FanHouse Rich Harden

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

Considering the Cubs were probably the most disappointing team in baseball in 2009, they definitely have their work cut out for them this offseason in order to return to being a legitimate contender. I guess Cubs fans should take solace in the fact that a winning season was considered a colossal failure -- after all, they have had a winning record in three consecutive seasons for the first time since the Nixon administration now. It's simply a sign that the bar has been raised in Wrigleyville. No longer content to play "lovable losers," Lou Piniella's Cubs are determined to win it all. New owner and lifelong Cubs fan Tom Ricketts has guaranteed the Cubs will win a World Series under his watch.

After altering the best Cubs team since 1945, general manager Jim Hendry has to find a way to get some of that magic back in 2010. He'll have to start by unloading one of the biggest mistakes of his career.

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Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

All season long, we've been waiting for David Price to deliver on the hype. But Price's year has been up and down, with counting stats that resemble waiver-wire fodder outside of his strikeout total. Well, there's another Rays starter that may be on track to finish 2009 stronger than Price, and is well worth a spot in all keeper leagues.

Wade Davis, you now have our unbridled attention.

Poppin' out of the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

The ugly pitching line from Monday night shouldn't have been a huge shock to Jarrod Washburn fantasy owners. He went 5 2/3 innings, giving up 9 hits, 8 earned runs, 3 walks and 2 home runs. He struck out just 2. While it was his worst outing for the Tigers, he's been flat-out awful in Motown since he was acquired at the trade deadline. Sure, there was an 8-inning gem where he didn't allow a run. He also mixed in a quality start last time out for his first win in Detroit. Other than that, it's been horrifying.

Although things weren't looking too good for the Minnesota Twins this summer as they were straddling the .500 mark and suffering injuries to their starting rotation, like clockwork, it's the last day of August and they find themselves within striking distance of an AL Central championship. Trailing the Detroit Tigers by only 4 1/2 games the Twins are on the lookout for some starting pitching help before Monday's waiver deadline.

While they put in a claim on the Chicago Cubs' Rich Harden, according to reports out of Chicago, any possible deal between the Twins and Cubs has fallen through. That doesn't mean the Twins are done looking, though, as they're also interested in getting Brad Penny from the Red Sox.

It's a great pitching week for Chicago-based teams. All four of the starting pitchers (two from the White Sox and two from the Cubs) are "Must Start" options.

Lineups lock on Monday at 1:05 PM ET, so get those two-start pitchers into your lineup before then.

Must Start
Jon Lester, Red Sox - Tuesday at TB (W. Davis) and Sunday at CWS (J. Danks)
Rich Harden, Cubs - Monday vs HOU (R. Oswalt) and Saturday at NYM (N. Figueroa)
Randy Wells, Cubs - Tuesday vs HOU (B. Moehler) and Sunday at NYM (M. Pelfrey)
John Danks, White Sox - Tuesday at MIN (N. Blackburn) and Sunday vs BOS (J. Lester)
Gavin Floyd, White Sox - Monday at MIN (A. Gabino) and Saturday vs BOS (T. Wakefield)
Josh Johnson, Marlins - Monday vs ATL (T. Hudson) and Saturday at WAS (G. Mock)
Roy Oswalt, Astros - Monday at CHC (R. Harden) and Sunday vs PHI (C. Hamels)
Randy Wolf, Dodgers - Monday vs ARZ (D. Davis) and Saturday vs SD (M. Latos)

Kansas City Royals pitcher Zach Greinke started the season and could virtually do no wrong. He won his first six starts and by the end of May he was 8-1 through 11 starts with a tiny 1.10 ERA. That's exactly when you should have traded him, at the highest point of his yearly value. I only say this with the benefit of hindsight. It's easy to look back and decide which moves should have been made.

Since the beginning of June, Greinke has made 14 starts and has a record of 3-7. His ERA has ballooned to 2.44. His earned run average is still great, he's top-five in the league, but he's losing half of his starts. How's that happening with such a great ERA?

Pickin's are kind of slim this week for two-start pitchers. Only six hurlers are "must start" options and most of the risky pitchers aren't even close to being viable. Be careful when rushing some of the riskier pitchers into your lineup. Week 19 might be a week to bench some of these guys.

First pitch on Monday is at 7:05 PM ET, so you have plenty of time get your rosters set.

Must Start
Rich Harden, Cubs - Tuesday vs PHI (J. Happ) and Sunday vs PIT (R. Ohlendorf)
Tom Gorzelanny, Cubs - Monday at COL (J. De La Rosa) and Saturday vs PIT (Z. Duke)
Gavin Floyd, White Sox - Monday at SEA (L. French) and Saturday at OAK (G. Gonzalez)
Edwin Jackson, Tigers - Monday at BOS (B. Penny) and Saturday vs KC (L. Hochevar)
Rick Porcello, Tigers - Tuesday at BOS (UNK) and Sunday vs KC (K. Davies)
Joba Chamberlain, Yankees - Tuesday vs TOR (S. Richmond) and Sunday at SEA (D. Fister)

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Sure, he gave up a home run to Joey Votto on Sunday, but that's about all the Cincinnati Reds got facing the Cubs' Rich Harden.

For Harden this was his third consecutive start where he showed the potential of being a front-line ace. He struck out eight in only six innings and that home run was the only hit and only run he allowed the Reds in route to earning his seventh win.

Over his last three starts Harden has struck out 21 while walking only two batters in 19 innings. His ERA over this time is 0.47 and he has two wins to show for great pitching.

This is the first time in 2009 Harden has put together this kind of run. He's been able, on a number of occasions, to put two good starts together, but never three as he seems to get shelled every time he's about to take that next step towards becoming the solid number one guy the Cubs desperately need him to be.

Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.

Ryan Ludwick scuffled early this season, which was a sign to many about how much of a fluke his huge 2008 season was. Through June 29, Ludwick was hitting just .227 with a .718 OPS. Last season, he hit .299 with a .966 OPS in his career year, with a whopping 37 home runs and 113 RBI. Many thought it was an outlier, but he had never gotten a chance to play everyday in the majors until then.

In July, he's heating up and showing that he is no fluke.

As has been covered ad nauseum, the Cubs fell colossally short of expectations in 2009's first half. Since the All-Star break, the Cubs have won four straight games and begun to resemble last year's bunch in several ways. The biggest sign of positivity was Alfonso Soriano hitting home runs in consecutive games, but there was more. Mike Fontenot looked like the '08 version instead of the slapper we've seen for the past six weeks. Aramis Ramirez hit his first home run since returning from a season-altering shoulder injury. Kevin Gregg continued to outperform Kerry Wood -- whom he replaced as closer. Rich Harden looked unhittable.

Of course, we have to throw a gigantic asterisk next to the above paragraph. The Cubs were playing the Washington Nationals -- a team on pace to go 46-116.