Hendry won NL Central division titles with the Cubs in 2003, 2007 and 2008, and the latter two were the first back-to-back playoffs berths for the club since 1907-08.
Hendry's old-school approach was based on his scouting foundation and terrific people skills. He wasn’t afraid to spend money, and the Cubs always had one of the top payrolls in the National League during his tenure. His long-term deals for players such as Carlos Zambrano, Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez helped the organization win early in their contracts but hamstrung their flexibility in recent years. Despite putting together one of the better scouting departments in baseball, Hendry leaves the Cubs organization with a very thin farm system at the upper levels.
The search for a new general manager begins immediately; assistant GM Randy Bush takes over as interim GM. If I were making the call, here's whom I would go after (assuming they were interested, of course).
1. Pat Gillick: He’s a Hall of Famer and won world championships in Toronto and Philadelphia.
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Jim Bowden
Bowden, who served as the senior vice president and GM for the Cincinnati Reds and the Washington Nationals, is an analyst for ESPN.com. In 1992, Bowden became the youngest GM in MLB history when the Reds hired him at age 31. The Reds finished in first place twice during his 10 years as GM, and he was named MLB Executive of the Year by Baseball America in 1999. After working for ESPN in 2004, Bowden became the first GM of the Washington Nationals when the franchise relocated from Montreal to Washington, D.C., in 2005, working in that role until the 2009 season. Bowden co-hosts the "Inside Pitch" radio show on Sirius XM satellite radio. Follow on Twitter: @JimBowdenESPNxm.
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