The Cubs signed Xavier Nady on Tuesday to a 1-year/$3.3 million contract. The contract also contains $2 million in incentives based on games played.
Nady is coming off a 2009 season in which he only played seven games before going on the DL with an elbow injury. He eventually had to have his second Tommy John surgery on his right (throwing) elbow. At this point, he is back to throwing and can throw 150 feet without pain.
The 31-year old Nady had a breakout year in 2008 when he hit .305/.357/.510 with 25 homeruns and 97 RBI for the Pirates and Yankees. He ended the year with an OPS+ of 127. After acquiring Nady from the Pirates mid-year, they named him their starting right fielder for the 2009 season. Unfortunately, just seven games into the season, he went down with an injury and his time in New York was over.
Although Nady will officially be the Cubs fourth outfielder to start the season, it appears that he’ll get quite a bit of playing time. He will likely split time with Fukudome in right (although probably not a straight platoon) and will spell Soriano from time-to-time in left. In addition, he’ll likely get the starts in left during interleague play, allowing Soriano to DH.
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I am not thrilled with the Nady signing nor am I upset by it. The base salary seems a little high and it could get worse with the incentives.
On the other hand, Nady signed with the Cubs for the same amount he signed with the Pirates for in 2008. In 2009, he signed with the Yankees for one-year and $6.55 million. So a base salary of $3.3 million doesn’t seem outrageous.
Plus, Nady was the best available outfielder out of a group of him, Jermaine Dye, Rocco Baldelli, and Jonny Gomes. He’s younger and a better fielder than Dye, a better hitter than Baldelli, and doesn’t strike out nearly as much as Gomes. In addition, Nady is the most versatile player of the bunch. His best positions are right and left field, but he also can play center field, first base, and even third base in a pinch.
So, despite my initial concerns about the money, I can’t be too upset about the Cubs signing Nady. Plus, he is just a fourth outfielder, so it makes no sense getting upset.
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Think about this: You’re Xavier Nady and you just had a decent year in 2007. You hit .278/.330/.476 with 20 homeruns and 78 RBI. Your stock is on the rise and you get a raise of $1.2 million when you sign with the Pirates, avoiding arbitration, for the 2008 season.
Your 2008 starts out great. The Pirates aren’t doing much, but you’re having an outstanding year. As the trade deadline approaches, you are traded to the Yankees and finish the year by putting up the best season of your career.
Prior to the 2009 season you sign a contract for $6.55 million per year and you’re named the Yankees starting right fielder. But seven games into the season you injure your elbow and you miss the rest of the season.
Going into the 2010 season, you become a free agent and there are several teams that are looking at you to start in their outfield. The Braves are even looking at you as a possible first basemen. Maybe you can pick up right where you left off in 2008.
Unfortunately, teams are signing players and filling their needs while you sit on the sidelines. Rumors start to swirl that this team or that might be interested in you, but only as a fourth outfielder. Somehow, you went from having a career year in 2008 to being the opening day right fielder for the eventual World Series Champs in 2009, to being a fourth outfielder in 2010. What happened?
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One of the concerns about Nady is that he is recovering from his second Tommy John surgery. For whatever reason, the first surgery didn’t work and he had to have it re-done.
Dr. Joseph Hecht (AKA “Cubster”) over at The Cub Reporter indicated that it’s rare to need a second TJS, especially for a non-pitcher. Even so, he said that his guess is that Nady will recover and be just fine.
The Cubs will find out more about Nady’s surgery and recovery later this week when he takes a physical for the team. The physical is the final step in the process that will make Nady a Cub.
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There was another high profile signing on Tuesday when the Oakland A’s signed Ben Sheets. Sheets signed for one-year and $10 million plus incentives.
I like Sheets, but I think this signing is crazy. Sheets was a huge injury risk before the last injury he had that caused him to miss the 2009 season. Now, after not being able to pitch for a year, Oakland spends $10 million — about one-seventh of their entire payroll — on a guy who is a huge question mark.
I’ve heard the argument that signing Sheets was a bold move by Billy Beane and the A’s. If Sheets does well, the A’s can potentially trade him for some high ceiling prospects. Even if they don’t trade him, they can probably get a couple of draft picks for him if he signs elsewhere after the season.
That sounds like a good plan IF Sheets pitches well. But even if Sheets pitches well, it will still cost Oakland a big chunk of their payroll.
If Sheets does not pitch well or if he gets injured, this signing will be a disaster. If it was the Yankees we were talking about, then no big deal. They spend $10 million on spilled drinks in a season. But Oakland? Oakland is always crying poor and Billy Beane made his reputation by building competitive teams with a limited payroll; not by agreeing to high dollar contracts with high risk players.
From all reports, Jim Hendry was very interested in signing Sheets. At the right price, he could have been a great addition to the Cubs pitching staff. So give credit to Hendry for not paying Sheets asking price. A low dollar contract with lots of incentives made sense. The contract Sheets ended up signing with Oakland doesn’t.
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Late Tuesday afternoon the Cubs announced that they had signed former Arizona DiamondBacks third baseman Chad Tracy to a minor league contract. Tracy was invited to Spring Training and will compete for a spot on the Cubs bench.
Tracy has had a long list of injuries over the years including oblique strains, groin pulls, and back injuries. In 2007 he had microfracture surgery on his knee.
Tracy hasn’t had a really good season since 2005. He hasn’t played a full season since 2006. Even so, signing Tracy was a good move by the Cubs. It’s a low risk/high reward play. He’ll be given the chance to make the team out of Spring Training. Even if he doesn’t make the team, he can potentially rebuild his career in Iowa. Either way, the Cubs are not taking much of a risk.
UPDATE: Chad Tracy will earn $900,000 plus incentives if he makes the major league roster. That may seem like a lot, but Tracy may be one of the top left handed pinch hitters in the game.
