Kendall on the Cubs

by Romiezzo

Since former Cubs catcher, Michael Barrett has been gone, the Cubs have been looking for a decent catcher, or at least a catcher that they can depend on. Koyie Hill was in the trade from the San Diego Padres to the Chicago Cubs that involved Barrett, and so far, he hasn't been doing well offensively. In 26 games, he has hit only .156 with 2 HR and 7 RBIs.

Getting to the point, the Cubs made a move, quickly. They were able to get what they wanted: a catcher with experience. They acquired Jason Kendall, a catcher with 11 years of experience under his belt who the Cubs are hoping to help the team win even more games in order to catch the Brewers.

Contacted by phone early Monday evening, A's general manager Billy Beane confirmed the deal but would not reveal the name of the player being acquired in exchange for Kendall. MLB.com has learned that the player is a Minor League left-handed pitcher.

Beane said that they would like to see what Kurt Suzuki can do for the team. With Suzuki making a big impact, they won't need Kendell very often. "We've always been an organization that's given young guys a chance, and we think Kurt deserves a chance right now," Beane said of Suzuki, who was batting .269 in 10 games with Oakland through Sunday.

"And at the same time, this gives Jason, whom I have nothing but respect for, a chance to go somewhere he can play every day -- and play for a very good team with a good chance of making the playoffs.  He also added, "I think this works out well for both sides," and I have to agree; the catchers need a catcher with experience, something that they haven't had since Michael Barrett, a man who affected the team's chemistry. Plus, what are the A's going to do with two catchers anyway?

So far, Kendall is batting .226 with 2 HR, 22 RBIs, and a .992 fielding percentage. He's got off to a slow start, but I think that he is a guy with experience who can really help young pitchers like Rich Hill, Carlos Zambrano, and Ted Lilly.