Cubs sign OF Marlon Byrd (3/$15M)

[KingCubsFan]

If given the chance, I bet Pie is better than Byrd over the length of the contract

[Irrelevant Dude]

Backloaded contracts are good.

Only when a team is on the doorstep of making a World Series run. Backloaded contracts aren't good for a slightly above average team with significant amounts of bad money committed long term.

[THISisTHEyear09]

I think Snyder as a 4th OF looked gd in spring last year and preformed well at AAA

[THISisTHEyear09]

I think Snyder as a 4th OF looked gd in spring last year and preformed well at AAA

[Prizefight]

Interesting fact:

 

Look Marlon Byrd on Baseball Reference.com his most similar player? Reed Mantle Johnson.

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/scomp_bat.cgi?I=byrdma01:Marlon%20Byrd&st=career&compage=&age=

 

Sorry if this was mentioned in the 12 page Byrd thread, didn't thumb through it

Edited December 31, 2009 by Prizefight

[jersey cubs fan]

Backloaded contracts are good.

Only when a team is on the doorstep of making a World Series run. Backloaded contracts aren't good for a slightly above average team with significant amounts of bad money committed long term.

 

No, backloaded contracts are good, unless you are going to cut payroll in the future. A three year deal worth 30 million is worth less in real money terms if it is backloaded. If I owe you $100 and have one year to pay it back, it would be best if I could pay it all later. Backloaded contracts can be mismanaged and hurt a team in the longterm, but on their own, they are team friendly.

[wvcbxl]

signing a former Ranger to a 3 year deal is a wonderful concept that somebody should have explored some time ago

 

:-)) :-)) :-))

[Iceblink]

Sweet. Another too-long, too-much signing of an aging player who already hit his peak and will be a terrible contract no later than halfway through.

 

Hendry may be a one trick pony, but does he ever know how to play that one trick well.

[Little Slide Rooter]

'10: $3M, '11: $5.5M, '12: $6.5M

 

Per cst_cubs

 

 

3 mill for this year should give us room to make more moves for now. But, I guess the worst thing about this deal is actually that our OF is now going to be Soriano/Byrd/Fukudome for the next 2 years almost assuredly. I can't see us going after Crawford or anyone else that may be available over that time frame.

 

I suppose if we really wanted Crawford, Fukudome might be tradeable next offseason, especially if he batters righties like he did the 2nd half of last year and can excel again in RF. Yeah, wed have to eat some salary, but hopefully not too much.

[cubsfan26]

Do you realize the Cubs already had a good hitting CF last year? Now they are moving him to RF where he won't be comparably good

 

I do realize that, but he was a bad defensive CF last year. Moving him to RF will improve the defense, and probably still give us better production then we got out of Bradley last year. Especially if we find the right platoon partner for him. For example how would a Jonny Gomes and Fukudome platoon in RF look next season?

[jersey cubs fan]

Do you realize the Cubs already had a good hitting CF last year? Now they are moving him to RF where he won't be comparably good

 

I do realize that, but he was a bad defensive CF last year. Moving him to RF will improve the defense, and probably still give us better production then we got out of Bradley last year. Especially if we find the right platoon partner for him. For example how would a Jonny Gomes and Fukudome platoon in RF look next season?

 

I do not think Fukudome was bad in CF, and I doubt Byrd will be better.

[Omar]

I am looking at Byrd's numbers... What the hell happened to his OBP this year?

[cubsfan26]

I do not think Fukudome was bad in CF, and I doubt Byrd will be better.

 

Well some of the numbers I saw showed that Fukudome wasn't very good in CF. While Byrd might not be great in CF he was at least average out there. Either way the combo of having Byrd in CF and Fukudome in RF is a upgrade defensivly. The point is Byrd has put up pretty good numbers for a CF over the last few seasons. The fact that he is moving to another good hitters park, and has the same hitting coach who turned around his career are postives for him to keep up his success going. Plus like I said before Fukudome was better then Bradley last year, and if you get a good platoon partner for Fukudome it will be even more production from that spot.

[C.C.]

I wish it was two years instead of three, but not bad at all.

[Guest]

I like it if for no other reason that it does nothing to improve this team in any meaningful way. I hope it hastens Hendrys exit.

 

You do realize that Byrd had the 3rd best OPS among all major league CFs last season? Now I'm not sure if he will keep that success up. But moving to another hitter friendly ballpark and having the same hitting coach that turned his career around couldn't hurt.

 

What the hell is Sean Marshall anyway?

 

Probably the 5th starter, unless Gorzelanny beats him out for that spot.

 

Byrd's OPS+ in 99:

Home: 124

Away: 102

 

Byrd's OPS+ in 98:

Home: 136

Away: 113

 

Byrd's OPS+ in 97:

Home: 137

Away: 91

 

I think it's very dangerous putting a lot of hope on a guy who plays in such a hitter friendly ballpark. It reeks of Jeromy Burnitz all over again.

 

Burnitz OPS+ in Colorado the season before he became a Cub: 168

Burnitz away from Colorado that same season: 105

 

Burnitz as a Cub at home: 106

Burnitz as a Cub on the road: 96

 

See the pattern?

[SouthSideRyan]

That's not a pattern, that's one example.

[haubrich91]

Hendry said he isn't concerned that the Cubs' lineup will lack balance in 2010.

 

"We won 97 games two years ago with a lineup that was predominantly right-handed," he said.

 

Wow. He's pretty much contradicting himself.

[C.C.]

Hendry said he isn't concerned that the Cubs' lineup will lack balance in 2010.

 

"We won 97 games two years ago with a lineup that was predominantly right-handed," he said.

 

Wow. He's pretty much contradicting himself.

 

Ha! That's funny!

[davell]

Hendry said he isn't concerned that the Cubs' lineup will lack balance in 2010.

 

"We won 97 games two years ago with a lineup that was predominantly right-handed," he said.

 

Wow. He's pretty much contradicting himself.

 

Ha! That's funny!

 

He has to know how stupid that statement sounds after last year.......

 

Also, the more I think about this signing, the more I wish we had actually front-loaded it. It doesn't look like we'll be going after anything else significant this offseason(middle reliever, spot starter, 4th OFer) and our payroll won't touch the 140 mark. Should be right at 135ish actually. Basically, if this winds up being the case, I wish we had structured it 8/4/3, instead of the way it's backloaded at 3/5.5/6.5. Byrd at 2/7 next year or 1/3 the year after is a much easier commodity to trade(and possibly even get value for) than he would be at 2/12 or 1/6.5......It'd be nice to see a little less money on the books longterm and at some point, whether it's Hendry or his replacement, I hope they employ this strategy from time to time. If done correctly, you just wouldn't be as hamstrung at any point, like we are right now......

[Banedon]

Hendry said he isn't concerned that the Cubs' lineup will lack balance in 2010.

 

"We won 97 games two years ago with a lineup that was predominantly right-handed," he said.

 

Wow. He's pretty much contradicting himself.

 

Ha! That's funny!

 

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=56474

 

:)

[CUBZ99]

I like it if for no other reason that it does nothing to improve this team in any meaningful way. I hope it hastens Hendrys exit.

 

You do realize that Byrd had the 3rd best OPS among all major league CFs last season? Now I'm not sure if he will keep that success up. But moving to another hitter friendly ballpark and having the same hitting coach that turned his career around couldn't hurt.

 

What the hell is Sean Marshall anyway?

 

Probably the 5th starter, unless Gorzelanny beats him out for that spot.

 

Byrd's OPS+ in 99:

Home: 124

Away: 102

 

Byrd's OPS+ in 98:

Home: 136

Away: 113

 

Byrd's OPS+ in 97:

Home: 137

Away: 91

 

I think it's very dangerous putting a lot of hope on a guy who plays in such a hitter friendly ballpark. It reeks of Jeromy Burnitz all over again.

 

Burnitz OPS+ in Colorado the season before he became a Cub: 168

Burnitz away from Colorado that same season: 105

 

Burnitz as a Cub at home: 106

Burnitz as a Cub on the road: 96

 

See the pattern?

 

Burnitz and Byrd are not comparable at all. For one, Burnitz had a much better career prior to signing with the Cubs, and had OPS'ed over .900 three times (and not just with teams that played in hitter friendly parks). Also, Burnitz was 36 when he signed. Byrd won't be 36 until after his contract is over. Burnitz was signed as a RF and the list goes on. Based on Byrd's last 3 seasons there is no reason he can't OPS .800, and as a CF that would be terrific.

[TruffleShuffle]

i'm sure this move will put us over the top.

[cubsfan26]

Byrd's OPS+ in 99:

Home: 124

Away: 102

 

Byrd's OPS+ in 98:

Home: 136

Away: 113

 

Byrd's OPS+ in 97:

Home: 137

Away: 91

 

I think it's very dangerous putting a lot of hope on a guy who plays in such a hitter friendly ballpark. It reeks of Jeromy Burnitz all over again.

 

Burnitz OPS+ in Colorado the season before he became a Cub: 168

Burnitz away from Colorado that same season: 105

 

Burnitz as a Cub at home: 106

Burnitz as a Cub on the road: 96

 

See the pattern?

 

You already said this type of stuff in another thread, and people showed you things to prove your theory wrong. Since Wrigley is actually a better hitters park then Texas. Plus even you said that hitter in NL Central road parks will help him with the road stats compared to AL West parks. Also Coors Field back in 2004 was alot better hitters park then Texas currently is or any ballpark in baseball currently is.

Edited December 31, 2009 by cubsfan26

[d_money]

Now we just need to go after Paul Byrd as the #5.

[Guest]

That's not a pattern, that's one example.

 

It's a pattern. Who else do you want?

 

Michael Young career OPS+ at home: 115

away: 86

 

Nelson Cruz at home: 121

away: 80

 

Kinsler at home: 123

away: 77

 

Andrus at home: 125

away: 76

 

Andruw Jones last year at home: 121

away: 91