Eyre signs 3 year deal

According to ESPN.com the Cubs have signed Scott Eyre to a 3-year 11 million dollar deal. The last time the Cubs gave out a 3 year deal to a lefty reliever was Remlinger, but I am 100% positive this signing will turn out much better then that deal (which is not going to be too hard). Eyre not only stops lefties from getting on, he also gets righties out consistently also. Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is a great signing by any means, and think the Cubs should have shelled out 7 million more or so and tried for BJ Ryan, but then that would mean that Hendry was actually doing something instead of putting together an average team. The major thing that worries me is that Eyre tends to give up more fly balls than ground balls and sometimes in Wrigley that can come back and haunt you, but then again with the defense that was out there last year the Cubs fans didn't want to see any ground balls hit.

Also on the trade front, yesterday the Cubs traded Jon Leicester to the Rangers for a PTBNL. Jon did not fit into the Cubs plans and hopefully this might help the Cubs get Kevin Mench, who I would love to see in RF for the Cubs. I think his bat would be great in Wrigley and having him and Murton (assuming Cubs let him start) on the corners is a good foundation. If the Cubs can pull off a trade for Mench, I'd think another trade getting Pierre for CF would definitely improve the Cubs defense and offense in the OF.

This then would leave the SS/2b unresolved, the bench (which needs to be highly upgraded if we want to contend next season),and another guy or 2 in pen. I'd also say that we might need an emergency starter guy, as I am not high on Rusch, but since starting pitching is scarce this off-season, the prices of the available guys are not worth paying.