The New York Yankees have hired Jim Hendry to be a special assistant to general manager Brian Cashman, according to Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago. Hendry had previously served as the longtime general manager for the Chicago Cubs.
Hendry was at the helm of baseball operations for the Cubs from 2002 to 2011, when new owner Tom Ricketts fired the longtime GM after consecutive fifth-place finishes. Now 56, Hendry worked for the Cubs for 17 years, spending time in a wide variety of baseball-related roles.
In Chicago, Hendry led the Cubs to three NL Central division titles. He also allowed the team's payroll to be swallowed whole by the likes of Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, Kosuke Fukudome and others, committing massive resources to an aging roster that essentially imploded.
But for all of Hendry's mistakes as a contract negotiator, he also had some obvious talent evaluation skills. Among the names that he acquired in trades that proved to be high-quality additions include Aramis Ramirez, Derrek Lee and Ryan Dempster.