Here We Doubt Again

Once again the Cubs have a major injury to a star player. And once again fans expect Jim Hendry to make a trade now, before the season slips away, to rectify the situation.

Why should we hope for this? Hendry's let us down each of the last two years, why expect something different this year?

May 5, 2004. Alex Gonzalez breaks his wrist. Jim Hendry, despite the obvious availability of then Montreal Expo Orlando Cabrerra, passes on making a trade. Instead, a combo of Rey Ordonez and Ramon Martinez is allowed to sub for A Gonz. The Cubs play 34-30 ball until Gonzalez returns. Nomar Garciaparra is acquired 12 days later. How many extra games could the Cubs have won if Cabrerra was acquired in May?

April 20, 2005. Nomar Garciaparra shreds his groin. Jim Hendry does nothing.

Spring, 2006. Mark Prior and Kerry "we plan on him being ready" Wood go on the DL. Jim Hendry passes on adding a Kevin Millwood to the rotation and goes with Jerome Williams, Sean Marshall and the potential to waste a $100 million payroll.

Now, Derrek Lee is out. And people are discussing who the Cubs should acquire.

Answer: A more aggressive GM.

Oh, yeah. He protected himself and got a contract extension through 2008. Until he makes an aggressive move, Jim Hendry (and Andy MacPhail) are the Cubs biggest impediments to a championship.

What's ironic is that the only reason Hendry received the contract extension was due to a trade he made to fill in for an injury. If not for Korey Patterson's injury, the Cubs win nothing in 2003. Add that to what happened in 2004 and 2005 and there would be no new contract.

Maybe. Just maybe, Hendry will make a deal early this year and not wait until the trading deadline. It's possible. But it doesn't hjold with hendry's track record. As such, speculation on who to acquire is simply a waste of time.