Byrd

[Butcher]

Welcome to the Ricketts era.

Silva and Byrd.

Woohoo!

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=73589:date=Dec 31 2009, 01:00 PM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Dec 31 2009, 01:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->My expectations for 2010 have already been set. This signing doesn't change it in either direction, really.

Sucks that the Cards are about to sign Holliday, though. With Holliday and Pujols leading their offense and Carpenter and Wainwright leading their pitching staff, we really don't have much of a prayer of winning the Central.

Here's to 2011.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
On the brighter side, it is very possible that a Holliday signing will make it much more difficult for the Cards to lock-up Pujols long-term. I'm pretty confident that once he gets the chance to test the market, he will and then bye bye Taint Louis.

[BT]

<!--quoteo(post=73593:date=Dec 31 2009, 01:06 PM:name=Ace)-->QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 31 2009, 01:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=73579:date=Dec 31 2009, 01:41 PM:name=BT)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BT @ Dec 31 2009, 01:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=73572:date=Dec 31 2009, 12:00 PM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 31 2009, 12:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Hendry's legacy will be all the backloaded contracts and the overpaying for so-called replacement level vets. It's a shame, as his tenure started out so well.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


But Byrd isn't a replacement level vet. His WAR last year would have made him the fourth best hitter on the team. And his WAR in 2008 would have made him the 4th best hitter on our 97 win team.

Unless you weren't referring to this pickup with your comment.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I was referring to backloading with this particular deal.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


But he isn't replacement level.

[Brock]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2009/...-all-along.html

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Marlon Byrd was excited to join the Cubs on Thursday, saying it's where he wanted to be all along.

"I was really hoping this would be my landing ground," Byrd said, adding that the Cubs were his "No. 1 choice."

The 32-year-old Byrd was one of two free agent centerfielders the Cubs honed in on this offseason, along with Mike Cameron, who signed a two-year deal with Boston. Rick Ankiel and Scott Podsednik were also on the Cubs radar, though Byrd was their top choice.

"We felt like we explored every avenue, free agency and trade-wise, and it kept coming back to Marlon was the right guy,'" general manager Jim Hendry said.
Hendry credited Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo as part of the reason why Byrd was so attracted to Chicago. Byrd called Jaramillo the "best in the business."

The Cubs signed Byrd to a three-year, $15 million deal on Thursday, exactly one year to the day of the cost-cutting trade of Mark DeRosa to Cleveland for three pitching prospects. DeRosa was dealt to help clear salary space for Milton Bradley's three-year, $30 million deal.

Bradley turned out to be a huge bust, and Byrd is basically replacing him in the lineup, though he'll play centerfielder while Kosuke Fukudome moves to right.

Byrd was friends with Bradley in Texas, but Bradley's experience in Chicago did not dissuade him from signing. The two share the same agent, Seth Levinson.

"The big thing about me and Milton is we had a relationship off the field," he said. "I love Milton Bradley, so I'm a little biased when it comes to him. I think he's a great guy, and I'm sure I'll talk to him today about me coming here. But I'm sure he's happy to start in another place and get a fresh start and try to put that in the past."

Hendry believes that Byrd, like DeRosa, began to "get it" at the plate under the tutelage of Jaramillo. He's hit.295 and averaged 29 doubles and 71 RBI the last three seasons under Jaramillo, and is a .282 career hitter against right-handed pitching.

The addition means the Cubs will have seven right-handed hitters in the everyday lineup, assuming Jeff Baker starts at second. Last year the Cubs wanted to get more left-handed, a strategy that didn't exactly work.

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.

If Hendry had stuck to that philosophy last winter, the ill-fated Bradley experiment would never have played out in the first place.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[rok]

My main concern with Byrd is that his OBP declined pretty drastically when he starting swinging for the fences last season. I hope that trend doesn't continue and he settles somewhere in between his 2007-08 and 2009 stats for us.

[MW4]

Well as a Cub Fan (eternal optimist / sado-masochist) I have to hold on to this:

Jarimillo: should help the entire team
Aramis: Back to full strength & healthy
Riot: ???
Baker: ???
Lee: Started to come around at the end, wrist finally healthy
Soto: Hopefully wasn't smokin weed all winter and munching out. His weight at the start of ST will tell all.
Sori: Hopefully back and healthy and a return just to Norms, would be awesome.
Byrd: Small park, his hitting coach, NL pitching, could be good
Fuku: Maybe this year he will be comfortable and do what he should.

Z: Psych Ward or Cy young, which will we get?
Demp: Always Solid
Lilly: Always solid
Wells: Moving up or sophomore flop, which will we get?
Gorzo: 2nd lefty in rotation, if average as 5th starter could help a lot
Marshall: as spot starter/backup should be good

Pen should be good from top to bottom

*********

To me the issue is up the middle:
Riot, Baker, Fontenot Soto and Now Byrd

Sounds weak to me.

To me, we need a deal to bring in a solid SS or 2B and jettison one if not all of those three.
Blanco is still out there too, plus maybe Castro shines in ST?

[rok]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->The addition means the Cubs will have seven right-handed hitters in the everyday lineup, assuming Jeff Baker starts at second. Last year the Cubs wanted to get more left-handed, a strategy that didn't exactly work.

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

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

If Hendry had stuck to that philosophy last winter, the ill-fated Bradley experiment would never have played out in the first place.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=73603:date=Dec 31 2009, 01:22 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Dec 31 2009, 01:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->The addition means the Cubs will have seven right-handed hitters in the everyday lineup, assuming Jeff Baker starts at second. Last year the Cubs wanted to get more left-handed, a strategy that didn't exactly work.

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

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

If Hendry had stuck to that philosophy last winter, the ill-fated Bradley experiment would never have played out in the first place.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif[/img]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I almost quoted the exact same thing, but I was going to use this emoticon instead: [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/shakehead.gif[/img]

[savant]

With him making $5 million a year, it is hard to complain about this signing to much. BT's point about if he ends up being a 4th outfielder/platoon partner is a big one with all of the left handed outfielders we have on the way.

Another thing about home road splits coming from Texas is that people need to realize that the other parks these guys are playing in are Seattle, Oakland, Anaheim. It's a bit different than playing at PNC, GAB, Busch, or Minutemaid. I really think we will see production in line with what DeRosa was able to put up with the ability to play centerfield.

[Ace]

<!--quoteo(post=73598:date=Dec 31 2009, 02:15 PM:name=BT)-->QUOTE (BT @ Dec 31 2009, 02:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=73593:date=Dec 31 2009, 01:06 PM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 31 2009, 01:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=73579:date=Dec 31 2009, 01:41 PM:name=BT)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BT @ Dec 31 2009, 01:41 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=73572:date=Dec 31 2009, 12:00 PM:name=Ace)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Ace @ Dec 31 2009, 12:00 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Hendry's legacy will be all the backloaded contracts and the overpaying for so-called replacement level vets. It's a shame, as his tenure started out so well.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->


But Byrd isn't a replacement level vet. His WAR last year would have made him the fourth best hitter on the team. And his WAR in 2008 would have made him the 4th best hitter on our 97 win team.

Unless you weren't referring to this pickup with your comment.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I was referring to backloading with this particular deal.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


But he isn't replacement level.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

And I'm not debating that. This deal made me think about Hendry's backloading proclivities. And because Hendry's legacy will not ONLY be backloading, I mentioned the two main things that people gripe about. The Byrd deal relates, probably, to only the first.

[Butcher]

Byrd's 2008 was pretty damn good. If he can do that with us, this is a fantastic deal. Even his 2009 was decent (minus his low OBP). Unless a move to Wrigley deflates his numbers that much, I think I might actually be OK with this signing.

[rok]

I don't put much faith into James' predictions, but this is interesting. Why the expected drop in OPS?
http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/3164
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->It's hard to say which was Byrd's "career" year, 2008 or 2009. This year, his hitting line was .283/.329/.479 for an OPS of .808. His OPS-plus was 106. Byrd had 20 homers and 89 RBI.

In 2008, the line was .298/.380/.462 for an OPS of .842. The OPS was 121. He had 10 homers and 53 RBI. For 2010, Bill James projects Byrd's line at .279/.340/.438 for an OPS of .778. The wOBA projects to .335, and James projects 14 homers and 64 RBI.

GM Jim Hendry talked about Byrd's ability to hit right-handers. Against lefties, the right-handed hitting Byrd hit .244/.293/.451 in 2009. Against righties, it was .300/.344/.491.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Andy]

<!--quoteo(post=73608:date=Dec 31 2009, 01:35 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Dec 31 2009, 01:35 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->I don't put much faith into James' predictions, but this is interesting. Why the expected drop in OPS?
http://blogs.dailyherald.com/node/3164
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE <!--quotec-->It's hard to say which was Byrd's "career" year, 2008 or 2009. This year, his hitting line was .283/.329/.479 for an OPS of .808. His OPS-plus was 106. Byrd had 20 homers and 89 RBI.

In 2008, the line was .298/.380/.462 for an OPS of .842. The OPS was 121. He had 10 homers and 53 RBI. For 2010, Bill James projects Byrd's line at .279/.340/.438 for an OPS of .778. The wOBA projects to .335, and James projects 14 homers and 64 RBI.

GM Jim Hendry talked about Byrd's ability to hit right-handers. Against lefties, the right-handed hitting Byrd hit .244/.293/.451 in 2009. Against righties, it was .300/.344/.491.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I saw the split thing too (and posted about it), but looking further, that was a total anomaly over the course of his career.

[BT]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->And I'm not debating that. This deal made me think about Hendry's backloading proclivities. And because Hendry's legacy will not ONLY be backloading, I mentioned the two main things that people gripe about. The Byrd deal relates, probably, to only the first.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Fair enough. But then let me ask this. Why is backloading something that anyone should gripe about (I'm speaking to everyone, not just Ace)?

In almost every case, backloading is BENEFICIAL to the team paying the contract. In most (not all) cases, a dollar 2 years from now will be worth less than a dollar right now. In most cases (not all), a team's budget will be higher in 2 years than it is now. Furthermore, if the Cubs wanted to, they could take the 2 million they are saving this year (People always seem to bitch about the back end of the contract, yet never seem to celebrate the fact that the front end is very light), invest it, and help defray the cost of the 2012 portion of the contract.

I don't see how backloading is a bad thing, from the team (as opposed to the players) perspective.

[Andy]

<!--quoteo(post=73607:date=Dec 31 2009, 01:34 PM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Dec 31 2009, 01:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->Byrd's 2008 was pretty damn good. If he can do that with us, this is a fantastic deal. Even his 2009 was decent (minus his low OBP). Unless a move to Wrigley deflates his numbers that much, I think I might actually be OK with this signing.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Holy shit!! Next thing you know, KB's going to chime in and say Hendry is a decent GM.