Jim Hendry Either Had, or Needs a Lobotomy

Most of the Chicago papers today are reporting that once former Padre and Cardinal Centerfielder Jim Edmonds clears waivers Wednesday, Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry will swoop in and offer the broken down 37 year old a contract.

So my question is, did Jim Hendry fall down and hurt his head? What could a guy who's production has dropped off exponentially, who hasn't been healthy in 3 years, and is 37 years old possibly bring to a team who is seemingly hitting on all cylinders right now?

This move also appears to be yet another signal that the Cubs brass have all but given up on a player who 2 years ago was considered to be a can't miss, 5 tool, superstar in the making in Felix Pie. Certainly Pie has looked lost at the plate a good portion of the time he's spent in the majors but is Jim Edmonds at this point in his career really an upgrade?

This move reminds me an awful lot of last year's decision to sign Cliff Floyd about 5 years after Floyd was actually a positive addition to a roster. Hendry has obviously been a fan of Jim Edmonds for years, and Edmonds apparently would love to play for a team in the NL Central, so that he can try and beat the Cardinals, but that hardly earns him a spot on a roster.

Edmonds was hitting a robust .160 before being cut by the Padres, a team that is far from stocked with offensive weapons and has undoubtedly lost a step on defense as well. The Cubs keep talking about how they need another left handed hitting outfielder, all the while ignoring the fact that outside of Carlos Zambrano, the starting rotation has been....inconsistent to put it nicely.

This move does nothing to improve the club, and probably sets back a young outfielder who probably still has SOME trade value. How many years are the Cubs going to go into a season with Pie listed as their top prospect before he becomes an unmitigated disaster?