The Cubs officially signed infielder Chad Tracy to a minor league deal today. ESPN's Bruce Levine and Jayson Stark first reported the agreement last night, which is worth $900K if Tracy makes the team and another $525K if he reaches 450 plate appearances.
Tracy, 30 in May, struggled to a .237/.306/.389 line in 288 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks last year. Tracy's future looked bright in May of '06, when he inked a three-year, $13.25MM deal with the D'Backs coming off a .308/.359/.553 season. But even then he was shielded against lefties, against whom he's never had success. Tracy's left knee began to bother him, and he had microfracture surgery in September of '07. A blood clot complicated his recovery. In March of '09, Tracy told MLB.com's Steve Gilbert the knee was no longer a factor.
Tracy gives Chicago a left-handed reserve bat and corner infield backup for Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee. The Rockies, Orioles and Mets had also shown interest in the veteran infielder, who will be changing addresses for the first time in his six-year major league career.
Tim Dierkes contributed to this post.
This is one of the worst days of Micah Hoffpauir’s life. On the other hand, A couple of good signings by the Cubbies. Tracy could spell time from Derrek Lee who wont be missing much time but Tracy’s left handed bat is probably what got him a Cubs contract.
im pretty sure that xavier nady will get priority over tracy as derek lee’s backup. Nady plays 1st base as well.
Then why sign Tracy? if they signed X to be the back up first baseman as well then they wouldn’t have signed Tracy regardless if he could play 3rd. Mike Fontenot can back up 3rd when hes not at second.
First they get LaHair, then they talk up Brad Snyder, then they get Nady, and now Tracy…this has not been the offseason of Micah. It looks like he’ll be getting a minor league deal somewhere else. Maybe Baltimore. They seem to pick up a lot of one-time Cub prospects.
True…But i’m not sold on Snyder breaking camp with the Cubs…As for LaHair…Well lets just say, he was signed by Jim Hendry.
Yeah, no room for Snyder. It’s going to be tough enough squeezing Tracy on the 25 man roster. I would think if he makes the team, his spot would have to come at the expense of Fontenot, Fuld or Blanco. But Blanco is the only true SS other than Theriot on the team and Fuld is the only CF other than Byrd– of course, the Cubs could always make Fukudome the backup CF, though that would make for some horrific defensive outfields.
Snyder and LaHair are not on the 40-man, so it is extremely unlikely they see time barring some major injuries (or Hoffpauir being released)
I do see the possibility of Fukudome being the back-up CF, with both Nady and Soriano both helping out in a pinch. This is especially true if they think Baker and/or Fonetnot can cover the corners (as they talked about earlier in the offseason) and Tracy on the bench is a pretty big bat upgrade to Fuld if they feel the defensive playing time would be limited enough to not have that profound of an effect.
The overall OF defense would be shaky but you’d have a pretty nice bench in Nady, Tracy, and Fontenot. Three guys who can come in and pinch hit depending on the situation. I’d be pretty happy with it actually.
The Cubs site seems to think Tracy will compete with Hoffpauir for a bench spot, meaning the Fukudome as backup CF’er scenario may indeed be a possibility. This would be bad news for Fuld fans (by the way, have you ever read the comments on the Cubs site? It’s a Sam Fuld lovefest.)
Yeah, wouldnt be that bad. And honestly, Fukudome wasnt good in center, but he wasnt horrific, and playing time would be pretty limited there as long as Byrd can play daily. So the defense issue might end up pretty minor time/actual plays wise while the bench depth would have a rather big impact on the game on a daily bases. I wouldnt be opposed to it at all.
But edit to say I would still rather sign Winn (booo!) or someone similar. Shoot, we should have signed Crisp for the Nady money then had Byrd taking the Nady spot with the ability to platoon in Right and back up center – that would have left us open for a big bat like Cust or someone. But oh well…
I don’t quite trust UZR 100% yet so I’ll leave those interpretations to you!
I do remember you mentioning that stats like UZR are relative to other players. So, conceivably, you can be a mediocre CF one year and then the next year when Franklin Guttierez, Coco Crisp, Joe Dimaggio and Willie Mays become full-time CF’ers, you can be the same guy but the numbers can now make you look like the Leon Durham experiment. I’m going to assume that’s what you mean by Fukudome not being as bad as his UZR would indicate.
If that’s the case then I can see having Fukudome as your backup CF would be tolerable with limited exposure…and having Nady, Tracy, and Fontenot coming off the bench may be worth that price. There’s not much suspense when it comes to the starting lineup or pitching. The most interesting thing to watch this spring will be how the Cubs ultimately decide to comprise their bench.
I’ve got to be honest. I cannot for the life of me see why the Cubs signed him. They’ve got bench bats already, and they’ve got a great first baseman.
Well, that’s if you can call Fuld, Hill, Blanco, and Fontenot legitimate bench bats. Fontenot is the best of that lot and he’s a guy with whom you have to pick and choose spots so he doesn’t get overmatched. There’s just not a reliable guy in the bunch.
You skipped Micah Hoffpauir, Xavier Nady, and Jeff Baker. (I’m not sure if Baker is still there or not, but I think he is). My other problem with this signing is that I don’t think Chad Tracy can really be a reliable bench bat, either. He wasn’t very reliable with the D-Backs last season, now was he?
He skipped over Hoffpauir as the addition of Nady means he wont be in the majors. He skipped over Baker because he would be starting at 2B. And he skipped over Nady to emphasize the ineptitude of the remaining four guys who would be chosen from.
And Tracy with a career .339 wOBA, .280/.339/.453 line and .302/.384/ .581 line in pinch hit opportunities represents a much better bench bat than any of Hill, Blanco, Fontenot or Fuld. His low production last year was merely from a horrific .250 BAbip, and should not be expected to repeat itself.
Nicely done…
I will add this: If I had included Hoffpauir (on the outside shot he does make the team), would it really have made the list any better?
yes, because it would have been Hofftastic!
How dare you leave off our 30 year old AAA DH! lol
I do think this is a good signing, especially because they needed a lefty to come off the bench, who could provide some pop. With Ramirez missing significant time in 3 of the last 5 years, they have a guy who can give him a rest without sacrificing the lineup. And lastly, IF they fall out of contention by the trade deadline, this deal gives them a lot of flexibility to move D.Lee to a contender for farm hands.
Hoffpauir needs to have the best spring training of his life
Unfortunately, he usually does that, then makes the roster taking up a space. I just don’t see him being on the big club this year unless an injury takes place. Anyone know how many options he has left?
The 2011 season will see Hoffpauir, Fuld, Wells and Grey all join the massive list of Cubs who are out of options.
So Hoff is likely a DFA candidate sometime throughout the season to open a 40-man spot for someone with something resembling a future with the team.
Very true! Hoffpauir is near legendary in March. The dry air and subpar pitching amplifies his warning track power and overall hitting ability. If they ever make a Cubs spring training Hall of Fame, Hoffpauir should be enshrined on the first ballot.
Man, the rest of the FAs better wise up and realize that these 25 man roster spots are going to be gone real quick.
Oh, nevermind this is just a minor league deal, but my point still stands.
Hoffpauir needs to have the best spring training of his life
He’s insurance for when Aramis Ramirez gets hurt. Other than that, he’s a lefty bat off the bench, assuming they figure out how to fit him on the roster.
note the use of the word “when” not “if”
lol.
If you look him up on Baseball reference.com he is compared to Xavier Nady, Todd Hollandsworth, and Milton Bradley through aqge 29. Am I the only one that finds this funny? All ex cubbies. I dunno how I feel about this, its not much money and he has ‘some’ up-side I guess….
If the Cubs are spending money on infielders they should be looking at 2nd base, I don’t hate this signing, but Hendry already signed Bryan LaHair to compete with Hoffpauir and they look to complete the Nady deal very soon. I would only assume Nady would be the primary back up for DLee. Last I checked Felipe Lopez was still available along with Adam Kennedy & Orlando Hudson, but Hendry has signed 2 backup 1st basemen. Is he looking for DLee’s replacement for next year now? At least Tracy can step in at 3rd if ARAM is still recovering.
A 2nd basemen like hudson or lopez would be nice, but you gotta remember that if castro is ready to go this season, that only moves theriot to 2nd base and it would be a waste of a signing unless you wanna put theriot as a backup
Calm down everyone it’s a minor league deal. And if Tracy makes the team he could provide left-handed power off the bench. I like both the Nady and Tracy signings gives the bench a boost. Now I figure Kiko Calero could be next and if Hendry signs him I would say Cubs off season would be about 20 times better then last years.
Bench
OF- Colvin or Fuld
OF/1B- Xavier Nady
1B/3B- Chad Tracy
C- Koyie Hill
2B/INF- Fontenot/ Baker
That’s a far better bench then what I mentioned earlier.
But who’s your backup SS? Blanco would have the edge over Fontenot because of his switch-hitting and his ability to play SS.
I honestly have no idea, so this is more a question – but didn’t Baker play 3B and SS coming through the minors??
Baker didn’t play SS in the minors…He played SS as a freshman in college but was switched to 3b by the time he was drafted. I’m guessing if they switched him in college that he probably isn’t a very good SS! Fontenot was pretty scary at SS for the short time he played there too. Barring something unexpected, that leaves Andres Blanco as the only backup to Theriot.
Yeah, Blanco is out of options and provides the only real fielder that can cover 2nd to 3rd anyway, so he will be with the club. The true bench is
BC – Hill
UI – Fontenot covering 2B and 1B I imagine (or Baker, whoever isnt starting)
UI – Blanco covering 2B and SS with a some 3B in defensive situations
OF – Nady covering the corner OF spots mainly, and our main DH in the AL parks
OF – Fuld backing up CF (and ideally is replaced with Winn to give ultimate experience, ability and flexibility to back up our rather questionable starters)
If injury to Ramirez or Lee then Tracy will be called up. If injury to Soriano it will be a toss up between Tracy or Hoffpauir with an outside shot for Colvin or Adduci if they are tearing up AAA. Injury to Byrd and Fukudome will likely move over to Center with Nady in Right and the same Tracy/Hoffauir or longshot Colvin/Adduci options for callup.
(LaHair and Snyder are not on the now full 40-man roster, so they are unlikely ML options for us without some organizational shakeup)
Ironically, a injury to Theriot or Baker could be problematic as it would leave us with only Blanco and a not-yet-ready Castro on the 40-man roster to back up the infield. Never thought a Hendry club would run out of midget utility middle infielders, but we just might, lol. Similarly, an injury to Soto or Hill will result in Welington Castillo being forced to get the nod.
We’ve got Darwin Barney in AAA and he’s pretty much ready or should be soon. He’s a lot like Theriot anyway (minus the adventurous baserunning) so maybe we wouldn’t miss much.You don’t think Nady or possibly Baker would backup 1B? Fontenot strikes me as a little short to play there.
Barney isnt on the 40-man either, so someone would have to go to call him up. But yes, he is the next in line one would have to imagine (higher on the depth then Castro even. As Starlin, despite the hype, hasnt really played above A ball and hasnt provided much in the way of production)And yes, I imagine Baker and/or Nady will see time at 1st before Fontenot. It probably should have said “1B/3B if Baker I imagine”. Felt pitiful writing just 2B next to Fontenot’s name though, lol.
LOL! Maybe you could have put: Fontenot 2b and PH hitter against right handers who don’t throw that hard or otherwise have nasty stuff. No…that sounds even more pitiful.
Yeah, no kidding.
Maybe I should have written: Fontenot – 2B, previous “he was awesome in 200 PA and should start!!!” mancrush award winner and token albino (since Patton will likely be in AAA.) That work better? Lol?
Anything to get guys like Patton, Fonteno, Hoffpauir, ec out with upgrades, is a good thing.
Wow, Tracy was in discussions for Texiara when the Braves were thinking about trading him. The Braves wanted Jackson, and the D-Backs countered with Tracy. A year and a half later one is making 20 million and the other is an invite to spring.
Okay, this one isnt that bad. This protects against a Ramirez injury quite a bit better then the team being forced to roll both Fontenot and Baker out there every day with only Blanco representing further middle infield depth. It also gives flexibility if Lee were to go down, and if the talk of Baker being on the Corner OF depth chart is true it means Tracy stands a fair chance to beat out Hoffpauir as the callup when Soriano hits the DL.
Now let’s just snatch Winn up next, and I will be satisfied with our team depth under almost all situations.
Winn???? Another outfielder? I go for another arm or a stronger option up the middle before I sign another old man!!!! The depth up the middle still sucks as far as I’m concerned. I still say Hendry has one more move up his sleeve and I’m hoping its for some speed on the infield!!!
with Baker, Fontenot and Blanco all out of options, it isnt happening.
And yes, Winn provides a big upgrade to Fuld. He brings a pinch hit worthy bat that doesnt represent a drain on the offense if forced to start, and his D is top-notch. The flexibility in an OF squad consisting of Soriano/Byrd/Fukudome/Nady/Winn would be huge.
i agree, i think if they can just move theriot to 2B will make or team a little better…..in a perfect world i’d like to see orlando cabrera get signed by the cubs. not sure if they can afford him, and i’m not too sure whos still out there….but i agree the weak part of the squad is in the SS/2B area
I see Fontenot getting traded if Tracy hits well enough in spring training to get a roster spot. Lou isn’t very high on him and Baker earned his 2b spot, Blanco will earn a roster spot as the backup SS unless Castro has an unbelievable spring which would then move Theriot to 2b (highly unlikely that happens).
Well as much as i personally bashed hendry,i gotta admit he has done a decent job this off season correcting some of his previous mistakes and finding some help on a limited budget,I believe there’s a good chance that nady could force fuko into the fourth if nady’s surgery went well he can be a much better option,as for tracy left hand bat can play both corners and some outfield in a pinch….and at thirty still has upside if he can find his confidence again has a good bat his numbers from 2004 through 2006 were pretty good.
while i agree that if everything goes well Nady will be a good signing, but I dont think the Cubs will rush him so I think a strict R/L platoon with spot starts in LF and 1st possible if he gets on a role and we need to get him into the lineup. Unless Kosuke really struggles or Nady is smashing the cover off the ball there is no way Lou will go with a right handed only lineup. besides Kosuke bats 2nd Nady doesn’t, so if he gets pushed out completely then who will bat 2nd behind theriot.
Valid point,but up to this point fuko hasn’t shown to be consistent at all a few hot streaks but no where near any consistency.If healthy worst case if he doesn’t surpass fuko he could still get 250 plus at bats i think just filling in at either of the 3 spots,lou has shown he likes to juggle guys around to keep them fresh and really hasn’t kept one lineup for very long. The only one close on the roster who really fits in the 2 whole has been theriot if he leads off not sure who would be the best fit fuko is kinda been chosen more by comity then being ideal.
i can definitely agree to 250 at bats or more if he is good i just dont see him taking over completely with a report saying he will definitely need all of spring traing just to be ready for the season. he is only five months removed from his second tommy john surgery
God the cubs just got a guy that is possibly the ben sheets of outfielders.
It’s not like I’m not jumping up and down, but I like this small move. It gives a little protection at the infield corners if needed. I’ll give Hendry some credit here. I expected a pen veteran to be signed. Keep upgrading that bench.
I agree. It’s a low risk move with some nice reward potential. Tracy has been hampered with injuries for 3 years…maybe a healthy year and a change of scenery might bring back that bat somewhat. It certainly is no great loss if it doesn’t work out.
And as far as Hendry goes, he’s had one of his better offseasons in recent years — not great, mind you — he still overpaid Grabow and Nady– but the acquisitions have been pretty solid. This is a better team than last years’ and last year we were in contention into September. The OF defense will be improved, the pitching is still solid (losing Heilman and Gregg can only help!), the lineup is decent and, unlike last year, the Cubs will be equipped to deal with injuries in their lineup– they won’t be depending on the starting lineup to stay healthy and productive all year, they’ve actually got options. I still think we’ll need some misfortune by the Cards to win this thing and don’t forget the Brewers should be tough again, but there is a real opportunity here.
It’s tough for me to rate Hendry’s offseason. I hope he is not done. No longer is it that a team is pretty much set by Christmas or New Years. Teams use to tinker here and there up to spring training. Now it’s the norm to fill in roster spots or add depth into spring. To me, the Cubs still need a little more…than extra, nice signing that makes me feel more confident in their bench and pushes a weaker player elsewhere. Maybe that’s just me. I don’t want to mention any bench names. Cub fans get irrate if you talk down about a weak hitting, barely MLB role player. :)Nady did cost a lot. Then again, you can look at it this way. Nady signed with the Cubs for 3.2MM, plus 2MM for plate apperances. Just before that, it was reported Boras asked the Yankees for 5MM gauranteed. Cashman said no. I’m curious if Hendry was offered that same 5MM guarantee and he said no as well. So instead, Boras gets 200k more on the back end. Ha! I’m sure Nady will get his 5.2MM total. The 3.2 upfront was too much. At least it was not 5MM or 5.2MM upfront and longer term. Hendry overpaid, but I guess it could have been worse. I still like the signing.
Well, I can’t rate Hendry’s offseason in comparison to other GMs. But it is better than his last 2 offseasons so far. I hope he isn’t finished either. There’s a lot of things people want still….a starter, a middle infielder, another reserve outfielder. I don’t think there’s room to get all that stuff and unfortunately what we’ll probably wind up with the leftover money is another reliever. Let’s hope it’s at least a reasonable deal.
Oh, no doubt Hendry is having a better offseason than his last couple. I think Minaya (and the Wilpons) overtook Hendry’s spot of worst offseason this year. The bench was so weak and there are so many names out there that I hope Hendry is not done. He would have to deal off someone for a prospect to make room on the roster/budget to add someone, but why not if it is an upgrade. I agree, that bull pen arm is soon.
What are your thoughts on washburn fellas? He turned down that 5 mil offer from the twins but time is dwindling. It also appears bedard will be looking for a new home. A wise man once said that you can never have too much GOOD pitching. while some will argue that we need to be stronger up the middle (i.e. font and baker), i would argue that the first month of the season could be tough on us sans ted lilly. would hate to stumble out of the gates. Thoughts?
I think whoever get Washburn will get a bargain for the type of prodution he will give compare to his salary. And think he is the best option out there right now.
Why is everyone freakin out about Hoffpauir? He’s really not that good. He’s actually pretty bad. He’s 31 years old, hit .239 last year, is probably the slowest guy on the team, and is an absolute train wreck in the field!!
Tracy is an incredible upgrade over Hoffpauir. Great move. Between this and Nady, the Cubs have added some real depth to the lineup.
Thats a pretty good deal for the cubs.. Tracy could end up as a power house at wrigley.
If you are not going to add something of value to a discussion and continue to jump on every Cub thread acting like a 14 year old clown, please find something else to do.
That was a positive comment you moron.
You gotta admit, Johnny, that comment could have been taken either way. I have only read recent threads, but sometimes it’s hard to tell when someone is sincere after making sarcastic comments in the past.
Yeah well I was being honest with that comment so instead of attacking me, might be a good idea to ask if I was serious or not first. I only go after cubs fans cause they do the same to me.. Thats the beauty of a good debate. I love it but Im also not going to bite my tongue when I believe an organization made a mistake. Thats why this discussion board in here right?
Well, I have read posts from you that were sarcastic. Not that I’m a sensitive Cub fan. A friendly jab here and there is fine. It’s when any fan keeps the same nonsense going that gets old. Actually, this was the wrong post for me to go after you on. I should have picked obvious sarcastic posts you made, but they are older and should have done it then. I agree this one could go either way. I have no problem with a good debate on any organizational move. I disagree with your statement ‘ I only go after cubs fans cause they do the same to me..’ That sounds lame from anyone.
Anyway, back to baseball.
Its no secret your a sensitive cubs fan. Other wise you wouldnt be so upset about my comments. Unless you read every single comment on this website youll never know who is going after who. If you have something to say about my comments I encourage you to express your opinion, but please for the love of God, do not cry over something so miniscule. Its just an opinion. Everyone has something to say on here whether it be a positive or negative comment. You just have to learn to not let it get to you and everything will be fine. Remember studio179, there is no crying in baseball. Play ball!
Ha! No, I’m really not an over sensitive Cub fan. Agreed, opinions are great. Valid bashing is fine for discussion. I don’t get into bashing for the sake of it though. I can’t believe you pulled out the ‘no crying in baseball’ line…but it is a classic and do like it.
So yes, play ball.
Btw, besides past injuries, Hill needs a chance with someone like Duncan. Maybe he can get into Hill’s head and get something of value for him. He was once a good prospect. I have doubts much comes of it, but the risk is worth a chance. Nothing to loose.
I agree with you there. Im not 100 percent on the Hill situation but your right, its worth a chance. Duncan really has his work cut out for him this year dealing with his pitchers. There is a lot a work, especially with the Cards bullpin. I wonder if the Mets, in their desperate need for a pitcher, looked into signing Rich Hill?
Tracys stats in 07:
HR: 27 Average: .308
Season like that at wrigley would do some damage.
Guy has pop!
I think the Cubs would be good to trade Double Play Lee and Aramis Ramirez if they fall out before June. There is no way they will catch up with the Cardinals if they are too far out even in June. Plug Micah in at 1B and play Tracy at 3B. If they find someone who needs a poor fielding power hitting LF then dump off Soriano for anything with value and eat a huge chunk of his salary. And if they are really lucky then they could swap Zambrano for someone who doesnt get mad and bust bats with his thighs/heave baseballs into the crowd.
Nothing the Cubs have done this off-season has made me feel any more confident about their chances. As a long time suffering fan of two long time losing teams there has been one thing that has happened that gives me hope and that’s the Saints making it to the Super Bowl. When I married my wife on Opening Day 1998 I told her she could count on only a handful of things for the rest of her life, the Saints never making it to the Super Bowl, the Cubs never making it to the World Series and me dieing year in year out cheering for both. Now if the Cubs make it, somehow some way, then we know for sure that the Mayan’s were right and the end of the World is near.
Nothing the Cubs have done this off-season has made me feel any more confident about their chances. As a long time suffering fan of two long time losing teams there has been one thing that has happened that gives me hope and that’s the Saints making it to the Super Bowl. When I married my wife on Opening Day 1998 I told her she could count on only a handful of things for the rest of her life, the Saints never making it to the Super Bowl, the Cubs never making it to the World Series and me dieing year in year out cheering for both. Now if the Cubs make it, somehow some way, then we know for sure that the Mayan’s were right and the end of the World is near.