"Call it the Fukudome Funk.

Whatever caused Kosuke Fukudome to go from phenom to failure, all in his first major-league season, has put the Cubs in a quandary.

With manager Lou Piniella insisting on more pop from the left side of the plate and with Fukudome still unproven, the Cubs made no secret about their desire for another right fielder at the just-concluded general managers' meetings.

Fukudome's crash has cooled the Cubs' confidence that he will be an everyday player. Right now he is probably a platoon center fielder, meaning the Cubs have to spend more money to protect themselves. That will make GM Jim Hendry's job even more difficult.

While Hendry tries to put a positive spin on things, it's obvious the Cubs don't know whether Fukudome is the All-Star player who hit .296 through June or the benched bust who hit .207 from July on.

"I told him we had a lot of faith in him coming back and being good but that we're in a position where we're going to have to add something to the club and possibly in the outfield," Hendry said. "He understood that.

"Hopefully we can put a better club on the field than when we were eliminated [from the playoffs]. He understands that. And I think he knows he has to play like he did the first half."

It still is unclear whether Hendry will go for a big-name bat or just a cheaper one who could play full time if necessary. And there are other questions about left-handed hitters to be answered, according to Hendry.

"Is [Micah] Hoffpauir going to take the next step forward and be able to help? Is Fukudome going to be more like the first half than the second? You have to factor that all in," Hendry said. "You would love to find a way to get [ Mike] Fontenot more at-bats, because he played awfully well. He's a guy who had a terrific year without a lot of publicity and not in an easy situation. So there's three lefties right there."