Why Is Randy Wells Battling for a Rotation Spot?
I thought this was a good post from Fangraphs about Randy Wells and his value. It makes you wonder why there's even competition to replace him in the rotation.
about 1 year ago
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I've been wondering this
all winter. He’s easily been right behind Dempster the last 2 years. He should’nt have to fight for anything.
I think
it could be Quade’s way of getting him to focus and concentrate on pitching since he admitted that on several starts last year he wasnt focused…
...don't they know he had an award winning game thread here?!?!
"Well-behaved women seldom make History"---Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
not "game" thread---"green" thread :)
"Well-behaved women seldom make History"---Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
it is totally ridiculous
obviously you want to make sure wells is working hard and not taking anything for granted, but as long as he’s doing that, he’s the fourth starter, period. silva and the rest of the chumps can battle it out for the fifth spot which will more than likely be a revolving door the entire season anyway.
There may be things
That the general public does not know about. Perhaps there have been multiple off or on the field issues that have kept private. Although it does seem odd, Quade’s not an idiot and I trust that he knows what he’s doing. Nothing wrong with a little competition either.
by renocubfan on Mar 8, 2011 10:09 AM CST via mobile reply actions
Wells seems to never get support
Offensively or Defensively when he Pitches. It seems to be a lot more than just a coincidence. Are ther issues with Well’s and his team mates???
I see nothing wrong with making him earn a spot
Perhaps this is a way for Quade to motivate him. Going into Spring Training, everyone knew and recognized that Wells had the most inside track to getting one of the two remaining spots. What’s so wrong with making him sprint to the finish, making him demonstrate the correct habits, making him feel some pressure to produce? He’s still a young guy. Telling him that he’s got a spot wrapped up may be the worst thing that could be done for him.
by jerry morales rules on Mar 8, 2011 10:15 AM CST reply actions
The better question is why is Hill given a roster spot?
by TJ11 on Mar 8, 2011 10:16 AM CST reply actions 1 recs
You are really making a mountain out of Hill.
♪♫ It’s a beautiful day for the ladies, so throw all your dishes away. ♫♪
Ha Ha
For me it’s less about him being a backup catcher while being god awful as it is illustrative that the organization thought process still leaves a lot to be desired.
That’s what Al and the rest of the “Sunshine Brigade” fail to understand. I could really care less about the backup catcher spot, but the choice of someone who has proven to be a poor choice continuing to be THE choice, when almost everyone else you have at the position is better is a bad sign.
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
by BoVandy on Mar 8, 2011 10:28 AM CST up reply actions 1 recs
Yup ..
I didn’t comment on it at the time, but yes there was a Sunshine Brigade that defended the contract extension and commented that the Hill hate is uncalled for and an overreaction ..I find it really funny now, that some of these people are now wanting Hill cut from the team.
by BadDecisions on Mar 8, 2011 10:30 AM CST up reply actions
Its amazing
how this organization made such good decisions in 2008 and leading up to 2009. Since then they seem to have completely done a 180 and made every bad decision imaginable.
Whether or not they were really "good" decisions is still up for debate
A lot of money was handed out, but there have been plenty of people who pointed out that the lineup construction was not great, and the money and contracts that were handed out wasn’t exactly brilliant GMing.
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
Well
my point was more of the basis behind the decisions. Such as leaning toward more of the statistical analysis.
"..leading up to 2009"
Seriously, though – can you point to a single decision made during the 2008-2009 offseason that made sense statistically or otherwise, or worked out to any positive effect whatsoever?
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
Bradley
Obviously he turned out to be a bad signing because of his behavior. But statistically he was the best choice.
No, he wasn't.
He had a great 2008, but he had a history of injuries, he was never that good hitting left-handed or in the middle of the order — and the Cubs were looking for a lefty middle-order bat. Plus, he had great numbers in 2008 mostly as a DH.
The Cubs should have signed Bobby Abreu.
Everybody but you, Drew and Jim Hendry knew how that was going to turn out...
He was an injury prone slacker given too much money and we all said it at the time…But he seems to fit your profile of a ggod player!!!!
Thats
just not true. There has never been any evidence of him being a “slacker” or being given too much money.
10 million dollars isn’t that much for a decent baseball player these days. see Carlos Pena.
Bradley got $30MM.
For a player who’d really never lasted more than 2 years at any stop, who had a strong history of injury and was turning 31, and who’d never earned more than $5MM in his career previously, 3 guaranteed years and $30MM is awfully remarkable.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on Mar 8, 2011 1:20 PM CST up reply actions
I never said
it didn’t turn out to be bad due to his behavior. But if he had kept his temper in control he most likely would have been well worth the money.
Once again, the Bradley signing was a bad one. But only because of Bradley himself.
That was part of the reason.
I actually was an advocate of signing Bradley after 2008 until I learned a few things:
1) He wasn’t that good a lefty hitter.
2) His strong performance in 2008 (which tilted projections) came while he was mostly a DH.
3) He never felt comfortable as a middle-order bat (by his own admission)
4) The extent of his injury history.
5) The crazy money Hendry gave him.
All that said, signing Bradley to a deal akin to Pena’s this season wouldn’t have been TERRIBLE. But when a cash-strapped team signs a guy with all of the caveats above AND his volatile nature to a 3-year $30 million contract, well, the move is just indefensible. Hendry got lucky that Silva was somewhat useful in 2010, but there’s really nothing else here to redeem Jimbo.
And regarding your projections comment earlier, who cares? Was Bradley $25 million more valuable than Abreu?
Thats not the point.
Yes, it didn’t work out, but i will still take the projections over anything else to determine who should be on the team.
In hindsight you can easily say he wasn’t worth it. But that doesn’t mean that before 2009 it wasn’t worth the shot.
Adding Bradley in 2009 had the cubs projected to win a whole lot of games. It was an exciting offseason. Obviously nobody is happy with how it turned out, but that team was very well put together.
I can't disagree more
Bradley was a volatile player. He had burned bridges with half the teams in the league. If Hendry wanted to give him a one year deal with incentives, mutual options or something like that, ok.
Giving him a guaranteed 3 year deal is beyond idiotic. Hendry had dinner with Bradley and his agent and was wooed by them. Of course, Bradley was on his best behavior and talked about how he was changed and wanted to play for the Cubs. Hendry was naive. Signing Bradley for 3 years is incompetence.
John Grabow: $4.8 million in 2011.
Nice that you didn't address ...
anything but my closing statement. You’re just wrong here, Husker. This wasn’t a good move that backfired. This was a bad move that looked worse after 2009. And who cares if it was ‘an exciting offseason’?
Here’s why the signing was so bad. For all the reasons I mentioned, Bradley was a bad fit for what the Cubs needed. When he didn’t fill those needs, he became a clubhouse cancer — and that was predictable behavior.
Now, a 1- year deal might have been OK. But for a team with a tight budget, it was a disaster that we’re still coping with.
Wow...We said this before he signed!!!!
Were you on then? None of us were surprised by the outcome but you I guess…
Very much this.
Honestly Husker, if you don’t believe there were plenty of people voicing their concern or outright disdain for this deal, look into the site archives.
The EXTENT to which Bradley sucked might have been a surprise, but the signing was regarded by plenty as a bad deal/
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
I'm not trying to convince you it was a bad idea
I understand how incredibly wrong and set in your ways you are on that.
What I am trying to convince you of is that there were plenty of people who didn’t think it was a good signing. It isn’t all hindsight the way you think it is.
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
Plenty of us were against the signing WHEN it happened.
Because we had seen how Bradley acted in San Diego, Los Angeles, and other cities, and we were nervous we were going to get similar actions here.
In many ways, we did. It isn’t hindsight at all. Rather, it is being leery about what will likely happen in the future.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 12, 2011 9:33 AM CST up reply actions
You're just being stubborn.
I believe I was among the first at BCB to suggest signing Milton. But giving him three years (even if one was a vesting option) was insanity — then and now.
I really don't think that was an exciting offseason.
It was excruciating as it was happening, and every week brought another horrific turn of events. Look guys, it’s Kevin Gregg! And Aaron Miles! (He can play 2B, SS, 3B, and all three OF positions!) And Aaron Heilman (we think he could be the #5 starter!)
And then Joey Gathright for $1M, giving Gaudin a tender offer and then releasing him literally 2 days after his contract became guaranteed…
Heck, the Cubs spent tens of millions of dollars extra to go from Reed/Jedmonds (backed up by Pie) in CF and Dome in RF, to Dome in CF and Bradley in RF. At a cost of almost $30 million dollars, they got worse offensively AND defensively.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on Mar 8, 2011 4:26 PM CST up reply actions
The Kevin Gregg move ...
is one that I can at least excuse. That was one that didn’t work out … but it wasn’t bad from Jump Street. It’s not like Jose Ceda has done much (unless I’ve missed it).
Totally agree on everything else.
Didn't Gregg blow like 9 saves the year before
we acquired him? It was a bit of an odd acquisition
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
He lost FLA's closer role....
By giving up a 900-foot game-losing HR to Daryle Ward. I imagine Hendry watching that and saying “Yes. That is the guy with whom I will replace Kerry Wood. The fans will accept this.”
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on Mar 8, 2011 6:32 PM CST up reply actions
Yeah, but the argument was ...
that he was hurt, and that he might be better once he was healthy. Hell, he actually had a good couple months as the Cubs closer before imploding in August.
I know. Didn’t work at all.
Eh. He totally stunk in April.
By the end of April 2009, the ship was taking on water quickly. 1 save (Opening Day), a WHIP approaching 2.000, and an ERA around 6.
Obviously, August is when it all completely went to hell.
One of my favorite Gregg stats is that in 30 appearances with 2 outs and RISP, the league posted an OPS of 1.009 against him. He blows saves, but MAN does he have panache. The guy knows how to deliver the gut-punch loss to his team.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
by D98 on Mar 8, 2011 6:59 PM CST up reply actions
And the fans.
The first game the Cubs ever lost when I was at, Gregg blew the save in San Diego.
Runner on first, two outs, and he simply could not get the third out.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 12, 2011 9:35 AM CST up reply actions
This is nonsense
There were PUH-LENTY of people who were saying this wasn’t going to work out before he was signed (including myself..cough cough)
Even if Bradley had been a model player, he wasn’t the player we were looking for. In fact the only area in which he remotely fit the bill was he could hit left handed. And as has been pointed out to you a couple of times, he wasn’t even that good at THAT.
You seem to be ignoring reality, in order to paint this picture of Bradley just falling off a cliff. He was a sub-par player coming off a career year. And to MANY the offseason leading up to the 2009 season wasn’t “exciting” it was perplexing.
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
And not many of us here liked him either,
Plenty of us disliked the signing when it happened and didn’t want MB on our team to begin with.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 12, 2011 9:37 AM CST up reply actions
Sarcasm?
Literally every decision leading up to 2009 was apocalyptically bad, both in rationale and result.
MLBMilestone.com - following the numbers to Cooperstown
No they weren't
The cubs were projected to win a lot of games. So in many ways good decisions were made that just didn’t work out.
Planning for this year on the other hand……..
Come ON.
Hendry gave a backup infielder — who couldn’t really play third and could barely play short — a 2-year deal. He gave a guy who didn’t fit the team’s actual needs and had serious head and injury issues $30 million. He also traded Felix Pie and replaced him with an older, worse version who cost more money — and he only got Aaron Heilman in exchange.
Hendry also released Casey McGehee — who went on to be a key starter on a division rival.
You keep neglecting to talk about the MONEY Hendry gave Bradley. Do you honestly think that Hendry was just unlucky and that he SHOULD have give Milton $30 million freaking dollars?
I haven't neglected anything.
I already said that I believe if Bradley had stayed here he probably would have come close to, if not passed, the value of that contract. It was Hendry’s (or whoever else makes the decisions) move to send him home, ruining his trade value, and only getting Silva in return.
And before you complain about his trade value, yes i’m willing to bet he did have some before he was sent to his room without dinner.
That's pure insanity.
If that were true, why was he so bad in Seattle last year? Because he was so tarnished by his year in Chicago that he couldn’t recover emotionally?
Bradley destroyed his own trade value by having a bad season and bad-mouthing the organization that gave him a $30 million contract. Maybe sending him home wasn’t the right decision (I’m unsure on that) but it didn’t really hurt his trade value that much.
this is funny
He's my Hossa
HO-HO-HO-HO-HOSSA
by jesus christos on Mar 8, 2011 8:14 PM CST up reply actions
I've tried to respond but I don't know what to say.
We must be following two different teams. I see dumb moves and you see bad luck.
John Grabow: $4.8 million in 2011.
This shows in one fell swoop
Why absolute devotion to “projections” is laughable in the extreme.
"When they signed Fukudome, I knew they were trying to get me fired". - Ron Santo, January, 2008
absolute devotion?
Hardly.
1) please explain how is value wasn’t ruined by Hendry publicly calling him out and sending him home?
2)Where does this absolute devotion to projections crap come from? You must be making this up right?
Answer to No. 1:
Milton had already destroyed his trade value by having a mediocre season where he mouthed off constantly. Also, by 2009, Milton had already played for about a third of the teams in baseball, none of which would have been happy to bring him back. And after his time in Chicago, he was pretty much out for any team that has to deal with a lot of media.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that Milton was overpaid, which took his trade value down another few notches.
Thinking that Milton could have come back in 2010 and had a good season — one worthy of his terrible contract — is just nuts.
You can't
tell me that the organization couldn’t have handled Bradley better. Everytime he did something Hendry was constantly talking to the media instead of Bradley himself.
If more of this stuff was kept in the clubhouse, instead of Lou or Hendry blabbing it all over the place, the cubs could have gotten much more in return than Silva. To think it is all MB’s fault is just nuts.
The Cubs probably could have handled things better.
Or, at least, it’s a reasonable question to ask. Would it have mattered in the long run — to the point that the contract would have ever looked good?
No, I don’t think so. And I’m clearly not alone.
I see you're point
I mean obviously I disagree, but it’s hard to tell what could have happened.
I won’t take this any farther because we probably won’t convince each other. haha
Handled it better? Yes.
Gotten more in return? No.
As elgato said, the number of teams at that point that would have considered Bradley on a 3 year deal was very small. It was also known that things weren’t going well in Chicago. There is a lot of communication that goes on behind the scenes. Other GM’s knew what was happening well before the Cubs suspended him.
Hendry was wooed by Bradley and his agent. Bradley said he was a changed man. The naive Hendry believed him and gave him three years.
John Grabow: $4.8 million in 2011.
Handled it better?
After the player in question threw his teammates, management, Cubs fans and the media under the bus all at once?
No. Not possible. I know YOU didn’t say this, but any idea that anyone could have helped that situation is just plain wrong.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
It's possible ...
that the Cubs could have handled the Bradley situation better earlier in the season. Like 5 percent possible.
I'd argue it was zero percent possible.
The player in question proved before, during and after his tenure with the Cubs that he was simply incapable of behaving well as a major league baseball player.
He had the physical talent, but was completely ill-suited to playing professional baseball.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
I'm just giving him one tiny benefit of the doubt.
But you might be right, Al.
There
was no reason for Hendry to call him out in the media. I can imagine that made MB feel much more isolated.
Thing like this need to be done quietly within the clubhouse.
So if MB calls out Hendry first,
It’s Hendry’s fault? Whatever. That’s one of the biggest logic fails I’ve ever seen.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 12, 2011 9:43 AM CST up reply actions
The cubs
organization needed to handle MB better from the start. They didn’t. It’s partly MB’s fault, but not all his fault. Anyone who thinks otherwise is fooling themselves.
Things needed to be handled within the clubhouse quietly. How can you not agree with that!?
I can understand where you're coming from.
The problem is that when has MB ever handled things in a quiet manner? He seems make his grievances public as much as possible.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 12, 2011 8:11 PM CST up reply actions
The organization should never have signed him in the first place.
His personality was not suited for playing in a high-profile market like Chicago. In fact, many of the things WERE handled privately, as Jim Hendry said after sending him home. It’s when he publicly threw the organization, his teammates, the media and fans under the bus, that it became public.
I feel sorry for MB. He is clearly a troubled man. He has baseball talent, but is really unsuited to play professional baseball with all its various requirements.
And the Cubs should have known better. He simply did not belong here.
Check out Chicago sports coverage at SB Nation Chicago
There wasn't a strong enough leader on that 2009 team
to coral Bradley’s negative behavior. That team lost the only leader that commanded any respect in Wood, and was full of ‘lead by example’ quiet types (ARam, Soriano, DLee, Demp aren’t vocal types). The situation required a ‘my way or the highway’ type of leader in the vein of the way Michael Jordan held the most famous bad-boy Dennis Rodman in check.
I think Hendry thought the clubhouse was strong enough to keep Bradley in check, it wasn’t and the team suffered because of it……
Answer to #2, in a comment you made:
I believe if Bradley had stayed here he probably would have come close to, if not passed, the value of that contract. It was Hendry’s (or whoever else makes the decisions) move to send him home, ruining his trade value, and only getting Silva in return.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 12, 2011 9:40 AM CST up reply actions
I don't think quote has applied to a post more completely than this one
“what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul. "
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
Wow.
Just wow. Catching up on some posts while I can’t sleep. There’s nothing more I can add to what’s been said above, except that I agree with all of it. You’re completely incorrect.
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You haven't?
Here are some…..
Prior to Bradley’s season with the Cubs, he only played in 100 games in a single season three times since 2000.
He was signed to be a middle-of-the-order lefty with a career high 22 home runs the prior season—the only time he had ever reached a home run total into the 20’s.
In fact, in 2008—his only season in which he received any MVP recognition—he averaged a HR every 25 AB as a left handed hitter (11 for the year) and a HR every 13 AB as a right handed hitter (10 for the year). So, his value as a power hitting left handed hitter is much lower than his value as a right handed hitter—which nulifies the excused “value”.
As a left handed hitter, his career OPS is .783 (with a .424 slugging %).
That’s worth $30M?
Again, Bobby Abreu posted an .833 OPS vs. righties in 2008 and an .865 OPS vs. lefties that year. Would have been $25M less.
Come on Lisa, I'm trying to impress people here. You don't win friends with salad. ~ Homer J. Simpson
by TheBeerBaron on Mar 9, 2011 12:49 PM CST up reply actions
You forgot....
that he was actually signed to play the outfield, when he had nearly exclusively DH’ed the year before, which was the main factor that likely had kept him healthy and on the field in 08.
Cub Fan - Bud Man
by Orangeman94 on Mar 10, 2011 12:26 PM CST up reply actions
Okay,
Bradley had had character and temper control issues in nearly every stop in his career. His conduct included blowing out his knee while trying to tackle an umpire and trying to confront an opposing teams’ radio broadcaster after the broadcaster made derogatory comments about the Rangers.
And now he has been arrested and charged with making criminal threats to a woman.
Oh wait, by your logic (yes, I know, “Husker_1 logic” is an oxymoron), Bradley is an innocent victim in these incidents.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 12, 2011 9:49 AM CST up reply actions
So signing Bradley was bad luck?
Wow. I think you’ve spent too much time trying to argue this point and not enough time learning how to think.
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 12, 2011 9:38 AM CST up reply actions
I'm not sure Soriano qualifies as a "good decision".
I didn't believe it last August, but it turns out that love survives.
State high point count: 3/50
If you are grouchy, irritable, or just plain mean, there will be a $10 charge for putting up with you.
by Vermont Cubs Fan on Mar 12, 2011 9:29 AM CST up reply actions
Or Silva
And yes, I get why Silva has a roster spot. However this does seem to be backwards. While Wells is not Cy Young material, he’s certainly good enough to be EITHER the 4th or 5th starter. Being in the rotation should be about as foregone a conclusion as any.
The fact that he’s having to compete and Hill is given a brand new contract to be a terrible major leaguer is……….odd but par for the course with Hendry
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
I don't have a problem with saying
everybody is battling for a spot on the final roster. Sure, in reality you can’t cut certain players, but there’s nothing wrong with fostering the mindset that players need to work hard and prove their worth in camp rather than sitting back and coasting as if there is no repercussions for poor work ethic and bad play.
As for Wells, I think the 4 spot is in the bag and probably always has been. He definitely deserves it too. Unfortunately, the media and us fans need things to talk about during the long cold winter, and Wells’ struggles last season and the need to refocus this season made for semi-interesting news fodder the last few months (despite the fact that he wasn’t much worse than in ’09). My guess is the Cubs were wiling to let him take his lumps in the media as a motivational tool.
As others have mentioned ...
I don’t see any way Wells won’t be the fourth starter (barring injury). I think the Cubs staff thought Wells was too big for his britches last year — notably in his horrible June — and just didn’t want him to take anything for granted.
Even two months ago, it was hard to imagine Wells getting beat out by TWO of Silva/Cashner/Coleman/Wellemyer/Looper/Russell — and Silva’s terrible spring thus far only solidifies Wells’ position. At this point, I’m pretty sure Randy will be starting the Cubs’ fourth game of 2011.
Honestly, Wells taking a step forward might be a big difference maker for the Cubs this season. Granted, the Cubs need Z-Dempster-Garza to be pretty good, but a strong fourth starter would make the Cubs pretty interesting.
My guess? The Cubs start the year with Wells as the fourth starter and either Wellemyer, Coleman or Cashner (in no particular order) as the No. 5. I’m extremely pessimistic about Silva, Looper seems done and Russell doesn’t seem like he can get righties out.
He was OK last year.
But yeah, I don’t disagree regarding his ST.
I honestly don't get the desire to have THREE lefties in the pen.
That seems like a bit of overkill and it makes you have to have a bad reliever on staff just to fill that bill.
"Oh Crap"
-Famous Last Words by General George Custer
Well if Maine proves to be one of the best options, I'm fine with him getting a spot.
I believe he is, and that he will get a spot. But I agree on Russell, I don’t get why so many people like him, I don’t think he’s anything special as a reliever or a starter.
I like him because I have his autograph!
A LO PROFUNDOOO...NOO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NOO...DIGALE QUE NO A ESA PELOTA!!!
GANAN LOS CACHORROS DE CHICAGO!!
by Azul Cachorro on Mar 16, 2011 11:59 PM CDT up reply actions
Some might say Wells has already been pretty strong for a fourth starter.
And are you saying the Cubs will release Silva during/after spring training? I think that’s possible, but I wouldn’t put it past Silva to pull things together and pitch decently for the rest of Cactus League play.
Contributing Editor, SB Nation Chicago. Please follow us on Twitter!
Because the Cubs don't have a strong understanding of basic metrics?
"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks
In this case
“Fangraphs” is Joe Pawlikowosky. Maybe he’s new to the whole Spring training thing, but its pretty routine for teams to say that guys have to earn their rotation spots. It doesn’t mean they don’t have every expectation that he will be in the rotation. What would be the advantage of telling him he’s got a spot when he shows up?
One of the menagerie of authors was recently asking why the brewcrew wasn’t bringing back Jim Edmonds.
Well, just for the sake of discussion...
…the advantage would be giving a vote of confidence to a converted catcher who’s basically come out of nowhere to be one of the better lower-rotation starters in the National League. Certainly in the NL Central.
Contributing Editor, SB Nation Chicago. Please follow us on Twitter!
While I understand your point,
Let’s remember he said himself he got “too big for his britches” last year, as many have said. Putting a vote of confidence in his ability before he has really done much pitching this spring could be playing towards that again.
Yeah, that's true.
At the end of the day, I can accept the Cubs putting up the facade — as long as they give Randy a much longer leash than the other candidates. And he’s pitched well enough so far this spring to make me increasingly less worried that he won’t get a spot.
Contributing Editor, SB Nation Chicago. Please follow us on Twitter!
He matches up against Garza pretty well
Guess we have to put that down to AL East v NL Central?
"Keep pushin' til' it's understood. And these badlands start treating us good."
just read
some of the comments on bradley. no matter what hendry or anbody says a 1st grader would have known not to make that deal. not disparaging anybody but the cubs were just that desparate.
desperate?
They had just come off a 97 win season and they felt like that needed to be blown up. Hmm..
Proud recipient of a hot dog shot from the Iowa Cubs hot dog gun.
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Cubs By The Numbers
Cubs By The Numbers is a history of the ballclub by uniform number, but the biographies help trace the history of our beloved team in a new way. For everyone who's a Cubs fan, anyone who ever wore the uniform is like family. Cubs By The Numbers reintroduces readers to some of their long-lost ancestors, even ones they think they already know.
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