Could Marlon Byrd Head Back to the Rangers?

Tomorrow marks the last day that a team can make a trade (via the waiver system) for a player, and include that player on its post-season roster. The Chicago Cubs have already made a couple waiver trades, sending Mike Fontenot to the Giants and Derrek Lee to the Braves.

But are the Cubs done dealing? They are assuredly still working the phones to try and outsource Kosuke Fukudome and Xavier Nady, but beyond that, no one believes the Cubs are considering moving anyone else.

Well, except maybe Richard Durrett, who writes the Texas Rangers blog for ESPNDallas. In a list of potential acquisition targets for the Rangers, Durrett lists a Cub – but not one you’d expect:

Marlon Byrd, Cubs: I only throw this in there because I find it intriguing, but Byrd fits the mold. He can play all the outfield positions and has a big bat against lefties. Byrd is hitting .366 with four homers and 19 RBIs against left-handed pitching this season. But, of course, he has two more years left on his contract in Chicago and I can’t think the Cubs would consider dealing him. Even if they do, it would involve a top prospect. So I can’t see it happening. But could you imagine Byrd back in the Rangers’ clubhouse down the stretch? ESPN Dallas.

Byrd’s contract escalates the next two years ($5.5 million in 2011, $6.5 million in 2012), and it’s possible that the Cubs could have Tyler Colvin or Kosuke Fukudome handle center field until prospect Brett Jackson is ready for the bigs (perhaps as soon as mid-season next year).

But that’s where the “this is possible” stops.

The Cubs love Marlon Byrd, and given his production and defense this year, they’ve got him relatively cheap over the next two years. Further, would Byrd really pass through waivers without being claimed by any NL team or any AL team with a worse record than the Rangers? Given his contract, it seems like a number of teams would be happy to take him on for the next couple of years, even if they’re not competitive this year.

In short, a trade of Marlon Byrd seems highly unlikely for a number of reasons.

God’s Wrath Watch: Marlon Byrd’s Hand is Probably OK

Marlon Byrd inadvertently took one off the hand last night, and was quickly removed from the game, as he was in obvious pain. The good news is he’s just day-to-day, and is probably going to be fine.

The ball ricocheted off Byrd’s hand and struck him on the top of the right foot. Byrd jumped holding his injured hand, then limped away from the batter’s box. He spent a couple of minutes being looked at by a trainer, but eventually went to first base and later scored on a two-run, bases-loaded single by Tyler Colvin.

In the bottom of the inning, Colvin moved from right field to center and Kosuke Fukudome took over in right. A Cubs spokesman said Byrd’s X-rays were negative. cubs.com.

Marlon Byrd has been the Cubs’ most consistent hitter all year (and a plus defender in center field, to boot), so any extended absence would certainly hurt the team.

Chicago Cubs May Make More Trades Before August is Up

Trades made after the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31 are rare – at least, far more rare than trades made before the deadline – but they do happen, as evinced by the Chicago Cubs trade last night with the Giants, sending Mike Fontenot out for prospect Evan Crawford.

With the Cubs thoroughly out of contention, you can bet they’ll keep looking for more deals, even if the deals are more difficult to make right now.

”It’s hard to say if it’ll be the last one,” assistant general manager Randy Bush said after the trade that netted the Cubs outfield prospect Evan Crawford. ”Anything that we can do that we feel is to the betterment of the organization we’re going to continue to look at.”

In other words, Xavier Nady should probably keep his bags packed. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.

A trade of Nady would bring little more than salary relief to the Cubs, so don’t get your hopes up. In addition to Nady, realistically, the Cubs will look to move Jeff Baker. Beyond Baker and Nady, however, it’s hard to see another move – sure, the Cubs put most of their roster on waivers, but they won’t find a taker for the guys they really want to move (Carlos Zambrano, Kosuke Fukudome being the big two).

Lukewarm Stove: Cubs Really, Really Want to Trade Kosuke Fukudome

After watching him sit on the bench for a few weeks – and flail helplessly at breaking balls outside when he does get in the game – the Chicago Cubs are finally ready to eat some of the $4 million owed to Kosuke Fukudome for the rest of 2010, and “quite a bit” of the $13.5 million owed to him in 2011. Or so says Ken Rosenthal.

I have a hard time believing the Cubs weren’t willing to eat a chunk of the deal earlier when talks about Fukudome with the Boston Red Sox stalled out. Maybe they’re now willing to eat more of the deal, but to believe the Cubs thought they were going to trade Fukudome at ANY time without having to eat a substantial portion of his deal is both naive and hypercritical of the Cubs.

In any event, here’s hoping the Cubs can find a fit, regardless of the money, because one thing’s for certain: Fukudome ain’t doing the Cubs any good right now.

Chicago Cubs Sign Second Round Pick Reggie Golden

Some good news on the draft front – yesterday the Cubs announced that they had signed their second round pick, high school outfielder Reggie Golden.

Reggie Golden got his first peek at life in the big leagues on Saturday.

Golden, the Cubs’ second-round Draft pick, signed his contract on Friday and was able to do a little hitting in the cage with players such as Marlon Byrd, Mike Fontenot, Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome. The Cubs now have signed 24 of their first 50 selections.

“It feels good,” Golden said of being in a Major League clubhouse. “I grew up watching these guys play, especially Derrek Lee and Alfonso Soriano. I’ve got chills.”

Golden, selected out of Wetumpka High School in Wetumpka, Ala., was recommended by area scout Tom Clark, who accompanied the outfielder on Saturday.

“He’s a combination of speed and power, and that’s hard to find, especially nowadays,” Clark said. “He can run, and he has power.”

Golden finished his high school career with 36 home runs, 156 RBIs and 146 runs. He did sign with the University of Alabama, but has instead opted to get his professional career started. cubs.com.

Terms of his deal weren’t disclosed quite yet, but I’d imagine that he received a little bit more than expected in order to keep him from enrolling at Alabama.

UPDATE: I was right. Golden received a $720k signing bonus, which was about $160k over the slot recommendation. Indeed the Cubs must really like him.

Lukewarm Stove: Rangers Still Considering Xavier Nady

This rumor is about as lukewarm as it gets, given that there are no details beyond that headline. But, hey, you’re here. Might as well keep reading, right?

The Rangers remain interested in a right-handed-hitting first baseman it can pair with Chris Davis. The Cubs’ Xavier Nady is among those on the Rangers’ radar. chicagotribune.com.

The cash-strapped, bankrupt Rangers can look only at cost-effective options. Thus, a guy like Nady – who’s owed just a bit over $1 million for the rest of the season – might be as good as it gets for the Rangers.

As for the Cubs, with the emergence of Tyler Colvin, Kosuke Fukudome is hardly seeing the field, let alone Xavier Nady. Whatever the Cubs could get for Nady would probably be a win.

Lukewarm Stove: Cubs Continue to Shop Kosuke Fukudome

A reminder for newer readers: the Lukewarm Stove, as the name suggests, features Chicago Cubs rumors that are either very thin in terms of detail, or very thin in terms of likelihood. Get it? Not quite Hot Stove – but lukewarm (I’m clever). But damnit, you deserve to have all the Cubs rumors you can take.

According to Buster Olney, the Chicago Cubs continue to shop outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, but are finding little interest. Big surprise given Fukudome’s annual second half slide and the year and a half remaining on his chubby contract (about $5 million left this year, and $13.5 million next year). Few contenders will view him as an upgrade, even in an injury-riddled outfield. Thus, he’s likely a complimentary player to most teams – including the Cubs.

If the Cubs are able to move him, they’ll have to eat a significant chunk of his remaining deal, and they’ll have to accept very little in return. At that point, Tyler Colvin would take over as the regular right fielder.

Lou Piniella: “We probably will be sellers”

Even though the Chicago Cubs just managed to secure an AMAZING series victory – their first in 12 tries – the team is still so far behind in the NL Central and the NL Wild Card races that they are expected to be sellers come the trade deadline at the end of the month.

And manager Lou Piniella has confirmed that sentiment.

”We probably will be sellers,” Piniella said before the Cubs’ 6-4 victory Tuesday against the Diamondbacks. ”We [he and general manager Jim Hendry] haven’t broached that subject much, just briefly. I would anticipate that if the organization can make a move or two that they might.”

Hendry won’t discuss specific trade talks, and he said he doesn’t like using the terms ”buyers” or ”sellers.” He suggested any moves that might be made would be done with an eye toward next season.

Meanwhile, it’s no secret the Cubs are trying to ease their outfield logjam by trading Kosuke Fukudome and the $20 million or so left on his contract. Left-hander Ted Lilly and first baseman Derrek Lee, both of whom are in the final year of their contracts, also are said to be on the block. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES.

No surprises in the names on the block, though you can add Xavier Nady, Mike Fontenot, Ryan Theriot, Jeff Baker, and probably Carlos Silva.

In some ways, the recent series win makes me a little nervous – the worst outcome for this team is not continuing to lose. It’s winning just enough over the next couple of weeks to stop them from becoming full-on sellers. I know it’s not fun to watch a team that is missing some of your favorite players, and that isn’t competitive, but this is a team that needs to rebuild. Just resign yourself to the fact that it will be fun to watch some of the young kids in the system play on the big club.

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