Hendry Opens Up About The Trade Deadline

Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry addressed the media about the July 31 trade deadline. Even though the Cubs are 32-48 on the season, Hendry still holds out hope that the Cubs will be able bounce back this season. Hendry is putting all his false hopes into the fact that since the Cubs have been without Darwin Barney, Marlon Byrd, and Kerry Wood in recent weeks, they are bound to turn their season around once those three return. But with the exception of his unfounded hope, Hendry was more open than usual when it came to discussing the teams possible moves in anticipation of the trade deadline.

The speculation has been that the Cubs will have a fire sale at the trade deadline, and then enter a full-phased youth movement. Under such a scenario, some have suggested that the Cubs would look to trade the likes of Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza, Carlos Zambrano, Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, and Kosuke Fukudome. Though, it doesn’t sound like Hendry is a believer in that idea.

“I read some things that people assume — they use the word ‘fire sale,’” Hendry said Wednesday. “That’s not going to happen. We’re not interested in trading people at all who will be valuable to us moving forward. People like to float names of your better players which makes no sense to trade. If we make moves, it will be designed to make us better for the future. We still want to see how we play the next month or so. Muskat Ramblings

Hendry clearly has his aspirations set on the Cubs contending in 2012. With that mindset, that would indicate that Dempster, Garza, Seam Marshall, and Carlos Marmol will all be with the Cubs in 2012. Hendry specifically mentioned Dempster, Marshall, and Marmol as players that will not be traded this season. Interesting enough, the Cubs general manager did not mention Carlos Zambrano among the players that won’t be traded, despite Zambrano’s contract running through 2012.

Throughout his time as Cubs general manager, Hendry never liked to use the term “buyers or sellers” in regards to the Cubs’ stance at the trade deadline. Hendry followed suit with his past, when discussing the idea of the Cubs being buyers or sellers at this year’s trade deadline.

“Everybody thinks there’s this big automatic, ‘You have to be a buyer or seller’ or ‘It’s fire sale time,’” Hendry said. “We’ve got a lot of young people out there pitching and playing, and people who will be productive for us in a year from now who, when you get ready to put a team together in the offseason, you don’t want to start without them anyhow. As the games go, there’s less and less pitching available every year and less and less talent, for the most part. We’re certainly going to hold onto the people no matter what who we feel will be major contributors down the road.”

The Cubs do not have to be sellers or buyers this season. There is a strong chance that the Cubs could actually be both buyers and sellers this season. While the Cubs will look to trade Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, and Aramis this season, they will likely also look to add young players that are already on a team’s major league roster. For instance, the Cubs may look to fill some of their off-season needs via a trade this season. Right now, their needs would appear to be a first baseman, third baseman, and left handed starting pitcher.

While Hendry has certainly drawn criticism this season, it seems as if he his putting aside any personal agenda, and focusing on moves that would be in the Cubs’ best interest.