Cubbies want Tejada???

[Fairfax Bird]

His last 10 games....3 big games (2 against Cincy, 1 against Pitt) 2 good games (Mil, SF) the rest were average & bad.

Not sure if anyone debunked this myth, but here are his last ten games:

IP ER K BB

7 2 7 2

5 4 10 2

9 0 9 1

5.2 1 6 1

7.1 1 11 2

8 1 6 1

7 1 2 0

6 2 6 3

2 1 3 0 (relieved in extra innings)

4.2 6 2 5

In all 61.2 innings pitched, 19 earned runs (6 in one start), 63 Ks and 18 BBs.

His last ten were as good as any ten game stretch for any of our pitchers last year. Beyond that he has killer stuff. As good as Bedard. He really did not trust his stuff in his first two attempts to get major league hitters out, but he has top of the rotation stuff and he displayed it in August and September.

I make this deal. Itzturis immediately saves us runs because of his defense. Plus, I would use young pitching then to get back a good young shortstop. I agree with SG that Benson could be flipped, I think for Morgan Ensberg to play 1B or 3B with Mora moving to LF and eventually back to the super-sub role. If Prior can regain his health that rotation is as good in 2008 as any in the league and we will win. Of course, it would be nice to sign Lee or Soriano, but with Bigbird's post I wouldn't be expecting that.