What the Chicago Cubs lineup looked like when Aaron Rodgers made his first NFL Start

Reports are swirling that the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers are finalizing a trade involving quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was drafted by the Packers in 2005, and he served as Brett Favre's backup until 2008 when Favre retired. The man has effectively been a thorn in Chicago's side ever since, compiling a 25-5 regular season record against the Chicago Bears. When he became the starter in 2008, the Chicago Cubs fielded one of their best teams of the 21st century.

Even though they did not go far in the playoffs that year, The Cubs played a season worthy of a divisional championship and 97 wins. This was also the best team fielded by the Cubs before a complete rebuild just a couple of years later, and they did not return to greatness again until 2015. Let's look at who was in the Cubs' starting lineup on September 7, 2008, the day before Aaron Rodgers started his first of many games for the Packers.

Catcher: Geovany Soto

2008 was Geovany Soto's first full season in a Cub uniform, and he put up an outstanding campaign by making the All-Star team and winning the National League Rookie of the Year award. Soto had an impressive slash line of .285/.364/.868 while setting career highs in home runs (23), RBIs (86), doubles (35), and hits (141). This was the best season of Soto's career at the plate and he played with the Cubs until 2012 when he was traded for Jake Brigham.

First Base: Derrek Lee

Derrek Lee was rock solid in the Cubs lineup for several years, providing great power and on-base ability. After helping knock the Cubs out of the NLCS in 2003 during the infamous Bartman ball incident, Lee was traded to the Cubs in exchange for Hee-seop Choi in the 2004 offseason. 2008 saw Lee rip 20 home runs and drive in 90 while slashing an impressive .291/.361/.823. Lee won two gold gloves and made two All-Star teams with the North side. He was traded to the Braves in 2010 at the end of his contract.

Third Base: Aramis Ramirez

Another formidable power hitter on the Cubs in 2008 was Aramis Ramirez, who led the team with 111 RBIs that year. Ramirez also won the Hank Aaron award and made the All-Star team in 2008. Similar to Derrek Lee, Ramirez was just a steady power-hitting force in the lineup that routinely hit around 30 home runs and drove in close to if not more than 100 RBIs a year. After reaching free agency while a Cub, he came back on a five-year deal in 2006 and played it out until 2012.

Left Field: Alfonso Soriano

Soriano was another one of the big boppers in this Cubs era, and he led the team in home runs in 2008 (29) despite only playing 109 games. He also made the All-Star team but did not play due to injury. Although his defense was not the greatest, Soriano did have a formidable throwing arm that made baserunners think twice. Although his 8-year deal worth $136 million is considered one of the worst in team history, Soriano was still an important bat on the North side for many years.

Center Field: Jim Edmonds

Long-time Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds found his way to Chicago in 2008 after being released by the Padres in May. His presence at Wrigley was not initially embraced, as Edmonds had spent the previous 9 seasons being a thorn in the Cubs' side. But his left-handed bat and 8 time gold glove caliber defense quickly silenced the haters. In just 80 games, Edmonds hit 19 homers and drove in 49 with the Cubs and he was their primary center fielder that year.

Right Field: Kosuke Fukudome

Although Micah Hoffpauir was technically in the lineup on September 7th, Kosuke Fukudome was the primary right fielder in 2008. Having spent nearly a decade with the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional League in Japan, Fukudome came to the U.S. to play for the Cubs, signing a four-year deal worth $48 million. In 150 games in his first year, Fukudome hit 10 home runs and 58 RBIs. He was traded to Cleveland in 2011 and returned to Japan in 2012, where he continued to play until September of last year when he retired at age 45.

Starting Pitcher: Sean Marshall

The 6'7 lefty Sean Marshall was on the mound for the Cubs on September 7th, and he threw 6 innings of one-run ball while striking out 3 men. Primarily used as a reliever in 2008, Marshall had a 3.86 ERA with the Cubs in 2008 and set down 58 batters via strikeout in 65 innings. The big man spent six seasons with the Cubs before getting traded to the Reds in 2011. Travis Wood came to Chicago in that deal. Marshall now works as a pre and post-game analyst for the Cubs' Marquee Network.

Closer: Kerry Wood

Legendary Cub Kerry Wood was still with the team in 2008, and he transitioned into the team's closer after more than a decade on the North Side. He had a 3.26 ERA in 66 innings with 34 saves on 40 attempts with 84 strikeouts. He made the All-Star team that year as a reliever and looked to sign a multi-year deal with the team when he reached free agency. Cubs general manager Jim Hendry did not want to resign him after acquiring closer Kevin Gregg from the Marlins however. After spending the next two years with the Yankees and Indians, Wood returned to Chicago on a one-year deal in 2010, reportedly turning down several multi-year contracts so he could come back to the Cubs.