ESPNChicago’s Web poll question today is “Which baseball player’s return is most important in 2010?” They gave five choices: Scott Podsednik, Bobby Jenks, Carlos Zambrano, Mark DeRosa and Jim Thome. Of course, three of those guys are currently on Chicago teams, and are either free agents at the end of the season, or rumored to be on the trade market. Mark DeRosa was traded by the Cubs last offseason, and is going to be a free agent this fall. Thome was traded to the Dodgers this season and is a free agent this offseason.

There’s a lot of talent on that list, and a lot of sentimental value. Pods has spent four seasons on the Sox and was a huge part of their World Series win. Thome is from Peoria, it was his life-long dream to play in Chicago, he spent nearly four seasons on the Sox and oh yeah, he’s going to be in the Hall of Fame. Zambrano has been on the Cubs since 2001, has been to the playoffs with them three times, might be the best-hitting pitcher of this generation, and has thrown a no-hitter. And Jenks was key in the Sox World Series team, has been there for five years, and is a two-time All-Star.

But as I write this, Mark DeRosa is winning the poll with 38 percent of the votes:

DeRosa was on the Cubs for two years and was a pretty good player in both years. But he’s a journeyman utility player who’s going to be 35 next year, and since returning to the National League he’s hit .243. He plays a lot of positions, but he’s not all that good at any of them, and he’s pretty much average as an offensive player.

But according to the voters in this poll, this is the key player to the fortunes of Chicago’s baseball teams next year. Not the guys who are better than him, not the guys who the fans have a longer connection to or who’ve accomplished more in Chicago. Nothing is more important than reacquiring a player who’s already played for five different teams in his career, because the fans assume that people in the clubhouse loved him.