According to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com, the Chicago Cubs and Jermaine Dye have mutual interest in each other and are rumored to be in preliminary discussions on a deal. If signed by the Cubs, Dye would be used primarily as a fourth outfielder and as a platoon partner in right field with current outfielder Kosuke Fukudome. Dye has spent the last five seasons on the South Side of Chicago with the White Sox, where he was a productive member for the team during his tenure. Dye has found the free agent market unkind to him as the only other known team interested in his services was the Texas Rangers, who recently signed Vladimir Guerrero to a deal to fill their DH spot.
Despite having an awful second half with the Chicago White Sox last season, Dye finished the 2009 campaign with .250 AVG, 27 HR, and 81 RBI. However, Dye’s defense is average at best at this point in his career and his skills are best suited as a DH or backup outfielder. For the Cubs, it would be a decent gamble as Dye would provide a power bat off the bench and give the team a solid alternative in right and left field should Alfonso Soriano or Kosuke Fukudome get injured or struggle. The Cubs are also rumored to be interested in free agent outfielder Xavier Nady as well as a possible fourth outfielder.
What do you think? Can Dye rebound from his miserable second half and still be a solid contributor or should the Cubs look elsewhere?
I just don’t see Dye as a back up. Someone will pick him up as at starting option either at DH or outfield.
Although Dye is getting older he is too productive to come off the bench, he would be selling himself short if he went to the cubs as a back up…he needs to find an AL team that can platoon him in the outfield and DH him when he is not playing the field
In my opinion Nady would be a much better fit than JD. The problem is Nady’s agent is Scott Boras who is always a pain to deal with. I do not see Jermaine Dye fitting in at all with what the Cubs want to do. In my humble opinion this deal would make absolutely zero sense for either party.
Cmon with the injuries the cubbies are prone too in the outfield JD would be a great fit i dont think he would be selling himself short at all. I mean the guy isnt that young anymore.