Casey Coleman now has a 7.43 ERA, and James Russell now has an 8.00 ERA. If the Cubs traded Gorzelanny because Ricketts was too cheap to find an extra $2 million to keep him, it almost has to make you question ownership's commitment to win at least a little bit. And if it was made because Hendry thought those two junkballers were just as good, he made a really dumb decision.
Not to pick on JR... but.... this is a prime example of one of the reasons the Cubs generally suck.
Too many fans are unwilling to accept the growing pains which are generally associated with developing talent, particularly pitching. While it is entirely possible neither Russell nor Coleman will ever be worth a damn, it is also entirely possible that one or both would be nice middle of the rotation starters for several years, several inexpensive years. Gorz is never going to be an ace, is a good deal older than they are, and is not likely to be much better than expensive average. Having him on the team and starting every 5th day might mean a few more wins this season, but the Cubs are not going anywhere this season anyway, and having him start this season simply further delays finding out whether Russell or Coleman can contribute in the future.