Cubs sign Marlon Byrd, 3yrs/$15M

[reillymcshane]

http://sports.espn.go.com...lb/news/story?id=4785125

 

3 years, $15 million.

 

Added contract terms to title --cc

[BREWCREW5]

His best year was last year. Suprise Suprise, it was a contract year.

 

His defense in center is below average. He is injury prone and will be 33 in August. He has posted an OPS over .800 the last couple of years though.

[monkeyman343434]

Gary Matthews Jr Part II ?

[RobertR]

$5 million a year really isn't that much. Not a big fan, but the Cubs are probably getting a league average bat (his OPS+ for the last 3 seasons: 112, 121, 106), which is slightly above average for the position, at a reasonable rate and with none of the headaches of a Milton Bradley. First move of the offseason from the Cubs that seems like a good on the field move.

 

Robert

[Thurston Fluff]

It's believed to be back loaded so they will end up paying a lot more in two years than he will likely be wroth at the time. Not enough money to really matter but maybe enough to hamper them slightly in FA by year three.

[crewcrazy]

My biggest memory of Marlon Byrd is his role in the worst birthday present I ever had.

 

Francisco Cordero replaces Derrick Turnbow pitching

Frank Catalanotto strikes out swinging

Ian Kinsler grounds out

Brad Wilkerson singles to LF

Ramon Vazquez walks

Gerald Laird singles to LF; Wilkerson scores; Vazquez to 3B

Kenny Lofton singles to 1B; Vazquez scores; Laird to 2B

Marlon Byrd singles to CF; Laird scores; Lofton to 2B

Michael Young singles to RF; Lofton scores; Byrd to 2B

Texas wins, 4-3

 

His newfound Cub-dom only reinforces my feelings about him. Not a bad deal for the Cubs, though -- probably a year too long, but backloading the deal probably gives them enough free cash to address another hole.

[Schlitz001]

I was at that Texas game sitting in right field. I saw Marlon Byrd make one of the best catches I have ever seen in that game. He seems to be a pretty solid defender.

[reillymcshane]

Deal is backloaded.

 

$3 million in 2010

$5.5 2011

$6.5 2012

[BREWCREW5]

I think it is funny that on foxsports.com the link says "cubs sign power hitting CF". Byrd hit 20 home runs last year in his contract year, before that, the most he hit in a season was 10.

 

Now he is a power hitter? Wow.

[bigredrobbo]

I think it is funny that on foxsports.com the link says "cubs sign power hitting CF". Byrd hit 20 home runs last year in his contract year, before that, the most he hit in a season was 10.

 

Now he is a power hitter? Wow.

Everyone's a power hitter in Wrigley!

[Funketown]

This is a solid little signing for the Cubs. I'm not familiar with him, so I don't know why he's struggled to play in the past (whether injury or opportunity), but I would think he would be a 2-win player each year, maybe dropping off a bit towards the end. Hard to see how this signing could go wrong, but this is the Cubs. Either way, this isn't a big deal.

[JohnBriggs12]

It's believed to be back loaded so they will end up paying a lot more in two years than he will likely be wroth at the time. Not enough money to really matter but maybe enough to hamper them slightly in FA by year three.

No it won't. They have something around $40 million coming off the books in 2012 for just 3 guys (Dempster, Fukudome, and Silva). They'll be big players in FA by then.

 

It's a solid signing. You don't need a burner in CF in Wrigley. Byrd is certainly a better offensive player than Gomez. He'll hit 20 HR in Wrigley if he stays healthy.

[The Heartbreak Yid]

Sounds to me like were getting Reed Johnson without the defense. Good job Hendry. On the plus side, hes not really overpaying here, and if Soriano and Soto can have rebounds, Byrd will be a solid 7 hitter. Those are pretty big if though.

[TuesdaysWithRillo]

Anyone read Keith Law's take on this? It's quite interesting.

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?name=law_keith

 

Marlon Byrd is a nice fourth outfielder who could play every day on a non-contender, but he doesn't handle centerfield well enough to play it every day on a team with aspirations of playoff contention and doesn't hit well enough to play every day in an outfield corner. He boosted his overall stats the last few years playing in a good hitters' park in Texas, posting a .290/.339/.415 line in 516 road PA over that time, a line that won't cut it in left or right field, and he's no better than average defensively in center, perhaps less if he has to play it 150 times a season. He replaces Milton Bradleyand Bradley's replacements, but even with the off year Bradley was more productive for the Cubs on a rate basis than Byrd was in Texas, and the Cubs have improved by less than a win between the pair of moves.

[igor67]

It's not monumentally dumb, but why would I want a 36 year old mediocre defensive OF on my team for 6.5 million? If he consistently hit like Matt Stairs might be OK. It's not like he puts you over the top this year where you are trading off the lower price now to get him on for the downside risk later. 2 years 10 million makes way more sense.

[TooLiveBrew]

I've been in IL over the New Year's timeframe, and it was flat-out hilarious to read about how OMGz terrible Milton Bradley is & how solid of a signing this is by Hendry. One direct quote from the Tribune on Byrd: "He plays a solid center field". Excitement!

 

I'm just glad Hendry was alseep at the wheel long enough for the Cubs to miss out on Cameron. That would have actually been a difference-making signing.

[logan82]

I've been in IL over the New Year's timeframe, and it was flat-out hilarious to read about how OMGz terrible Milton Bradley is & how solid of a signing this is by Hendry. One direct quote from the Tribune on Byrd: "He plays a solid center field". Excitement!

 

I'm just glad Hendry was alseep at the wheel long enough for the Cubs to miss out on Cameron. That would have actually been a difference-making signing.

Cameron in Chicago would have been a nightmare. Byrd looks pretty average in CF defensively.

 

Flat out hilarious, love the flatlander pun intended or not.

[TooLiveBrew]

Hah, I should probably just take credit, but definitely unintentional http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[The Heartbreak Yid]

I've been in IL over the New Year's timeframe, and it was flat-out hilarious to read about how OMGz terrible Milton Bradley is & how solid of a signing this is by Hendry. One direct quote from the Tribune on Byrd: "He plays a solid center field". Excitement!

 

I'm just glad Hendry was alseep at the wheel long enough for the Cubs to miss out on Cameron. That would have actually been a difference-making signing.

 

I hate to defend Hendry in any capacity, but he wasnt asleep at the wheel for Cameron. he very much wanted him, but was unable to move Bradleys salary soon enough, and probably wouldnt have been able to match Bostons offer anyway. Actually, the Red Sox signing Cameron kind of screwed us both, as before they signed him, there was at least some inking that they could have either signed Holliday, or signed Bay and let the Mets get Holliday, but no, unless some mystery team arrises, it looks like the Cards will sign Holliday and probably own the division, at least for 2010.

 

As for the Cubs CF, I would have been just as happy with either Sam Fuld or even Tyler Colvin holding it down and if something better comes up mid season, go for it, if not, save up for Carl Crawford in 2011. I know hes always been a corner guy, but with his speed, Im sure he could adjust.

[Ennder]

The Cameron deal makes this one look terrible, but that is mostly because Cameron is being underpaid. This deal isn't terrible but I'm sure they'll be regretting that 3rd year.

[dadofandrew]

Cameron is 5 years older. He's not going to be playing when he's 45, so at some point, his inevitable decline will occur. Assuming he's exempt because he's in good shape is simplistic. That said, much like Hoffman, I'd hate to go more than 1 year on guys that age, or one with a vested option.

 

Keith Law finally mentioned how bad Byrd has been on the road, and with his average at best D, he's not a good sign. It's far from crippling, as Byrd's $5M won't be bad as a platoon or reserve in a big market, but he's really never hit outside of Arlington, and he's 32. Hart's far better, has some upside, and comes without any commitment.

[davemakovec]

To me, this seems similar to the Brewers signing two Cardinals pitchers, hoping that they would not suck away from the Cardinals' superior infield defense. Aging, injury-prone outfielders with question marks coming off career years hitting in Arlington may not be an exact parallel, but I can hope that following Bradley with the Byrd signing turns out as poorly for the Cubs as following Suppan with Looper did for the Brewers.

[RobertR]

Cameron is 5 years older. He's not going to be playing when he's 45, so at some point, his inevitable decline will occur. Assuming he's exempt because he's in good shape is simplistic. That said, much like Hoffman, I'd hate to go more than 1 year on guys that age, or one with a vested option.

 

Keith Law finally mentioned how bad Byrd has been on the road, and with his average at best D, he's not a good sign. It's far from crippling, as Byrd's $5M won't be bad as a platoon or reserve in a big market, but he's really never hit outside of Arlington, and he's 32. Hart's far better, has some upside, and comes without any commitment.

I hate to just pick road stats to evaluate a guy, because the home stats count too. And, at the very least, I'd like to figure out how Arlington compares to Wrigley. Because, the games played in Wrigley count and comprise the plurality of his plate appearances.

 

No question that he has some issues, and probably should be sat in places like Miami, San Francisco, and San Diego, but I think he probably has the tools to take advantage of some of Wrigley's features.

 

Robert

[Ennder]

Texas is a bigger hitters park than Wrigley and it really helps RH power hitters. Wrigley is just a weird park all around, a big chunk of the games it is an extreme pitchers park and a big chunk it is a hitters park, it is completely at the whim of the wind. Overall it tends to play as a hitters park but not as extreme as Arlington. It won't surprise me if Byrd sits at 10-12 HR on the year instead of the 20 he had last year and it wouldn't surprise me much at all if Byrd had a sub .775 OPS.

[dadofandrew]

Robert, look at Byrd's career stats and you'll see a mediocre OF until he hit TEX. Wrigley is a hitter's park, but it's not like Arlington. His home/road splits are off the chart (unlike Washburn, who people keep saying is a result of Safeco, but he was better on the road...he's a horrible example of how to use splits, Byrd is perfect).