NEWSLETTER
Last week, amid a flurry of activity, the Chicago Cubs relatively quietly designated reliever Shawn Camp for assignment. It seemed unlikely that they’d find a taker for him – even more unlikely than Carlos Marmol, for whom the Cubs did find a trading partner – and that the designation would end in a release.
Today, according to the Cubs’ transaction wire, it did.
Camp, whom the Cubs picked up as a Mariners cast-off in late Spring Training last year, was brilliant on the cheap for the Cubs in 2012. He put up a 3.59 ERA and a 1.288 WHIP over 77.2 innings and 80 appearances. His 2.57 K/BB was solid, and he was reliable virtually every time he took the field.
The Cubs ignored the warnings signs of age – Camp turned 37 in the offseason – and usage – those 80 appearances led the league – and rewarded Camp with a $1.35 million deal for 2013. Given the state of the bullpen, and the low dollars involved, you couldn’t really complain too much about it. It felt like an overpay, and the risks were apparent. It didn’t work out – Camp had a 7.04 ERA in limited duty this year – but the Cubs will be all right for it.
Best of luck to Camp, who’ll probably try to latch on with another organization.
