Critique Jim Hendry

He (and McPhail) have really built up the farm, and they do still have some depth in it, although not nearly as much as before.  Corey Patterson probably needs a change of scenery, but there are still guys like Pie and Cedeno who are ready to contribute.  

He's generally made good trades - Derrek Lee is an obvious standout, even if Choi might produce one day, and he stole Aramis Ramirez from the Pirates.  And honestly, he wasn't going to get much more for Sammy Sosa.  He got Matt Murton with Nomar, and I actually think Nomar was worth the re-signing risk (although obviously, it didn't work out).  Either way, Murton looks like a good starter in LF.

If I do have a quibble with Hendry's acquisitions, it's that he doesn't really know how to, or least doesn't have a knack for, constructing a bullpen.  He's given up draft picks for Mike Remlinger, LaTroy Hawkins, and now Howry and Eyre.  The contracts aren't cheap, and he's probably better off trading for relief or finding them in house (Ryan Dempster?)

He did overpay for Greg Maddux, but really, Maddux making 9 million is probably not much worse than Kris Benson making 7 million.

He did get his first big job at Creighton U., in Omaha; that's gotta count for something.  :)  (I attended the school at the end of his run in the early 90s.)

The way he's dealt with the Cubs bullpen, however, has not been great.  And the media, on that same note, too.

The whole Corey Patterson thing, too, is weird; as a "player development", you might think he'd be more involved.  Nomar was a good signing, though I think Pierre is a bad one.  Juan wasn't a star before he arrived in Florida and, as a guy who depends on his wheels, it'd be no surprise if it faded as fast.  The PT he's allowed Neifi, too, is unfathomable.

Overall, i would grad him a b-.  I think dusty will be gone after this year and if hendry is retained this next hire will be critical.

The Cubs problem last year was that Baker refused to adjust his batting order to get someone on base ahead of Lee and Ramirez. Patterson has never been a leadoff hitter and never will be. Trying to force him into that role has stiffled any growth curve left for him. Perez walked eighteen times last year, and 3 of those were intentional walks!

As Baker said last spring if you can't run once you get on base, walks don't mean anything. How can you argue with that and not break down and cry?  

The biggest blemish has been his inability to develop the players from the farm system.  He inherited a solid farm system and it has not produced anything since he has become GM.

1st Round Draft Picks
2003 Ryan Harvey - has not seen above A ball.
2004 Pick lost in compensation for Latroy Hawkins
2005 Mark Pawelek - was the only 1st round pick to play in the rookie instructional leagues.

Went into 2004 with no bullpen and then after it went poorly he and the cubs underwent a campaign to try to defame Sosa to justify trading him(releasing internal security tapes showing him leaving the park during the game).  He did this right before he was about to trade him.  He then traded the most prolific veteran slugger over the previous the previous 6 years for Jerry Hairston Jr and David Crouthers(who retired before joining the Cubs)

2005 looked started again with a suspect bullpen with no real closer and no real lead off man.  A case could be made it was Baker who misused Patterson and Hawkins ruining both.  Patterson who was once considered the best prospect in the minors(think Delmon Young).

For 06 the Cubs have no right fielder a hole at the back end of the starting rotation and now have to test out 2 rookies in LF and SS (Murton and Cedeno) because Baker refused to do it at the end of 05'

The cubs scouting director was hired elsewhere and the cubs minor league system is being cleared out by trades like the one for Pierre.  The last regular the Cubs could be said to have "developed" was Zambrano and Patterson is the only position player to come out of the Cubs system.  

Hendry's problem is he makes shortsighted deals and is not trying to set the Cubs up for long term contention.  He hasn't taken steps to fix the Cubs development of minor league players and he is intent on giving Baker the Nefi Perez and Jose Macias of the league.    

Second, he discards players that have some value, often for nothing. This is not smart roster management. Van Buren. Leicester. Sisco. Three recent examples.

Finally, and most damningly, he seemingly has no concept of the value of OBP, VORP, and the like. How else can you justify paying $6MM to one of the worst hitters in big league history like Neifi Perez? Or trade a warm body for, and roster two straight years for nearly a million bucks per, Jose Macias?

I agree with posters that he reacts, instead of being proactive. He has no real plan, and is not good at roster management. Frankly, I think he needs to go and take his pet manager with him.

I hear Theo Epstein would like a new challenge....

First, I feel a need to defend the rips on Neifi Perez.  This guy is just a fantastic SS, and it's backed up by defensive stats (e.g. he was +17 FAA2 at ss, and 2nd in MLB in ZR in 2005).  $5m/2yr is a bargain, and not a large enough salary to affect winning chances.  I play in strat-o-matic leagues using salaries, and if I had an opportunity to lock up a top-notch (defensive) SS for that sort of price, I'd jump at it.

Second, I couldn't agree more on the high-priced middle reliever signings.  What's that about?!

Third, I really thought the 2005 lineup had a chance to work, if handled well... Garciaparra, Walker, Lee, Burnitz, Ramirez, Patterson, Barrett, Hollandsworth-Dubois is balanced and deep.  Of course, that was just me dreaming.  But I really thought that JH had brought in good pieces.

Fourth, I would have fired Hendry outright the minute he suggested (or agreed with) hiring Dusty Baker to manage a team with wonderful young starting pitching talent.  

Fifth, I've heard him say that he won't pay premium value for a top FA.  Usually, that position makes sense.  But I cannot believe that in this market there aren't some exceptions.  If you're going to lose your first-round pick anyway, why not make sure you get the player you want?

Sixth, I don't know if this applies to his GM ability, but he should probably get some credit for acquiring Wood, Prior, Zambrano?  That appears to be one of the strongest "pure stuff" trios I've seen.  Of course, they're all likely just roadkill on the Dusty Baker Express, but when they were healthy, they were awesome!

Seventh, I did mention that hiring Dusty Baker wasn't one of his highlights, didn't I?

Eighth, I agree with the comment about giving away useful players and getting nothing in return... Sisco in particular was galling to me, as the Cubs could have used him in 2005.  Not that they had a manager who could figure out how to use him, but it was a thought.

Ninth, I've always been a Juan Pierre fan, despite analysts thinking he's not good at all.  That said, I wouldn't really have considered him for the Cubs, even though I've been screaming for a leadoff hitter for that team for 2+ years.  This move seemed very much reactive instead of proactive.  I know that the Cubs fans in Chicago are somewhat optimistic about things now... seeing how the White Sox did after acquiring Scott Podsednik last year.

Tenth, I was probably the last person in Chicago to abandon faith in Latroy Hawkins as a closer.  I really think that all the stuff people say about the 9th inning being so much different from the 8th is a pill of manure.  I really thought Hendry tried the smart thing there... using a guy with great stuff and a history of dominating in a setup role ... to close games.  If this conversion works (which seems like most of the time), you have an ace closer for a reduced price.  

In summary, going into the 2005 season, I was really high on Hendry.  But... Hendry has publicly been very supportive of Dusty.  If he really agrees with Dusty's managerial style, I cannot help but consider that a fatal flaw.  Normally, being in synch with your manager would seem to be one of the most important things for a GM.  But Dusty has shown some clear weaknesses, and Hendry's unwillingness / inability to hold him accountable for those undermines the many good things he's done as GM.

It's not so much that it's thinned out but that it didn't produce anything of value after Prior & Zambrano came up. All the highly touted farmhands flopped. If they'd become useful major leaguers and now the farm system was bare, no problem. All systems have high and low points, the problem here is they're not helping the Cubs at all. So please, no credit to Hendry for that farm system.

He has traded pretty fantastically though. Ramirez & Lee alone were enough to stake a good reputation on.

I am a Cubs season ticket holder and watch the vast majority of their games every season.

Hendry's greatest strength is his abiiity to make deals for players entering their peak periods.  His regular deals (documented above) for arbitration eligible players have added All-Star caliber corner infielders (Lee and Ramirez) and a quality starting pitcher (Matt Clement).  Yes, I know the Clement trade cost Willis, but at the time I would have made that deal as it filled two holes (Alfonseca for bullpen help though I thought he was highly overrated at the time) and a starting pitcher.  He also generally keeps these players for the long-term.

Hendry's greatest weakness is his underappreciation of OBP.  The Cubs have failed to get solid top of the order guys for years and their offense flourished during the short time period that Lofton led off in 2003.  The Pierre trade is a key for this team as one of the problems is that the line-up fails to get high pitch counts on opposing starting pitchers.  I keep score at the games and track pitches -- the pitch count disparity between the Cubs and the opponents over the past few years have been alarming.  The Cubs do not work their way into the opponents bullpen.  Jones is another example of this type of player.

Hendry's 40-man roster management could be better the signing of veteran back-ups costs spots that could be used by younger players (Sico and VanBuren).  Sign veterans to minor league deals and let the youngsers compete for roster spots in the Spring before trading them for a PTBNL.

Dusty has not been the manager I had hoped, but I do agree with the poster above that he was a good hire for a veteran team.  I do not like his lack of playing young players (Cendeno should have been playing over Perez and Murton should have gotten more At-Bats last year).  He also has no interest in seeing what a young player can do as call-ups during injuries have often gone without a singe at-bat. This in hindsight has been a bad hire.

Another knack he has is avoiding bad contracts.  The only bad contract currently on the Cubs books (I am talking significant enough to hamper a team) is Kerry Wood's and that is only because of his health problems.  This contract is up after this season.  He has not locked up old players past their prime and does not give in to extra years.  Instead he structures with option years and buyouts which makes it possible to cut ties if necessary.

This off-season I blame as much on the Tribune company as Hendry.  Hendry had dollars to spend with Sosa's contract coming off the books.  However, it was a thin Free Agent market.  The prudent thing to do, after losing out on Furcal, would be to lock up Zambrano long-term and front-load the deal (I know this is NEVER EVER done -- frontloading a deal - but the Tribune company gives him annual budgets that he either spends or doesn't -- they don't let him carryover unspent funds).  Instead - being in the last year of a contract he has to try to win this year -- he can't look towards the long-term.  Three years for Jones -- no problem -- he won't be here in three years and he needs someone to play LF.  Patterson will not produce in Chicago this year and he can't afford the perception that he isn't doing enough.  Locking up Zambrano would give him absolutely no credit -- the majority of fans don't count keeping your own player as activity.  I am expecting that he will make another move this offseason and pray it is not a desperation one.  Why would any GM trying to save their job value prospects or draft picks (like thw ones forfeited for Eyre and Howry)?  I do not think any club should allow their GM to be in their final year -- either lock him up longer or cut ties.  In this case I would have locked him up longer.

Hendry is not baseball's best GM - but I would put him in the upper third.  He is much better than anyone the Cubs have had in recent memory.  His trading abilities more than make up for his other problems.