First of all, you will notice the Zambran-O-Meter has been modified, not that we need the reminder of what's at stake.  That said, through using the website MLB4U.com, we can take a look at a comprehensive list of free agents who may be available this off season. 

But before we do that, let's review what next year's starting lineup should look like:

C Geovany Soto:  This 24-year-old from Puerto Rico is defensively solid, and he had an offensive outburst this year unlike anything he'd shown in the past.  Which means it might have been a fluke.  Regardless, Soto hit 26 homers and drove in 109 RBI in 385 minor league at bats, and he carried it over to the major leagues where he batted .389 with 3 homers and 8 RBI in 54 at bats.  He's earned his shot, and there's no way he can be worse than Barrett/Kendall.

1B Derrek Lee: Derrek had an off year last year, partly due to a very weak first half where he only hit six homeruns.  However, if his second half in 2007 is a sign of anything, he could and should be capable of 30 homers and more than 100 RBI next season.

2B Mark DeRosa: DeRosa was a pleasant surprise this past season, even though he tanked in the playoffs.  Regardless, he's a decent hitter, a respectable fielder, and while he certainly isn't a big star, he should be able to fill his role for at least one more season.  Oh, and he may be the best #2 hitter on the team, if Lou sees fit to use him there.

3B Aramis Ramirez:  Who knows why he sucked so badly in the playoffs.  Regardless, he'd shown before that he can hit in big situations, so we can only hope to see a better performance next year.

SS ??? ???: As much as I like Ryan Theriot - and Mike Fontenot, for that matter - I don't feel like the Cubs have a dependable shortstop right now.  This has to be a place for improvement next season.

LF Matt Murton: This year's goat turned somewhat golden by the end of the season.  He hit a few clutch homers, he got his average back up to a respectable amount, and he never complained about being the odd man out in the outfield.  Let's be totally, brutally honest.  Murton is not good defensively, but the guy can hit.  Over a full season, it wouldn't be shocking to see Murton bat around .300, hit around 15-20 homers and 25-30 doubles all while walking a bit more and striking out a bit less than other Cubs out there.  Chances are, the Cubs will have to turn to Murton next year and they will have to trust him a little bit.

CF Felix Pie: He hasn't been spectacular yet, but next year has to be his shot.  He hit incredibly well in Iowa last year - .362 with 9 homers, 9 doubles, 5 triples, and 9 steals in 229 at bats - and he is supposedly a defensive whiz, which takes the pressure off of Matt Murton in left field.  He may be a weak link offensively, or he may turn into a solid contributor, but we'll never know until he tries.

RF Alfonso Soriano: Yeah, yeah, I know.  He's defensively shaky as it is.  Without complaining, his mind flips out and he stops hitting when he gets removed from his comfort zone.  Big deal.  The Nationals moved Soriano to left field, and he had his best year.  I bet he'll get used to right field in Chicago, and his incredible, cannon arm dictates that this is the position he should be playing.  Anyway, maybe it's just me but he seems to have more trouble moving to his left than he does to his right when he plays the outfield, and this might help that situation out a bit.  

Bench: Daryle Ward - who the Cubs will need to resign, Angel Pagan, Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, and Henry Blanco are all shoe-ins, and they are versatile enough so that, if the Cubs want to, they could go with a 12-man pitching staff again.  That said, I believe the Cubs own Craig Monroe for another season, as well as Jacque Jones.  Hopefully one or both will go.  If not, expect Monroe back first - and fighting for left field with Murton - but if they're both gone, then Fuld, Patterson, and Shudders Cedeno may all be in competition for a spot nn the team.  And that's the way it should be.

The Rotation: Clearly, the rotation is mostly set.  Zambrano, Lilly, Marquis, and Hill will all return.  I would expect similar performances from all of them, although I hope that Hill improves a bit, as he has room to grow.  The number five spot could go to a number of guys.  Sean Marshall is one, Mark Prior is, theoretically, another. There are a handful of minor league pitchers who could earn a shot, such as Kevin Hart, who was particularly effective in the bullpen, and Juan Mateo, who did well for himself in the hitter's paradise of the PCL last year.  Ryan Dempster may also get the nod, although I wouldn't expect him to pan out, to be honest.

The Bullpen: This area is pretty well set.  The Cubs will have the following players return for sure: Bob Howry, Carlos Marmol, Dempster, Mike Wuertz, and any number of the other guys who pitched in, be it Hart, Pignatiello, or whomever else.  To be honest, I'm hoping Kerry Wood can be healthy enough to return, and I'd still like to see him close if he's healthy enough to do so.  If Marshall doesn't get starting pitcher duties, he may serve as the lefty specialist in the pen.  As for Scott Eyre, he's going to be a free agent and Hendry would have to be stupid to bring him back.  He's just been too inconsistent.

In other words, to summarize, the Cubs are pretty well built and set for next year.  They can theoretically improve in left - or right - field, depending on what happens with Murton, they can improve at shortstop, they might be able to improve by one starter in the rotation, and they may be able to add on a couple of relievers out in the pen.

As for how they're going to do that, that is the million dollar question.  The Cubs may not be able to afford to add big salaries this off season, as they are in the process of being sold.  Regardless, here is a list of potentially available free agents:

SS - Alex Rodriguez: Rodriguez is, clearly, one of the all-time greats.  I don't even really need to say much about this one, except that he's just about the only shortstop good available this off season.

OF - Torii Hunter: Hunter is a defensive marvel who always wanted to play like Andre Dawson.  This is a guy with a few good years left who just might want to do what his idol couldn't - help the Cubs win a World Championship.
Anduw Jones: Do you get the feeling that, despite a season of mediocrity, Andruw Jones will command a huge contract this off season?  What, you do?  Yeah, me too.  And I'm betting that he lands in New York.
Aaron Rowand: Rowand would not be my first choice.  Then again, he's a bit like a younger Hunter - not too many walks, some good speed, strikes out a bit too much, but he can hit the long ball.  Because that's what the Cubs need; more guys who hit homeruns but walk rarely.
Milton Bradley: The injury-prone Bradley would probably last about two weeks in Lou's clubhouse, but in terms of pure production, he'll probably be the bargain of the off season. 
Kosuke Fukudome: He's about as old as Torii Hunter.  Over in Japan, he's been hitting between 23 and 34 homeruns every year since 2003.  In 2006, he batted .351.  He has a last name that they couldn't say on national television without fear of being fined by the FCC.  C'mon, how can this guy not be a Cub?

SP -  Josh Fogg: I don't have a lot to say about Fogg, except that, looking at his numbers, he's a definite #5 pitcher.  Which means he'll probably command 8 million a year or more on the open market. 
Curt Schilling: Just imagine.  The guy who came to Boston to end their drought decides to try it again, one more time, with the Cubs.  Perhaps this is an idea that interests Schilling.  Having pitched championship games in Philly, Arizona, and Boston, maybe Curt would be interested in never having to buy another drink in Chicago, on top of those other locations.  Maybe he's too old to be reliable, or he'd ask for too much money, and maybe he's a bit of an arrogant ass, but I like this idea.  In fact, I'm going to push for it right up until he retires or signs somewhere else.

RP - J.C. Romero: Watch this guy be a big target of Hendry's.  A general rule of thumb when signing free agent relievers - you'll almost never find one under the age of 30, and he'll almost never pan out if you sign him when he's over the age of 35.  Therefore, you have to go for the guys in the 31-33 year range.  Romero is perfect.  He's 31, he's put up mostly good numbers as a reliever, and, as far as I can tell, he's never been injured.  Plus, he's a lefty and the Cubs will need one of those.
Ray "Burger" King: not an ideal choice, but he's just about the next best thing after Romero as far as lefty relievers go.
Francisco Cordero: He'll be 33 next year.  He's an outstanding righty reliever with plus stuff.  The Cubs don't really need another outstanding righty reliever with plus stuff, but if they want to upgrade at closer, then Cordero is the man to turn to.  Realistically speaking, I wouldn't even expect Hendry to make an offer.
Scott Linebrink: He's 31 years old.  He has a career ERA of 3.21.  Last year, he threw about 70 innings, and he had an ERA of 3.71.  Again, the Cubs don't really need another righty reliever, but if they happen to trade Howry or something, Linebrink isn't a bad pickup. 

And that's about it.  Anyway, there are players out there who could help the Cubs through free agency, but expect Hendry to pick up most of the team's improvements through trades for a variety of reasons.

Next year could be a lot better than this year.  Let's not be too down on the Cubs, or ourselves, until we see how things pan out in the next few months.