What Does Ted Lilly's Surgery Mean to The 2010 Chicago Cubs?

A whisper leaked out of Arizona on Wednesday that Chicago Cubs' left-hander Ted Lilly underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery on Tuesday and isn't expected to return until some point in April. Great. [Collective sigh from Chicago's North Side.] Here we go again. So how does the knowledge that Lilly's now expected to likely miss the first month of the season impact the Cubs as they approach this important winter? Let's examine a few scenarios. The first issue that arises is, obviously, Lilly missing starts. You can now assume Lilly's only going to be good for around 25 starts in 2010, which eliminates a lot of imagination from the Cubs pitching staff. First off, any garbage about a four-man rotation shouldn't even be mentioned, because that does not exist in today's baseball. But the impact might force the Cubs to think about as many as six starters in April. Lilly is the rock of the Cubs's staff, throwing 21 quality starts last year. Taking him out of the mix early, and the left handed ... (link)