Jim Edmonds is a Cub pending a physical, which he will receive tonight. Edmonds is expected to start against Maddog tomorrow in CF and Pie is expected to go to Round Rock where the ICUBS start a 4 game series tomorrow.
Before I get to the "Pros and Cons" of Edmonds signing, I would like to share with you what I heard on 1460 KXNO Des Moines. David Kaplan was on there and here is what he had to say-
- He said he thinks, along with Maddux, that Edmonds still has a lot left in the tank and can really help the Cubs.
- That Pie needs to grow up before he comes back to Chicago. According to Kap, Pie really likes the night life in Chicago and is one of the last guys to show up to the ballpark on game days. Pie has actually got under the skin of some of the veterans on the team because of his antics. Some of those antics include talking on his cell phone, showing up late, and hanging out at his locker when he should be getting mentally and physical prepared for the game. To me this is not acceptable.
- He also said that Edmonds would not talk to any club before he talked to the Cubs first. In fact he called Jim Hendry and said he really want to stick it to the Cards for trading him this winter. He also promised Jim he has a lot left both defensively and offensively. He wanted to be a Cub more than anything!
- Edmonds is expected to start tomorrow against Maddux.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, now onto the "Pros and Cons" of getting Jim Edmonds.
THE CONS-
- He has been a steady decline both offensively, defensively, and health wise. This year he is batting .178 with 1 homer, 6 RBI in 90 AB. The Cubs were looking for a left handed power bat for center and Edmonds the past 3 years has not hit over 19 homers. Along with that his OBP and SLG has dropped dramatically.
- Edmonds is now 37 years old and does not play the outfield like he use to. He is much slower and that is expected as you get older. You cannot expect him to be the Edmonds of 2002-2003. He is no longer a full time player.
- He is Jim Edmonds. LOL, I had to put that in there. Jim has been hated by Cubs fans for the past 8 seasons, he has always hit well against the Cubs. He has made great catches and clutch hitting against the northside, and that is why we dislike you so much Jim. All that can be wiped clean if you tear up the Cards and help us win a title.
The Pros-
- He is a low risk signing because if he does not do well you can release him and call up Pie. You have nothing to lose really.
- By having him in the lineup you can bat him 5th and Fukudome 2nd which looks pretty good 1-6. Plus Fukudome would be hitting in front of Lee and behind Soriano so he will see a lot of pitches to hit. Not to mention Fukudome is a high OBP, great bunter, and fantastic fundamentally. All ideal for a #2 hitter. You are also not losing protection for Aram because Jim still can hit a little and I think he will prove that in a Cubs uniform. I also like how he balances out the lineup.
- He vows to show the Cards that they made a mistake by trading him. I like that fire in a players, especially one that is in cubbie blue!
All in all I do not hate the signing but I think maybe we could have done a little bit better than him. But who knows he could prove me wrong. I will say that I have not cared for Edmonds( mainly because he was a Cardinal) but now that he is a Cub I do not mind him as much.
Go Cubs!
2 comments:
I heard one caller on The Score mention bars and Pie in the same sentence too. I'm not going to hold it against a guy on what he does on his own time. Like any other American... as long as he gets to work on time and does his job, and what he does on his own time is legal, fine by me.
But if the other tibits Kap mentioned are true (cell phone, antics, etc)... then so much for this kid wanting to be a winner and winning at every level he has been at (as we heard so many times in the past). Its one thing of a productive guy and vet like Sosa is makin the most of his superstardom... but for a .200 hitting kid to pullin this shiz is definitely ridiculous. Now I dont mind shipping his A for a #2 starter.
Actually... at first I was paranoid that Edmonds was going to haunt us even as a Cub... by finding out all our signs, tendancies, and strategies and passing them along to LaRussa. After all those years of clutch hits and diving catches against us... as a South Korean it would be like trusting a North Korean.
But if what you said is true... that Edmonds is mad about being traded out of STL and is itching to burn his former team... then we may be in for a surprise.
I personally was a bit confused by the rumors and now by the pending signing... but like most of the media has been saying... it is a low risk, low money move. And the regulars on here know how I feel about money being the last thing the Cubs should worry about as a big market team.
One more thing... I totally disagree with putting Edmonds in the 5th spot and moving Fuku. First of all... Edmonds comes in having to prove he can even pull his weight on a 25 man roster. So to me he is a 7 or 8 hitter. On top of that... as great a start as Fuku has gotten off too... he has been lacking some consistency lately in terms of hits. I know we cant alwaqs expect him to get a hit... and he does offset his outs with walks and OBP... but Theriot is doing a fine job in the 2 hole... so lets keep those guys in place.
That explains why Pie can't hit he's thinking with his little bat.
Post a Comment