As hard as I wished for the baseball gods to deliver Greg Maddux to the Cubs last off-season, I think I’m pulling even harder for the newest rumor to turn into truth.

The Cubs may be done with Sammy Sosa.

Here, I’ll say it again: The Cubs may be done with Sammy Sosa.

I know, I know -- it takes a while to sink in. But imagine the possibilities. The Cubs could acquire Magglio Ordoñez to play right field, or perhaps snag Carlos Beltran and move either him or Corey Patterson to right. Of course, Moises Alou probably will be gone. Heck, with Patterson and Beltran, the Cubs could use just two outfielders and start Mark Grudzielanek and Todd Walker every day in the infield.

(OK, the last one may be a little ridiculous. But that’s the kind of idea you get when you’re hopping around with glee at the notion Sosa could be gone).

In today’s Chicago Tribune, Paul Sullivan examines just why the Cubs don’t need Sosa, regardless of his decision to blow off the last game of the year.

Sosa hit 35 home runs this season and has 574 in his career. He is the only player in major-league history with three 60-homer seasons, and next year he's likely to become the fifth player to surpass 600 career homers.

But his 2004 numbers suggest declining productivity. Sosa's .253 batting average and .332 on-base percentage were his lowest in seven years. He also fell short of 40 homers for the first time in seven years, but missed more than a month of the season with a back injury.

He batted .219 in night games, .224 with runners in scoring position, .233 after the All-Star Game and .237 after Sept. 1. Sosa was one of several Cubs hitters to struggle late in the season, when seven losses in their final nine games deprived the Cubs of a playoff berth.

Under contract:
Michael Barrett
Joe Borowski
LaTroy Hawkins
Derrek Lee
Jon Leicester
Jose Macias
Greg Maddux
Sergio Mitre
Corey Patterson
Mark Prior
Aramis Ramirez
Glendon Rusch
Sammy Sosa
Todd Wellemeyer
Kerry Wood
Michael Wuertz
Carlos Zambrano

Almost guaranteed to return:
Paul Bako
Ryan Dempster

Likely back:
Kyle Farnsworth
Tom Goodwin
Ramon Martinez
Mike Remlinger
Todd Walker

Doubtful at best:
Moises Alou
Matt Clement
Nomar Garciaparra
Ben Grieve
Mark Grudzielanek
Todd Hollandsworth
Neifi Perez

Good Riddance:
Kent Mercker

Potential free agents:
Carlos Beltran
Magglio Ordoñez
Jeff Kent
Edgar Renteria

If we’ve learned anything in the Jim Hendry era, it’s not to expect complacency. Trades will be made and free agents will be brought in. I‘ll be sad to see Clement go, but keeping even four starters is pretty good these days.

If we learned anything from 2004, it’s not to expect anything as fans. If the Cubs make the playoffs in 2005, they will have earned it, whereas many players seemed to see it as a divine right in 2004. That alone will make the whole experience more rewarding.