NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Cubs acquired pitcher Tim Lahey — a converted catcher — in exchange for cash shortly after the right-hander was claimed by the Tampa Bay Rays in the Rule 5 draft this morning at the winter meetings.
Picking first in the draft, the Rays selected Lahey, 25, from the Minnesota Twins. Lahey, drafted by the Twins as a catcher in the 20th round of the 2004 draft, was converted to a pitcher in 2005. He went 8-4 with 13 saves in 16 chances and a 3.45 ERA for Class AA New Britain last season. Lahey, who is 6-4 and 250 pounds, is 15-6 with a 3.91 ERA and 38 saves in 123 minor-league relief appearances. He has walked 70 and fanned 146.
It sounds like a possible pickup. But the cost was expensive. Any third-rate wheeler-dealer could have made that type of trade. Hendry stinks at making cost effective maneuvers. He trades a starting outfielder for a utility infielder then turns around and trades the newly acquired infielder along with a serviceable veteran """left-handed""" pitcher for an unproven prospect. So in the end he traded the 2006/07 starting RF/CF and a lefthanded reliever (a LH handed pitcher can write his own ticket as long as he can still roll the ball in the general vicinity of homeplate)for an unknown quantity. A company could go broke fast making those types of maneuvers. it is just more continued poor desperation dealing by Hendry!
I agree with the above comment. You have to know something about talent to be able to see some. Hendry is the worst GM in Chicago since Harrelson/Current GM Williams.