The Cubs are too good to not make it back to October

Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome will strengthen the Cubs offense no matter where he hits in the lineup. Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

Also in the Daily Scoop...
• More trouble in the Tigers bullpen.
• The sad case of Rocco Baldelli.
• Why the Billy Crystal situation is a joke.

MESA, Ariz. -- If Chicago's beloved North Side team can't make the playoffs this year, I am going to start believing in the black cat, the Billy Goat, Bartman and all the rest. The Cubs are simply too talented and too deep not to make it back to October.

Perhaps no team has a clearer path to the playoffs than the defending NL central champions. They already have a lot of great things going for them, not the least of which is a division in which the only serious threat may be the Milwaukee Brewers, an organization with even less World Series familiarity than the Cubs.

Chicago's rotation is sound, led by tough guy Carlos Zambrano, who, after the A's used a DH the other day, batted because no one wanted to tell him he couldn't (besides, he can hit). The bullpen, unlike in recent years, has at least two viable closer options -- Carlos Marmol has been light's out this spring, and Kerry Wood hit 98 recently. And the lineup looks awfully powerful, no matter how manager Lou Piniella pencils them in (more on that later).

Despite the Cubs' history, which includes 99 straight seasons without a World Series championship, star first baseman Derrek Lee agreed that they should be prohibitive favorites in the NL Central. "I think that's a fair statement. We won the division. We didn't lose anyone. And we brought people in,'' Lee said.

The "people'' to whom Lee refers is Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome, who is winning admirers out here in Arizona.

"Everything we've heard is positive,'' one GM said of Fukudome.

"He looks good in the outfield. He has good instincts. He was overmatched maybe a couple at-bats this spring, but he'll adjust,'' said an American League scout.

"I like the fact he took [jersey] No. 1. I don't think a player takes No. 1 if he has doubts,'' Piniella said.

Yes, the Cubs are darned good already, and they have a chance to get better via trade.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry, a known deal maker, is awaiting word from his former Cubs boss Andy MacPhail, the new Orioles GM, regarding what the Orioles will require for star second baseman Brian Roberts. Hendry appears primed to pounce.

Orioles scout Dave Engle is practically living here at the Cubs' HoHoKam Park (no relation to Chan Ho Park -- sorry, couldn't resist), where he's searching for the final minor-league piece or two to complete a trade long in the works.

The latest names that may go to Baltimore include pitcher Sean Gallagher, shortstop Ronny Cedeno and pitching prospect Donnie Veal. Outfielder Jay Payton may come back to Chicago, along with Roberts. But if Payton does, the Cubs might want to offset the dollars by sending the Orioles veteran pitcher Jason Marquis, who's won more games than Barry Zito over the past few years but makes $6 million a year (a tad more than Payton) and has frustrated the Cubs with his inconsistency.

One Orioles-connected person said, "The Cubs don't appear to have too much,'' suggesting a deal still was no certainty, but most folks around baseball still think there's probably going to be a trade involving Roberts at some point. Even if there isn't one, there is already a lot to love about these Cubs.

One is Piniella, who is part manager and part entertainer. On Tuesday, he promised the writers there'd be a surprise for them the next day before their game with the Rangers in Surprise, the oddly-named community just on the other side of nowheresville that is spring home to the Rangers and Royals. Yet, when the Cubs got there, the surprise appeared to be that there was no surprise.

Since Piniella doesn't have it in him to disappoint, he decided to go ahead and reveal his surprise after all: He's completely redoing the heart of the batting order.

The Cubs' new order, which went into effect Thursday, has Alfonso Soriano dropping from leadoff to the No. 2 spot, Derrek Lee sliding up from No. 4 back to No. 3, Aramis Ramirez moving from No. 5 back to No. 4, and Fukudome going from No. 3 to No. 5.

Piniella listed a couple reasons he wants to try the new alignment. One is that he wants to protect the health of Soriano, whom he revealed as being at only "80-85'' percent. Another is that it can't hurt, not the way his team has been hitting lately.

"I know it's early. But I'd like to see us swing the bat better,'' Piniella said. "Some are. Some aren't.''

Piniella didn't single anyone out, but Lee isn't exactly lighting it up in the early going at .125.

Oh yeah, there's one more thing. If a deal with the Orioles does go through, Roberts would be the leadoff batter.

"This gives us a sneak preview,'' is the way Piniella delicately put it.

1 of 2