With the new year fast approaching, Theo Epstein and his staff might be awfully busy, in addition to celebrating the new Cubs president's 38th birthday.
The little matter of Matt Garza's future hangs in the balance.
The Theo Trio could lock the energetic starter up with a long-term extension, of which the recent John Danks deal could be a good benchmark.
But if the front office decides trading the 28-year-old starter is the better option, where could he go? And could the trade wind up in the Cubs acquiring top first base prospect Anthony Rizzo, even if in a roundabout way?
Regardless of what happens with Garza, will Marlon Byrd be one of the Cubs on the way out of town this offseason? The Nationals and Red Sox could make nice suitors.
Then there's the not-so-small dealings of what Kerry Wood's future will be. It was assumed his signing with the Cubs was inevitable, but that may not be the case any longer.
If the Cubs are unable to get Rizzo, will Bryan LaHair get his shot at first base? And even if Rizzo does wind up on the North Side, could LaHair see a lot of playing time in the outfield in 2012?
MLB
While we're on the topic of trades, who are the guys Theo and Jed Hoyer absolutely, positively should not give up?
View from the Mooney
Theo and his posse aren't the only ones with work on their plate. As fans, you have to decide some things, too. Like what was the best Cubs moment in the 2011 calendar year? What was the worst?
Check out Patrick Mooney's incredible recap of the year that was for the Chicago Cubs. From the Carlos Silva blow-up in spring training to the Carlos Zambrano blow-up...well, all season...to Theo-mania on the North Side to Ron Santo's Hall of Fame selection, Mooney has it all.
His Year in Review: "We stinks" to "Theo-mania" is a must-read for all fans who even pretend to follow the Cubs.
Around the Web
Al Yellon at Bleed Cubbie Blue got to do something most bloggers only dream of -- he interviewed Tom Ricketts, the owner of the Cubs.
What resulted was an entertaining read for Cubs fans of an interview spanning topics such as the Theo Epstein hire to things on the business end of the franchise to baseball-related topics.
Check them all out here: Part I, Part II, Part III