Hendry Puts Effort Toward Something Of Value, Short And Long Term
By Adam Harris
It's official. The Chicago Cubs traded for starting pitcher Matt Garza, and while this might not be the most exciting acquisition in the organization's history, there is plenty to be excited about.
"Matt's 27, and he's going to be a Cub for a while," Cubs' General Manager Jim Hendry said today on a conference call to the media. "We look at this as a great trade for the present and the future."
The Cubs are improving their current team and their future teams at the same time. The minor league players given up in the trade have not yet proven that they can even perform in the majors, however Matt Garza has in a tough AL East and therefore is more valuable than potential talent.
"This was a trade for not just now for us," Hendry said. "We are not giving away the farm to try to win in one year, and that couldn't be farther from the truth for a guy like Matt Garza."
The concept behind this trade is what excites me as a Cub fan. It shows that the Cubs are putting their money and effort in smart places, like their starting rotation.
After Hendry left the conference call, Garza came on and was open to questions from the media. He answered six minutes of questions, and then finished off with an unprovoked statement.
"Thanks for having me guys," Garza concluded. "I am really excited to be a part of this long tradition. Let's try to get this thing turned around in the right direction. We have the pieces ready in Chicago to do it too."
Personally I have always been one to not get caught up in what a player says but rather how he performs; however, Garza showed some optimism that this Cub team has been lacking as of late. We will wait and see if this optimism is still there in mid July, but as a Cub fan it gives me a reason to watch again this year.
Up until this trade I had been keeping my Cub expectations low, thinking the team wouldn't be worth watching. Now I can watch with a little higher expectations and, while I most likely will be let down again, I'm just happy to be interested in the team.
