“100 Years is Long Enough!â€
By The Soxman
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Yes, this is one of those rare moments where your Southside superhero could not resist commenting on the blockbuster trade pulled off hours ago by Cubs GM Jim Hendry.
In By landing Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from the A’s, just one day after the Brewers landed C.C. Sabathia, Cubs management made a statement about entrenching themselves in the first place slot. They also turned on a “no vacancy†sign for the all NL Central rivals, goats, and Steve Bartmans alike.
Depending on whose opinion you listen to, they really only gave up misc. prospect pieces that never really fit into their championship puzzle or their immediate future: pitcher Sean Gallagher, outfielders Matt Murton and Eric Patterson, along with minor leaguer Josh Donaldson. Even if Donaldson evolves into a decent catcher, the Cubs are obviously committed to Geovany Soto as their main catcher for years to come.
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More so than any trade analysis, Cubs management has sent a powerful message to their fans that “100 years of losing is long enough. Our time is now.â€Â “We’ve been working on Mr. Harden for a few weeks now,†Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said. Harden, eligible to be a free agent after the 2009 season, is 5-1 with a 2.34 ERA in 13 starts this season. He’s scheduled to make $4.75 million this season. As a likely “Type A†free agent, the Cubs should get two high draft picks for him should he depart as a free agent.
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The only real knock against this deal is that Harden fills the starting rotation voids left by the departures of Mark Prior and Kerry Wood…ON ALL LEVELS. The injury-prone hurler missed a month earlier this season because of a right shoulder strain. It marked the sixth time in six years of major league service that Harden has been on the DL. Chicago also strengthened their bullpen in landing Gaudin, who was 5-3 win a 3.59 ERA this season. He is also versatile enough to spot start.Â
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The Cubs will now have a rotation of Carlos Zambrano, Rich Harden, Ted Lilly, Sean Marshall, and Jason Marquis. More importantly, they will have a MUCH stronger rotation for the play-offs. Prior to the Cubs acquisition of Harden, they had the 9th best ERA in MLB at 3.86. Factor in Harden’s numbers and their team ERA improves to 3.73, sixth best in the majors.
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Go ahead Cubs fans, you can sing “Go Cubs Go,†your team deserves it in pulling off this trade. Hopefully Sox fans will get the chance to determine how much this move improved your team in October! We hit Harden well this year.