Really, my main goal in life is to become one of those quasi-media people who people near the Cubs organization float rumors to.  I may have actually met that goal!

Somebody who could concievably know e-mailed me to say that when the Cubs gathered in Arizona yesterday for the start of their organizational meetings that they were expected to spend a lot of time talking about how to “fix” a 97 win team by finding some guys who actually use the other batter’s box from time to time.

They are giving serious thought to turning Kosuke into a platoon centerfielder with Reed Johnson next year.  (No shock there.)

But who would they go after to fill right field?  It’s not a free agent.  It’s a guy who has lit them up in the past, though.  Yes, the 21st Century Jeff Blauser acqusition!  Get excited.

According to this guy, the Cubs have already talked to the Florida Marlins about 24-year old rightfielder Jeremy Hermida.  Hermida was the 11th player in the 2002 draft out of high school.  (The Cubs had four first round picks in that draft and you don’t want to know any of those names, trust me.)  He’s a lefthanded hitting, righthanded throwing right fielder who made his big league debut on August 31, 2005.  He split time between the majors and minors again in 2006, and in 2007 looked like he was on his way.  In 123 games he hit .296 with an .870 OPS and 18 homers.

But he only hit .249 in 142 games with the Fish last season and posted a woeful .406 slugging percentage for a corner outfielder.

One thing he did do, though, was light up the Cubs.  He had a 1.206 OPS against the Cubs, and singlehandedly beat the Cubs with game-winning homers in back-to-back 3-2 Marlins wins at Wrigley July 25 and 26.

The Marlins are apparently willing to move Hermida because they think Cameron Maybin, one of the players they got in last winter’s Miguel Cabrera-Dontrelle Willis trade into the lineup.

What scares you is that Hendry has already made one terrible trade with the Marlins in recent years to acquire a lefthanded hitting outfielder.  Let’s hope he doesn’t offer up three pitching prospects for Hermida.  (Though at this point, do the Cubs have three left?)

The source says little discussion will be given at the organizational meetings to re-signing Ryan Dempster and Kerry Wood, because the Cubs long ago made those priorities.  He also said should the Cubs pull off an unlikely Derrek Lee trade, that Lou Piniella does not see Micah Hoffpauir as a legitimate every day option at first base.  (Thank god.)

He also said that while the Cubs will talk to the Orioles about Brian Roberts again, that he thought that the Orioles think keeping Roberts would make their bid to sign hometown boy Mark Teixeira mnore likely (sure, he’s going to the Orioles, whatever).  And, just to depress me, he said he’s sure that Hendry thinks Ryan Theriot is a legit shortstop and unless Theriot was part of a big trade, that he wouldn’t be going anywhere.

Guh.

Take that for what it’s worth.  Probably not much.