Speaking of blockbusters the Cubs are still hinting at not being too active on the trade market this season.

When the Cubs signed Greg Maddux in February, the payroll reached $90 million. Hendry doesn't have much wiggle room. That doesn't mean he'll turn his cell phone off.

"With trades, the timing is always different," Hendry said. "What Houston did (in acquiring Carlos Beltran) had nothing to do with the deadline. The same with (Oakland general manager) Billy Beane.

"The game has changed because of economics. The so-called deadline isn't the end-all any more. We made the Lofton-Ramirez trade on July 23. I think if we went another week or so we might have been seven or eight (games) back and it might not have been the right thing to do. If something good arises you snap on it, or you don't."

Personally a team in contention needs to make a few moves. Call it a pick me up, a breath of fresh air or whatever. Seattle for 3 or 4 years in a row did nothing around the trade deadline and each time those teams basically floundered and ran out of gas in the 2nd half. The players would get upset that management didn't care.

Let's hope Hendry is pulling our leg, because our offense needs a pick me up. Adding another bat, or trading one of our middle of the order bats for a top of the order hitter will do this team wonders.