The Scapegoat?

Earlier this week the Chicago Cubs traded catcher Michael Barrett to the San Diego Padres for back-up catcher Rob Bowen and minor league outfielder Kyle Burke. The trade did not come as a surprise to most Cubs fans due to the fact that Barrett had been struggling behind the dish and his offensive numbers were down, at least in comparison to the last few years. Coupled with the fact that Barrett had not been getting along with the very men he was catching for; notably the scuffle with ace Carlos Zambrano and a heated discussion with Rich Hill.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry admitted that Barrett had “regressed” in his performance on the field and that a trade was the best move. Barrett had been catching a lot of the blame for the Cubs well documented impotence on the field, but to many, including me a trade was a bit rash, especially for two “no names.” Barrett has been a constant source of leadership the past few years on and off the field. I understand the business aspect of the trade, but Hendry needs to realize that baseball is a team sport. Yes, Barrett has cost the Cubs a few games this year, but what about the offense that has failed to drive in runs in key RBI situations?

Hendry might as well have traded the entire team if he is running the team along those lines. A leader is supposed to be contentious if you ask me, exactly what Michael Barrett was to the Chicago Cubs. As we know, the Cubs have had a long and rather ironic past when it comes to trading or letting players get a way. Do you remember a man by the name of Maddux? Yes, I realize that the Cubs also have had a bad history of waiting for players to come around (Wood and Prior) to no avail. But my gut tells me that they will end up eating this marvelous "business transaction."