Can anyone tell me why Ben Sheets isn’t seriously being considered by the Chicago Cubs? When healthy, Sheets is dominating. When healthy Sheets is one of the best around. When healthy this and when healthy that. Yes he’s coming off flexor tendon surgery, and yes he’s a risk. But how much more of a risk is Sheets than the guys we have currently in contention to make the rotation in Chicago? Is Ben Sheets’ health riskier than going into a season with 3 spots in the rotation questionable at best? I mean seriously think about this Jim Hendry. Your 3 spots in the rotation, while Lilly is out, are: Randy Wells, Tom Gorzelanny, Sean Marshall, Carlos Silva, Jeff Samardzjia, and Jay Jackson (maybe?). Uhhhhh….that doesn’t exactly scream world series contender does it? If the Cubs truly believe those guys can get the job done- I seriously question the intelligence in the front office and this is coming from a person who absolutely loves Jim Hendry and the job he’s done. Randy Wells will probably come back down to Earth a little bit. Gorzelanny isn’t bad but he’s a 4 or a 5 at best. Same with Marshall. Carlos Silva is a joke and should be charged with armed robbery after robbing the M’s of the money they gave him. Jeff Samardzjia hasn’t figured out how to command anything with consistency so therefore can’t really be counted on at this point, and Jay Jackson is a terrific prospect- but is just that right now- a prospect. Ben Sheets is absolutely worth a 1 year deal worth 5-6 million, and it couldn’t hurt to bring him in. He most likely will not get a multi year deal as most teams are going to say- we need to see you healthy for 25-35 starts before we give you more than a year. What’s the worst that can happen Jim? He gets hurt? Misses starts? Gets shelled? So you need Marshall, Samardzjia, Silva, etc to fill in? Well isn’t that going to happen anyway? The Cubs are a big market team, and a 1 year deal for that kind of salary is absolutely affordable. Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster, Ben Sheets will be a heck of alot better than what is there now. Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ben Sheets, and 2 of the above mentioned guys looks alot better for a month that what is going to happen in all liklihood. I for the life of me cannot understand why this sign hasn’t happened yet.

As a Cub fan- I absolutely am concerned about the shape the pitching staff is in right now and Ben Sheets would make me and most Cub fans I’d imagine, feel a little better- a little more secure. I mean come on- if the Cards can sign Brad Penny whose just as big a risk as Sheets to the contract he got….I’m pretttttty sure our big market team can sign Ben Sheets. Tom Ricketts- you claim your family will do anything to bring a winner to this championship starved franchise.  Right here and now I, as a Cub fan, challenge you to prove it.