Cubs Remove Jeff Gray From 40-Man Roster

This move was made yesterday with no fanfare. Not including John Grabow and Angel Guzman, who are still listed on the 60-day DL, the 40-man roster now stands at 37.

over 1 year ago Al Yellon 25 comments 0 recs |

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Excellent - so we have 3 open spots.

Now if only Jimbo can be like that gal on Romper Room at the end of the show when she picks up her magic mirror and looks toward the camera… ;-)

I can see Cliff and Kerry and Adam… and Victor and Mariano and Carl… and Zack and Jayson and Paulie…

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 27, 2010 9:36 AM CDT reply actions

Clearly there are more moves to come.

Grabow and Guzman will likely stay on the 60 day past the Rule V point to conserve roster spaces.

But Grabow will surely be added to the active roster and I would think they’d give Guzman one more chance if his medicals check out.

Not even counting the new guys that need to be protected (and I believe toonsterwu was predicting 3-5 guys needing to be protected), that leaves just one spot on that 40 man going forward.

So more drops are coming. Players who may need to have their bags packed:
Likely gone (IMO): Diamond, Schlitter, Hoff, Fuld
50-50: Gaub, Mateo, Stevens, Snyder
A chance, but likely sticking: Berg, Maine, Caridad

FAs who shouldn’t need to be protected for the Rule V, unless the Cubs sign them before the winter meetings: K Hill (see above), Nady

Guys who the Cubs might consider non-tendering: Baker, DeWitt (very unlikely)

So there are roster spots to play with.

Shut up Joe Morgan.

by fsuapollo on Oct 27, 2010 9:55 AM CDT reply actions

re:

The guy that need to be protected: Chris Archer

The guys likely to be protected: Robinson Chirinos/Brandon Guyer

After that, there’s a few more possibilities. My favorite is Alberto Cabrera. A guy mentioned to me as a sleeper possiblity, someone that the Cubs are reportedly high on, is Luke Sommer. There’s a few more. 3 is probably the minimum.

One thing to keep in mind – there’s a good chance that the Cubs will sign FA’s/addveterans and there’s a good chance they won’t want to max out the 40 man, perhaps leaving a spot open. So, really, we’re likely looking at needing 6-8 spots free.

I’ve said it elsewhere, but I think Mateo is safer than some might think, while I think Stevens is likely gone. One of Fuld/Snyder has a shot of sticking around due to the upper level lack of position players that demand protection (keeping in mind that, if you let those guys go, you need to sign replacements as every 40 needs stopgaps, and those signed replacements are likely on a similar level). Gaub’s a tough case – the promise is there, but he just fell apart. I can’t see the Cubs keeping Russell/Grabow/Marshall/Maine/Gaub and maybe Sommer on the 40. Just too many lefty pen arms to justify on a 40 in all likelihood.

I think Berg is very borderline (one pitch guys that succeed are rare) and Caridad may depend on the velocity/stuff he’s showing this winter.

by toonsterwu on Oct 27, 2010 10:55 AM CDT up reply actions

I could see Adduci being cut.

With a bad year in 2010 at Iowa, his age and the fact that he did not get a September callup, he seems superfluous. Same with Gaub.

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

by Al Yellon on Oct 27, 2010 11:01 AM CDT up reply actions

We should have tried to trade Stevens

Say what you will about his on-field performance, but that guy has been traded for some serious MLB talent. Obviously, kidding here.

MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown

by D98 on Oct 27, 2010 3:17 PM CDT up reply actions

Presumably some guys

May clear waivers and stay anyway. This is certainly possible with Adduci, Fuld, Gaub and others. Biggest problem is Shark. He is out of options with an NTC so that will be fun.

"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
Jim Hendry

by Doggie Stalker on Oct 27, 2010 11:47 AM CDT reply actions

I'm guessing if the Cubs found a team...

… willing to take Shark and pay the $2m left, he’d probably waive his NTC.

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

by Al Yellon on Oct 27, 2010 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions

Perhaps the Bears?

Yes'm

by OrangeGore on Oct 29, 2010 12:35 PM CDT up reply actions

Can he play offensive line?

That’s where they need help.

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

by Al Yellon on Oct 29, 2010 12:58 PM CDT up reply actions

well, his pitching line usually is offensive - does that count?

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 29, 2010 3:48 PM CDT up reply actions

Ask Lovie Smith.

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

by Al Yellon on Oct 29, 2010 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions

Whats stopping him from QBing?

Yes'm

by OrangeGore on Oct 30, 2010 11:49 AM CDT up reply actions

But for this particular discussion

I don’t think Shark “matters”. He’s been on the 40 for a couple years and, as much as I wouldn’t mind it, I just don’t see the “fiscally responsible” Cubs eating the last year of his contract. I expect he will be in the bullpen unless they can find a taker and convince him to waive his NTC.

Shut up Joe Morgan.

by fsuapollo on Oct 27, 2010 12:32 PM CDT up reply actions

I hope they can find a taker.

I think Shark’s time has passed.

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

by Al Yellon on Oct 27, 2010 2:05 PM CDT up reply actions

To anyone who might know about such things - is it too late for Shark to start an NFL career?

I know he was a pretty good receiver in college, probably would have been drafted in the early rounds and it was reasonable to expect him to have a decent NFL career had he stuck with football. But…

…it’s been several years since he played football and he doesn’t strike me as being the superb athlete type like Deion or Bo that could do the two-sport thing easily. So could he still do it? Or is he better off trying to find a change-of-scenery within MLB if it doesn’t work out with the Cubs.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 27, 2010 2:16 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't think it would be "too late", if Shark wanted to go that route.

Pitching shouldn’t have taken much of a toll on his body.

Personally, I don’t think a whole lot of his NFL prospects, but I imagine someone would take a chance, but I doubt they would pay much. So I expect Shark to go another year with baseball and then see where he stands at something of a career crossroads.

Shut up Joe Morgan.

by fsuapollo on Oct 27, 2010 2:46 PM CDT up reply actions

probably

he was a bit overhyped – indication I received that year was that he had a slim shot to get into the first round, but was more likely a 2nd, and probably, a 3rd rounder. He was always more of a possession projection, and therein lies his biggest issue if he contemplated an NFL career. He’s probably not as fast as before, and there are enough possession types out there. Think, say, a Brian Finneran or a Jerricho Cotchery type in a best case scenario.

by toonsterwu on Oct 27, 2010 3:33 PM CDT up reply actions

You can't teach height and hops.

Shark could absolutely jump out of the gym.

While there are definitely lots of possession-type WRs out there, they aren’t all 6-5, 220, with adequate NFL WR speed (4.55 40) and that kind of jumping ability.

I think that an “floor” comp would be someone like Finneran – I mean, Shark WAS a 1st team All-American – but the “best case” would be one of the prototypical “big man” WRs, like a somewhat slower Plaxico Burress, or Malcom Floyd, or a somewhat taller TJ Houshmanzadeh.

MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown

by D98 on Oct 27, 2010 4:36 PM CDT up reply actions

A decent comp from the past

would be Joe Jurevicious.

"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella

by tripdenten on Oct 27, 2010 5:34 PM CDT up reply actions

TJ and Floyd

are both considered possession guys as well. I can see those comps.

Problem is, you are an NFL GM. Let’s say you bring him in. Here’s a kid who hasn’t had contact in 5 years. He’s older, he’s a possession type. What’s the incentive for you to keep him around at the end of a depth chart? Most teams like to carry youth at the end, unless the guy can be a key asset on ST.

by toonsterwu on Oct 27, 2010 6:41 PM CDT up reply actions

Oh, certainly none of that applies now.

I mean, he’s kinda old at this point even if he HAD been playing for the last 5 years.

MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown

by D98 on Oct 27, 2010 6:57 PM CDT up reply actions

It might be too late...

For the record, he was a GREAT receiver in college and put up some monster years at ND. He had decent speed and he is 6’5. He was projected as a mid first to early second round pick the year he came out. The Bears could have taken him at 31 instead of Olsen had he decided to play football.

Shark turns 26 in January, so it is possible that he could still play in the NFL. But, what kind of shape is he in? Can he still run fast enough to create separation in the secondary? Can he still take a hit? Endurance? I guess it comes down to what kind of training he’s been doing in addition to training for baseball. My guess would be that he still has solid hands, obviously still has the height, and could potentially catch on somewhere as a possession-type receiver and would be a threat in the red-zone.

An interesting comparison would be to Mike Williams of the Seattle Seahawks. Williams is also a big receiver at 6’5 and took a few years off (2 I believe) in his mid-twenties due to poor performance and conditioning early in his career. He was a bust. This past year, at age 26 he gets in invite to camp by a former coach (Carroll), and makes the team. I could see Weis convincing Haley in KC to give Shark a tryout if he decided to leave baseball right now. If Samardzija wants to play in the NFL, he’s gotta do it soon, his window is closing.

"You've got to get your damn shirts rolled up and go out and kick somebody's ass. That's what you've got to do. Period." -- Lou Piniella

by tripdenten on Oct 27, 2010 5:27 PM CDT up reply actions