Confirmed: Joey Gathright to the Cubs

Updated 12/16 The Sun Times says it is an $800,000 contract for 2009, for a spot on the bench. Cubs.com has it, too.

Via MLBTR, The Score 670 reports:

Cubs will sign outfielder Joey Gathright.....[he will be] 28 in April, [and] was non-tendered by the Royals on Friday.

Seriously? This guy's not good enough to be on the Royals. I really don't care if he can jump over a car. Unless this is setting-up another move, this is not a good pick-up.

Update Cubs.com has the story now, too.

Gathright could be added to the roster this week and compete for a spot on the Cubs' bench.

This doesn't sound like a major league contract to me. Fine. But I think Mr. Pie is on his way elsewhere.

Updated...again Colin Wyers left this very interesting comment at ACB (follow the link for the numbers), and I've subsequently change my mind on this.

-18+10+7.5+20+5=24.5

Voila, a league-average player, maybe a little better.

Good idea. Go get him, Jim, and see what Felix brings back from Baltimore (or wherever).

Since I'm interested in plate discipline numbers from PITCHf/x, here's Joey and Felix side-by-side. You can see a whole bunch more at the bottom of this archive post.

first	last	#	Swing	Whiff	B:CS	ISZ	Paint	Chase	Watch
Felix	Pie	667	0.4828	0.2174	2.1560	0.3823	0.1109	0.3544	0.3098
Joey	Gathright	1607	0.5028	0.1411	2.1255	0.4281	0.1220	0.3645	0.3125

Very close. Joey makes a lot more contact, but Felix has a lot more pop in his bat (not shown here obviously).