We are approximately 25% of the way through the 2011 MLB offseason. Big name players like Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, CJ Wilson, Mark Buehrle, Jonathan Papelbon and Heath Bell are all officially off the market… and all the Cubs have done to this point is acquire a couple marginal upgrades in David DeJesus and Ian Stewart.

When Theo Epstein and company were brought into the Cubs front office in late October, it was a revelation for many Cubs fans. We finally had acquired a front office with a proven track record of building contenders. With nearly fifty million dollars available to spend on the 2012 team and a free agent market with superstars available to fill our glaring holes at starting pitcher and first base, it was widely expected that the Cubs would be major bidders on the top of the line players. Instead, we have watched the top flight players heading off to warmer destinations and many Cubs fans are left wondering why.

It’s easy to lose perspective at a time like this, but the Cubs have done the right thing to this point. We didn’t need Reyes, Papelbon, or Bell. We never had a chance to sign Wilson (he took a huge discount to get closer to home… and more lenient gun laws). The only players we wanted but didn’t sign were Albert Pujols and Mark Buehrle. The consensus on each of those contracts has been that they were too much money and too many years.

Instead of focusing on who we didn’t get, let’s focus on who is still out there:

Prince Fielder - He isn’t quite the player that Albert Pujols is, but he would certainly fill out first base nicely for the Cubs… at least until his weight begins taking a toll on his body. He’s a great fit for 5-6 years though.

Yu Darvish – Posted by Nippon Professional Baseball on the last day of the winter meetings, this 25 year old right handed pitcher profiles as an excellent #2 starter, or possibly even an ace. He has excellent velocity, movement, and control over a wide variety of pitches and doesn’t have near the same mileage on his arm that other Japanese imports have had.

Yoennis Céspedes – This 26 year old Cuban import has some of the most impressive raw tools out there on the market this winter, with a power/speed combination that is matched by few in baseball. He played CF in Cuba and most scouts feel he can stay there at least for the short term. There’s a good deal of swing-and-miss in his game, but he has a better feel for the strike zone than many Latin players.

Jorge Soler – Another Cuban import, this 19 year old OF probably isn’t quite major league ready just yet. Coming in at 6’3” and 210 pounds, this young man already has more raw power than any player in the Cubs system at the major or minor league level. He may not help the major league team next year, but signing him would be adding one of the best prospects in all of baseball to our farm system.

Hiroki Kuroda – Perhaps the most underrated pitcher on the market, Kuroda has quietly racked up the 18^th best xFIP among starters with at least 600 IP since he came to MLB four years ago. He isn’t a staff ace, but he gives you a lot of quality innings. Best of all, he reportedly only wants a one year deal for around $12 million dollars. At that price, there’s no good reason not to pick him up. If the Cubs are competing, he’d be a huge boost to the rotation. If the Cubs are out of it at the deadline, he’d make for a very attractive trade chip (as was evidenced at this year’s deadline).

Edwin Jackson – Another underrated pitcher, Jackson has always been hugely talented – making his major league debut at just 20 years old way back in 2003. Unfortunately, his early promotion almost certainly affected his development. He could just never find the strike zone. In recent years however he has finally begun to harness his considerable stuff and has matured considerably as a pitcher, not just a hurler. In the last three years he has been almost identically valuable to the recently signed Mark Buehrle, but Jackson will come considerably cheaper and likely for less years as well.

This is just a taste of what is still available in free agency this offseason, and doesn’t include some potential trade targets like Felix Hernandez, Cole Hamels, James Shields, BJ Upton, and John Danks. None of these players are Albert Pujols, but despite his signing elsewhere there are still plenty of options available to Theo and company to upgrade our team going into 2012 and beyond. As Cubs fans, we have waited decades to have a truly competent front office. Let’s not write them off for not fixing things in the first month of their first offseason. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day.