Tyler Colvin

I can safely say that I am a gigantic fan of Adam Dunn. Consistency is one of the main benchmarks for picking my favorite players, and he very simply gets the job done. He is a freak of patience and power, but the consistent production is what draws me to him.

For instance, his production from 2007 to 2009 looks a little something like this:

2007   .264 AVG/.386 OBP (101 walks)/40 home runs

2008   .236 AVG/.386 OBP (122 walks)/40 home runs

Yesterday afternoon, Lou Piniella managed his final game with the Chicago Cubs. 

And in typical Cubs fashion, they lost, bad, 16-5.

Its hard to believe that, save for a few players, this is the same Cubs team that posted the best record in the National League in 2008. Now the Cubs are in 5th place, with only the bargain basement Pirates keeping them from last in the NL Central (but only by 9.5 games mind you).

In the past month, we've seen half of our infield and a starting pitcher traded away, as well as  Piniella's recent retirement.

In a move that was slightly surprising, Derrek Lee was traded to the Braves on Wednesday.

It wasn't really a surprise that the Cubs wanted to trade him. After all, they did try to make a swap with the Angels involving the veteran first baseman not too long ago.

Stats as of July 24th ,2010 courtesy of ESPN.

1st Basemen

Gaby Sanchez   

41.9% owned in ESPN Leagues

Sanchez can be a good backup 1st baseman in most leagues, putting up respectable numbers, .302/.366/.470. After a hot June where he batted .375, Sanchez has cooled down in July.

A long time ago, Jim Hendry, knowing that the World Series window for a team that had not represented the National League in the Series since 1945 was very short, went on a spending spree. Among other signings, he gave Kosuke Fukudome a big deal, (4-years, $48 million) locked up Carlos Zambrano (5 years, $91 million) and Aramis Ramirez (5 years, $75 million) and, of course, the most reviled contract in Cubs history, the 8-year, $136 million dollar behemoth handed out to streak hitter and strikeout machine Alfonso Soriano.

It's now June and the Cubs sit four games below .500 and six games behind the Cards and Reds.

With 52 games in the books, the season is getting dangerously close to one-third over. So all the cries not to worry because it's early are starting to ring hollow.

Meanwhile, we know that Jim Hendry doesn't have money to work with, and is stuck with expensive, long-term contracts that have no-trade clauses. So any suggestions must work within these limitations.

So while I'd love to suggest we go out and obtain Roy Oswalt, we need to be practical here.

In November 2009, Tyler Colvin moved to Arizona to train with Cubs strength coach Tim Buss.

The training program add 25 pounds of muscle and Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella was very impressed with him early this spring.

"We noticed right from the start of spring training at Fitch Park that he was taking some really good batting practice and driving the ball to left-center, right-center," Piniella said.

Must I say I told you so?

Thursday, Tyler Colvin, 24, made his first start of the 2010 season at Turner Field for the Cubs after slow starts from Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome, and the entire Chicago offense for that matter.

Colvin faced numerous skeptics after demolishing opponents in spring training—the outfielder hit .468 while slugging .753 and driving in 18 RBI’s in 77 plate appearances—but few of those doubters still remain.

It appears the Chicago Cubs will carry a rookie, Tyler Colvin, as their fifth outfielder when the come north for the regular season. And to me, it might be a shame.

The Cubs have a lot of money tied up in their outfield. Between the albatross contracts of Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome, the corner outfield spots are pretty well locked up because of financial obligation.

Meanwhile, the Cubs brought in Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady as free agents this winter to replace "Baseball's Kanye West," Milton Bradley. More money spent on veterans.

Young outfielder Tyler Colvin will make the Chicago Cubs' Opening Day roster if the team can find him sufficient playing time, according to manager Lou Piniella . Colvin, 24, would need to get somewhere in the neighborhood of two starts per week in order to justify keeping him on board, by Piniella's reckoning.