"Right-hander Carl Pavano is the best remaining free-agent starting pitcher.

The trade market offers more numerous options, and we're not just talking about the Royals' Zack Greinke and Rays' Matt Garza — or even the Phillies' Joe Blanton, who is suddenly expendable due to the signing of you-know-who.

Consider the Cubs.

They boast enough starting-pitching depth in the minors to put together a package for a veteran such as Garza.

If they pulled off such a deal — and combined it with a move of talented youngster Andrew Cashner to the rotation — they then could trade one of their back-end major league starters.

Lefty Tom Gorzelanny and righty Randy Wells aren't as exciting as Greinke and Garza. Neither is righty Carlos Silva, whom the Cubs owe $6 million next season, with the Mariners paying the other $5.5 million.

Still, given the large number of teams seeking to upgrade their rotation, the Cubs could put all of those moving parts in motion.

The team also remains willing to trade right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, who is set to earn $13.5 million in the final year of his contract.

As with Silva, the Cubs almost certainly would include money to facilitate a deal. But keeping Fukudome, even though he is overpriced, would not be the worst thing, either.

New manager Mike Quade made good use of his four-man outfield rotation after replacing Lou Piniella in August, finding at-bats for Fukudome, Tyler Colvin, Marlon Byrd and Alfonso Soriano.

Byrd faded in September. Soriano requires occasional days off. Trading Fukudome would compromise the Cubs' depth and actually could do more harm than good."