Losing Lilly A Mistake For Cubs

My biggest concern with trading Ted Lilly was the thought Jim Hendry wouldn’t have the chance to resign him this offseason.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened as the Dodgers inked Lilly to a new 3-yr, $30M deal this week.

I never fully understood why Hendry dangled Lilly so freely this July instead of working out an extension. Lilly was, unquestionably, Chicago’s ace hurler for the past three years.

If you win with pitching, and Lilly’s your best arm, why take the risk of losing him? Just never made sense to me.

It also worries me for the Cubs that Lilly resigned with L.A. so quickly. If Teddy truly thought the Cubs had the chance to win, wouldn’t he at least give Hendry a chance to make an offer?

If the Cubs are back to believing Carlos Zambrano is a No.1, they’re in big trouble. Ryan Dempster is solid, but not a true ace, either.

Which means, it’s up to Carlos Silva, Tom Gorzelanny and Randy Wells to fill Lilly’s shoes. And that’s a tall order for a threesome who each posted an ERA above 4.00.