Cubs Considering Offers for Pitchers Chad Gaudin and Angel Guzman

There are no fewer than five remaining pitchers in camp who are battling for just two bullpen spots – Jeff Samardzija, David Patton, Chad Fox, Chad Gaudin, and Angel Guzman (assuming Luis Vizcaino’s spot is assured). The matter of how to fit five into two is the last remaining item on the Chicago Cubs’ agenda – and ousting Gaudin and Guzman may be the first step.

[T]he Cubs appear to be getting some trade feelers on reliever Chad Gaudin and maybe even Angel Guzman. DailyHerald.com.

Guzman is presumably given the “maybe even” tag because he is out of options, and unlike Gaudin, has not yet established himself as a Major League calibre pitcher.

Ironic, of course, given the fact that Gaudin’s inability to look like a Major League calibre pitcher this Spring is what led to his inclusion in this very discussion.

Guzman will likely be shipped to a smaller market team that can stash him in exchange for a minor leaguer, or he’ll be subjected to waivers when he doesn’t make the Cubs, and picked off the waiver wire by the same kind of team.

As long as there are at least two teams interested in picking up Guzman for nothing, the Cubs will be able to trade him – they will simply ask the team second in line to claim Guzman if they’ll at least give the Cubs a nothing, low level minor leaguer for him. Hopefully he can pull in something more than that, but it’s quite unlikely given his performance, injury history, and lack of options.

Gaudin would be a more interesting trade. What is the value in this market for a previously successful swing man, who is still young, under control for another year, and is relatively cheap? I’d like to think it’s decent, but given Gaudin’s late season injuries last year and his terrible performance thus far this year, I’m not optimistic. And it’s too bad – on a team with as much fragility in the starting rotation as the Cubs, a (successful) guy like Gaudin could be invaluable.