The Phillies' signing of outfielder Marlon Byrd to a two-year, $16MM contract wasn't the best idea, ESPN's Keith Law writes (Insider-only). Law cites Byrd's age, PED history and high 2013 batting average on balls in play as potential red flags, and suggests that Byrd might not even be a starting-caliber player over the length of the contract. "Even if you believe that Byrd's power increase is sustainable, as he's made some changes to his swing, paying him as if he'll be more than a .270/.315/.450 guy is irrationally exuberant — and even that assumes his legs will stay healthy enough for him to get to 20-odd homers each year," Law says. Here are more notes on the Byrd signing.
- Pirates GM Neal Huntington, who acquired Byrd in an August trade with the Mets, wasn't surprised by Byrd's contract, the Inquirer's Matt Gelb writes (on Sulia). "As you look at that outfield group, if you don't want to give up your first-round pick, Marlon Byrd is arguably the best available outfield bat," says Huntington. "He was one of the better players on the market."
- Mets GM Sandy Alderson wasn't surprised by Byrd's contract, either, ESPN New York's Adam Rubin reports. "Had you asked me the question three or four months ago, I might have been surprised. But not in light of what's happened since the end of the season," Alderson says. "There haven't been that many signings, but this one is consistent with the others." The Mets did not have serious discussions with Byrd about returning, Alderson says.
- Without mentioning Byrd's name, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. indicated that the Phillies' primary reason for agreeing to terms with Byrd was the lack of power in their outfield, CSNPhilly.com's Jim Salisbury writes. "There’s not a lot of power out there. It’s pretty simple," said Amaro. "It’s difficult to develop and it’s difficult to hold on to. Power is an issue and if our club can add some, that would be great."
