Cubs general manager Jim Hendry began recruiting Cliff Floyd as the baseball coach at Creighton nearly 16 years ago. Now he's finally on the verge of reeling him in.

 

Sources said late Tuesday the Cubs were close to signing Floyd to an incentive-laden deal and plan to use him in a left-field platoon with Matt Murton.

 

The free-agent outfielder and former Thornwood High School star was headed to Creighton before he became a first-round draft pick of Montreal in 1991. Hendry later tried to acquire Floyd in a proposed deal with the New York Mets involving Sammy Sosa after 2004, but the trade was ultimately nixed by Mets ownership.

 

Floyd hit .244 with New York this season with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs. He's a .279 career hitter in 14 seasons with 213 homers and 781 RBIs.

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...-baseball-print

I didnt realize Floyds average was so low last year.Other than him being left handed he would really be a downgrade at that position,they should just let Murton play.

I didnt realize Floyds average was so low last year.Other than him being left handed he would really be a downgrade at that position,they should just let Murton play.

But he can take a walk, unlike the rest of that lineup.

He's also going to be a joke in LF.

He's also going to be a joke in LF.

At this point, in that outfield, does that really matter? Jones, Soriano, Murton/Floyd? I mean, once you get past a particular level of defensive awfulness, can you really get that much worse?

The guy hits for crap as a supposed "power hitter" and plays horrible defense. I guess they are just going to concede that their OF will be garbage.

Floyd wasn't very good last year and gets hurt a lot, but I can't see where he could possibly be bashed as a part-time player. When he's reasonably healthy, he gets on base, hits homers and drives in runs. He can also steal you a base. He's pretty brutal in the field, but the White Sox have done alright with a brutal LF for years.

The Cubs are going to be awful defensively. Aside from Z, their pitching is God-awful. But they do have some good hitters.

where is soriano going to play if its going to be a platoon in lf with murton and floyd? i dont think soriano or jones should be playing cf and if one does, well then good luck to the cubs

where is soriano going to play if its going to be a platoon in lf with murton and floyd? i dont think soriano or jones should be playing cf and if one does, well then good luck to the cubs

It sounded when they signed Soriano like he was going to take over their CF duties next year, maybe for 2 years, and then they'd either let Jones go or trade him and slide Soriano over when they decide Pie is ready.

 

And yes, Good luck to them with that.

I've never seen a team spend so much and get so little in one offseason. Congrats Cubs!!