The Cubs Are Eyeing Jim Edmonds
May 13, 2008
The Cubs Are Eyeing Jim Edmonds
Filed under: Chicago, Cubs, NL Central, MLB Rumors
The Cubs “need” a left-handed hitter. Jim Edmonds, after hoisting a .178/.265/.233 line in 103 plate appearances for the Padres this year, needs a job. So the Edmonds-to-Cubs rumors are beginning, and Lou Piniella isn’t doing much to squash them:
[…] They are exploring the possibility, according to some in the know. Manager Lou Piniella long has desired another left-handed bat to go with Kosuke Fukudome. Felix Pie has been unreliable. Signing Edmonds could allow the Cubs to send Pie to Triple-A Iowa for steady work. Asked about the possibility of a left-handed bat being added, Piniella said, “We’ll just have to see what happens.”
There are plenty of reasons why this is the worst idea you’ll hear this week. The first is that Edmonds is no longer a good hitter — one look at his Padre production seals that deal. The second reason is that the Cubs already have a left-handed player; his name is Felix Pie, and he’s already a superior hitter — and much faster, more efficient outfielder — than Corpse of Edmonds. Third is Reed Johnson, who, despite not having a left-handed bat, is producing at a out-of-head level that should be earning him more dap than he’s getting.
The problem here are the antiquated notions at work: The idea that a left-handed bat is needed to balance the Cubs’ incredibly potent offensive lineup and the notion that a crappy veteran is superior than a struggling youngster by dint of his experience. The overall old-baseball-manishness of this idea screams Lou Piniella, who, despite being a pretty adaptable guy, is occasionally susceptible to the tenets of yore.
So please, Hendry and Co., spare us Cubs fans. I couldn’t stand Jim Edmonds as a Cub when he was actually good at baseball. In his present say, this idea is just silly.
Comments
Got something to say?
