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Loss to Cardinals drops Cubs 22 below .500
The Cubs are likely to play out the string with most of the same players who got them into this mess, and general manager Jim Hendry said Friday there were no "significant" deals on the horizon.
If they made a movie about the 2011 season, the working title would be "Crazy, Stupid, Cubs."
"We always need some kind of rebuilding when you're in fifth place," Hendry said. "But you don't look at it like, 'Oh, we're not going to compete.'"
The Cubs spent $135 million on player salaries this year and didn't compete, falling a season-worst 22 games under .500 on Friday after an 9-2 loss to the Cardinals.
Matt Garza (4-8) allowed six runs in 5 2/3 innings and ended July without a win despite several dominant starts. David Freese's three-run homer in the fourth gave the Cardinals the lead, and the Cubs offense remained in a state of suspended animation against former White Sox starter Edwin Jackson, making his Cardinals debut.
The Cubs have lost four straight to start a 10-game trip against the top three National League Central contenders, totaling six runs in the skid. They're averaging three runs since the All-Star break.
Yet Hendry pointed to the Pirates' resurgence, suggesting the 2012 Cubs can emulate them.
"All you need is your young people to keep getting better and you make the right moves with the people (and) money that might be available, and why couldn't we be right back in it?" Hendry said. "I have faith that (Chairman) Tom Ricketts and his family down the road will be long-term really good. And that has nothing to do with me. I believe that. I've seen the long-term plan for player development, scouting, facilities..."
The Cubs can't go into a traditional rebuilding mode because of huge financial commitments to Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Dempster and Carlos Zambrano. Aramis Ramirez doesn't believe they can go into any kind of rebuilding plan.
"We all know what rebuilding means," he said. "And that's no secret. If that's what they want to do … when you go through a rebuilding process, that makes you want to develop young guys. And I'm 33. I don't think a player like me is part of a rebuilding process.
"This is a big market. You can't rebuild in a big market. When you get 40,000 in the stands every day, you can't try to rebuild. You've got to put a winning product on the field. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. But you can't just get rid of everybody and try to rebuild in a market like (Chicago)."
Hendry added Garza last offseason, giving up four prospects who might have competed for jobs in 2012 had they stayed. Garza has only four wins but has been the Cubs' best pitcher.
"Moving forward, we should be awfully glad we have Garza," Hendry said. "It wasn't a one-year thing, and he's pitched as well as anyone in the National League the last month."
Source: chicagotribune.com