Jim Hendry Close to Extension with Cubs

The sale of the Cubs is still up in the air, delayed due to the economic crisis and Joe the Plumber trying to figure out what net income means. That isn't stopping the Cubs from doing business though. They already extended Piniella before the playoffs started and it looks like Jim Hendry might get three more years or at least three more years worth of paychecks from the Chicago Cubs.

Kenney has previously said only that he would put his recommendation of
a Hendry extension "on a tee'' for new ownership. But sources indicate
that position has changed, possibly because the worldwide financial
crisis may have devalued the franchise while making it highly unlikely
the team will be under new ownership before the start of the 2009
season.

One source indicated that a three-year extension is being discussed and could be completed soon.

Nothing is official yet, but the link above goes on to say the Mariners, the only team searching for a GM this offseason, asked the Cubs for permission to speak to Hendry about their vacancy and were turned down. Hendry had a an option he could exercise for 2009, but was a little weary of being a lame-duck GM with the pending ownership change. 

The Cubs being in a state of prosperity on the field and I'm sure on the accounting books, probably couldn't be happier with Hendry right now, thus the extension. 

I know Hendry has his enemies around here, I mean 2005 and 2006 were bloody awful, but I'm all for the extension. He didn't hit every ball out of the park the last two years, but
under his watch and with the people that he's surrounded himself with, he's responsible for the  best Cubs team most of us have ever seen
and the best team in the NL in 2008...at least on paper. And while that seems like a hollow achievement, it's actually the one every GM should strive to accomplish - to put together the best team out there year after year and make the playoffs. As the playoffs taught us all this year, anyone can win or lose a 5-game series, no matter the tremendous difference in talent, so just get there and hope the cards flip the right way for you. The Cubs are now in that position and a large part of that is due to who Jim Hendry has traded for, signed, listened to and hired. 

Tags: 
Jim Hendry
Submitted by Rob G. on Thu, 10/16/2008 - 3:41pm
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Comments

Submitted by Rob G.
on Sun, 10/19/2008 - 4:32pm

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8694142/Handica...

Cubs. They always have liked Peavy, but probably would enter the discussions only if they lost right-hander Ryan Dempster as a free agent, which is unlikely. Even then, the Cubs might not match up with the Padres.

Jeremy Hermida might be available in trade talks.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 10/19/2008 - 10:00pm

Talk about declining plate discipline...I thought he was supposed to be a 100 BB guy. What's made the Marlins sour on Gregg? He could replace Howry as our designated 7th inning and we sort of want to win guy.

Too bad we waited a year too long to snap up Aubrey Huff. I guess it wasn't steroids after all.

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Sun, 10/19/2008 - 10:46pm

Rays in the series... one more kick in the balls for Cubs fans. What happens next year, Rockies or Astros win it?

Submitted by Mister Whipple
on Sun, 10/19/2008 - 10:57pm

Are you kidding me? The Devil Rays win the pennant.

I mean good for them, but today is yet another crappy day to be a Cubs fan.

Submitted by Chad
on Mon, 10/20/2008 - 1:43am

So there is this old joke:

So for to decide some squabble a guy says to the other guy, let's do it they way they do it from where i'm from.

First i kick you in the nuts then you kick me in the nuts. We keep going until one of us quits.

Other guy say sure.

First guy rears back, kicks the second guy in the nuts. The second guy drops down on the ground in extreme pain. writhing on the ground holding his crotch. it goes on for minutes. finally the guy pulls himself up, straightens up and says. "Ok, now it's my turn"

The first guy looks at hte second guy and says, "meh, nevermind. you win" and walks away

we are always the second guy.

Submitted by Nazey
on Sun, 10/19/2008 - 11:47pm

I like Hendry as he has changed the culture of Cubdom since mid-2002. But with the Rays now going to the Series, that means that all 4 expansion teams since 1993 have all won a pennant. So between the Marlins, Rockies, Rays, and D-backs, that's 5 WS appearances and 3 WS champs- with a possible 4th on the way. WTF?

Hendry's gonna have to get creative and not be afraid to move guys that are "fan favorites" in order to open up this team's success in the playoffs. I wouldn't mind seeing him move a DLee, Aram, Wood, or Dempster, etc. to free up some room for guys that can get the job done in regular AND postseason.

Hot stove here we come...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/20/2008 - 7:38am

(Psst, Wood has a 1.85 ERA in divisional series, I think Marmol is the guy you were thinking of)

Submitted by VirginiaPhil
on Mon, 10/20/2008 - 12:28pm

Nazey, that's actually a very good list of tradeable Cubs, the best I've seen around here, because (a) the first three, unlike Pie and Cedeno, have real trade value and (b) the first three have understudies who can step right into their shoes.

Dempster is a free agent and not tradeable.

DeRosa is the guy who could step into Aramis's position. We would gain defense, lose pop. It would be a net loss but could be outweighed by the return on the trade.

This will inevitably be interpreted as a criticism of Lee, Ramirez and Wood, and it isn't intended to be. I've never criticized Ramirez, or Lee very much. Wood I criticized early in September but I later repented (at least privately). It's just a sensible look at the depth chart for the various positions.

I'm becoming a fan of DeRosa's, but he's also a good trading chip, unless he's your right fielder or third baseman.

I'm not sure Hill or Marshall or any other current Cub standbys could pull Dempster's weight, so sign him.

Submitted by 10man
on Mon, 10/20/2008 - 1:26am

You know it doesn't matter how many games the Cubs win in the regular season, we will always be the underdogs in the playoffs until we actually win another pennant.

Submitted by 10man
on Mon, 10/20/2008 - 10:22am

This is what happens when the Cubs season ends much too early: TCR becomes a socio-political blog. Bleccch!

Submitted by Tito
on Mon, 10/20/2008 - 12:21pm

Four-year deal for Manny's favorite GM:

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/12314...

Submitted by The Real Neal
on Mon, 10/20/2008 - 12:41pm

Those sure are some good quotes, I assumed they were prepared. To me the only real weakness in the organization is the minor league development staff. I wonder what the opinion around baseball is on the Cubs minor league coaches.

Submitted by HendryIsClueLess
on Mon, 10/20/2008 - 1:00pm

I would love to have Jim Hendry answer this question?

Why havent the following draft picks seen the light of MLB as Cubs?

Luis Montanez (2000)
Ryan Harvey (2003)
Mark Pawalek (2005)
Bobby Brownlie (2002)
Chad Blasko (2002)
Luke Hagerty (2002)
Matt Clanton (2002)

Is it really possible you could be wrong that many times in 4 of 5 years of #1 Draft Picks?

Mark Prior was the only that made it.

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