Tireball.com

Maybe the title should be revisiting the Marlon Byrd for Matt Murton trade that didn’t happen. It’s no secret that the Chicago Cubs approached the Texas Rangers this winter and inquired about veteran outfield Marlon Byrd.

Last year with the Rangers Byrd had a career year hitting .307 while having a .459 slugging percentage, setting career highs in homers (10), RBI (70), and playing well in center. Not bad for a guy who for his career is just a .273/.334/.394 hitter. In six years in the majors he has 30 home runs and 193 RBI.

Marlon Byrd is projected to start the year as the teams right fielder unless he is traded. Considering how bad he’s been this spring I don’t see that happening.

Since the Rangers told the Cubs they wanted more then just Murton, Byrd has responded by placing second on the Rangers in at-bats and doing just about nothing else. He’s hit just .103 this spring in his 29 at-bats and has just one extra base hit but then again he has just three hits total and his .161 OBP isn’t looking too good either.

Murton on the other hand has red hair. If that is not a marketable thing in Arlington then I don’t know what is. The 27 year old hit .281 with 8 home runs and 22 RBI in limited playing time last year. He also had a .281 batting average and his career line of .296/.365/.455 and 28 homers, 98 RBI over parts of three years.

Byrd has two times as many at-bats, two more home runs and a stunning 95 RBI advantage when you look at the career numbers but again those are career numbers. Murton would need just 32 RBI and one home run to match those numbers. Murton is also three years younger, and as far as I know has never been one to knock over umpires after being called out on strikes.

Some could argue that the Rangers already have a surplus in outfielders and getting on in return for Byrd really doesn’t help the problem. Then again if you consider Nelson Cruz (.231/.282/.385, 9 HR, 34 RBI) Jason Botts (.240/.326/.335, 2 HR, 14 RBI) as surplus then maybe theres a problem with the definition of the word.

Josh Hamilton figures to occupy center, Milton Bradley in right and then the bench figures to be made up of David Murphy who is a good fourth outfield option and Frank Catalanotto who will serve as the teams DH against right handed pitchers. Figure in that Cruz and Botts shouldn’t make the team barring a trade or injury since they just aren’t any good and I hardly see how this is a surplus.

I also fail to see how Byrd is a bigger bargaining chip then Murton but alas one fluke season from a fifth outfielder and we all lose our minds. If this offer was still on the table I’d do it in a second. Though now the Cubs seem willing to go with Felix Pie in center and he’s certainly had the spring to put some of his doubts to rest.

I figure the Rangers will probably get something along the lines of .265/.335/.415 with 5 home runs and 50 RBI out of Byrd. The team will probably get frustrated with his lack of talent and eventually platoon him with David Murphy. Hopefully Milton Bradley doesn’t break anything. Then we could all be in for even more torture.

Perhaps we could all hope that the next time people stand up and do “the bird” wave for Marlon that he will just fly away. Now that would be a welcomed sight.