Looking back at the whole Milton Bradley thing, is he the worst free agent the Cubs have ever signed? His previous seasons number in no way warranted the contract Jim Hendry gave him. One "breakout" season (.326, 22hr, 77rbi) the season before. Add to that his volatile personality and it baffles the mind the contract the Cubs gave him.

Has there been a worse Cubs free agent signing?

Soriano.

/thread

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Soriano, his contract in indefensible.

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Yeah, Soriano. Bad money, bad terms, bad contract length, then the mediocre production and poor fielding leave him one of the most overpaid players for the longest amount of time and we're what, only halfway thru it?
Bradley was a bust, and a bad signing, but not close to the worst.

Also, maybe Huntley on that list???

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Jeromey Burnitz

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That was like 1 season, and he came cheap.

Burnitz = Carlos Pena type deal.

Bad, but not worst ever.

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Soriano is a great argument. However, Hendry broke the bank to get the "best" player available prior to the 2007 season with the thought that Soriano would help them win "now". And... they did win consecutive divisions in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, they should have gone to the world series.

Bradley, however, was an abortion from the get go and gave the team nothing at all.

But Bradley didn't handcuff the team for nearly as long as Soriano does.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

This

That contract has hurt the team before the ink was dry on it.

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Todd Hundley sucked too.

Rudy Jaramillo

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Kerry Wood's post 2003 deal is in the conversation

Candy Moldonando

Fukodome has to make the team photo.

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Soriano in a landslide.

Soriano easily.

Hundley's contract was brutal and he absolutely sucked. Soriano's contract has been brutal, but he has at least produced something. Some smaller contracts that were just stupid: Aaron Miles and Neifi Perez

If you tie the Jose Guzman signing to the "letting go" of Greg Maddux...you have a winner there. But yeah, hands down Soriano. Yet, Hendry remains as GM!

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

Wasn't Mike Morgan the Greg Maddux replacement?

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thought is was Guzman. Remember the Murph "drop of "Jose Guzman - Jose Guzman and Greg Maddux is Greg Maddux" ?

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Proud to be UNVERIFIED.

This is my vote. He was awful.

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Hawaii (fuck) You

Danny Jackson and Dave Smith back in '91 were pretty big busts.

These two, along with George Bell, were supposed to lead the Cubs back to the playoffs. I remember all the hoopla over these signings.

Then Jackson won 5 games in two years and Dave Smith soon realized he was no longer pitching in the Astrodome.

George Bell turned into Sammy Sosa. You can hardly call that a bad contract. I think he was only hear half a season if I remember correctly.

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I think Morgan was there the year before with Maddux. Didn't he grow up in Vegas with the Maddux brothers?

If I remember correctly, the Himes philosophy was that you could sign two guys instead of Maddux: Guzman and the Little Bulldog maybe?

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Matthew, Tulsi, and Don

Danny Jackson and Dave Smith are certainly in the photograph. They were worthless.

Soriano was paid too much for too long but he has put up some decent numbers.

George Bell did indeed turn into Sammy Sosa so that worked out.

Milton Bradley turned into Carlos Silva - another steaming pile of dung.

Still say Bradley is the worst signing.

I see what you are saying but the length and total amount of the contract is what makes Soriano's the worst IMO. Regardless of production.

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Yeah, excellent point. I hardly think anyone else was offering Soriano 7 years. Kinda like when Texas signed A Rod to his first huge contract. They were bidding against themselves.

The Cubs signed Soriano the 40-40 man. They got a post-steroids era bad left fielder with average base stealing ability who gets hotter than hell at the plate for a month, then gets colder than a witch's tit for a month.

Had no complaints with George Bell, but Jackson and Smith were god awful.

Based on contract size, contract duration, fan disgust/anger, and lack of production, I would say it has to be one of these:

Soriano
Hundley
Bradley
Zambrano (not a free agent, but the contract itself)
Fukudome

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