Cubs Acquire Thomas Diamond

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This had it making sense

Cubs assistant GM Randy Bush coached Diamond at the University of New Orleans, by the way.

We all know that favoritism is the greatest thing in the world.

And the eighth and final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.

by Ace Venom on Sep 4, 2009 12:56 PM CDT reply actions

Depends

When you’re giving up a first round draft pick to get the stud from your old high school (Ryan Harvey), it’s bad.

When you just put in a waiver claim that costs you basically nothing, and have a personal relationship with a player that may give you some (not usually available) insight into his healing process from surgery, why not?

I wonder who they’ll have work with him on his control.

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by cubzfan on Sep 4, 2009 3:53 PM CDT up reply actions

I was hoping for Dustin Diamond.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Sep 4, 2009 1:09 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs

Running from the law, the press, and the parents

Is your name Michael Diamond?

"Who ever heard of the Cubs losing a game they had to have?" -Frank Chance
"If [Ruth] had [called his shot], I would have knocked him down with the next pitch." -Charlie Root

by Clutch16 on Sep 5, 2009 4:33 AM CDT up reply actions

no

mine’s clarence

by portlandcubfan on Sep 5, 2009 5:38 PM CDT up reply actions

Worth a shot

Cubs now have 2 former St. Cloud Riverbats players with Diamond and Gorzelanny. 3 if they would have kept Casey McGehee

by bheidge on Sep 4, 2009 1:14 PM CDT reply actions

Maybe he'll turn out to be a diamond in the...

Maybe he’ll turn out to be a decent bullpen arm.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Sep 4, 2009 2:41 PM CDT reply actions

The shopworn phrase you almost completed there

is sure to be a Sports Illustrated headline if this kid amounts to anything.

Fair warning.

"Was you ever punched in the face five hundred times a night? It stings after a while." ~Rocky Balboa

by Goodie1969 on Sep 4, 2009 6:00 PM CDT up reply actions

seems that trying to catch lightening in a bottle

with pitchers recovering from Tommy John is a fad that some GM’s try too often. Hendry got Dempster this way, but let Lieber walk for the same reason, and I believe good ol Chad Fox was another whom we got in a similar manner.

if I b rong, cowect me

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on Sep 4, 2009 3:07 PM CDT reply actions

and bj ryan

by jesus christos on Sep 4, 2009 3:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Fascinating and

great gamble. I do love this move. Diamond was once a highly touted kid. At his peak, he featured a mid-90’s fastball and a plus changeup to go with it. In that respect, some similarities have been made to Derek Lowe before, but Diamond had work to do on his breaking balls (threw both a curve and a slider, but iirc, both were spotty). Maybe he doesn’t rebound. Not all kids rebound. That said, for the cost (nothing), this is an excellent gamble, imo, with the potential to add depth to the Cubs upper levels.

by toonsterwu on Sep 4, 2009 3:34 PM CDT reply actions

And now the entire DVD trio is out of TX

They’ve upgraded to Blu-Ray, I guess.

Randy Wells - You continue to astound me.

by DGU on Sep 5, 2009 9:57 PM CDT up reply actions

reading up on some rangers sites

it seems like his stuff has come back to pre-surgery form.

by toonsterwu on Sep 4, 2009 6:49 PM CDT reply actions

He's no kid.

He’ll be 27 next April. But who knows; maybe they can turn him into a closer.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Sep 5, 2009 6:36 AM CDT up reply actions

no he isn't

He got hurt fairly early in the process and was a college arm. drafted in 04, hurt by 07. The control was never good, but the development that might’ve occurred was slowed down, and most arms take some time to find command/consistency post-surgery. I don’t think any Cubs fan should have high expectations on Diamond – the most likely scenario is that he improves a bit of control and becomes a solid upper level pen arm that sees some time in the bigs as a middle reliever. That said, more time away from surgery could help his command and consistency, and if Mark Riggins can tinker with him a bit, maybe there’s something.

Short of it is, for a freebie look, the only real cost is a 40 man spot for a few weeks (if he’s awful, they can dump him in the winter). Diamond’s worth the look for me.

by toonsterwu on Sep 5, 2009 7:48 AM CDT up reply actions

Oh, I'm agreeing with you.

Definitely worth a look. Just reminding people that he’s no kid prospect any more.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Sep 5, 2009 8:05 AM CDT up reply actions

Cubs seem to love this sort of thing

I mean acquiring former highly touted, top round draft picks. Diamond is at least the third one in the last calendar year or so. They picked up John-Ford Griffin earlier this year, and around this tim last year, they acquired Brad Snyder.

Maybe Diamond will figure himself out in the Cubs system. I think Snyder has done a great job, and should at least receive a look for the 40 man next year. Hopefully Diamond can rebound too.

by Mulhollandmania on Sep 4, 2009 10:35 PM CDT reply actions

Griffin/Snyder

I’ll be surprised if Snyder is on the 40 man. With Colvin needing to be protected, I can’t see them stashing another lefty bat on the bench, particularly since he is still striking out at an obscenely high rate.

As for Griffin, I think he was more of a move to fill a roster spot due to the injuries/moves this summer.

by toonsterwu on Sep 4, 2009 11:21 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree

But I do think he at least deserves a look. I don’t think anyone thinks Colvin is Major League ready, so I’m not too worried about him in the Rule V draft. If he does get taken, I don’t think he would make that team’s 25 man roster anyway. But I know where you are coming from, and I’m sure he is higher on the list for potential 40 man additions next year, but who knows what will happen.

by Mulhollandmania on Sep 4, 2009 11:39 PM CDT up reply actions