Both Dave Van Dyck in the Tribune and Gordon Wittenmyer in the Sun-Times have written that the Cubs are considering signing veteran centerfielder Jim Edmonds once he clears waivers on Wednesday. Felix Pie would presumably be sent down to Iowa to create roster room for Edmonds, who was released by the Padres this past weekend after hitting .178 in 90 AB's.

According to Wittenmyer's article on Monday...

"...multiple Cubs sources said the team plans to pursue Edmonds, and one said Edmonds has told his agent to talk to no one before he talks to the Cubs."

A four-time All-Star, Edmonds played six season with the Angels, before he was traded to the Cards in March of 2000. The Cardinals shipped him to San Diego this past off-season in a trade for a minor leaguer.

In Edmonds' 16-year Major League career, he has smacked 363 home runs, including 32 against the Chicago Cubs, the most Edmonds has hit against any one opponent.

Injuries and age have exacted a heavy on toll on Edmonds: since 2004, his annual OPS+ has fallen from 170 to 137, 110, 88, and in his brief time with the Padres this season, to a ridiculous 38.

Ducksnorts, a Padres blog written by Geoff Young, one of the best MLB blogs I've come across, had this to say about Edmonds following his release.
So much for Jim Edmonds. Ducksnorts readers projected him to hit .255/.338/.418, with the most pessimistic of us pegging his OPS at a limp 645. Sadly, the former All-Star didn’t even come close to those meager numbers, finishing his Padres career at .178/.265/.233...and, more importantly, looking lost in center field.

Edmonds has been released, and his spot on the roster taken by Jody Gerut, who presumably will see most of the action in center field. This is a gutsy move considering that Gerut has 26 big-league games under his belt at the position, but such is life when you don’t have a contingency plan for your 38-year-old, badly faded superstar.

The Cubs may sign Edmonds and he may not contribute anything to the 2008 effort and be gone before he has even left a stain. The most compelling aspect of this story to me is that Felix Pie has proven himself to be of such low value to the Cubs that they would even consider such an acquisition.

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