Cubs Sign Reed Johnson

as a cub fan i understand the signing. but, dear lord do i feel bad for matty murton. the guy is straight up class. don't do this to him cubbies! if we do let him go, i hope we give him to the mets so he can jack one against us and send THEM to the world series.

JUST SIGN HIM DAMNIT!!

I won't even go into the reasons why signing Johnson makes more sense than nearly any trade they can make, because I've already listed those reasons like ten times. Just sign him and let him back up Pie it makes so much sense

The only reason the cubs are sigining him is beacuse they dont have to give up any players for him. And yes, Unfortunally matt murton is now expandable. (im a fan) Now dont be surprized hearing/ reading rumors about murton in the mix to Baltimote for roberts!

I like Matt too, but this signing would have no impact on him. Murton was on his way out anyway. He cant play CF and there is no room to carry 5 outfielders, especially when you have versitile guys like DeRosa.

jneely, i didn't say he should start. i just said he was a great guy and deserves a spot on the team. and how is he dragging them down? give me one example of when matt "dragged" the cubs down. what you're doing in is bringing in scraps from the freaking BLUE JAYS and knocking off a decent player from the cubs. don't get on my case for having faith in our own players. if you're such a johnson supporter, move your ass to canada.

This wouldn't effect the ROberts deal at all. The O's have 0 use for Murton as well, they've got a surplus of outfielders, and young ones at that.

msk86,

Do you really like Murton so much that you want to see him hit a HR off us to send the Mets to the Series? Dude, really? You are either A) Not a real Cub fan, or B) Sleeping with Murton. Either way, I believe you should walk away from the keyboard for about an hour and think about what you have said today. Consider it your time out.

Murton won't be the odd man out, Cedeno will.

Cubs likely 13 position players who make the roster:

Soto
Blanco

DLee
DeRosa
Theriot
ARamirez
Fontenot

Soriano
Pie
Fukudome
Murton
D Ward
Reed Johnson if signed or another CF type

They might decide to keep Cedeno over Fontenot since Cedeno is out of options and Fontenot has some left, but Cedeno has been shopped and his hot bat should make it easier to trade him. Despite his talent he's brain dead and needs to go.

Murton will stick with the team because of Soriano's health and Fukudome's struggles. They need an outfielder who can play everday if needed, and Johnson could be getting a lot of time in CF.

That roster gives them 3 righties off the bench and 2 lefties. Cedeno would make it 4 righties and 1 lefty, another reason Fontenot should be the choice.

Reed Johnson hits 100 points higher in night games vs day games for what its worth.

Murton for Royce Ring. I don't care if its fair, or if either team needs either player I just want to see Ring trot out of the cubs BP with ring of fire blasting in the stadium. Nice signing - would rather him than Byrd anyways - Pie will be everyday CF since I don't think Johnson is an everyday CF'er but nice to have every now and then

Great signing! This is a perfect fit. Johnson was as good at, if not better, then what was out there on the trade market. He can mash lefties and play a respectable CF and a good LF, RF to give Pie, Soriano and Fukudome some days off during those long, hot summers in Wrigley. Moreover, a Jays fan posted a couple of days ago about how Johnson is your typical lunch pail type tough guy with high character. Well, we love those guys in Chicago. It fits our image. It fits with the type of team Piniella is putting together.

this was a good move by the cubs i think.

its funny that the rangers came calling to hendry saying "okay, just give us matt murton for byrd" after byrd's horrible spring. I hope hendry just farted in the phone then hung up.

Where is Jrf? He wanted this move some time back. Good signing for the fact of his RH ABs against lefties. I have concerns about his back. Especially in the early months since the Cubs play a ton of home games in April at Wrigley. However, it is a solid move for a back up. It also all but erases Crisp rumors...Thankfully.

Matt will end up somewhere on his feet. Hendry said during the offseason he wanted to trade Matt to a club that gives him at least a chance to start some games.

This is a coup for Hendry in another sense. He sent a message to Texas and any other team with bright ideas that he won’t be held up and robbed for mediocre players. His patience and resourcefulness net the Cubs an equivalent or better player at far less cost to the organization. Maybe next time he opens trade talks other teams won’t assume he’s ready to unload the farm at the drop of a hat. Maybe other GM’s now realize he can and will seek alternatives. He can now use Murton and/or Cedeno to shore up other areas on the team or down on the farm. An experienced lefty reliever would be nice, what would Cleveland want for Aaron Fultz?

Now we need another trade rumor. :)

How about Marshall, Murton and Cedeno for...

*Right handed hitting Outfielder A Projections:*
405ab, 55runs, 13hr, 56rbi, 3sb, .296/.365/.454

*Right handed hitting Outfielder B Projections:*
275ab, 40runs, 6hr, 40rbi, 3sb, .273/.342/.407

Yeah, I'd rather have Matt Murton over Reed Johnson, too.

Poor Matt Murton.

After watching Byrd strikeout on breaking balls yesterday leads me to wonder if he could hit the ground if he fell over. I don't know what his 07 stats were, but after yesterday I think a pitching prospect (or 2) was needed -- from Texas.

I like the idea of Johnson as a backup for Pie and PH. Would have liked more experience as CF. I don't know how he is as a PH. Murton seems to be better with playing time. A backup for Pie was needed. I strongly believe the young guys will tire. I definitely agree with playing Pie 125+ games but we can't have him struggle like Theriot. Falling off from a .240-.260 BA? He's not in the lineup for his bat; just so he knows it and it's not a distraction.

I bet we need a solid backup at C before year is over, too. Can Blanco play enough? Murton/?/? for Salty. How many ?'s.

Just curious, can Cedeno play 2B/SS/3B?
Simply to create a new rumor... Cedeno and Murton to DET for Inge + ?

Scribbletone, I like the Murton to the Rays idea, but not for Edwin Jackson or Jason Hammel because they're out of options. We can't even fit Jon Lieber into the rotation, so how would we fit in one of those two. I think we should get a pitcher with options left because next year Dempster and Lieber are free-agents and Marquis is hopefully traded. Then in 2009 that pitcher could compete with Marshall and Gallagher for the 4th and 5th spots in the rotation.

Yeah DET wants bullpen guys, but if we get two guys like Cedeno and Murton, we can trade Thames and Inge for bullpen guys. DET can also just see who gets cut at the end of Spring Training.

Apparantly part of the hold-up was that if the Cubs couldn't sign Johnson that Hendry was going to need to make another deal involving some of the players that would be included in a Roberts trade.

I'm still a bit shocked that Roberts has remained the focal point for Hendry this off-season when the rotation is a big question mark!

The 2nd best rotation in the NL and replacing Trachsel\Marshall with Dempster doesn't really scream question mark to me. Sure I would like another #2 or Ace type guy...but I think we are fine the way we are.

We'll see. This thing will go down to the last minute. Roberts has spasms in his back. He took an injection and will be out a couple games they are saying.

Squeek,

what I see is proof. Last year, the Cubs HAD the 2nd best starting ERA in the NL, next to the Pads, who you didn't even include on that list of yours. I'm not saying, nor did I ever, that they ARE the 2nd best, but they were last year, and thats just a fact.

What makes you think Hill is a head case, because he has had control problems this spring? Wow. Lets wait before you label people like that until the games actually count.

So like I said, its fact. The Cubs had the 2nd best rotation in the NL last year...you can't really argue that. now they have replaced Marshall\Trachsel with Dempster...hardly reason to panic.

exactly scribble. I am NOT saying they ARE the 2nd best rotation. I'm just saying that I wouldn't call them a "question mark" and I certainly wouldn't think its cause to panic.

I love Matt Murton and wish him well. I have all kinds of things signed by him including a framed Jersey. But for respect to him we have to let him to start somewhere. Get a prospect or someone they can use to help bring Roberts over. I still hope that trade gets done.

Can someone tell me why Dempster gets such a bad rep here in Chicago? Granted, obviously he wasn't Mariano Rivera as a closer, but he certainly wasn't Mel Rojas or Latroy Hawkins either. From '05-'07 as a closer he saved 86% of his games, and that's figuring in 2006 when he blew 9 saves for an absolutely ABYSMAL Cubs team that couldn't score runs. Take out '06 and he save games at a 92.4% clip. His ERA got artificially inflated because of the fact that he would tend to give up a few runs when he came in with a big lead, but in close games he was generally solid. Like I said, he was far from a superstar but he also doesn't deserve the 'Dumpster' nickname that so many of my fellow Cub fans have slapped on him. He did a serviceable job but Cub fans paint him in the same light as people like Hawkins (who single-handedly cost us a postseason berth in '04). He's also one of the most likeable and popular guys on the team. As someone who watches just about every Cub game, I felt more comfotable with Dempster coming into save a game than I did with pretty much anyone we had since Randy Myers' heyday.

I have to say, it was crazy reading about the Reed Johnson reports this morning, then going up to Scottsdale this afternoon and seeing him in the lineup! Nuts.

He struck out his first AB, Fielders Choice the 2nd, and hit a triple the next AB. It may have been ruled a double with an error, but either way, the ball hit the wall in CF. Good stuff.

Enjoy Reed Cubs fans, I guarantee you will. His ability to play all 3 OF positions well is huge for your bench. He also gets hit by pitches more than anybody I have ever seen, it's insane. Hate to see the knee-high socks man go but I'm sure you North Side faithful will take care of him.

Thanks 92-93, I really wasn't that familiar with him but after these quotes:

"You guys don't know how happy I am to be here," Johnson said.

"This was my first choice, and my only choice."

Welcome aboard Reed Johnson! Good luck to the Jays this year.

Oh and I should add - he runs the bases very aggressively and well but he is by no means a base stealer. Or at least he wasn't on Toronto, maybe in the NL the reins will be loosened a lil.

A drunk Jays fan always tells it better.

Forget his personality, he swung the best bat on the team last year! (points to our offensive woes) And that really isn't even an exaggeration, he was our best hitter. Incredible bat speed for a guy his age.

From Toronto here, unfortunately live in NY and subjected to the non-stop RedSox/Yankees bias on ESPN.

I presume from reading Mr. Stoeten's blog that he as well lives in Toronto. I doubt you'd find many Jays fans south of the border unless they are transplanted Canadians, primarily because the Jays almost NEVER make it to a national telecast here. However, in terms of rating quality not quantity, I'd say Toronto's real baseball fans and blogs are up there with any of the teams in baseball.

http://battersbox.ca/ for the semi-intelligent Jay fan.

http://drunkjaysfans.blogspot.com/ for above poster stoeten's kick ass blog, which honestly covers everything you need to know blue jays. (i really hope he doesnt mind me his site here!)

Just so that you guys know, Pie is so fresh off the boat, that he just taped his balls really tight thinking that would make it OK.

No joke. Just taped them up.

"I'll take the following rotations ahead of the Cub:

Arizona (Webb and Haren)
Dodgers (Penny, Lowe, Billingsly)
San Fran (Cain, Lincecum, Zito)

So I guess I would rank the Cubs at higest the 4th best. But after Zambrano and Lilly they have HUGE question marks. Hill is still not dependable and is a head case."

lmao Zito.

Anyways the Cubs are a top 5 staff in the NL.

and Rich Hill a head case .... uh WHAT? No. Don't talk ever again.

"lmao Zito.

Anyways the Cubs are a top 5 staff in the NL.

and Rich Hill a head case .... uh WHAT? No. Don't talk ever again."

You have an issue with Barry Zito but not Rich Hill? That deserves a LMAO! Let's see, Zito has 7 full seasons under his belt and is still just 29. He has pitched over 200 innings in all of those seasons but one in which he pitched 197 innings. His CAREER ERA is 3.67 and he has won 113 games while losing just 76. He had by far and away his worst season last year, but in your mind you can now right him off as a has been?? lmao!

Rich Hill has ONE full season under his belt and is already 27. In 318 MLB innings he has a CAREER ERA of 4.39 and is 17-17.

I think I'd take Zito on the Cubs. I'd like to think Rich Hill will take another step forward this season, but I am certainly not counting on it.

Guess I'll throw in my 2cents as well.

I like the Johnson trade as well. I liken Johnson to be the OF version of Mark DeRosa. Can play all positions in the OF. Solid bat. Johnson, however, struggles against tough righties but he's a gritty type player and I like that. I also think the Blue Jays saved Jim Hendry from himself because I think Marlon Byrd would have been your Plan B if Johnson didn't work.

Now that our team is taking more shape, I think Hendry has one more move to make...

Get George Sherrill from the O's.

I hate dealing with Orioles because McPhail is in a position of leverage and Angelos is pudwack..

But with Eyre going down indefinitely with elbow issues, trying to make Marshall as your lefty in the bullpen doesn't make sense on multiple levels.
1. His trade value is as a starter, using him in the bullpen will lower his value.
2. Its not easy to shorten and then lengthen and then shorten a guy's workload if he keeps switching from starter to bullpen to starter to bullpen.

Pignatiello has been a nice surprise and would like him as our second lefty but not our primary late inning lefty in the bullpen.

George Sherrill makes this bullpen downright nasty. I also wouldn't mind if Brian Fuentes was available either but Sherrill would be cost effective in prospects and money.

Put Sherrill, Howry and Marmol and Eyre when he comes back and we make Cub baseball games go from 9 inning affairs to 6.

The best way to compensate for a slightly above average starting rotation is having a dominating bullpen. It takes pressure off the starters.

See if Orioles will bite on Cedeno, Pignatiello and Ceda for Sherrill and a prospect.

What would it take to get Fuentes I have heard that he is available. Murton/Marquis (cash)/Patterson/Haufpair

I dont know if that would work for them or if that is too much. Just throwing it out there

Alright, first off, the O's would be best to hold off on trading Sherrill until mid season. I don't even care if his numbers arent that impressive, he will still be a HUGE addition to a team down the stretch.

As a Cubs fan, I am fine with that. Let Pigs get a chance to see if his awesome ST is a mirage or not. If it isn't, then he is clearly our guy. Trading what is possibly our 2 best bullpen prospects for an aging Sherrill at this point would be flat out stupid on the Cubs part.

If we werent going to include Ceda in the Roberts trade, what in Gods name makes you think we would include him in a Sherrill trade??

Yes, Alex has been released. Hence the term 'cup of coffee'. Cedeno beat him out.

Alex's best memory as a Cub will be a ST faceburger on deck.

Now that the cubs have a right handed hitting, hard-nose playing, outfielder that can play all three outfield spots, i doubt very much that they would be looking for anybody else from the O's besides "you know who". Now that the cubs have a good team put together they wouldn't want to downgrade themselves by picking up any of the O's garbage.

I think its a shame that cedeno is on his way to make the final roster, i liked him at first but then i realized he's dumb when it comes to defense

I would love to see murton become one of the perennial all stars of the league but its sad to know that it wont happen in a cubbie uniform, i think if he went to the O's in a deal for "you know who" then i could really see him being the star of that franchise one day, cuz the rest of their team is garbage, including their gm

I love the idea of Johnson/Pie platoon. Matt, well I wish him well, a natural hitter but a below average fielder in the OF. Cedeno over Cintron is a bit hard to swallow because Cedeno's baseball IQ might even be approaching below zero....