Xavier Nady to Clear Waivers

Unless the Cubs trade or re-sign Xavier Nady this offseason, it seems Jim Hendry’s $3.3 million contract offer to rehab the 31-year-old from Tommy John surgery has been a waste.

Granted Nandy was scheduled for limited action early on, he’s still managed to play in 72 games, which is respectable, but only 35 of those were starts due in large part to his hobbled right arm.

After posting a .136 average for the month of July, Nady’s average through his last 24 games has actually slipped to .125, making his trade value almost non-existent.

Nady’s career numbers, however, show he shouldn’t stay down for long–.276, 20 HR, 74 RBI, which begs the question: Should the Cubs re-sign Xavier Nady, or let another club take a gamble on Nady’s comeback?

Given both the amount of time and money invested in Nady’s rehab, I’d take the chance of bringing Nady back for another year, if possible contractually, especially given his successful past.

Marlon Byrd can’t do it alone, Soriano isn’t likely to stay healthy, and despite a bright start, Tyler Colvin is simply inconsistent.

At the very least, a healthy and productive Nady would be a prized trading piece come next July, whether our Cubbies are buyers or sellers!