Cubs GM Jim Hendry: Part 3: The Ugly

(Photo by David Blanks/Getty Images)

I mentioned before that where the Cubs were lacking was with hitting, yet Hendry continued to pursue Peavy for most of the winter. To include Vitters in the trade was indefensible on Hendry’s part and highlights why he doesn’t belong in this job.

To make matters even worse, Sox GM Kenny Williams actually pulled off a trade for Peavy before he nixed it that didn’t include as highly rated a prospect as Vitters. He also seemed to pull the trade out of mid-air. Nobody had ever even talked about it before.

Again, Williams gets the job done while the hapless Hendry whiffs again. I know the trade didn’t go through, but he at least came to an agreement on players; something that Hendry couldn’t accomplish.

The Cubs are also loaded with untradeable back-loaded contracts like Soriano, Fukudome, etc. In addition, most of those long term contracts include no trade clauses, so he couldn’t get rid of them even if the contracts weren’t so poorly structured.

Hendry has the Cubs in a very precarious position. They have a very short window of opportunity to win with the current team, and with a bleak outlook for the future.

Hendry has tried to outspend his mistakes and has failed in that endeavor.

While the Cubs are again in contention in a weak division, this is not realistically a team that can win the World Series.

The future owner of the Cubs is going to have to have deep pockets to correct the mistakes the Hendry regime has made.

Cub fans will not allow the team to rebuild, and with no talent on the horizon to help out, spending more money is going to be the only way to get them out of this mess.

A mix of both homegrown talent, along with trades and free agent signings when necessary are the ideal way to build a consistent winner.

Overpaying for players with limited skills, not developing the farm system, and trying to correct your mistakes year after year is not the solution.

Jim Hendry is the problem for the Cubs; he’s not the solution. Hopefully the new owner will recognize that and put someone in place that understands what it takes to build an organization that has a chance to win year in and year out.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?