Darwin Barney To Be Recalled Soon?
So says Paul Sullivan:
A ninth rookie is certain to be added soon when the Cubs decide to call up Darwin Barney to back up Blake DeWitt at second.
Since the 40-man roster is full, that'd mean (most likely) that either Mike Fontenot, Xavier Nady or Jeff Baker is gone. Maybe that's why Baker played a bit of 1B last night -- he'd have to be the backup if Nady is gone.
almost 2 years ago
Al Yellon
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My guess is Fontenot
He has no role right now, or a future with the Cubs. He can only play one position, second base. With DeWitt you have no need for Fontenot. Nady should get you something in return. Fontenot, I can’t see anything but a real low level, marginal player in return.
I think Nady has less value than Fontenot
"Lou Piniella's been a great manager for a long time and I stand by him completely"
Jim Hendry
by Doggie Stalker on Aug 3, 2010 2:02 PM CDT up reply actions
Nady possibly has some value next year at 1B
while Fontenot has none anymore on this team. Baker has more value as the utility guy since he can play 2B, 3B (a whole lot better than Fontenot) and he can play OF unlike Fontenot.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Aug 4, 2010 8:16 AM CDT up reply actions
Nady really has no value at all.
He’s 32 in November. Micah Hoffpauir could do what Nady has done — and there are likely other players who could do the same thing cheaper.
Nady won’t be back. Neither will Fontenot. I expect one or both possibly gone by the end of this month.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
I think Nady is better than Hoffpauir...
Or at least, I’ll say he was better than Hoffpauir. As a regular in 2008, he had an .867 OPS and 25 HR. It’s hard to say if the elbow surgery completely ruined him as a player. He went from a very productive regular in 2008 to basically never playing in 2009 and 2010, so it’s hard to say if he’s done or if he’s just not productive as a reserve.
In any case, the emergence of Colvin and his inability to be a productive platoon player make him worthless to us this year. And guys like him are always available in the offseason anyway. So I will not be sad to see him go if he goes soon.
I agree, Nady has little value, but that still puts him ahead of Fontenot
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Aug 4, 2010 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions
what the heck is the point of this?
how does Barney “backing up” DeWitt for a month help his development over playing games in AAA for a month
Barney can get all the “backing up” experience he needs in Sept when rosters expand
I’m amazed by the front offices never-ending battle with logic
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by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 3, 2010 1:42 PM CDT reply actions
It’s almost as bad Cashner in the rotation.
by LouPiniellaIsRetiring on Aug 3, 2010 1:46 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Eh, I'm indifferent...
Barney doesn’t project to be more than a backup anyway. With Castro locked in, DeWitt likely to get a long look, and Hak-Ju Lee hopefully only a couple of years away anyway, it’s not like that month of development will mean much.
This move would just give the team an extra month to see if he can be the answer as the backup middle infielder, or if the team needs to find a veteran backup middle infielder. Getting two months of information on him might be more valuable than an extra month in AAA.
i get that he's no more than a backup
i guess i dont understand how sitting on a bench and getting 25 ABs in August gives you a better understand of his ability to fill that position
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by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 3, 2010 2:14 PM CDT up reply actions
It gets you 30-40 more AB against MLB pitching in a backup role...
and perhaps as importantly, it gives the team an extra 30-40 AB to evaluate Barney’s availability to fill that role next year. Neither of which can be accomplished by Barney playing another month in AAA.
In other words, I think the value of the additional month in MLB (and the 30-40 AB that come with it) are worth more than an additional month in AAA.
This all presumes...
… that Lou is actually willing to use him in that role — i.e., put him in for defense at the end of games and let him start once a week or so, maybe more in September.
That’s what a utility infielder does. Lou has never really used anyone properly in that role.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Sure, that's always an issue...
But at least Piniella doesn’t have Theriot to play everyday in front of him. And now that he’s officially not coming back, perhaps he’ll just do whatever the organization wants.
Well, they could always get another jump on 2011 and fire Lou now
Really, why have him around if he is just going to be an impediment for what the team needs to do for the future? To Hell with “veteran dignity.” Send him packing.
i understand the point
and granted in the end even if it is a mistake its really of no consequence
personally i just dont get the unnecessary starting of arb clocks early (for any player) and if they have to remove someone from the current roster to create that role for Barney it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me (though if someone claims one of our guys and the spot is opened naturally, i get it)
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by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 3, 2010 2:31 PM CDT up reply actions
This doesn't really affect his arb clock
it’s late enough in the season that he’ll not be a “super two”. And until I see evidence that we’ll actually designate a player to bring him up, the second concern is moot.
I agree in general that it’s silly to start a player’s clock unnecessarily. But assuming that a player comes off the roster via claim/trade, then calling Barney up has virtually no financial impact.
With Fontenot as the backup
it is clear the Cubs need a backup SS, and Barney would give them that.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Aug 4, 2010 8:18 AM CDT up reply actions
I'm not sure
that Barney has anything left to learn in AAA. Bringing him up and getting him used to the majors is probably the right call.
Now Andrew Cashner should be down in the minors starting rather than getting knocked around in blowouts in relief. He does need to learn how to pitch as a starter. Keeping him in the pen has been dumb. I thought it was just going to be a temporary thing.
by Josh Timmers on Aug 3, 2010 2:08 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed completely on both counts...
Barney isn’t going to be an everyday player for us, so getting him used to a utility role in the big leagues makes more sense than another month in AAA.
And unless the Cubs envision Cashner as a reliever for the future, he should never have been called up to pitch in relief. At this point, I think it would be unwise to send him down though. But if the intention is for him to eventually be a starter, then it was dumb to call him up, and it has been dumb to keep him up.
Agreed on Cashner
i guess when i look at a .297/.333/.378 line i don’t think “man that guys dominated this level”
I know he’s not going to be a star or even a starter likely, but its not like Barney has dominated AAA to the point he’s not getting anything out of it down there
Why cost yourself another player (who we’d have to designate) just to let Barney get used to sitting on a major league bench?
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by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 3, 2010 2:16 PM CDT up reply actions
I think the assumption is that a player would be claimed off waivers...
there’s no specific discussion of designating a player in Sullivan’s post.
Agreed.
I think his lack of experience out of the bullpen speaks volumes with his performance this season. I believe his career has been mismanaged by the front office thus far and it’d be nice to see him get some more starting work in Iowa so he could maybe join the rotation next year.
I think he could be stretched out to start in winter ball.
Let him keep facing major league hitters. There are only four weeks left in the Triple-A season; there’s no point to sending him out now.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Do both
Send Cashner down to Iowa now and start the process, then continue it in winter ball.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Aug 4, 2010 8:19 AM CDT up reply actions
As I posted
There’s no point to the Iowa thing. Let him keep facing major league hitters for now and then play winter ball. The Triple-A season is almost over.
"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra
Agreed...
He shouldn’t have ever been called up, but at this point there’s no point in reversing the process until the season’s over. If anything, I’d fear that trying to stretch him back out again would be more dangerous than just letting him play out the string and then having him focus on starting in winter ball.
I disagree
sending him down to start in Iowa is better if you plan on him battling for a spot in the rotation next spring.
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Aug 4, 2010 9:45 AM CDT up reply actions
FWIW
He was a closer/reliever when they drafted him…so he is not completely ignorant to coming out of a bullpen
"All I want is food and creative love" - Rusted Root
by TheRiot Police on Aug 3, 2010 3:36 PM CDT up reply actions
Correct...
Cashner certainly doesn’t have a lack of experience in coming out of the bullpen. He just has a lack of experience in facing MLB hitters.
I can see some small logic in it
Barney is probably a career utility guy. He isn’t going to be cost prohibitive. When/If he gets expensive he’ll go away. There isn’t much he’s going to learn at AAA, might as well let him come up. He figures into next years plans a lot more than Fontenot. So, if the spot is there bring him up.
Good
I like this kid. I remember watching him in college and then finding out the Cubs drafted him.
"Get up or GET OUT THE WAY!"
~Stacy King
Rec'd
I think fans are going to love this kid. He’s like Theriot except less likely to TOOTBLAN.
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by BrewCrew'sPrinceofDarkness on Aug 3, 2010 2:13 PM CDT reply actions
that is what we need
25 Theriot’s sans the TOOTBLAN’s!
I Love Larry - Brick are you looking at random things around the room and saying that you love them - I Love Larry
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That was the 2006 Cubs
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by BrewCrew'sPrinceofDarkness on Aug 3, 2010 2:32 PM CDT up reply actions
but they werent
as scrappy as the Scrap-master
I Love Larry - Brick are you looking at random things around the room and saying that you love them - I Love Larry
Currently 34,839 on the Season Ticket Wait List - Expected age of being #0: 119
Key quote from the article
“He’s a right-handed hitter and would complement DeWitt at second, while allowing them to love [sic] Colvin from the leadoff spot.” I assume that means “move” Colvin from the leadoff spot. Even if this move is only an excuse to get your second-leading HR hitter down into the middle of the order where he belongs, it’s worth it to call this kid up.
this is horrifying
they think Barney is a leadoff hitter???
he of the career .335 OBP in the minors
uuuuuugh
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by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 3, 2010 2:30 PM CDT up reply actions
No, Sullivan thinks of him as a leadoff hitter...
there are no quotes from the organization regarding Barney in that article.
phew...
thank god
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by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 3, 2010 3:24 PM CDT up reply actions
Agreed...
If Barney starts leading off, I’ll be displeased.
well if theriot is the comp
and the cubs lead-off with theriot a bunch….
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by DartmouthCubsFan on Aug 4, 2010 10:43 AM CDT up reply actions
The Cubs stopped leading off with Theriot though...
Theriot wasn’t leading off once they made the move to put Colvin there. So if Theriot/DeWitt is the comp, both are/were batting 8th.
And for no good reason at all.....
A pack of used chewing gum would have more value for the Cubs that Nady;
Is Barney capable at ss?
I Love Larry - Brick are you looking at random things around the room and saying that you love them - I Love Larry
Currently 34,839 on the Season Ticket Wait List - Expected age of being #0: 119
It's his natural position...
I’d guess he’s your typical light-hitting, solid defensive middle infield utility type.
He's a very good defender at ss.
In fact I think it’s the only position he’s played in the minors
by Dcr18 on Aug 3, 2010 2:38 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I think I got yelled at
yesterday for suggesting that DeWitt was going to now be the backup 3b because we didnt have a backup ss…guess this fixes a few problems…
I Love Larry - Brick are you looking at random things around the room and saying that you love them - I Love Larry
Currently 34,839 on the Season Ticket Wait List - Expected age of being #0: 119
defensively, yes
it is what he has played for years now
I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.
~Earl Warren
by lookingdeadred on Aug 4, 2010 8:20 AM CDT up reply actions
How long have you been here???
People here bitch and moan if they change the batboy. It’s the Cub Fans way of life.
See the Cubs 2010 schedule (now with game times & TV Schedule) at http://cubsbythenumbers.com/sched2010.html
Also see what old Cubs Scorecards looked like at http://cubsbythenumbers.com/scorecards.html
What???
They’re changing the batboy? Grumble, grumble grumble.
sarcasm
watched him win it all at OSU, i like him
castro-colvin-barney is gonna be the only reason i watch cubs games the rest of this miserable season.
"Never tell me the odds." - Han Solo (intergalactic smuggler, inveterate gambler, Cubs fan)
I believe that Ramirez will get shut down soon
It just seems like his thumb is bothering him again after that one hot streak. Look at Soriano – he was never quite right, and after getting shut down, he’s had a solid season for his age.
Barney and Baker will be in competition for the #1 IF reserve next year, and Barney has the defensive edge because of his SS play over Baker’s 3B play. (When Theriot was on the team, Baker had the edge because he could play 3B and Theriot could not.)
So if Ramirez goes on the DL, that frees up AB for both of Barney and Baker to start 20 games the rest of the way, with DeWitt playing almost every day either at 2B/3B.
It's a simple question, Doctor: would you eat the moon if it were made of ribs??
slide dewitt to 3b
and start Barney at 2b – give him the AB’s to see what he can do…
I Love Larry - Brick are you looking at random things around the room and saying that you love them - I Love Larry
Currently 34,839 on the Season Ticket Wait List - Expected age of being #0: 119
Baker is unlikely to be on the 2011 roster
He hasn’t produced and is arb eligible. Absolutely no reason to keep him, as replacements for what he has done are dime a dozen.
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