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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, December 31, 2009

MLB: Cubs agree with Marlon Byrd on 3-year deal


Associated Press

CHICAGO — Outfielder Marlon Byrd agreed Thursday to a three-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Byrd hit .283 with 20 homers and 89 RBIs last season for the Texas Rangers. and will likely take over in center from Kosuke Fukudome, who would move to right field full-time after the trade of troubled Milton Bradley to Seattle.

Byrd is a career .279 hitter with 60 homers and 335 RBIs in 785 major league games with Philadelphia, Washington and Texas. He will be reunited with former Texas hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo, who is now in the same position with the Cubs. In three seasons working with Jaramillo in Texas, Byrd batted .295 with 40 homers and 212 RBIs.

Byrd led the Rangers in game-winning RBI last season with 12 and hit .333 with runners in scoring position.

He has played all three outfield positions during his career and had a .991 fielding percentage last season with only three errors in 341 chances. He made 100 starts for the Rangers in center field, 35 in left and six in right.