In order to re-order and supplement the straining Cubs bullpen, the team made a series of roster moves today.
Carl Edwards, Jr., who has been struggling for a long time, has been optioned to AAA Iowa, where he can hopefully work out his control problems in a lower-risk environment.
Mike Montgomery, who has been getting knocked around, has been placed on the 10-day IL with a mild lat strain. His stint is retroactive to April 5, so he can be back in nine days if it’s a truly short-term thing.
Righty Allen Webster has been added to the 40-man roster and called up. The 29-year-old has gone from former top pitching prospect to exiled pitcher to injured pitcher to minor league signee to converted reliever to dominant Spring Training arm. He now gets a chance to stick in the Cubs’ bullpen, which hopefully he does – both for the results and because he has no minor league options remaining.
Lefty Kyle Ryan is also being called up. Ryan, 27, has had success as a reliever in the big leagues before, but kinda had to rediscover himself at AAA last year with the Cubs. They liked what they saw enough to give him a big league deal, and he was one of the last cuts – with Webster – in Spring Training.
Righty Jen-Ho Tseng has been designated for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot. Tseng, 24, has intermittently been very successful in the minor leagues for the Cubs after being a big money IFA signing, but he’s always struggled to put together a playable enough fastball to make the rest of his repertoire work as a starter. I expect the Cubs will try to get Tseng through waivers so they can outright him to Iowa, but it’s at least remotely conceivable that some rebuilding club will snag him and try to make something out of him.
Now, please: whoever can best communicate it, please make sure Ryan and Webster know they don’t have to come in and be the saviors. Just. Be. Yourselves.