If the Chicago Cubs are successful in their plan to move right fielder Milton Bradley, they will slide Kosuke Fukudome back to his natural position, right field. That will leave a hole in center field, that is currently the subject of certain OMGranderson rumors.
But Granderson, for all our pleading, must necessarily be considered a long-shot. The Tigers do not have to trade him; and even if they do trade him, there is no guarantee that he’s coming to the Cubs. So the team may have to fill that imminent center field void via free agency.
And that may be a scary proposition. Here are the possible center field free agents this offseason:
Rick Ankiel (30)
Rocco Baldelli (28)
Marlon Byrd (32)
Mike Cameron (37)
Endy Chavez (32)
Coco Crisp (30)
Darin Erstad (36)
Ryan Freel (34)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (34)
Reed Johnson (33)
Andruw Jones (33)
Mark Kotsay (34)
Corey Patterson (30)
Scott Podsednik (34)
DeWayne Wise (32) (thanks to Muskat Ramblings for the list)
Now it’s easier to see why Jim Hendry is lasering in on Marlon Byrd. After Byrd and Cameron, there is not much to get excited about. A few high risk/high reward types, and a lot of garbage.
And I know we were all happy with how Jim Edmonds performed, but let’s hope Rick Ankiel isn’t the next Cardinal center field convert. The Cubs have been connected to him in a handful of rumors, by the way.