Marlon Byrd Says He’s a Great Center Fielder
But when Byrd showed up to Chicago Cubs camp looking like the 2010 version of Glenallen Hill - that is to say, the dude was stocky and ripped - it was hard to picture him covering tons of ground out there. Byrd’s says that’s bullocks, though, and he’s ready to show the Cubs what they’ve been missing defensively.
More important, he’s moving from the American League West, which is full of large outfields, to the National League Central, which generally has smaller outfields, including Wrigley.
”Which means I get to play shallow,” he said, ”which is my forte.”
Which means over-the-shoulder and over-the-head catches.
”I do both,” Byrd said. ”If I have a wrong read on balls coming [over a shoulder], I just let it land over my head [into the glove].”
It’s not that fans are going to see a version of Willie Mays or Joe DiMaggio — although Byrd does wear Mays’ No. 24.
”Those guys are greats. They could go anywhere with ease, very fluid,” Byrd said. ”I know how to go back on a ball correctly, so it’s just a difference.”
It’s something Byrd started by watching Andruw Jones with the Atlanta Braves when Byrd was coming up with the Philadelphia Phillies.
”Wherever he played, I would try to play,” he said. ”And about every pitch, I’d get nervous and take a couple of steps back because he was so shallow. But over time, and being with [Rangers coach and former Gold Glove center fielder] Gary Pettis for a couple of years, I got better. I started trusting what I did in the outfield.”
The chance to play with Jones last season helped, too — even if the big acreage at Rangers Ballpark and a young pitching staff didn’t.
”I couldn’t play shallow until our pitchers got in a groove,” Byrd said. ”I couldn’t start creeping in until about the third inning.”
Now he’ll have a more veteran pitching staff with the Cubs and an outfield he can work with.
”One thing you’re going to see about Marlon is how good a center fielder he is,” Jaramillo said. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
Nothing inspires confidence quite like a guy saying he affirmatively wants to try and make over-the-shoulder catches.
ShareLive Together, Die Alone: LOST and the Chicago Cubs
“Every man for himself is not going to work. It’s time to start organizing. We need to figure out how we’re going to survive here. Now, I found water. Fresh water, up in the valley. I’ll take a group in at first light. If you don’t want to go, then find another way to contribute. Last week most of us were strangers. But we’re all here now. And God knows how long we’re going to be here. But if we can’t live together, we’re going to die alone.” - Jack Shephard
I have generally avoided using this space to pontificate on things personal and outside of baseball. I figure you all come here to read about the Cubs, not my thoughts on health care reform. And for a guy who has an obsession with the television show LOST that is equaled only by his obsession with the Cubs, it’s hard not to go off about the show from time to time. Warning: this is one of those times.
But the truth is, this post is as much about the Cubs as it is about LOST. The parallels weaving their way through the show, the Chicago Cubs, and Cubs fandom are worth at least one, little article as we approach tonight’s premiere of the much-anticipated final season and dramatic conclusion of LOST. The article’s a bit longer than our usual fare here at Bleacher Nation, but I think it’s worth your time if you’re a fan of the Cubs or a fan of the show. Keep reading up on the Cubs-LOST crossover.
ShareReliever Joe Nelson Wants to Be a Chicago Cub
The Chicago Cubs continue to look for a reliever, but maybe they should just let the reliever come to them.
Free-agent pitcher Joe Nelson, who has made 101 appearances over the past two seasons, has expressed an interest in the Cubs.
Nelson, 35, is seeking an opportunity to be a late-inning reliever and help a young staff.
Nelson had a 2.86 ERA with Florida and Tampa Bay in 2008-09. He has allowed only 74 hits in 94 innings while striking out 96. His best season was in 2008, when he posted a 2.00 ERA in 59 appearances with the Marlins. He also has pitched for the Braves, Red Sox and Royals. Chicago Breaking Sports.
Nelson has had a bizarre professional career, having not really broken through until age 33 with the Marlins. He pitched in the bigs in 2001, 2004, and 2006 with an assortment of teams, with long minor league stints in between, before having a dominating year in 2008 for the Marlins. He was good, but not great, last year for the Rays. Given his erratic career, he’s unlikely to get a big money deal - just a one-year, small money deal. It might not even be a big league contract.
And by the way: could there be a guy who better proves that middle relievers are a total crapshoot?
ShareFourth Outfielder Watch: Jonny Gomes is in Love with the Chicago Cubs
Add another name to the list of possible fourth outfielder options for the Chicago Cubs: Jonny Gomes. After raking for the Cincinnati Reds last year, Gomes was non-tendered for fear that he’d bring in too much money for the small-market club in arbitration. Gomes, 29, was presumed to be looking for a starting gig, but as the offseason winds down and options thin, he appears to be willing to accept a reserve role.
And he also appears to be madly, madly in love with the Chicago Cubs, with whom he’s been speaking.
“Absolutely,’’ said Gomes, confirming discussions. “I’m a big fan of the game, a student of the game, and I follow a lot of history. I’m not only a player but also a client. Obviously, I’m a big fan of the Cubs, and a big fan of the city – it’s probably one of my favorite cities on the tour, as well as my wife’s.’’
Gomes, who lives in Scottsdale, Ariz., a few miles away from the Cubs’ Mesa spring training facility, wouldn’t comment on details of where talks stood, but he said he feels he’s a better fit than some of the other players the Cubs have contacted.
“Most guys are [seeking multi-year deals]. I think that’s kind of where I stand out with other free agents,’’ he said. “With Rocco [Baldelli], Xavier Nady, Reed Johnson and Jermaine Dye, I’m one of the youngest. If I was ever to hold out for a multiyear deal or a while lot of money, it wouldn’t be after a year with [281] at-bats, regardless what the run-production numbers were. I definitely want to be treated fair, but I’m not really looking to break the bank or for a lot of years. I’m looking to help the team get to the playoffs.
“With the guys on the free agent market out there right now, I think I can bring a lot to the Cubs with what I have. I’m comfortable playing left and right, and messing round with some ground balls at first base in spring training.’’
He’s also comfortable with manager Lou Piniella, his manager in Tampa Bay when Gomes finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2005….
Gomes, who says he’s been in contact with the five usual suspects of teams looking this winter for corner outfielders (including the Yankees, Royals and Braves), said another factor separating him from other free agents, such as Dye:
“What the Cubs have to offer, I’m totally OK with,’’ he said. “They’re asking for a fourth outfielder, and others are looking to start. I’m just looking to get in there. And I think it would be great to get back with Lou. I know how hard he is on young players and expects a lot, but we built a pretty good relationship in Tampa.
“I think it would be a good fit for both sides.’’ CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.
In more than a decade of obsessively combing over rumors and transaction details, I have never - never - heard a player publicly make such impassioned statements about wanting to be with a particular team while simultaneously describing why he’s a better option than the particular other players that had been rumored targets for the same spot. Heck, he even said that he’s not looking for very much money!
That all said, the Cubs will have to make a decision on Gomes carefully. Although he put up huge numbers in part-time duty last year for the Reds, his previous three seasons were, at best, so-so. The good news is that his numbers last year weren’t merely inflated by playing in Great American Ballpark - he had an OPS well over .800 on the road last year.
For his career, Gomes has raked lefties to the tune of an .885 OPS, which would make him a good platoon-mate for Kosuke Fukudome. And at just 29, there is still some upside.
Still, Gomes may not be a perfect fit for the Cubs. The fourth outfielder will be expected to be the top bat off the bench, and Gomes has never been much of a pinch hitter - just a .608 OPS in 67 pinch hit appearances. Further, the biggest knock on Gomes is his defense. Sure, he can play both corner outfield spots, but he doesn’t play them very well. Ideally, the Cubs could find a reserve outfielder who could play all three outfield positions - or at a minimum could play very good corner outfield defense. That will not be the case with Gomes (or Jermaine Dye, for that matter).
But whatever the flaws, by making very public entreaties like he has, Gomes is sure to get a long look from the Cubs. If nothing else, they’ve got to toss a low-ball offer his way, right?
ShareIn Case You Were Hoping for Melky Cabrera
You can forget it. Reports indicate that today, Melky Cabrera and some
other youngsters will be traded to the Atlanta Braves for pitchers
Javier Vazquez and Boone Logan. The Braves had been looking for an
outfield bat, and needed to move a starting pitcher, but this is an
imperfect deal for them. Cabrera is far from the run-producer they
were hoping for, and Vazquez was all universe last year and wasn’t
sticking them with a huge, long-term deal like Derek Lowe.
The outfield search continues for the Chicago Cubs.
ShareThis Week’s Winter Meetings: A Rundown of the Chicago Cubs Rumors to Be Explored
Baseball’s Winter Meetings are this week, and executives from all over will gather in Indianapolis to wheel, deal, discuss, and plan for 2010. And the Chicago Cubs are no different. Ok. Enough setup. Let’s get to the rundown:
- The Cubs have to move Milton Bradley before almost anything else can happen. At least three teams, two of which are the Rays and Rangers, are interested in Bradley. Reports have the Cubs willing to eat as little as $5 million of the 21 owed to Bradley over the next two years. This is not unreasonable, though, if the Cubs are willing to take on a bad contract - like Tampa Bay’s Pat Burrell - in return. Last week, the rumors had Bradley definitely going at the meetings, but this week the word is that he might only “possibly” go at the meetings.
- After moving Bradley, the Cubs are expected to try and sign center fielder Mike Cameron. The team also has varying degrees of interest in Marlon Byrd and Rick Ankiel (yikes), but Curtis Granderson is still the most desired target. Whether signing Cameron will necessarily preclude a move for Granderson - who needs a right-handed platoon partner anyway - remains to be seen.
- Despite having a bullpen of over 12 capable arms, despite having resigned John Grabow to a healthy contract, and despite having just acquired another reliever in Jeff Gray, Jim Hendry is still looking to sign another veteran reliever. Sigh. The Cubs have been rumored as attached to Braves’ relievers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, each of whom might leave Atlanta. Both are good, but both would be very expensive. [insert repeated comments about spending big money on relievers never working out for the Cubs]
- The Cubs are not expected to pursue a starting pitcher this week, or ever this offseason. Hopefully this is a good sign regarding their expectations for Ted Lilly’s health, and not simply another example of Jim “Hope is my Strategy” Hendry. Remember all those years of hoping Mark Prior would finally get right? And the Cubs being caught with their pants down when he didn’t?
Oh Thank Jeebus - Braves Sign Saito
Last week, rumors swirled that the Chicago Cubs were considering signing near-40-year-old reliever Takashi Saito. The Cubs bullpen, already crowded, simply didn’t need another expensive option - the ghosts of Bobby Howry, LaTroy Hawkins, Mike Remlinger, Mark Guthrie, Scott Eyre, and the rest still haunt these grounds.
Thank you, thank you Atlanta Braves.
Just one day after introducing Billy Wagner as their new closer, the Braves once again opened Turner Field on Thursday afternoon to announce that they had signed Takashi Saito to a one-year, $3.2 million contract that provides the opportunity to earn an additional $2.3 million through performance-based incentives. braves.com.
Look, Saito may be a fine pitcher for the Braves this year, but he was not a guy the Chicago Cubs needed to be spending as much as $5.5 million on.
ShareCubs Looking at Another Expensive Reliever, Because, You Know, That Makes Sense
As if signing reliever John Grabow to a two year $7 million contract was not enough indignity for a team approaching its budget limitations and with needs in the infield, the outfield, and at the back-end of the rotation, the Chicago Cubs are now interested in signing another big money reliever.
Un-freaking-believable:
According to Sponichi, Takashi Saito has eight teams interested, including the White Sox, Cubs, Braves and Mets. The Braves had some interest in Saito way back in 2002 but he wound up remaining with Yokohama. NPB Tracker .
Saito has been very good in four big-league seasons, but will be 40 years old next year, and will command between $1.5 and $6 million this year - I know, that’s a huge range, but I’m sacrificing a narrow guess for accuracy: that range comes from the $1.5 million he made in 2009 (he’ll get more) and the $6 million option the Red Sox held on him and declined (he’ll get less).
For a team whose bullpen currently stands at about 20, and whose pen was NOT the problem last year, Saito seems like an elderly luxury. Sure, most of those 20 options are youngsters, but that’s where successful teams find their middle relievers.
Even hinting at signing Saito for some $3 or 4 million, signing Grabow to the same, and then in the same breath saying that there isn’t enough money to offer Rich Harden - the number 4 starter on a team without a clear 4 or 5 starter to start the season - arbitration insults our intelligence and our fandom.
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