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).
And then there’s the trade possibility. If he’s traded, well, the Cubs are on the hook for however much they agree to be on the hook. But is there any interest? The DailyHerald has suggested that perhaps the White Sox would be interest in reuniting with Vizcaino.
Otherwise, there hasn’t been much in the way of trade rumors.
Whatever happens, Cubs fans should temper their expectations: in this market, getting a team to take $500k of the salary and send back a low upside, low level prospect is probably a coup. So don’t criticize the return if it’s crummy.
But feel free to criticize the bizarre and reactionary decision to DFA Vizcaino to make room for Jeff Samardzija, while holding onto ineffective Rule V pickup David Patton.