FeedSports: Oh, joy … the Cubs pick up a .178 hitter
May 14, 2008 in The Sports Page Tags: cards, Cubs, Jim Edmonds
From Cubs.com:
Veteran outfielder Jim Edmonds was en route to Wrigley Field on Wednesday, and could be in the Cubs’ lineup on Thursday if he passes a physical.
Edmonds, who hit .178 in 26 games, was available after being released by the San Diego Padres last Friday. He cleared waivers on Wednesday.
“We’ll put him out there to play and see what happens,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said.
And exactly what is it that attracted the Cubs to the guy the Cardinals let get away? He’s cheap:
Ken Kravec, one of the Cubs’ top scouts, had seen Edmonds during a series against Atlanta and felt the center fielder was making progress from the spring injury. He arrives at minimal cost to the Cubs. Edmonds is owed $8 million this year, and $2 million of that is being paid by the St. Louis Cardinals, who dealt him to the Padres last December. The Cubs may only have to pay the Major League minimum. The center fielder turns 38 on June 27.
“There’s no negatives in it,” Hendry said. “You’re not giving up players, you’re not spending a lot of dollars. Hopefully, he can give us a great portion of the Jim Edmonds we all knew and used to fear in a lot of ways.”
Yes, it will be ridiculously sweet if the guy suddenly starts to hit and the Cubs win the division and the league championship while the Cards pay his salary. Still, color me unimpressed.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
We’re winning games. We’re on top of the NL Central. What more do we need. GO CUBBIES.
May 15th, 2008 at 2:08 am
“Put him out there to play”? Where? A guy hitting one-whatever should be playing in front of Reed Johnson at this time? He should be used as a back-up, period, for the immediate future. If they bring Edmonds in, and he’s inserted into the starting line-up, and left there…
Bad karma. We have enough of that.
May 15th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Cubs need a left handed pinch hitter, need some late-inning defense in the outfield, aren’t getting much production out of centerfield anyway, the skinny is that Edmonds is still recovering from spring training injury, they could use the clubhouse leadership of a proven world series winner, and he is a possible future hall of famer (hey, they let Ryno in ) and they can get a quality player for next to nothing- Yet leave it to Cub fans to complain! I can’t figure you guys out.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Edmonds is not clubhouse leadership material.
He is cheap. It was worth taking a flyer on the guy. If he hits, great. If he doesn’t, the team cuts him. It’s just that easy. A slump, a DUI, a clubhouse altercation - he’s gone.
Don’t be too critical just yet. I was asking “Who the hell is Reed Johnson?” about six weeks ago.