Baseball teams cannot win the pennant during the winter, but they sure can lose it. The Hot Stove is followed closely by those in as well as interested in the game. Signing and trades are analyzed and broken down by hundreds of pundits, and fans are sent into a tizzy, either positive or negative, based on the action or inaction of their favorite club.

In recent years, the off-season strategies of the Chicago Cubs are questionable, at best. Let's take a look at the past 6 winters, beginning with the end of the 2004 season.