As Chicago Cubs’ starter Carlos Silva morphs into a Cy Young candidate so far early in the 2010 season, Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry is getting more than his share of credit for pulling off that trade.
That credit is completely unwarranted.
You don’t get credit for signing the worst possible fit for your team in 2009 in Milton Bradley and ruining the season, and then receive accolades because the Seattle Mariners dumped their refuse on you and he turns out much better than expected, at least for now.
Actually even if Silva completely bombs the rest of the season, the trade still looks good because you got rid of a cancer and added a starting pitcher that gets you a win just about every time he takes the mound so far this year.
In fact, he’s off to the best start of any Cub starter since Kenny Holtzman in 1967, when he was a part-time starter while serving in the military that year.
Carlos Silva signed a four year, $48 million dollar contract with the Mariners after the 2007 season, while Bradley signed a three year, $30 million dollar contract with the Cubs starting in 2009.
To say both players were a disappointment for their teams would be an understatement of monumental proportions.
Bradley not only bombed on the field, but he literally blew up the chemistry the team had in the two previous seasons.
Instead of adding a potent left-handed bat, which was the goal, the Cubs added a petulant player who cared only about himself, eschewed his teammates, and was a marketing disaster.
Silva was almost as bad with Seattle, just without the personality disorder.
In two seasons, he won only 5 games, finishing 4-15 in 2008 with a 6.46 ERA, and 1-3 in an injury plagued 2009 season with a whopping 8.60 ERA.
Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik decided he needed a bit more pop in his lineup and took a chance that Bradley was the answer, just like Hendry did before him.
How has that worked out?
Bradley is hitting a robust .229 with three homers and 18 ribbies to go along with a .305 OBP and .667 OPS, not exactly numbers that are a sabremetric’s wet dream.
Not only did Zduriencik take Bradley from the Cubs, but he threw in $9 million dollars so Hendry would have a few dollars spending money since new owner Tom Ricketts took away his allowance and didn’t allot him any more money to fill out the team this year.
That’s why Hendry is now revered in town, at least for that move.
You listen to sports radio in Chicago, and you hear what a genius Hendry was to not only get rid of Bradley, but acquiring Silva from Seattle in the process.
But how brilliant was he when he passed on Bobby Abreu, Raul Ibanez, and Adam Dunn, and signed the only guy in the group who never drove in 100 runs in a season?
Not too brilliant!
That doesn’t even take into account the mental aspect of Bradley, and we all know about that, as Seattle has also sadly learned.
Along with his lousy production, he also spent time on the restricted list when he finally admitted there might be something wrong in that head of his.
So should Hendry get kudos for getting lucky?
Not in my book!
Let me know if you’re reading a different book.
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