The 2009 Chicago Cubs: Recalling Those “Worst Case Scenarios”
Oh those Chicago Cubs. They are, as always, predictably unpredictable – with the exception that they are predictably disappointing. Now, with the advent of 2010, we can finally reflect dispassionately on the 2009 Chicago Cubs.
The 2009 iteration of the Cubs was no exception in the disappointment department. We didn’t quite know how things would play out, but we knew it would end with us nestled up to a gutter, clinging to our hopes for next year like a vagrant clings to his dwindling bottle of booze – to which we are also clinging.
Still, we didn’t think it would be quite this bad. The 2008 Cubs, after all, had been the best in the National League, and the team had added a full year of Rich Harden and a new, stellar switch hitter in right field. But a certain level of skepticism was necessary for protection from heartache. To that end, we had this to say:
We know, intellectually, the 2009 season will not play out as we project. Seasons never do. However, we assume that it will play out closer to the averages, to our expectations, than something else.
But what if that something else happens? What if – God, yes God, forbid – the worst happens? Not just for a couple players, but for every single Chicago Cub. What would that season look like, and would you survive it?
And with that, we laid out the worst case scenarios for the 2009 Chicago Cubs – never believing, of course, that the foreboding predictions would prove closer to reality than the outlandish fiction they were supposed to approach. Like a certain episode of the Simpsons, we thought, certainly something bad could befall one of the Cubs. Maybe even two. Maybe even three Cubs would struggle for various reasons. But all of them (except Homer)? Surely that’s the stuff of fantasy.
Or nightmare. Because those “worst case scenarios” absolutely became our hellish reality in 2009. Enter the nightmare, after the jump.
Chicago Cubs: Dumping Players, and the Measure of Regret
The All Star break marks the not-really-but-figurative mid-point of the season. It always seems like a good time to reflect on pre-season items, and how things have played out (read: cliche, but we’re doing it anyway). It is an easy time to look back with the benefit of hindsight … and regret.
The Chicago Cubs had a particularly active pre-season (and early season) in the transaction department, so a review of those moves and how they’ve played out is worth considering. Here, we’re going to focus on the guys that the Cubs moved out. Specifically, it is worth looking at all of the guys that the Cubs dumped like fat chicks before prom – and deciding the measure of regret. Player by player analysis, after the jump.
Luis Vizcaino is Officially Gone – And Apparently Lou Pushed Him Out the Door
The Chicago Cubs designated reliever Luis Vizcaino, earlier received from the Rockies for Jason Marquis, for assignment two weeks ago, and now have officially released him.
The Cubs will be on the hook for $4 million, less the league minimum if a team signs him, which seems likely.
The assumption when Vizcaino was given the boot in favor of keeping Rule V pick David Patton and optionless reliever Angel Guzman was that it was a difficult decision, but was necessary to create a spot for Jeff Samardzija, and not lose either of the two previously-mentioned arms.
Well apparently that assumption was wrong.
So What’s Going to Happen With Luis Vizcaino?
The Chicago Cubs designated reliever Luis Vizcaino for assignment four days ago. Recall that when a player is designated for assignment, a team has 10 days to trade or release him.
Alternatively, if the team placed the player on waivers within the first seven days (i.e., gave the rest of the ML teams the chance to claim the player – and his entire contract, which was never going to happen), the player can be assigned to one of the team’s minor league teams.
If Vizcaino is assigned to the minors, he still gets his full contract with the Cubs (approximately $4 million over the course of this and next year (a buyout)). If he’s released, he gets his full contract minus the league minimum, which will be paid by whatever team signs him (if he’s signed).
But what about the possibility of a trade? After the jump
Cubs DFA Luis Vizcaino
We hardly knew ye.
As expected, the Cubs designated right-hander Luis
Vizcaino for assignment on Thursday to make room on the 25-man roster
for Jeff Samardzija.According to ESPN.com, Chicago was trying to trade Vizcaino before
bringing up Samardzija from Triple-A Iowa. But while general manager
Jim Hendry attempted to work out a deal with other teams to save money
– including the Nationals — the 34-year-old reliever will now be on
waivers for up to 72 hours. After that, the Cubs will have seven days
to release or trade him.MLB.com.
If my rudimentary understanding of the ridiculously complicated waiver
system is correct, if a team claims Vizcaino in the next few days,
they will assume his entire salary ($3.5 mill this year, and 500k
buyout next year). If no one claims him, the Cubs will have seven days
to trade or release him (Cubs would be on the hook for whatever the
other team doesn’t take on), and if still he remains, he can accept a
minor league assignment if he so chooses.
Please feel free to correct me.
Samardzija is Back (redux), and Somebody’s Out
Jeff Samardzija makes his way back to the big club today after pitching very well to start the year in AAA Iowa, and manager Lou Piniella says he’ll help out in the 6th and 7th (which I suppose means he’ll be in the pen, and will be a setup-ish pitcher).
Naturally, this begs the question: if Samardzija is in, who’s out?
Speculation and clues from Jim Hendry, after the jump
Samardzija is Back
Apparently the Chicago Cubs will call up Jeff Samardzija tomorrow to help the ailing bullpen. The question, of course, is who is going to be gone?
Neal Cotts is in no danger of being optioned, and Hendry said Sean Marshall will remain in the rotation. This could mean Luis Vizcaino is in danger of being released. Hardball.
I’m not 100% convinced that Cotts couldn’t be on the way out, but whatever, I don’t get paid to do this.
As we said earlier, don’t be shocked if Samardzija gets plugged right into the rotation and Sean Marshall gets moved to the bullpen.
Edit: Son of a crapper. Seems I missed a bit of the boat. Will give a full run-down tomorrow, but no, it definitely won’t be Cotts on the way out. So much for my pontificating.
Cubs Release Chad Gaudin, Jeff Samardzija to AAA
The Chicago Cubs bullpen is set: David Patton and Angel Guzman are in, Chad Gaudin and Jeff Samardzija are out. Ultimately, this is the precise series of moves we had predicted a week ago, with the exception of Gaudin being released instead of traded or DL’d.
Previously, the Cubs had indicated no one would be released. Lou Piniella said he was told by General Manager Jim Hendry that the necessary moves would be by option (which could only be Samardzija) or by trade. That Gaudin was released indicates a trade fell through, or that Hendry was far too optimistic.
