During an interview on XM Radio, Chad Tracy revealed his former teammate and good friend, Eric Byrnes wants to be a Chicago Cub. Tracy said Byrnes' first choice for a new team is the Chicago Cubs.
Eric Byrnes was designated for assignment on January 15 by the D'Backs to make room on the roster for Adam LaRoche.
The D'Backs signed Eric Byrnes to a three-year, $30 million extension before the start of the 2008 season ... and Arizona is on the hook for the final year of the deal. The D'Backs will pay Eric Byrnes $11 million in 2010.
Chad Tracy was very forthcoming to Joe Castellano and F.P. Santangelo (a former teammate) about Eric Byrnes' desire to play for the Cubs.
Tracy said Byrnes was very jealous of him signing a minor league deal with the Cubs and asked him to put in a good word with the Cubs' front office.
Rumors suggested this winter that the Cubs were interested in Eric Byrnes, possibly in a deal for Milton Bradley ... but Eric Byrnes has not been linked to the Cubs in several weeks by the mainstream media.
Eric Byrnes has dealt with his share of injuries over the last two seasons and played in just 52 games in 2008 and 84 games in 2009.
Eric Byrnes' Page on Baseball Reference
Chad Tracy is looking forward to playing with the Cubs and for Lou Piniella. He said he his healthy and ready to play baseball ... especially day games at Wrigley Field.
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yeah get him
I like to see Hendry look into adding Eric Byrnes on the team...maybe he has something left.
Hell, sign the guy for $500k plus incentives...........it's a no lose situation
I like Byrnes a whole lot. He runs hard to first and hustles in the field. The Cubs could always use a guy who leaves it all out on the field (a lot like Reed). If he is healthy, he could be an asset. And like the guys above said- he'll be cheap.
Minor league deal with invite to spring training. Maybe Hendry will get lucky and find some dumber GM to take Fukudome off his hands. Maybe Omar Minaya.
lol! nice jaja
Woody...the Mets are desperate for pitching...maybe we cna get them to take
a "Silva Platter". :)
Suzy the Mets will take their chances with what is left on the market I believe. Look for them to make a major play for the innings eater of Garland, and possibly take a flyer on Bedard. If Bedard was even part of what he is once, they could have a solid rotation with that
Santana
Maine
Bedard
Garland
Perez/Pelfrey/Niese
Woody...I agree...but I'm not sure
what Bedard can do after his surgery.
Garland already signed with the Padres yesterday.
My mistake...Garland signed with the Padres yesterday.
I agree with everyone...this is a no risk situation. I say minor league deal. If he doesn't do well in ST, then no harm, no foul. If he really said he was jealous of Tracy's minor league deal, then by all means, sign the dude. I think you need to hedge against Nady's likely slow recovery and any unforeseen injuries (tongue-in-cheek) to the likes of Soriano, etc.
Yeah, agreed. How often do veteran's get "jealous" about a minor league contract?
I'm not really that hot on Byrnes in general, his .260/.320/.440 line certainly doesn't scream out, but he is a hard nose player, possibly a Reed Johnson-type replacement for league minimum. Then again, with Byrnes's injury history, why not just offer Reed $500,000?
If Byrnes can help...why not?
Neil, I thought Nady's physical was today.
When can we expect word?
I heard today or Thursday for the physical.
Did you see the tweet from Jon Heyman about Jermaine Dye? The Cubs were talking with Dye about a similar contract they agreed to with Nady ... around $3 million
Neil...Did not see it...but thanks for the heads up.
Byrnes on a league minimum minor league deal would be great. He'd give us some speed off the bench and has been very successful against lefties over his career. If he gets hurt or is ineffective, then you bring up Fuld. If Byrnes is healthy and has something left, he would be a big asset.
Neil,
Was Dye good with that offer? Or was his reluctance why JH went with Nady?
Re: Byrnes -he made me nervous and I thought he was a flash in the pan with the D'backs (and I was right on that one). However, a minor league deal and his obvious hustle is a no-lose proposition. Come on, we gave Bako a shot and we know there is more upside possible with Byrnes.
It is true that we can only look at past performance to predict future performance (not optimistic with Tracy or Byrnes), but with the unfortunate exception of Kosuke, few play to their statistical average every year. They play better or worse than that average.
We're Cubs fans, we totally expect everybody to play above their average this year : ).
So Keith Law rates the Cubs farm system 7th this year and the White Sox as 30th? I think maybe the flags are beginning to blow out to centerfield...
I do not know the answer to your question ... sorry.
No problem. Just my idle curiosity. I hope Nady does great things for the team.
Re...Dye...It will be interesting to see what did transpire there.
I wonder if the Northside/Southside thing had anything to do with it...given that he would have to go from starter to bench....and take a cut.
Either way...He's one of those guys that was always a cut above and deserved
ultimate respect for the way he played the game.
Suzy,
I know you mentioned this above...and it was for the Mets...but I just wonder how low Bedard might be willing to sign for with such limited interest. We all know Hendry was fond of him before, and he almost always gets the guys he's fond of (unfortunately for us, they're almost always injury risks and at the downside of their career...but I digress)...but if Bedard will sign, for say, $3 million...would you do it? I would...I know we don't have money, but maybe Ricketts would approve that.
Aaron, I read a Seattle blog last year just after Bedard got hurt...I can't find the thing anymore.
So I can't prove anything. But it basically said that out of a sample
of 37 pitchers that had this surgery
only 1 returned to any semblence of
of their former selves.
I'm very leary of Bedard for that reason.
At best, I'd offer him a minor league
deal with mlb incentives if he can make
the team.
It's too bad...he was a good pitcher.
According to this article I read a few eyars ago I don't think Bedard would even consider the Cubbies:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3426985
SuzyS, so true. I always enjoy players who handle the spotlight with respect for the game and the fans. Dye seems to be one of those guys.
Side note from previous comment thread: I was a Rich Hill fan, but I'm not convinced that Duncan can fix him and after the bit with the Orioles, I'm not convinced that Rothschild broke him. That said, I'm happy to have Maddux in the system. It can only help. Significantly.
And yes, I thought Mark Prior was the answer for three whole years. Sigh.
Fryegye...don't feel bad...we all went
for a ride with Prior.
(I hear he's hoping to pitch again.)
Maddux is a huge plus for us.
SuzyS.....If Dye could have been a Cub for a little over 3 mil.....Hendry blew it again. I hope you want Maddux to do some coaching with the staff, especially Z & Marmol. Rothschild is over-rated & has the front office buffaloed. Hopefully Ryno takes over the reigns in 2011 & Hendry & Rothschild are re-assigned.
Aaron, I would chime in and take that risk on Bedard. He is a Ben Sheets risk with health but his stats are pretty solid - a WHIP of 1.19 and BAA of .212 in 15 starts last year. 90 K's to 34 BB's so control is good even with the need for surgeries. A one year deal with an option at about $3 million would be better than $2 million on a FA RP or trading Guzman for someone else in the bullpen.
frygye and Aaron: No way would I risk 3M$ on Bedard. Yes, like Harden and Sheets, when he's on he is devastating...but his history is just a sketchy, now more so with the labrum. And I don't think he was ever the competitor that Harden and certainly Sheets are. I follow Seattle fairly closely, Bedard is a real slacker, even when he was just chewing up hitters he never seemed to be that "into" it, and his comments usually supported the notion. I'm not making this up, it is well published concern of him.
And Aaron, how could bemoan 3M$ to Nady only if he passes a physical as way too much money and then be willing to take a worse gamble at just throwing that money away on the likes of Bedard? When is the last time pitched? When is last time he finished a season?
Ok, re-vote on that. Just looked it up after seeing SuzyS's response. Bedard had surgery on a torn labrum which is considered career-threatening/ending for pitchers at the major league level. Rich Hill also had the same surgery this past year.
It wouldn't make any sense for Byrnes to come to the Cubs with Nady already on the team. He'd be better off going to SF where he could actually get playing time.
I am shocked the Cubbies signed Tracy.
It must mean they have a trade in mind
probably for a pitcher