Jump to content
North Side Baseball

Cubs Sign Reed Johnson to 1-Year Deal (Updated)

vance_the_cubs_fan
 Share
vance_the_cubs_fan Cooperstown

vance_the_cubs_fan

Community Moderator
Posted
Posted

Reed Johnson is apparently on waivers.

 

Link

 

Scuttlebutt among several scouts Saturday was that the Blue Jays have quietly placed Reed Johnson on waivers.

 

Would Reed Johnson be a passable option as a reserve CF?

 

He only played one game in Cf last season, he played 16 in 2006, and 9 in 2005. If he can handle CF adequately, he could be a decent option for the bench. Last year he didn't do too well, but his line in 2006 was passable.

 

He's a better option in my opinion than Byrd or Payton. If he's been placed on waivers, could the Cubs offer a low level prospect and get him before he clears waivers?

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 198
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

rawaction Chicago Cubs

rawaction

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Slight interest. He did hit .325/.381/.532 vs. LHPs last year. And .305/.380/.451 are his 3-year splits vs. LHPs. I'd still see what else is out there, though, first. I haven't seen him play much, but I'd imagine he'd be in the Spilborghs, Cody Ross, Brady Clark group defensively. He is 31, though and doesn't offer any upside. I'd rather not have to throw him out there everyday in CF defensively in case of injury. Ross/Spilborghs would be more desirable, depending on what the Cubs would have to give up.
wilk Draft Eligible

wilk

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
If he's been placed on waivers, could the Cubs offer a low level prospect and get him before he clears waivers?

 

No, they can't do that. If he's been placed on outright waivers, he has to clear.

Backtobanks Knoxville Smokies

Backtobanks

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
I asked the same question on 3/12/08 (How about a deal with the Blue Jays?) before he was put on waivers. If the Cubs are committed to Pie, I think he might be a decent option especially since he's cheap. As I pointed out before, another good thing is that he's not a real threat to take Pie's job (so the Cubs would have to let Pie work through some of his problems).
big_shooter17 College Ball

big_shooter17

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
I really like the idea of getting Johnson if they are dead set on having Pie platoon. Living in Canada and not always being able to watch Cubs game, I am forced to watch the Blue Jays quite often. I remember in 2006 in the first half of the year when Johnson and Catalanotto were a platoon tandem. At this time, Johnson was dominant and Catalanotto also did well. As the season progressed, Gibbons (possibly dumber than Baker in my mind) thought that he should just use the guy who has a higher batting average on a daily basis, not recognizing that he actually had a legitimate platoon system, which is rare these days (both had real strengths with what they were doing). Soon after, Johnson began to fade. In my opinion, it was because he is not an everday player. He has that GRIT factor going for him, but for him it actually isn't just a joke. He gets on base and works counts well. He also has an absolute cannon for an arm. His defense has been overlooked in Toronto because of the somewhat overrated defense of Vernon Wells (don't get me wrong, he's good, but come on) as well as what Alex Rios has shown that he can do in the field in the last couple of years. Johnson also has decent speed. I know that he doesn't end up looking a lot different than Matt Murton, but if the Cubs feel that they need someone to platoon with Pie, Johnson is probably one of the best choices out there, in my opinion.
Bruce Miles First Round Pick

Bruce Miles

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
There is interest.

Bruce, what more can you tell us? Is there interest in other players we have not heard mentioned yet?

 

Maybe DaVanon. They like Johnson better. The usual trade suspects are still out there, but as we all know, they're not easily obtainable.

Post Count Padder Chicago Cubs

Post Count Padder

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
There is interest.

Bruce, what more can you tell us? Is there interest in other players we have not heard mentioned yet?

 

Maybe DaVanon. They like Johnson better. The usual trade suspects are still out there, but as we all know, they're not easily obtainable.

DaVanon? Bleh. I'd rather have Johnson. What are the chances we sign him and would he be a bench player or platoon with Pie?

Post Count Padder Chicago Cubs

Post Count Padder

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
PECOTA on:

 

DaVanon: .271/.373/.398 (vs. LHP .269/.368/.374)

Johnson: .260/.325/.391 (vs LHP .278/.346/.416)

I expect better numbers than that from Johnson. Probably something like .275/.340/.410. Those are more in line with his career numbers. Last season was a down year and he was injured.

BCVM22 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

BCVM22

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
Also, he has a career .990 FP and has not committed an error in 59 career games in CF.

 

That's a questionable metric by which to judge an outfielder. Say the guy lets a ball drop in front of him that a better center fielder would have caught, or breaks the wrong way and lets a ball go over his head; neither would go as an error.

Post Count Padder Chicago Cubs

Post Count Padder

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Also, he has a career .990 FP and has not committed an error in 59 career games in CF.

 

That's a questionable metric by which to judge an outfielder. Say the guy lets a ball drop in front of him that a better center fielder would have caught, or breaks the wrong way and lets a ball go over his head; neither would go as an error.

Yeah, I know that, but I posted it as an FYI anyway. I know that range factor and other metrics are a much better means to determine the quality of a fielder.

RynoRules Knoxville Smokies

RynoRules

Verified Member
Posted
Posted (edited)

I'd much rather ink Johnson then trade Murton for someone like him or worse (eg, Byrd).

 

EDIT: Was he hurt last season? And if so, what happened?

Edited by RynoRules
Vanilla Ice South Bend Cubs

Vanilla Ice

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
There is interest.

Bruce, what more can you tell us? Is there interest in other players we have not heard mentioned yet?

 

Maybe DaVanon. They like Johnson better. The usual trade suspects are still out there, but as we all know, they're not easily obtainable.

 

Any interest in Lopez, Bruce?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
The North Side Baseball Caretaker Fund
The North Side Baseball Caretaker Fund

You all care about this site. The next step is caring for it. We’re asking you to caretake this site so it can remain the premier Cubs community on the internet. Included with caretaking is ad-free browsing of North Side Baseball.

Become a Caretaker

  • Member Statistics

    6,796
    Total Members
    13,056
    Most Online
    MushroomTaco
    Newest Member
    MushroomTaco
    Joined
×
×
  • Create New...