NEWSLETTER
At this point, no one but Chicago Cubs management is hoping Carlos Silva makes the team’s rotation. And no one (perhaps but Cubs management) expects him to, either.
That’s why it’s not particularly surprising to learn that teams have been showing up at Silva’s Spring starts to see how he looks. Specifically, the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals were on hand for yesterday’s split squad game against the Reds.
During Saturday’s 7-6 split-squad loss to the Cincinnati Reds, numerous scouts, including three from the Washington Nationals, saw Silva’s best performance of the spring. The 31-year-old veteran threw five decent innings, giving up four runs on five hits.
In addition to the Nationals, the New York Yankees are following all of Silva’s outings, according to major league sources. Both teams need to fortify their rotations. The Yankees could easily absorb most of Silva’s $12 million salary for 2011 if they like what they see from the veteran pitcher the rest of the spring. ESPN Chicago.
Several important notes:
(1) Silva’s salary for 2011 is $11.5 million, not $12 million. He’s owed a $2 million buyout after the season, so the total is $13.5 million. But, thanks to the Mariners and Milton Bradley, the Cubs are on the hook for only $8 million.
(2) There could be any number of reasons the Nats and Yanks had scouts at yesterday’s game. There were plenty of youngsters in action, and each team will play both the Cubs and Reds this season.
(3) Even if the Nats and, more importantly, the Yanks were scouting Silva, they very well could have no interest in trading for him. Instead, they may just be doing their diligence in the event that Silva is (inevitably) released. The Nats have six viable starting pitchers as it is, and the Yanks, for all the talk of their rotation woes, seem set at the back-end with Ivan Nova and Freddy Garcia.
(4) They saw Silva’s best start, eh? Sad, but true.
