to land. He is a switch hitter who can play right field or even first base for a team.

Swisher has also been known around the league as being a great clubhouse presence. The Cubs need a whole lot of those.

I am not saying the Cubs should throw their wallet at Swisher, but he is a guy that will be very consistent for a team that has been anything but. 

Trade Center Fielder Marlon Byrd

With the 2013 free agent class consisting of center fielders such as Matt Kemp, Michael Bourn and B.J. Upton, the Cubs should be looking to deal Marlon Byrd. Byrd will be entering the final year of his $6.5 million deal with the Cubs. He has had a solid career, posting a .281 BA, and for a contending team Byrd would be a nice fit for at least one season.

Instead of letting Byrd walk at the end of the season, the Cubs needs to get some value for him by trading him before or during the 2012 season.

Even if the Cubs are unable to land one of the premier center fielders next offseason, they can always give their number one prospect, Brett Jackson, a chance to shine in the bigs.

Re-Sign Third Baseman Aramis Ramirez

There have not been many third basemen in the past decade as consistent as Aramis Ramirez.

In 14 big league seasons, Ramirez has averaged 30 home runs and over 100 RBI. He was also one of the only bright spots for the Cubs last season, finishing in the top two in runs, RBI, home runs and batting average.

I know the Cubs are trying to rebuild and get younger, but there is no denying the fact that Ramirez can still produce. Many people believe the Cubs and Ramirez will move on from each other, but if they can work out a smaller deal around two years, they should pull the trigger and bring back the Cubs' most consistent player.

Sign First Baseman Prince Fielder

There is no arguing that Albert Pujols is the best player in all of baseball. However, that does not necessarily mean he is the right choice for the Cubs. Instead, the Cubs need to heavily pursue free agent Prince Fielder.

Fielder is four years younger than Pujols and will likely command $4-5 million less per year. Pujols may be the best hitter in baseball, but Fielder is not too far behind him. He is coming off a season in which he batted .299 with 38 home runs and 120 RBI.

He would provide a left-handed bat in a Cubs lineup that definitely needs one.

Trade Pitcher Carlos Zambrano

The Cubs need to do whatever it takes to get rid of the head case that is Carlos Zambrano. Finding a team to take on Zambrano will be difficult, but new Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen has already stated that he would take Zambrano.

The Cubs need to eat a majority of his remaining one-year $18 million contract and find any solution possible to deal the disgruntled Zambrano. You cannot have players like him on your team and he does not want to be a Cub, so hopefully for Cub fans' sake the team can find him a new home anywhere except on the north side.

Make Ryne Sanberg the New Manager

The Cubs made the mistake once by passing on Sandberg and hopefully they do not make the same one again. The Cubs need a new, energetic coach and that is exactly what Sandberg would bring.

New Cubs President Theo Epstein already tried pursuing Sandberg to coach the Red Sox Triple A team.

Ryne Sandberg could provide the Cubs with the spark the team desperately needs. Look at the Arizona Diamondbacks, who transformed their team from last to first after hiring first-year manager Kirk Gibson.

The bottom line is that the Cubs need to give Ryno a chance.

Sign Closer Heath Bell

Having a reliable closer is one the biggest ingredients to producing a championship team and the Cubs have been looking for one in quite some time.

Carlos Marmol has not been able to get the job done, and the team should turn their heads to Heath Bell. Bell has been one of the most consistent closers in baseball for a very subpar San Diego Padres team, averaging over 40 saves in each of his last three seasons.

Signing Bell would also allow the Cubs to try and trade Marmol or at least take some pressure off him by putting him in the bullpen.

Trade for Pitcher James Shields

The Cubs traded for a Tampa Bay Rays pitcher last offseason in Matt Garza and they should try to do it again. Trading for James Shields might be more difficult this year, considering the Cubs lack significant talent in their farm system.

However, the Rays have already made it clear that they will listen to offers because they believe Matt Moore can step in and fill the void of Shields.

Shields is coming off a season in which he posted a record of 16-12 with a 2.82 ERA. The Cubs should aggressively try to put together a package of players that would suit the Rays' needs. Shields would be a much more viable option then, say, a guy like Roy Oswalt who has been battling injuries and coming at the crossroads of his career.

Sign Pitcher Edwin Jackson

The Cubs are going to have the task of deciding where to spend their money this offseason. If they pursue Prince Fielder and a top-notch closer, then it may be very difficult to also land a guy like C.J. Wilson, who is considered to be the best free agent starting pitcher available.

Instead the Cubs should sign Edwin Jackson. Jackson will not be commanding nearly the amount of money as a guy like C.J. Wilson or even Yu Darvish.

Jackson would log a lot of innings for a Cubs team that has a very shaky bullpen. Although Jackson is not the left-hander the Cubs would like, he would be a solid no. 4 pitcher in the Cubs rotation.