Cubs release Doug Davis; Hendry vows no ‘fire sale’

Updated: June 30, 2011 4:12PM

As the Cubs gear up for likely activity toward the July 31 trading deadline, one thing they won’t be doing is holding the ‘‘fire sale’’ that general manager Jim Hendry says he keeps hearing people expecting.‘‘That’s not going to happen,’’ he said Wednesday after releasing veteran pitcher

Doug Davis (1-7, 6.50 ERA) to make room on the roster to activate second baseman Darwin Barney (knee) from the disabled list. ‘‘We’re not interested in trading people at all that will be valuable to us moving forward.’’

Of course, unless the Cubs are offering some of their better, cheaper, younger players — the non-starters for the Cubs in trade talks — then a fire sale isn’t even feasible, considering the size of the contracts the Cubs would want to move.

‘‘People like to float names of your better players, which makes no sense to trade,’’ Hendry said. ‘‘If we make moves, it will be designed to make us better for the future. And we still want to see how we play in the next month or so. But everybody thinks you have to be a buyer or a seller, or it’s fire-sale time.’’

The release of Davis — who reached 10-year, full-benefits, service-time status over the weekend — wasn’t about suddenly changing organizational direction this season. But it’s likely a prelude to a gradual move toward looking at more prospects, including another go-round with Class AAA pitcher

Wood for Sox?

Manager Mike Quade was encouraged enough by Kerry Wood’s side session Wednesday to suggest the All-Star reliever’s blistered index finger might be well enough for him to pitch
this weekend against the White Sox.

Wood has spent the last three weeks on the DL.

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy , who skippers the National League All-Star team, admitted the Cubs’ help in getting the Giants to the playoffs last year played a role in his adding Cubs manager Mike Quade to his coaching staff.‘‘I think you look at everything,’’ Bochy said. ‘‘I wan

ted to invite somebody who has not been . . . and my coaches know him very well. I’ve spoken with Mike a little bit. . . . They played well in our division last year when we needed a little bit of help. But more importantly, I just wanted to ask somebody who hasn’t been.’’

The Cubs beat San Diego three out of four games the final week of last season to help th e Giants win the NL West by one game.

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