Like most baseball fans, half my time thinking about baseball is fantasizing about Things Yet To Come.  With the recent addition of Jim "Aw, God, Why?" Edmonds, the ideal Cubs lineups may look something like the following:

2B Mark DeRosa - Why would I leadoff Mark DeRosa?  Ignoring his poor start in May, have you seen his numbers?  Dude's on pace to draw more than 90 walks.  He hits a fair amount of doubles (on pace for around 30) and homeruns, he has good plate discipline, and his bat just isn't damaging enough to use as protection for guys like Ramirez and Lee.

RF Kosuke Fukudome - The Fookster is the perfect #2 hitter.  He just is.  Whether Lou insists on batting Soriano leadoff or not, Fukudome needs to be the #2 hitter.  He very easily could finish the year with 40 doubles, 10 triples, 10 homers, and 20 or more steals.  On top of that, he's a legitimate threat to draw 100 walks, giving the Cubs two players who could and should get on base about 40% of the time in front of the dangerous bats of Lee and Ramirez.

1B Derrek Lee - This is pretty much a no-brainer.  If Lee stays healthy and maintains his current level of production, he will have a borderline career season.  

3B Aramis Ramirez - Actually, despite Lee batting 3rd being a no-brainer, Ramirez is producing in a way where it just might make sense for him to bat third.  In particular, A-Ram is actually drawing a lot of walks this year.  After less than two months of baseball, Ramirez has already drawn 25 walks.  His career high is 50.  Even more impressive, he's only struck out 27 times.  It's conceivable that Ramirez will finish the year with more walks than strikeouts, which is always impressive.

LF Alfonso Soriano - This so-called headcase belongs in the #5 hole.  In fact, it makes a lot of sense because he doesn't walk as often and he strikes out a lot.  Putting Soriano here optimizes his RBI opportunities and I'm willing to bet that he would lead the league in bases-loaded at bats.  Hmm.  Maybe Cedeno should bat here.  ...naaaaah.  Anyway, a 3-4-5 of Lee-Ramirez-Soriano is scary.  In fact, it's so scary, shouldn't it be a no-brainer?

C Geovany Soto - If Soriano continues to bat at the top of the lineup, then Soto actually should be the #5 hitter.  He's putting up huge numbers of Rick Wilkins-like proportions.  It's scary to think about the numbers the Cubs lineup might finish with at the end of the year, because if Soto continues to hit as he has, then they very well might have a #6 hitter with 30 homeruns and 100 RBI.  Insane.

CF Jim Edmonds/Reed Johnson - This makes me sad.  Reed Johnson was a great acquisition, although he's truly proving to be a more adequate back-up/part-time starter.  Unfortunately, while Johnson shouldn't be a regular starter, Edmonds is hardly a better choice.  Hopefully Felix Pie will return shortly, Edmonds will be released, and we can proceed as if this nightmare never actually happened.

SS Ryan Theriot - Maybe I'm being unfair to Theriot, who is currently producing better than a #8 hitter.  Unfortunately, he doesn't slug well enough to bat anywhere apart from the top of the lineup or the bottom.  It seems very unlikely that he'll finish the year with a .300 batting average and a .360 or .380 OBP, and as Colin might observe, it's better to cash in your chips while you've still got them.  Therefore, if Theriot remains a starter - and if it's not him, then it's Cedeno - then it should be as the #8 hitter.  

A few alternative lineups that might work:

RF Fukudome
2B DeRosa
1B Lee
3B Ramirez
LF Soriano
C Soto
CF Edmonds/Johnson
SS Theriot

Or...

SS Theriot
RF Fukudome
1B Lee
3B Ramirez
LF Soriano
C Soto
2B DeRosa
CF Edmonds/Johnson

Or... 

LF Soriano
RF Fukudome
1B Lee
3B Ramirez
C Soto
2B DeRosa
CF Edmonds/Johnson
SS Theriot

And, just one last thought to throw your way early on your Friday afternoon.  At their current pace ...

2B DeRosa - .287 AVG, .399 OBP, 30 doubles, 13 homers, 8-10 steals
RF Fukudome - .324 AVG, .426 OBP, 45 doubles, 10 triples, 10 homers, 15 steals
1B Lee - .310 AVG, .380 OBP, 45 doubles, 4 triples, 40 homers, 12 steals
3B Ramirez - .295 AVG, .419 OBP, 50 doubles, 25 homers
LF Soriano - .280 AVG, .320 OBP, 33 doubles, 33 homers, 16 steals
C Soto - .320 AVG, .420 OBP, 56 doubles, 30 homers
CF Edmonds/Johnson/Pie - let's ignore this one, but let's say they combine to average about .250 AVG, .300 OBP, 30 doubles, 10 homers, 10 seals
SS Theriot - .330 AVG, .410 OBP, 30 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers, 33 steals

Obviously, Theriot's numbers will go down, as likely will Soto's, and DeRosa's.  I gave Soriano the benefit of the doubt in terms of batting average, but he is already currently on pace for 30 homers and 30 doubles.  

Apart from the weakness at center field, this is a pretty sick offense.  It would be hard to lose with an offense that sick.