Matt Garza shut down, likely to miss first month of the season
Per Carrie Muskat, Garza experienced more pain related to his strained lat muscle during a throwing session today. He's been shut down a week by the trainers, and it's "likely" that he'll miss the first month of the season. Carlos Villanueva is probably the happiest guy in the clubhouse right now. His four innings with one run yesterday certainly helps too.
Re: Garza's trade prospects
Jeff Samardzija named opening day starter
My one-year-ago self is still shaking his head.
At least Scott Baker is doing okay
(Knocks on all available wooden surfaces). He's on track to come back in mid-April.
Other injury news
Castro's hamstring is inflamed, but he still feels okay enough to hit in the batting cages this weekend. Ian Stewart doesn't sound much closer to coming back from his injury. It sucks for Stewart, this is exactly the worst time of the year for a player in his situation to get injured.
What the hell does Logan Watkins eat, anyway?
Just read this bizarre article. Who the fuck has never eaten oatmeal, or an orange?
Steve Clevenger to get some time in at 1b, 2b, 3b in the spring
He's filling in for Rizzo during the WBC, but what has he done for the Cubs to really want his bat in the lineup? I'll take this as a slight on Brent Lillibridge. I don't really get the point of Clevenger backing up Rizzo, since they're both left handed. The same goes with Valbuena at 3b. I look forward to the epic string of profanities from AndCounting if Clevenger makes the team.
Bunt tournament update
Per muskat:
David DeJesus vs. Starlin Castro
Anthony Rizzo vs. Logan Watkins
Brent Lillibridge vs Michael Brenly
Edwin Maysonet vs Andy Lane (bullpen catcher)Edwin Jackson vs. Casey Coleman
Hisanori Takahashi vs. Tim Buss (strength coach)
Jeff Samardzija vs Blake Parker
Travis Wood vs Nate Halm (video guy)
It's hard not to root for the video guy (dying laughing)
CrawfordWatch
Carl Crawford was shut down with nerve irritation in his surgically repaired left elbow. I would say that the Red Sox are really regretting this Soriano-like deal, but they're not even paying him anymore.
It’s like some weird conspiracy or Jedi mind meld (LULbama) to motivate Ian Stewart. I’d like to think there’s no way the front office lets the team cut Stewart because of an inopportune quad strain, but he’s on thin ice. If the backup IF is Clevenger then I guess I’ll grin and bear it. But I did (dying laughing) at this.
I forgot to mention: the Cubs are on mlb.tv today (Anaheim Angels of Disneyland broadcasters).
@ Berselius:
I know the Brewers side is on MLB.com, but is the other game being broadcast and streamable (for free even)?
I didn’t realize that it was a split squad game (dying laughing). I have no idea if it’s free – I already have the subscription.
Baez ———–> HR
Logan Watkins diet…
I’m still incredulous.
So the back up first baseman is an odd situation. If you want a right handed batter to back up third, there aren’t many options. None of the OFs on the ML roster have played first. Two of them have played IF at 2b: Hairston and, um, Soriano. Lillibridge has 179 innings there. Bogusevic, today’s spring training hero, doesn’t have any 1b starts, but he was a pitcher until a few years ago, so at least he knows how to take a throw there, one would hope, unless he went to the Garza school of defense.
Kind of looks like it has to be catcher, Hairston, Lillibridge, or someone not currently on the active or NRI rosters.
I think it will be Navarro and Lilliput.
Didn’t Clevenger come up as a shortstop?
Clevenger minors: 314 games at C; 91 at first, 63 at second, 4 at third. SUPERSUB.
EDIT: those games at 2b were all his first year in Boise.
@ Suburban kid:
A truly Brobdindagian prediction.
@ dmick89:
He was drafted as a SS, but never played there professionally.
Rizzo the Rat wrote:
This makes it sound like he secretly plays SS somewhere in the offseason.
@ GBTS:
Heil Clevenger
What’s the significance of the bolded names?
@ GBTS:
They are links to the player profile.
WaLi wrote:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
@ GBTS:
The baseball reference linker we use automatically links every name in a post of a mlb player, so it did those too.
@ Berselius:
Funny that the reference linker doesn’t seem to think our opening day starter is a MLB player. (dying laughing)
@ Berselius:
Maybe we should pass the hat to sponsor a BRef page for the video guy.
@ SVB:
He was linked higher in the post – it doesn’t repeat.
@ mikeakaleroy:
Feel free to send the checks to me. You can just fill it out to my last name, “Cash”
@ Berselius:
Lazy bastard.
Can’t the Cubs still void Stewart’s contract? All that guy is good for is getting paid not to play baseball (though if I could figure out how to arrange that, I would do it in a heartbeat).
@ josh:
Yeah, they have until March 16th to release him. One on hand, we’d save a little bit of cash. On the other hand, Luis Valbuena.
How was London, Mish?
http://news.yahoo.com/holy-smokes-batman-nabs-suspect-british-police-122410094.html
@ mikeakaleroy:
I think if they keep him, they’re paying for Luis and Ian and getting Luis. At least if you cut him you’re getting Luis at the cost of Luis.
@ josh:
You’re right, but we’d be paying the two of them under $3 mil total for 2013 (Valbuena- $930k, Stewart $2mil), and Stewart’s quad will (hopefully) eventually heal and he’d slide into the backup role. Who are the other back up options for 3B? Lillibridge, I guess?
I understand that Stewart has been hurt more often than healthy, but I’m still in for the $3mil on potential. Then again, I’m an optimist, but not to the level that MB is.
@ josh:
If they cut him before the 16th they only have to pay a small portion of his contract. It was written into the deal he signed this year.
I agree with mikeakaleroy almost to the point that I prefer an injured Braveheart to a healthy Goodvalue. Not so much that I’d leave 3B unattended until Braveheart comes back, but I believe in the idea that his upside is still intact.
@ mikeakaleroy:
I have doubts he can perform at any level. It’s basically $3m for something people once thought he could do (play baseball). They’re banking on the hope that the wrist was the problem and not just that he sucks. I’d rather they grab someone who can play defense, but I guess in the end it won’t make a shred of difference in the standings.
@ josh:
Yeah, and that’s part of my point. Anyone they sign at 3B is a placeholder until one of the kids start performing or changes position to cover 3B.
$2mil for Stewart will turn out to be a steal once he starts performing up to his potential!
/naive and blissful optimism
I agree with Josh. I don’t think Stewart is any good at all. He might be a replacement level player. Maybe. Then again, Valbuena isn’t very good himself.
@ Suburban kid:
I was just reading in Baseball between the numbers that in some cases a consistent performer provides more value for a team than a stud who only plays part time (the example they used was 2004 Griffey v Kotsay) I’m not saying Valbuena is the Kotsay in this situation, but I’m just wondering if there is an overlooked but not flashy producer. I’m inclined to think there isn’t, so the debate is pointless, unless Stewart never ends up actually playing, or ends up playing even worse than Luis, either of which seems possible to me.
@ mikeakaleroy:
Pontenial, I might add, that he has never really demonstrated at the MLB level.
@ dmick89:
My point, I guess, is might as well save a couple million and put it into rennovations or a better hotdog stand.
Combined with the fact that Stewart isn’t very good and can’t stay healthy, there have been sounds from the media that they question his work ethic. I don’t know whether it is fair of me to take those rumblings more seriously when they’re talking about a white guy, but for some reason, I do. Gordo, in particular, is not a Stewart fan at all. He pretty much trashed him during one of the spring game broadcasts when he visited the booth.
I don’t remember who said it, but it will be hilarious to see Valbuena’s name on the All Star ballot. (dying laughing)
mikeakaleroy wrote:
I don’t usually vote for All-Stars, but when I do, I will vote for Luis Valbuena.
@ Aisle424:
25 times a day. I will also write in Brian LaHair just for old times sake.
I saw this the other day and never ended up linking it and I don’t know if anyone ever did here:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjkiebus/the-ultimate-fictional-baseball-team
I’m not sure I’m comfortable with Mayday Malone and his Slider of Death as the set-up man, but I couldn’t think of an alternative either. Also, Pops from The Natural needs to be somewhere on the coaching staff as well as Moonlight Graham as the Trainer.
I’d also put Dottie Hinson as the back-up catcher over Crash Davis as she would seem to have more upside as a potential replacement for Jake Taylor when he does finally retire.
I read the other day that notorious clubhouse cancer Alfonso Soriano is using his fluency in Japanese to help Fukijawa get acclimated with his teammates.
@ Aisle424:
I’d like to see a Billy Chapel/Crash Davis battery.
GBTS wrote:
Selfish prick.
@ GBTS:
It actually seems like the “lazy, selfish Soriano” meme has run its course and he is now a “leader” in the clubhouse. Funny how lowered expectations can change a narrative. You know if they were anywhere close to contending they’d still be bitching he isn’t doing enough to earn his salary.
I know Theo would probably do a lot moves differently than the Hendry regime. But I bet he’s particularly annoyed that his team gave up Archer and HJ Lee for an oft injured pitcher on a team that’s not going to compete.
JonKneeV wrote:
Was he injured a ton before the trade? That seems more like bad luck, but yes, I think he would have had serious fundamental issues with that deal being made when it was made. It just stinks even more because if you could trade him for a decent package, it would have at least minimized the damage. Now it’s looking like Hendry gave those guys up for nothing.
@ JonKneeV:
Eh, I’m still okay with the deal, mostly because I never thought much or Archer or Lee
Lee was an A-ball shortstop with good speed and raw but promising defense that couldn’t hit the ball out of the infield. It was 50-50 whether Archer would stick as a starter due to his control issues (and some scouts still think he’ll end up in the bullpen). The Cubs picked up a relatively cost-controlled pitcher in the prime of his career. If you want to complain about anything, it’s that they waited too long to trade Garza.
I’m doubling down on my support of Stewart now that I find out he is as lazy as me.
New Shit
@ Suburban kid:
He’s about a week out and is at least hitting in the cages. He also said he worked out all winter with Rod Carew so I guess that counts for something. Since it’s not my money I’m in the camp that wants them to gamble $2MM that Stewart doesn’t suck because Luis Valbuena.