While deals for Santana, Bedard, and any remaining Oakland A seem to be on hiatus the buzz around baseball hints that there may actually be a trade completed soon.
While sending Marlon Byrd to the Cubbies won't make the top of SportCenter, it is exactly the type of small deal that winning clubs make.
If the Rangers make a deal of say Marlon Byrd and Robbie Tejeda to Chicago for Matt Murton, Sean Gallagher, and Kyler Burke, Texas would use a good two months from Byrd to add an outfielder actually talented enough to garner playing time for a good team.
This trade would be the ultimate trading of player(s) [I'll include Tejeda in this category too] who's perceived value excededs there actual value for one(s) who's perceived value is lower than their actual value.
Matt Murton is a better player than Marlon Byrd. Sean Gallagher is also a better player than Byrd. Kyler Burke - who you won't find on any Cubs top 10 lists but has a ton of talent and may be on the verge of tapping into it after good fall and winter league showings - would be a low cost "throw in" to this deal and would immediately be the Rangers' 2nd best OF prospect (Engle Beltre).
Byrd had an OPS of 916 at home this year...714 on the road. 976 Pre All-Star break...727 after the mid summer classic. Barring some fortunate stroke of luck, Byrd will be a .260/.315/.410 hitter next year. But the Cubs want him because he can play centerfield...despite the fact that he was the 6th worst centerfielder in baseball last year.
Murton should out OPS Byrd by 100 points next season and play above average defense in the corners. Gallagher is a big league ready young solid pitcher who start the year in AAA and be ready to step into the rotation if...when...one of the starters gets hurt/sucks, and should stay in the rotation as a good #3/4 starter.
Hopefully this deal, or one like it will happen soon and JD will show his growth as a GM and Jim Hendry will show his decline.
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