Are Dusty's Days Ending?

For several weeks, fans, bloggers and sports writers have debated when the Cubs would fire manager Dusty Baker. It hasn't been an issue of "if" he would be fired, but when.

Baker is in the last year of his contract, and the Cubs made no move at the beginning of the season to extend his contract. If the Cub front office had any confidence in Baker, they would have offered him a deal. Instead, Baker, the players and the fans have been playing a waiting game to see how this team would fare. With the season half over, it is clear this team is going nowhere and needs an overhaul -- again. (Diidn't they do an overhaul at the end of last season?)

Cubs GM Jim Hendry said he is planning to evaluate the team over the All-Star break next week. That evaluation includes Dusty Baker, his coaches and the players. Who goes? Who stays?

The Cubs still have a group of players to build around: Derrek Lee, Carlos Zambrano, Michael Barrett, Aramis Ramirez. I like the additions of Scott Eyre and Bobbie Howry in the bullpen. They can still tweak the team they've got by adding a power-hitting left fielder (Would the Cubs be interested in ex-Sox outfielder and Milwaukee Brewer Carlos Lee? He's a free agent at the end of this season) and one or two starting pitchers. I doubt Kerry Wood will return, and it's unclear if Greg Maddux will stay with the team or retire.

As for the coaching, I felt before the season started that Dusty will stay on through the entire season and then part ways in October. Hendry has said before that he wants to give Baker a chance to manage a team at full strength, and he really hasn't had that team this season. With injuries to Derrek Lee, Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, Baker has had to work with a lot of young players. Baker has always liked veteran players.

On the other hand, a sign of a good manager is one who is able to motivate and mold young players to perform their best. When you see a young player like Corey Patterson struggle here in Chicago, then see him thrive with another team, you have to wonder if your young players are getting the best coaching available. That is what Hendry needs to determine.

My feeling is Hendry may make some decisions but may not put them into effect until the season ends. In other words, he'll likely decide that Baker needs to go but will allow him to manage until the end of the season. If anything happens at all next week, it will likely affect the assistant coaches first. I would not be surprised if the Cubs make one or two trades before the trading deadline to unload players that don't fit into the team's long-term plans and position themselves for next season.