Cubs sign Reed Johnson

[Bob Sacamento]

Cubs announced they signed the 31 year old OF formerly of Toronto for 1.3 million. Johnson missed much of 2007 batting only .236 in 275 at-bats. In 2006, Johnson batted .319 with 12 HR’s and 49 RBI’s in 461 at-bats.

Johnson can play CF about as well as Murton can elsewise Johnson is a LFer who can play RF and CF on the same level as Murton. This signing looks like a bad omen for Murton, as Johnson is also a RHH who’s splits definately show a huge advantage against LHP. Sorry this solves nothing and creates even more mystery and logjam in the OF. In my opinion, Johnson’s only going to take AB away from Murton or worse make Murton tradeable.

[nathanKent]

Cubs announced they signed the 31 year old OF formerly of Toronto for 1.3 million. Johnson missed much of 2007 batting only .236 in 275 at-bats. In 2006, Johnson batted .319 with 12 HR’s and 49 RBI’s in 461 at-bats.

Johnson can play CF about as well as Murton can elsewise Johnson is a LFer who can play RF and CF on the same level as Murton. This signing looks like a bad omen for Murton, as Johnson is also a RHH who’s splits definately show a huge advantage against LHP. Sorry this solves nothing and creates even more mystery and logjam in the OF. In my opinion, Johnson’s only going to take AB away from Murton or worse make Murton tradeable.

Oof. So basically we're intentionally downgrading for more money. Smart.

[Hack_Miller]

One of two lines of reasoning here....
1) Someone on the Cubs has vastly overrated Johnson's D in CF and is planning on him being CF vs LH or fulltime if Pie implodes
2) Some team is really attracted to Murton...
Either way it's not really a positive for Murton on the Cubs....I would hate to see him go.

[Cubsfan97]

Well Im sure that there are a lot of teams attracted to Murton...who wouldnt love a young OFer with good numbers and lots of promise. Ill be sad to see Murton go, hes a really good player. Its a shame he is being blocked.

[Big_Mac]

i dont know what the cubbies situation is like in the outfield (sounds like the signing created a logjam) but as a jays fan, i can tell you that you guys are getting a real gamer with reed johnson. max effort every night and he will be missed in toronto.

[PJ-34]

Oof. So basically we're intentionally downgrading for more money. Smart.

Excuse me? Johnson makes the highlight reel more times than the Cubs get mentioned in the same sentence with the world win in it. Get a life and get your facts straight you should be thanking the Jays for releasing him at least you have a chance to win a game now.

[nathanKent]

Excuse me? Johnson makes the highlight reel more times than the Cubs get mentioned in the same sentence with the world win in it. Get a life and get your facts straight you should be thanking the Jays for releasing him at least you have a chance to win a game now.

Johnson carries a career line of .281/.342/.410 and averages 11 HRs per 162 games. Murton carries a career line of .296/.365/.455 and averages 16 HRs per 162 games. The only advantage Johnson carries over Murton is the ability to play CF. But hey, at least you did your research before you spoke.

[nathanKent]

i dont know what the cubbies situation is like in the outfield (sounds like the signing created a logjam) but as a jays fan, i can tell you that you guys are getting a real gamer with reed johnson. max effort every night and he will be missed in toronto.

Good to know, and thanks for the intelligent post. Murton is a fan favorite who consistently puts up good to great numbers. For some reason Piniella just doesn't care for the guy. I don't know a lot of teams where the goal is to run out a .300 hitter who is well-liked by other players and costs the team next to nothing, but last year he was demoted to a part-time starter, splitting his job with five other players. This year he was outright replaced by Fukudome.

This is nothing against Johnson in particular, but more of a general gripe at the stunning mismanagement of this one player.

[Lipsander]

I haven't really heard too much about Murton in the Roberts deal. Is it possible they want him also now, thus the Johnson signing?

[rockin500]

Good to know, and thanks for the intelligent post. Murton is a fan favorite who consistently puts up good to great numbers. For some reason Piniella just doesn't care for the guy. I don't know a lot of teams where the goal is to run out a .300 hitter who is well-liked by other players and costs the team next to nothing, but last year he was demoted to a part-time starter, splitting his job with five other players. This year he was outright replaced by Fukudome.

This is nothing against Johnson in particular, but more of a general gripe at the stunning mismanagement of this one player.

theres nothing mystical about Lou's disapproval of the player. in a one week stretch he produced some boneheaded mistakes last year (the same kind that helped get barrett traded). Baserunning and fielding both.. I'm not saying Lou should be that hard on him, i'm just saying its a fact of the matter.

[Jeff Pico]

Johnson can play CF, but how WELL? Does anyone have a scouting report on his D out there, other than he tries very hard?

[wrigleybum]

I disagree with you guys. Johnson is a good singing.

A) Before Johnson we didn't have a good backup plan if Pie implodes. Now we do.

B) With his numbers against lefties, a platoon with Pie would be very effective. Pie would play a majority of the time, since we play against right-handers the majority of the time.

C) I understand that this could take away AB's from Murton, but I don't think Murton is a good CF, and I don't like Sam Fuld. So it comes down to, if we are keeping 5 outfielders on the roster, do we want to keep Fuld in addition to Fuku, Sori, Murton, Pie..or would we rather have Johnson?

[PJ-34]

Exactly...

[Scartissue]

Maybe I'm wrong, but a guy that hits right-handed, with a 120 point career differential in OPS between lefty and righty, smells more like a platoon player than a backup plan to me. Problem with platoon is what it does to Pie's learning and playing time.

Our backup plan at CF if we didn't make the move could have been move Fukudome or Fuld to CF, and play Murton at corner. About the same to me as making this move.

[Scartissue]

Johnson can play CF, but how WELL? Does anyone have a scouting report on his D out there, other than he tries very hard?

Only thing I can find is over his career, he's played a very average CF over 64 games (source Baseball Prospectus). He had a good year with his arm as measured in 2006 from LF (source is Hardball Times).