The Cubs don’t like to keep open 40-man spots when there are players out there just waiting to be claimed. I like it.
The 40-man roster is full once again after the Cubs today claimed well-travelled righty Gonzalez Germen off of waivers from the Rangers. Germen, 27, went from the Mets to the Yankees in a “trade” for cash earlier this offseason, was then picked up by the Rangers in a “trade” for cash, and is now with the Cubs. Based on those facts, alone you could conclude that Germen is probably a little more valuable than your typical waiver player. Usually, you don’t have to pay extra – in the form of a cash trade – to get a guy who was DFA’d and then waived.
So … is Germen a solid pick-up? Well, he was a solid reliever for the Mets in 2013 after first reaching the big leagues, but fell back a bit last year. That first year with the Mets was also essentially the first year he’d been moved to the bullpen, so maybe there’s been a little adjustment underway – clearly teams like his upside as a reliever.
I’ll have more on Germen soon. The last few waiver claims this offseason (not to mention Germen’s story, too) have taught me that it’s worth waiting a few days before doing a deep dive on a recent pick-up …