The Chicago Cubs continue to look for another reliever and/or a swing pitcher – someone who could fill in at the back end of the rotation if necessary, but who will primarily work out of the pen. And no, for some reason, previously successful swing pitchers Sean Marshall, Tom Gorzelanny and Jeff Samardzija don’t qualify for some reason.
One name surfacing recently in bullpen talks is Jason Frasor.
The Cubs also have talked to the Toronto Blue Jays about bullpen pitchers. Former Oak Forest High School pitcher Jason Frasor is on the Cubs’ radar. Frasor was a starter at Southern Illinois for four years. ESPN Chicago.
Frasor, 31, is exactly the kind of reliever that seems to attract Jim Hendry’s attention: he had a dominant year in 2009 (2.50 ERA, 1.023 WHIP), but before that, he had five years of being decent, but not great. Perhaps he turned a corner, or perhaps *relievers are very prone to ups and downs from year to year and the truly consistent relievers become closers, which is why it is absurd to spend money or make trades for non-closing relievers.*