Juan Pierre was acquired to take Corey Patterson’s job in center field, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the Chicago Cubs will trade their enigmatic outfielder.
After Pierre’s introductory news conference Wednesday at Wrigley Field, General Manager Jim Hendry disclosed he would offer Patterson arbitration next week and might give him the right-field job in 2006.
Hendry continues to search for a left-handed-hitting outfielder to replace Jeromy Burnitz, but nothing appears imminent. He has spoken to the agent for Minnesota free agent Jacque Jones, who is seeking a three-year deal and reportedly has a three-year, $15 million offer from Kansas City. Jones probably would have to settle for a one- or two-year deal with the Cubs.
“I’ve given [the agent] our level of interest and told him we have some trade possibilities,” Hendry said.
Jones is a career .279 hitter and averages a strikeout every 4.7 at-bats. Patterson is a .252 hitter and averages a strikeout every 3.9 at-bats.
But Patterson’s potential, despite a .215 season and a demotion to Triple A, gives Hendry pause when considering a trade.
A handful of teams, including Texas and Arizona, briefly showed interest in Patterson, but the Cubs would rather give him another chance than deal him for low-level prospects. As Exhibit A they can point to Derrek Lee, who hit .233 and .206 for Florida in 1998 and ’99, when he was about Patterson’s age, before blossoming in his late 20s.
The Cubs hope Pierre, the quintessential leadoff man and team player, could help Patterson become the player the organization always believed he would be.
Hendry still has a couple of trade proposals on the table, but the availability of left-handed-hitting corner outfielders with power is limited.
Looking good
After Juan Pierre found out last week he was coming to the Cubs, he went into his closet to see how he looked in blue pinstripes.
“I have to admit I had an Andre Dawson throwback jersey, and after I got traded, I put it on to see how I looked in the uniform,” Pierre said Wednesday at Wrigley Field. “Looked pretty good.”
