SIGNED! Scott Hairston

Two years  and up to $6MM to the Cubs.

Scott Hairston is going to be a North Sider for the next two years. A solid addition to the roster, Journeyman Hairston joins a relatively crowded Cubs left field, but will be a good addition to a lineup that's comparably weak against left handed pitching. Hairston will likely platoon with fellow newcomer Nate Schierholtz who's numbers against righties parallell Hairston's offensive work against southpaws (.867 OPS in 2012). I view the addition of Scott Hairston as a logical move for a team that's conceding they won't win in the coming season. Solid presence, bargain price and capable of being a solid trade chip.

SIGNED! Delmon Young

One Year $750K to the Phillies.

Uuuuuughhhhh...yikes. Ok I really don't know what's going on in Philadelphia. As I established in my offseason review, the Philadelphia Phillies are an aging franchise who seem unwilling to give up the ghost. I really don't think Delmon Young is going to be some sort of game changer in Philadelphia, but I can see some logic in his contract being used as a trade chip down the line. Young could have made a lot more money but his burdensome behavioral track record made him arguably a "bargain"depending on how you look at it. I personally don't really want guys who get intoxicated and shout anti-Semetic slurs at passerby no matter how much of a bargain they are, so this signing doesn't impress me. So yep, I guess this one makes sense, assuming you're capable of overlooking and/or taking advantage of really unlikeable character traits in a player and inflicting that on the rest of your clubhouse. Not for me.