Marlon Byrd? What do you think Cubs fans?

[MilWarrior]

How do you feel about signing another Texas outfielder coming off a career year? Do you think having Jaramillo along for the ride this year will help?

[NavinRJohnson]

How do you feel about signing another Texas outfielder coming off a career year? Do you think having Jaramillo along for the ride this year will help?

The Cubs screwed up by not signing Mike Cameron. He was exactly what they needed, can still play, and was affordable. Maybe he wasn't interested in them, but he seemed to be an ideal fit.

[77ncaachamps]

Byrd can hit the ball outta the park...Don't be surprised if he ends up with 30+ HRs in the confines of Wrigley OR ends up on the DL list at least twice in the season.

[Tugg Speedman]

How do you feel about signing another Texas outfielder coming off a career year? Do you think having Jaramillo along for the ride this year will help?

The Cubs sign another Ranger outfielder that had a career year.  Let's hope it works out better than the last Ranger outfielder coming off a career year (Milton Bradley).

Byrd will be penciled in to play center field and if or when he proves he can't handle that on a regular basis, he'll be a perfectly adequate 4th outfielder and the Cubs will continue their center field quest. $5M a year is actually a decent price for Byrd, but depending on the structure of the deal, the final year will probably be impossible to unload when the Cubs realize they're paying a back-up outfielder $6-$8M or whatever it ends up to be.

[Tugg Speedman]

Byrd can hit the ball outta the park...Don't be surprised if he ends up with 30+ HRs in the confines of Wrigley OR ends up on the DL list at least twice in the season.

He has 60 homers in a 7 year career, 20 last year.  The only way he gets 30+ next year is if you are personally injecting him with 'roids.  If so, he's not on the DL but on the 50 game suspension list.

[MilWarrior]

The Cubs sign another Ranger outfielder that had a career year.  Let's hope it works out better than the last Ranger outfielder coming off a career year (Milton Bradley).

Byrd will be penciled in to play center field and if or when he proves he can't handle that on a regular basis, he'll be a perfectly adequate 4th outfielder and the Cubs will continue their center field quest. $5M a year is actually a decent price for Byrd, but depending on the structure of the deal, the final year will probably be impossible to unload when the Cubs realize they're paying a back-up outfielder $6-$8M or whatever it ends up to be.

I was thinking on the same track. Not sure if this is the centerfielder of the future for the Cubs. Will they keep going after a Spilbroughs or Ankiel and play a centerfield by committee? Just a Brewer fan interested in how the Cubs plan on trying to keep up with the Cards this offseason.

[🏀]

I don't hate the signing, but I'm not supporting it either. Early in the offseason Byrd was projected to get $7-8 million, so this has to be the first time Jim Hendry has ever waited a free agent out.

The signing is merely a show of effort by the Ricketts. Byrd will be a small glimpse of hope for 2010 to keep asses in the seats, but this team will not compete for a WS until 2012 or later. It's very apparent that the Ricketts want to clean house contract wise and stadium wise before they are putting a real winner on the field. I can't blame them for that, blow the team up created by poor Hendry signings and pick up the pieces.

[GGGG]

I don't hate the signing, but I'm not supporting it either. Early in the offseason Byrd was projected to get $7-8 million, so this has to be the first time Jim Hendry has ever waited a free agent out.

The signing is merely a show of effort by the Ricketts. Byrd will be a small glimpse of hope for 2010 to keep asses in the seats, but this team will not compete for a WS until 2012 or later. It's very apparent that the Ricketts want to clean house contract wise and stadium wise before they are putting a real winner on the field. I can't blame them for that, blow the team up created by poor Hendry signings and pick up the pieces.

If that is indeed what they are trying to do, why keep Hendry around?

[🏀]

If that is indeed what they are trying to do, why keep Hendry around?

Scapegoat. They'll use him, Crane Kenney, and the rest of the old regime as firing points to show fans they are making progress.

[TallTitan34]

I'm neither for nor against the signing.  Marlon Byrd is just a guy.  He's not bad but he's not an All Star either.  The Cubs needed a body to play center field and they found one.

As for Jim Hendry, he will be gone once Tom Ricketts gets all of his guys in place.  Like MarqPTM said him and Crane Kenny will be the scapegoats when the time comes.  When ticket prices were increased this year the letter sent to season ticket holders had Kenny's name at the bottom.  Kenny is already acting as the fall guy.

Crane Kenny's job right now is to get the triangle building done.  Once that is done so is he.  Ricketts already has another guy in place who took over Kenny's previous baseball duties.  Once Hendry's contract runs out he will be gone as well.

[Tugg Speedman]

Crane Kenny's job right now is to get the triangle building done.  Once that is done so is he.  Ricketts already has another guy in place who took over Kenny's previous baseball duties.  Once Hendry's contract runs out he will be gone as well.

Little more than that ... the cubs have submitted for the 2014 all-star game, the 100 anniversary of Wrigley (Weegham Park).  The Cubs plan is to have all renovations done for this event.

Right now, they are considering, repeat considering, a year in The Cell to gut and completely redo Wrigley (probably 2013).  Their plan is to not change its look radically but to fix the place up (and bring the sky boxes up to date).  The Bears spent a year in champaign and the Yankees played in Shea for a year in the 1970s so it is not unprecedented. 

Kenny and Hendry will be around a few more seasons.  Expect the Cubs to go into "rebuilding mode" along with their stadium.  They will reload for the 2014 season and beyond.