ESPN.com

The Chicago Cubs signed veteran outfielder Reed Johnson today. Contract negotiations lasted just ten minutes, when the Cubs and Johnson setteled on a 1 year, $1.3 million contract. Why did the deal take so fast? Reed Johnson really wanted to be a Cub:

“You guys don’t know how happy I am to be here,” he said, reported the Chicago Tribune.

What does the signing of Johnson mean to the rest of the Cubs outfield? Well Johnson’s career .308 batting average, and speed; make him a good option a top the Cubs batting order. Johnson is a right handed hitter and which could lead to a center field platoon situation. Felix Pie’s left handed bat against right handed hitters and Johnson against lefties.

And the effect this has on Kosuke Fukudome should be very little. Johnson should become a backup for Fukudome, only playing in the situation that Kosuke needs some rest. As for the Chicago Cubs team, Johnson provides a very reliable and veteran bench bat.

After Fridays game, Lou Piniella said he would make another switch to the batting order. Kosuke Fukudome will try batting in the number 1 slot Saturday. This switch will move everyone down one spot. Ryan Theriot will bat 2nd, Alfonso Soriano 3rd, Derek Lee 4th, and Aramis Rameriz will bat 5th, as reported by ChicagoSports.com.

The move from the 5th to 1st slot in the batting order is the fourth change for Kosuke Fukudome. Fukudome will now have batted 3rd, 2nd, 5th, and first. ‘Fooky,’ as Piniella calls Fukudome, did not like what he saw from Kosuke batting behind Rameriz. The fact that Fukudome has an on base percentage of .357, despite the .205 batting average, means he’s still seeing the ball well.

The one this Lou Piniella does not like about this though means that Felix Pie and Kosuke, the Cubs only two lefties, will be batting in the 8th spot and 1st. Piniella does want to find the most comfortable spot in the batting order though before the season starts.

“I’m not all that pleased with the fifth spot,” he said. “We want to make it as comfortable as we can for Fukudome also.”

In the attempt to getting the 48 million dollar man charged up, Piniella will once again switch Kosuke Fukudome’s spot in the batting order.

Kosuke Fukudome had the day off Friday. The Chicago Cubs fell to the Colorado Rockies 7-3. Bring the Cubs spring training record to 10-14.