As an optimist, I choose to believe that the downbeat reports this week of the Cubs losing out on Carlos Beltran due to financial and personnel (Sosa) constraints are simply the parroting of the media message that the front office wants out there this week. The Yankees and Astros have done enough on their own to keep Beltran's price tag high. A showy pursuit by the Cubs in advance of talks would make the competition bid even higher.

In the De Luca column linked below, it is reported that the Astros want an answer by the end of this week, not by January 8th. Of course, that could mean simply declining their offer and not necessarily agreeing to someone else's.

It is against my nature as an off-season Cubs news junkie, but I am hoping for complete quiet from the organization this week. There has been no announcement that the Cubs will meet with Beltran like the Yankees and Astros have done and like the Mets and possibly Tigers will. What I am banking on is Jim Hendry already being in Puerto Rico to make the Cubs' offer with no negotiation through the media. After all, he went quietly to California to close the deal with Nomar. It will be far more difficult to do with the number one free agent on the market, but perhaps the Cubs GM is flying under the radar to San Juan right now.

For the moment, no news is good news.

Sun-Times
Adding Beltran seems like impossible dream for Cubs (De Luca)

From around the country
The Baltimore Sun (Reg. Req.) says that "the Orioles aren't pursuing a trade with the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Sammy Sosa despite various reports to the contrary."