Dale Sveum says Jeff Samardzija is close to locking down a spot in the rotation.
“Obviously, that lock’s getting a little closer and closer to being finalized,” Dale Sveum said Sunday, one day after Samardzija’s four innings against the Rangers. The right-hander gave up one run on three hits. He has not walked a batter over six innings this spring.
“It’s impressive and it’s what organization’s dream of — a 6-foot-6, 240-pound athlete on the mound who has four pitches with velocity,” Sveum said of Samardzija’s spring outings. “It’s impressive, there’s no doubt about it. I don’t think he’s doing anything we didn’t expect. The way he finished throwing the ball the last season, the mechanical changes he made, the confidence he gained. Now it’s just full force right now.”
It's like ACT said in the last thread:
Berselius wrote:
Not surprising. He’s like the opposite of good.
@ mb21:
Is that like a misting station?
Could the Cubs be trying to get other teams to believe he’s turned a corner and have someone give up a prospect of actual value for him?
If the Cubs were trying to lose as many as possible I’d be thrilled with this decision, but they’re actually trying to win games here.
@ Aisle424:
That’s what I was thinking.
In other news, Volstad had a nice four innings against what would probably be most of the Rangers’ regular lineup.
@ Aisle424:
Anything is possible, but I’m not sure they can convince anyone other than themselves.
Rice Cube wrote:
He should take Garza’s spot in the rotation.
Coleman pitched three scoreless today. Maholm might as well start packing his bags now
Aisle424 wrote:
Only teams who haven’t figured out how to type fangraphs.com into their web browsers. Thoyer better get the Orioles on the phone, stat
@ Berselius:
(dying laughing) 2012 Cubs rotation: Wells, Volstad, Samardzija, Coleman, Yellon
@ Berselius:
I saw someone searched http://www.obstructedview.net in their google machine so you never know. If you’re going to type that out, why not just go the site?
mb21 wrote:
I don’t know. Scouts still like him. I think the consensus thought is that if he can harness his control, he could be very very good. Projections all assume that his wildness issues will continue. Maybe the Cubs fixed something in his delivery that could provide some good results. Maybe they told him to stop throwing some pitch that he insisted on throwing but could never control.
When it comes down to it, I just trust this front office more when it comes to information that isn’t readily available to us.
I just can’t help but think how negatively this news would be taken if Hendry was still the GM. It would be used as yet another reason why he should be fired.
Matt Flynn ————> Seattle, Jeff Samardzija style. 2 starts with GB = 10 IP of Jeff Samardzija
I’m just amazed that Samardzija beat out two of the three other major candidates (Wood, Wells, Volstad).
mb21 wrote:
Cy Young bound.
Aisle424 wrote:
I trust any front office has and can use that type of information, but I don’t trust anyone when it comes to evaluating something based on small samples. I know if the Cubs did that last year I’d have been saying it would be nice if the Cubs had a front office that would be familiar enough with statistical analysis that decisions like this didn’t happen. I also realize based on what I’ve read over the years by Sox fans that Theo is prone to these same mistakes (I imagine all GMs are). Scouts are insistent that something has changed because that’s their job and that’s how they voice their opinions. GMs and coaches listen when they would be better off ignoring them. I hope it works out, but I don’t think the Cubs have any additional information that they wouldn’t have had this time last year.
@ ACT:
I’m more amazed that the Cubs would have wasted their time in acquiring Wood and Volstad if this was ever a realistic possibility. Obviously depth wasn’t an issue after all. Why not acquire a 2nd base prospect rather than middle of the road starting pitchers that were often used in the poorer years in the Hendry era? That’s what confuses me. You trade the best left handed reliever in baseball for someone you aren’t even going to use. Strange.
Tony Campana is heating up!
Rice Cube wrote:
Too bad he got doubled off 1B on a flyout to what sounded like shallow center. How does that happen?
@ mb21:
Don’t the Cubs have Travis Wood under club control for 5 years?
This is just typical manager mismanagement. The front office has to give the manager enough rope to hang himself or they can’t properly evaluate him. They can’t give him so much rope to hang the organization, which they never do. This is just Sveum preparing to hang himself.
@ mb21:
(dying laughing) That was probably me. I do that a lot.
@ Jack Nugent:
yeah. He’ll enter the rotation at the ripe young age of 27.
mb21 wrote:
I confuse entry fields all the time. I keep trying to type in a search term to the “tweet this” box on twitter.
@ GBTS:
(dying laughing) why?
@ Berselius:
I know my url bar pretty well. Every site I visit regularly is in there so I can type a letter or two and get the site I want.
I was led to believe the inmates were no longer running the asylum. I demand a refund on my hope and optimism.
Good luck to Samardzija. If us nerds are right, he’ll need it.
More Jeff Samardzija shit up
http://www.obstructedview.net/chicago-cubs/projecting-the-2012-cubs-jeff-samardzija.html
The one thing I like about F7 starting is that when he falls on his face it will finally be the end of him and all the Notre Dame/Cubs fans that talk about his potential, “if he was just given a chance.”
Yeah, Samardzija is awful. I hope I look like a fool for doubting Thoyeum.
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