PITTSBURGH -- The Cubs don't want to see anybody get hurt to provethey made a wise business decision. And yet ... they would hope theircritics now might pause and reconsider their winter demands.
The news that Detroit's Magglio Ordonez is going to miss four tosix weeks with hernia surgery seems to justify the Cubs' cautiousapproach with him. They offered the free agent a one-year contractthat probably would have included an option year for 2006, but it washeavily laden with restrictions that would have given them financialsafeguards against Ordonez hurting something other than hissurgically-repaired knee.
Since the Tigers' deal was much richer and less restrictive basedon injury clauses, it came as no surprise that Ordonez elected to gothere. He might yet star in Detroit, since he will be there foryears, but imagine the gnashing of teeth in Chicago if the Cubs hadgone the extra mile to sign Ordonez and he would have turned up lamein the first couple weeks of the season.
The Cubs still believe Ordonez would have ended up a Cub if theTigers hadn't structured such an unexpectedly lucrative package. Butthey also were confident that without getting Ordonez, they coulddepend on their outfield to carry the load.
Rookie Jason Dubois' homer in Friday night's game againstPittsburgh is a sign that the Cubs still could be better off takingthe more conservative tactics with Ordonez rather than mortgagingtheir future to get him. After all, Dubois could be an NL Rookie ofthe Year candidate.
Mike Kiley
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