Worst Rumored/Completed Acquisition by JH?

[UMFan83]

Jimbo has made plenty of bad or awkward signings in his career. He has also been linked to quite a few. Who is the worst? Feel free to chime in with your own.

 

Remember, this isn't necessarily end result, but worst expectations for a potential signing. This saves someone like LaTroy Hawkins. Also, to limit this, minor league contracts that end up being recalled by the Cubs don't count. So players like Dameon Jackson, Rey Ordonez don't count. However, I am granting an exemption for Neifi and Rusch as they were both resigned by the club.

Edited May 13, 2008 by UMFan83

[SouthSideRyan]

Marquis's contract was utterly absurd.

[cubbyvirus00]

Rusch was REALLY bad

[CuseCubFan69]

Dusty Baker.

[UMFan83]

I apologize, I don't know much about poll creation and went back and added Dusty Baker and Other and it erased the other poll results. Sorry!

[CubbieBum]

I voted for Marquis. Most of the others were considered good signings at the time. I assume Dusty will win but anyone who can bypass the grudge will admit at the time of the signing you thought it was great or at least a good signing. Hindsight is 20/20 and I won't blame a GM for signing some everyone thought would be good and turns out to suck.

[erik316wttn]

Dusty Baker did far more damage than any other single name on that list.

[moorecg]

How did Cesar Isturiz not make this list?

[rawaction]

Didn't see Dusty. But I picked Kaz Matsui. He was actually gonna start at 2B over Derosa and hit leadoff people and get a multiyear deal (3 years, I believe) to boot! Edmonds can be cut for minimal. Neifi was signed as a 25th player, who Dusty used as a starter. The rest of those guys (other than Marquis) were cheap, short-term contracts either real or potentially.

[CyHawk_Cub]

I voted Podsednik, b/c if I recall correctly, the presumed rationale for getting him was his left-handedness (which he does have), ability to steal bases (b/c that is so uber important, you know) & I think he was being somewhat touted as someone who could get on base to attempt the aforementioned stolen bases (which is, of course, patently ridiculous). My expectations of his performance should he don the Cubs pinstripes was less than zero...

[UMFan83]

How did Cesar Isturiz not make this list?

 

I forgot him and Steve Trachsel as well.

[CubColtPacer]

Definitely Kaz Matsui. He was going to get a 3 year deal at the position the Cubs have the most players at, and he's worse relative to average than Marquis is at his position. His contract is also higher relative to other second baseman, while Marquis's contract is below average for a starting pitcher.

 

Neifi was just designed to be a backup and was a good defender at the hardest position on the field to cover.

 

Womack, Wilson, and Podsednik were just supposed to be fill-ins.

 

Burnitz signed a 1 year deal at average salary, and was around an average right fielder.

 

Jones had a better history of production than Matsui and Marquis, and honestly the Cubs probably got the 12 million dollars in production they paid for him.

 

Edmonds would be tops if he had a contract that the Cubs couldn't get rid of quickly, but since he does, the risk becomes a lot less.

 

Rusch was actually a somewhat defensible move that went horribly wrong (the re-signing). It still likely was bad, but the chance of success was better than some of the other players on this list.

 

Baker was bad, but it wasn't immediately obvious to most people, so that makes it less dumb then some of the other names on this list.

[Rob]

If memory serves, didn't Henry Blanco cost us a draft pick?

[VanceJergins]

Voted Dusty because as someone else mentioned, he by far did the most damage.

[salukifudd]

I really hate Jim Edmonds.

[SouthSideRyan]

If memory serves, didn't Henry Blanco cost us a draft pick?

 

Nah, Henry was a type C free agent. The Twins got a supplemental pick(after the 2nd round I wanna say?) It's believed the Cubs purposefully signed him early to pay back the Twins for not holding up the Nomar trade over the prospect they were supposed to get but never did.(Possibly from the Red Sox)

[NCCubFan]

Rusch was REALLY bad

Only in his last year as a Cub. He was very good in 2004 and so-so in 2005.

[17 Seconds]

Rusch was REALLY bad

 

His first year with the Cubs was actually really good. His second was mediocre. He didn't really get bad until 2006.

[soapy]

Juan Pierre

[Balsa]

Enrique soapdropping Wilson.

[imb]

this is all sort of muddled up in my head, but didn't we resign neifi? even after it was proven that he was going to get a lot more play than he deserved?

 

I think I might have to go with him if that's true.

[Rob]

this is all sort of muddled up in my head, but didn't we resign neifi? even after it was proven that he was going to get a lot more play than he deserved?

 

I think I might have to go with him if that's true.

 

2 years, 5 mil... if I'm remembering correctly.