With Byrd in hand, Cubs settle center field position
Armed with a glowing recommendation from new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, general manager Jim Hendry filled the hole in the Cubs' outfield with free agent Marlon Byrd.
The 32-year-old Byrd, who spent the last three seasons in Texas resurrecting his career with Jaramillo's help, agreed to a back-loaded 3-year deal Thursday to be the everyday center fielder.
He'll receive $3 million this season, $5.5 million in 2011 and $6.5 million in 2012. As a Type B free agent, Byrd won't cost the Cubs a draft pick.
"Rudy Jaramillo has been very supportive and very positive of us trying to sign him since the day we signed Rudy," Hendry said. "It's all positives."
Byrd lived up to his brilliant-prospect status with a strong rookie year in 2003 with Philadelphia, but fell off the baseball map until he joined forces with Jaramillo in 2007.
"It was very simple," Byrd said. "Rudy teaches the Five Steps. And going over the Five Steps, I was missing about four of them. He basically implemented the four and actually made me start trusting myself and believing in myself."
In three years with the Rangers and Jaramillo, Byrd averaged 505 plate appearances, 29 doubles, 13 homers and 7 steals. He hit .296 with a .352 on-base percentage and .468 slugging percentage.
Delving deeper into Byrd's numbers, there are reasons for Cubs fans to be optimistic and some evidence they might want to fear.
Byrd's arrival, which moves Kosuke Fukudome to right field full-time, gives the Cubs six right-handed hitters in their regular lineup.
Hendry paid close attention to Byrd's splits, which showed him to be slightly better against righties than lefties while in Texas.
"He hits right-handed pitching very well, which was a factor with us being a little bit right-handed," Hendry said.
On the other hand, Hendry dismissed the numbers that suggest Byrd may be a product of Texas' hitter-happy home park.
In the last three years, Byrd delivered an .897 OPS at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington but a .742 OPS everywhere else. Is that more than coincidence?
"Rudy doesn't feel that way," Hendry said. "Obviously the park situation can be overrated at times. I think a lot of people felt (the park mattered) when Mark DeRosa came out of Texas - and obviously that didn't prove the same.
"You know, you've got the best hitting coach in baseball that believes that it finally clicked with Marlon in the last year or two. And he feels strongly that it'll continue for the next three-four years.
"That's really what we went by in the end: Rudy's belief that the player finally got it and it clicked."
Hendry said the Cubs started to pursue Byrd prior to the 2008 season "when Reed Johnson fell into our lap."
Byrd had been a prime target throughout the offseason, but the Cubs couldn't strike until they ended the brief Milton Bradley era. Hendry moved Bradley, Byrd's former Texas teammate, to Seattle two weeks ago.
"I love Milton Bradley, so I'm a little biased when it comes to him," Byrd said. "I think he's a great guy. I'm going to 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, you know, try to put things in the past."
Flying to Chicago Here's a look at the hitting stats compiled by new Cubs centerfielder Marlon Byrd, who has played seven full seasons in MLB 2009 Career Games played 146 785 At-bats 547 2,666 Runs 66 380 Hits 155 744 Home runs 20 60 RBI 89 335 Walks 32 215 Strikeouts 98 515 Batting avg. .283 .279 On-base pct. .329 .340 Slugging pct. .479 .422 OPS .808 .762 Source: MLB