WTF?

this year's GMJ?

Capable outfielder.
Tore up the minor leagues and his first year before a big sophomore slump.
Cheap.

I like it... Lots of upside, not a lot of investment.

As for being this year's GMJ -- GMJ was a career spare his entire career, including the minors, Byrd was not.

Can't hurt.

Now THAT is a major free agent signing...

the career stats didn't turn out how i wanted.

he's a career .305 hitter in the minors, .263 in different parts of five major league seasons.

his OBP is very low - .327 in majors, .375 in minors, but he did slug over .400 in his past four minor league seasons.

he hasn't stolen more than 10 since his second year with the phillies in '03, and his extra base hits have diminished as well.

the upside, however, is that between AAA and the majors since 2004 he has committed only ten errors compared to thirteen outfield assists.

byrd's last sign of power was in double a ball in 2001 where he hit 28 bombs. in 2002 between AAA and the NL he compiled 63 extra base hits which included 39 doubles.

[This message has been edited by low talker (edited 12/8/2006 6:23p).]

AAAA Player

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Check out "Texas A&M & Baseball In No Particular Order"
at tamu-and-baseball.com

Not saying signing Marlon is any sort of difference-maker, but I think it's a pretty decent move. If he doesn't work out, no biggie, if he does, it could be a valuable move. Based on the ability of spares to become decent hitters at this park, I'm willing to take a chance on a former uber-prospect to do the same.

But we all know how Rudy has that habbit of taking that border-line minor/major league player and really bringing the guy's swing out of hiding and out of no where the guy can hit all of a sudden, it's magic I tell you. Maybe Byrd will catch some of that magic this year.....or maybe we'll sign Kenny Lofton.