Jim Edmonds became the newest member of the Chicago Cubs Wednesday, inking a $290,000 contract for the remainder of the season. Edmonds’ Cubs salary is a prorated portion of the league-mininum $390,000. The outfielder was due to make $8 million this season, which will be paid by his former team, the San Diego Padres, according to an Associated Press report.
The four-time All-Star was cut by the Padres last Friday after getting off to a slow start while recovering from a calf injury he suffered during Spring Training. Edmonds began the year on the disabled list, but was activated on April 5. The Padres cut Edmonds after he was only able to hit .178 with a .265 on base percentage in 26 games this season.
Edmonds, who turns 38 on June 27, broke into the big leagues with the California Angles on Sept. 9, 1993. The 6-1, 190-pound outfielder stayed with the franchise, now known as the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim, for another six seasons, before he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals prior to the 2000 season.
Edmonds stayed with the Cardinals for eight seasons, and was a member of the 2006 team that won the World Series. Three of Edmonds’ four All-Start appearances while he was a member of the Cardinals.
Last season, Edmonds hit .252 in 117 games for the Cardinals, with an OBP of .325.
The addition of Edmonds, who is a career .286 hitter with a .377 OBP, effectively ends the Felix Pie experiment for the time being. Pie was optioned to Triple-A Iowa Wednesday to make room for the outfielder.
Cubs fans had huge expectations for Pie going into the season, but the left-handed center fielder disappointed in the early-going, hitting a meager .222 with a .286 OBP through 30 games.
The left-handed Edmonds will split time in center field with righty Reed Johnson, who is hitting .256 with a .343 OBP in 36 games while Pie tries to find his swing in Triple-A.
Edmonds saw a lot of Wrigley Field as a member of the Cardinals, and the outfielder found some success at the Friendly Confines, hitting .254 with a .378 OBP in 65 games at the corner of Clark and Addison. Edmonds has more home runs (17) at Wrigley than at any other park where he has been an opponent.
Although some questioned the acquisition of the aging Edmonds, it’s a calculated risk with little downside since Edmonds isn’t even making the league-minimum.
Best case, Edmonds finds his stride this season, Johnson continues to surprise, and the Cubs have one decent right-handed center fielder for the rest of the season (Johnson) and one decent left-handed center fielder (Edmonds) for the rest of the season, who can each be counted on for averages of .250-.275 and OBPs of .325-.350.
Worst case, Edmonds never recovers fully from his injury, it’s clear that there isn’t much left in his 38-year-old tank, and the Cubs are out only about $300,000. If that happens, the Cubs could recall Pie and try the Johnson-Pie combination again. After all, the Cubs were 24-16 with that combination in the lineup before Edmonds was signed.
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