Padreshome.com | San Diego Padres News, padres Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>Cubs general manager Jim Hendry walked out of the Bellagio on Thursday essentially empty-handed. No big left-handed bat. No new leadoff hitter. No Jake Peavy. </div>And, somehow, the Cubs seemed no worse for their bust of a week in Vegas. The winter meetings closed Thursday without a major deal being struck by any of the teams in the National League Central. If anything, we watched the Milwaukee Brewers get weaker, losing ace-down-the-stretch CC Sabathia to the New York Yankees. Co-ace Ben Sheets will be the next Brewers arm out the door. The St. Louis Cardinals, who needed to make the most strides, also stood pat. They sniffed around on some players but never seemed serious suitors for any of the big names. The Cubs kept busy, but the best thing they did was stay the same. After winning 97 games last season and having essentially the same team -- minus All-Star closer Kerry Wood -- ready to return in 2009, Hendry knows the Cubs just have some tweaking to do. Manager Lou Piniella remains confident he will get the big left-handed bat he needs. Whether it's Bobby Abreu or Milton Bradley or Raul Ibanez, the Cubs will fill that need. They'll also get another player for their bench. And they will look back -- in relief -- about going home without Peavy on their books. After weeks of talks, Hendry pulled the plug, calling Padres general manager Kevin Towers to report the Cubs were out. No hard feelings on either side. ''I think the world of the pitcher, and he would've made us better,'' Hendry said of Peavy, ''but we were dealing from strength all along.'' That position of strength meant the Cubs were willing to listen to what Towers was peddling. If he was indeed motivated to move Peavy -- for the right price -- they would listen. But the more they listened, the less they liked what they were hearing. Towers kept putting left-hander Sean Marshall on the table. Never did the Cubs give a nod of approval to Marshall being part of the package. Then the Cubs' brain trust considered all of the money they would be taking on in a Peavy deal. Financially, they could make the right-hander fit in 2009. Even 2011 and beyond. But 2010 was a real sticking point. The Cubs' payroll will be supersized in 2010 without Peavy. Adding him creates a lot of stress. It was the kind of stress the Cubs would endure if this were a true need -- say for a Brian Roberts-style leadoff hitter. But this was a luxury item. And in today's economy... So Hendry walked around the Bellagio lobby late Wednesday night and decided the answer had to be no on a Peavy deal. The news presented a major blow to Towers, who worked on his own to bring in a third and fourth team to beef up the package. All the while, the Cubs sat back and watched Towers scramble to suit their needs. Taking Marshall off the table might have been enough to close the deal. But Towers never made that move. ''Now we need to start moving forward,'' Towers said after getting the sobering news from Hendry. ''He said he's got other things going on. I respect his position.'' We have seen Hendry overextend himself to land Alfonso Soriano because that was the need two years ago. We saw he was willing to guarantee the most money for Kosuke Fukudome because he was identified as the key need a year ago. Going above and beyond what made him feel comfortable to get Peavy just didn't feel right to Hendry as he made that long, late-night walk around the Bellagio. ''As much as [adding Peavy] would've been a great acquisition, for the good of the organization, I didn't think it was the right thing to do,'' Hendry said. ''I never got comfortable with the volume of players it would take.'' If the Cubs reach midseason, find themselves in need of a prized arm and Peavy is still available, certainly Hendry will dial up Towers. But it wasn't the right thing to do now. Hendry boarded a plane Thursday and headed home, still facing unfinished business. He knows the Cards and Brewers won't stand pat all winter. Today, the Brewers are expected to complete a swap of center fielders with the New York Yankees, sending Gold Glove winner Mike Cameron to the Bronx for young switch hitter Melky Cabrera. It's a nice deal, but not a difference-maker. Peavy would've been a blockbuster deal. But for the Cubs, Peavy wouldn't have been a difference-maker. Comment at suntimes.com.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry walked out of the Bellagio on Thursday essentially empty-handed. No big left-handed bat. No new leadoff hitter. No Jake Peavy.

And, somehow, the Cubs seemed no worse for their bust of a week in Vegas.

The winter meetings closed Thursday without a major deal being struck by any of the teams in the National League Central. If anything, we watched the Milwaukee Brewers get weaker, losing ace-down-the-stretch CC Sabathia to the New York Yankees. Co-ace Ben Sheets will be the next Brewers arm out the door.

The St. Louis Cardinals, who needed to make the most strides, also stood pat. They sniffed around on some players but never seemed serious suitors for any of the big names. The Cubs kept busy, but the best thing they did was stay the same.

After winning 97 games last season and having essentially the same team -- minus All-Star closer Kerry Wood -- ready to return in 2009, Hendry knows the Cubs just have some tweaking to do. Manager Lou Piniella remains confident he will get the big left-handed bat he needs. Whether it's Bobby Abreu or Milton Bradley or Raul Ibanez, the Cubs will fill that need. They'll also get another player for their bench.

And they will look back -- in relief -- about going home without Peavy on their books.

After weeks of talks, Hendry pulled the plug, calling Padres general manager Kevin Towers to report the Cubs were out. No hard feelings on either side.

''I think the world of the pitcher, and he would've made us better,'' Hendry said of Peavy, ''but we were dealing from strength all along.''

That position of strength meant the Cubs were willing to listen to what Towers was peddling. If he was indeed motivated to move Peavy -- for the right price -- they would listen. But the more they listened, the less they liked what they were hearing.

Towers kept putting left-hander Sean Marshall on the table. Never did the Cubs give a nod of approval to Marshall being part of the package. Then the Cubs' brain trust considered all of the money they would be taking on in a Peavy deal. Financially, they could make the right-hander fit in 2009. Even 2011 and beyond. But 2010 was a real sticking point.

The Cubs' payroll will be supersized in 2010 without Peavy. Adding him creates a lot of stress. It was the kind of stress the Cubs would endure if this were a true need -- say for a Brian Roberts-style leadoff hitter. But this was a luxury item.

And in today's economy...

So Hendry walked around the Bellagio lobby late Wednesday night and decided the answer had to be no on a Peavy deal.

The news presented a major blow to Towers, who worked on his own to bring in a third and fourth team to beef up the package. All the while, the Cubs sat back and watched Towers scramble to suit their needs. Taking Marshall off the table might have been enough to close the deal. But Towers never made that move.

''Now we need to start moving forward,'' Towers said after getting the sobering news from Hendry. ''He said he's got other things going on. I respect his position.''

We have seen Hendry overextend himself to land Alfonso Soriano because that was the need two years ago. We saw he was willing to guarantee the most money for Kosuke Fukudome because he was identified as the key need a year ago.

Going above and beyond what made him feel comfortable to get Peavy just didn't feel right to Hendry as he made that long, late-night walk around the Bellagio.

''As much as [adding Peavy] would've been a great acquisition, for the good of the organization, I didn't think it was the right thing to do,'' Hendry said. ''I never got comfortable with the volume of players it would take.''

If the Cubs reach midseason, find themselves in need of a prized arm and Peavy is still available, certainly Hendry will dial up Towers.

But it wasn't the right thing to do now.

Hendry boarded a plane Thursday and headed home, still facing unfinished business. He knows the Cards and Brewers won't stand pat all winter. Today, the Brewers are expected to complete a swap of center fielders with the New York Yankees, sending Gold Glove winner Mike Cameron to the Bronx for young switch hitter Melky Cabrera.

It's a nice deal, but not a difference-maker.

Peavy would've been a blockbuster deal.

But for the Cubs, Peavy wouldn't have been a difference-maker.

Comment at suntimes.com.