CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs got rid of one problem by finding a taker for unhappy slugger Sammy Sosa.
Now they're faced with another, potentially bigger predicament.
Though Sosa's production has dropped, he was still a key piece of Chicago's offense with 35 homers and 80 RBI last season. Throw in departed free agent Moises Alou, and the Cubs lose a combined 74 home runs and 186 RBI.
"You really are not going to replace him," center fielder Corey Patterson said Saturday. "He's one of the superstars of the game. When you're talking about superstars of the game, it's a very, very limited number."
The Cubs are just a few steps away from trading Sosa to the Baltimore Orioles for second baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. and two prospects. The deal isn't done yet, but the teams planned to send it to commissioner Bud Selig on Monday for approval, necessary because more than $1 million in cash is involved.
Sosa and the Orioles players still have to take physicals, probably Tuesday, and the deal could be finalized as early as Wednesday.
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| The Cubs still have third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who blasted 36 homers in 2004. (Getty Images) |
Sosa isn't asking for an extension, either, meaning he'd be eligible for free agency after the season unless the Orioles propose a new deal.
"I'm not surprised. I don't think anyone's surprised," outfielder Todd Hollandsworth said. "I think it's going to provide everyone with the fresh start they were hoping for."
Sosa, 36, isn't the feared hitter he was in 1998, when his home run duel with Mark McGwire energized baseball. His average has dropped steadily since 2001, from .328 to .288 to .279 to .253 last season. He's hit 75 homers the last two years -- just nine more than the 66 he had in 1998 alone.
But there are plenty of players who would gladly take Sosa's numbers. He's hit 30 or more home runs for 10 straight seasons, and he's seventh on the all-time list with 574. He and Alou gave the Cubs four 30-homer players, fearsome production that few other teams came close to matching.
The Cubs do return Aramis Ramirez (.318, 36 homers and 103 RBI) and Derek Lee (.278, 32, 98), as well as Patterson (24 homers, 72 RBI and 32 steals). They'll have Nomar Garciaparra for a full season, and get back Hollandsworth, who was hitting a blistering .318 when he went down with an injury that cost him the second half of the season.
But without Sosa and Alou's big bats, the Cubs will likely look like a much different team this season.
