Following his second straight outing with four walks in less than four innings, Randy Wells was designated for assignment by the Cubs today (first reported by Bruce Miles on Twitter, as best as I can tell).
It's been a rough season and a half for Wells. After a solid, 3 fWAR rookie campaign he posted a mixed bag of a sophomore campaign. His ERA was riding high for most of the season before dipping down to a good but not great 4.26 ERA on the strength of a few forgettable September starts, and he was dogged by rumors of spending far too much time in various Chicago bars. On the other hand, Wells's FIP and GB% were almost exactly right in line with his 2009 numbers so it didn't look like there was much to worry about.
Wells started 2011 with a solid six strikeout, six inning outing against the DBacks but hit the DL the next day with a forearm strain. Cubs fans were already braced for bad news since Cashner was pulled from his starting rotation debut the same day, and the double dose of bad news killed whatever slim hope the team had for a playoff spot that year. In the interim, Casey Coleman, Ramon Ortiz, Doug Davis, Rodrigo Lopez, and James Russell combined for a truly epic amount of shitty pitching, which understandably led the Cubs to bring back the previously reliable Wells as soon as possible. Wells was clearly not ready, having lost several mph off his fastball and was hit hard by opposing hitters. He seemed to right the ship late in the year, but given the results this spring and in AAA/MLB this year, it looks like he just isn't the same pitcher.
Wells still has two solid seasons under his belt so he'll probably catch on with some other team, but this is still a bummer to see. He spent a long time getting to the majors after converting from catcher, and it's discouraging to lose the handle as soon as it seems you're making the leap. He can be added to the long list of players (e.g. Rich Hill) that are poster children for how ephemeral success can be as a starting pitcher in professional baseball.
WaLi wrote:
Good point about Soler
Dolis was called up to take his 25-man spot
It sounds like no one is going to be called up to take his rotation spot, it will go back to Dempster when he comes off the DL. There’s an off-day coming up so they’ll just skip that spot in the rotation.
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
Randy Wells in the AL would be funny.
Randy Wells is an example of how quickly a player can rise and fall in baseball.
does anyone have any insight as to the whole converted-catcher thing? i mean as a whole, not specifically randy wells. if i am a coach and i have a catcher who will never be good enough to play in the majors, it would never really occur to me to say, “hmm…well maybe he could pitch instead. i’ll just teach this 20 year old guy a whole new position from the ground up.”
wouldn’t it makes much more sense to kick wells (or whoever) to the curb and dedicate your time to a kid who’s been pitching for his whole life? maybe this is a dumb question but this has never made any sense whatsoever to me.
@ EnricoPallazzo:
I always figured it was because someone like Wells had a lot of arm strength. Same reason SS are converted to pitcher, or OF are converted to pitcher. Finding someone who can throw in the 90′s is tough.
The pirates signed some pitchers because they won the “how hard can you throw this ball” contest in India. If you can throw 90, a team will sign you.
Lineup today vs lefty Jon Niese
CF Mather
SS Castro
1B Rizzo
LF Adolfo
RF Baker
C Geo
2B Barney
3B Valbuena
P Shark
How do the Cubs seemingly face a left-handed starter every damn day? Every time I look up, there’s Jeff Baker in the fucking lineup.
@ Edwin:
Hah I remember that signing.
http://deadspin.com/5909206/jon-hamm-to-star-in-that-disney-movie-about-those-pitchers-from-india-the-pirates-signed
Apparently there is a movie about those two being made.
@ EnricoPallazzo:
I think what @ Edwin said is right on. If you can’t hit, but have a strong arm, why not?
cheating in baseball: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=17443
@ mb21:
I loved the comment about “wholesome kind of cheating”
Apparently, if you can throw 84, the Cubs will even sign you in the first round, amiright Hayden Simpson?
Chicago Cubs. Standards. It’s a way of Life.
@ mb21:
(dying laughing) at that last ninja story.
Anyone have a streaming link for the game today?
Sorry to hear your defense strategy didn’t work, B.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/06/central-notes-greinke-brewers-liriano-byrd.html
Weak.
@ Aisle424:
http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/57834/1/mlb-:chicago-cubs-vs-new-york-mets-live-stream-online.html
Currently that is streaming the Twins & Sox so hopefully it will flip over to the Cub game once it’s on.
Are those always on the same site, Cone?
@ mb21:
Yep, Bookmark this http://www.vipbox.tv/ then you can watch whatever sport and stream you want. May need some software for certain ones such as a torrent client.
@ pinetar:
Thanks!
Listening to Stone and Harrelson is brutal. Hopefully the feed changes in short order.
@ pinetar:
How is the quality? Typical free streaming quality or is it any better?
Hoping the Cubs sweep today, because it would have made Santo happy
@ WaLi:
I don’t have any complaints with it. I watched the first 2 days of the US Open feed with it and both of them was in HD. Most of it depends on who is serving the feed.
WaLi wrote:
I just compared the 2 Twins and Sox streams and the feed with the Sox announcers is higher quality.
FUCK, I want to gouge out my ears instead of having to listen to Hawk Harrelson. Someone make it stop
I see Samardzija is having control issues.
@ Aisle424:
That is from my hometown paper!!
I still got the damn Twins & Sox feed from WGN.
BUST
Rizzo only hitting .400 now
dont know if its been mentioned but Dale sounded off on Jackson’s K’s and said its a major concern at this point.
@ Rice Cube:
He’s approaching the Mendoza line
TOOTBLAN
This team… (dying laughing)
Or not
DPLEETED
First time I watch the cubs in about a month and they get 1st and 3rd with nobody out and don’t score. (dying laughing)
First time I started a game in the 1st inning that is.
Finally a working Cubs game stream.
http://www.vipbox.tv/watch/57834/1/mlb-:chicago-cubs-vs-new-york-mets-live-stream-online.html
the combined age of Castro and Rizzo is younger than Jamie Moyer.
Soriano…walks?
God damn it I’m sick of Baker.
@ josh:
Me too. Must be Sveum’s love child. Here lately every time I turn around Baker is in the lineup grounding out weakly to SS.
@ josh:
How did Smart Cub Fan get laryngitis?
93 mph batting practice fastball! You’re welcome, Mets.
Samardzija Experiment needs some re-optimization, but he might just be having a bad day.
@ Rice Cube:
He needs to lose the 4 seamer and stick with the 2 seamer.
@ Rice Cube:
I think you said that after his last start and the one before that. And the one before that.
@ pinetar:
Agreed. Not sure if it will make much of a difference, but it’s a start.
@ pinetar:
I’d be down with that. The straight fastball screams “KILL ME”.
@ mb21:
Did I? I’m getting too predictable.
The cutter (as Gameday calls it) isn’t doing what it’s supposed to, especially if he leaves it in the middle of the plate.
Pettitte ——-> broken ankle
@ Rice Cube:
I know you did last time. I remember the re-optimization comment. Don’t think you did before that. I was mostly joking as in it could be said about every start he makes these days.
@ Berselius:
That makes me sad. I like Andy Pettitte.
Jeff Samardzija also makes me sad. I really wanted him to do well this season. I wonder if this is a result of fatigue or lack of adjustment.
@ Berselius:
Ouch.
MB, I thought you were going to all the Royals games this series?
Who replaced F7 with the Jugs Machine?
Jeff should be happy to know at least that every single one of the guys he walked came around to score (including the pitcher!). Perhaps it’s his farewell tribute to the artist formerly known as Randy Wells.
@ Rice Cube:
FWIW, before today he was at 83 IP. Last year he had 88.
@ Rice Cube:
Wife isn’t feeling too well and it’s WAY TOO FUCKING HOT to take the kids. It’s going to be 105 in Topeka today and I think last I saw 102 in KC and that’s just the temp. Sitting in that sun all day would suck. Not worth it.
27 ER in 23.2 IP in month of June for F7.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
F7 was replaced with F7.
It doesn’t help that he’s gotten rocked with men on and men in scoring position, but lefties are absolutely murdering him. He’s a ROOGY.
@ mb21:
Totally understandable.
@ WaLi:
Yeah, I saw that when I was looking at his B-Ref card and even in the minors he never had more than 141.2 IP in a single year, or anywhere close to that in combined outings between minors and MLB. So the fatigue seems to be a factor here.
@ Rice Cube:
I wouldn’t think fatigue would be a big issue at this point. At least not what any other pitcher isn’t going through, but it would become an issue after another 30 to 50 innings.
Also I’m not watching the game, but didn’t F7 cut his hair? Maybe he is like Samson.
Well Delilah was a woman, she was fine and fair,
She had good looks, God knows, and coal black hair,
Delilah she gained old Samson’s mind.
When first he saw this woman, you know he couldn’t believe his mind.
Delilah she climbed up on Samson’s knee,
Said tell me where your strength lies if you please.
She spoke so kind and she talked so fair,
Well Samson said, Delilah cut off my hair.
You can shave my head, clean as my hand
And my strength will become as natural as any old man.
Via MIles, Sveum on F7:
And Sveum on Jackson’s strikeout problems:
Mets are hitting it out left and right. Cubs are flashing their warning track power.
Mercurial Outfielder wrote:
(dying laughing) @ what Sveum said about F7. He basically said he’s got to work on everything. (dying laughing)
@ mb21:
(dying laughing), yeah the subtext there is pretty funny.
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
I wish what he said was shorter so we could meme it. (dying laughing)
Randy Wells’s poor performance doesn’t look as bad in the context of this new high scoring run enviroment the Cubs are playing in.
@ mb21:
The 2012 Chicago Cubs: The Only Thing Wrong Is Everything
@ mb21:
The 2012 Chicago Cubs: All the Pieces Are Out of Place
Casey Coleman, not to be outdone, also letting every walk (including – again – the pitcher!) come around to score. Randy Wells is at some Wrigleyville bar smiling right now saying to the tv, “thanks bros.”
The 2012 Chicago Cubs: We’re Working On Everything
Wow, this game is…. interesting.
What in the fucking fuck happened?
Just ugly from F7: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 9 R, 2 HR, 4 BB, 1 K
Coleman is even worse: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 2 HR, 2 BB, 1 K
Mets have 4 players with 3 or more RBI
@ josh:
F7 and Coleman threw BP
This is a year!
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Cubs have 4 players who hit the ball to the warning track. Not necessarily in the air.
Today’s 3 top performers are all Mets.
@ Rice Cube:
He contracted it for the purpose of the joke. His god is a cruel and fickle god.
Rafael Dolis is HORRIBLE. You could pick just about ANY relief pitcher at AAA or AA and he’d be better than Dolis. Not just the Cubs AAA and AA. I feel confident in saying he’s the worst pitcher in baseball right now. I hope they put him in the rotation so we can see a 1 K/9 rate.
Timmy is pitching well for a change.
I hate baseball.
Chase Utley was just activated.
Rizzo is so good, he even makes players on the other team hit better.
I think the Cubs win this one. Just one good inning. 5-6 singles, 3-4 doubles, a couple triples and about 6 or 7 home runs. That’s all it takes.
@ Edwin:
(dying laughing)
“Starlin Castro will probably make the Hall of Fame”: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=17507
@ Mish:
I’d say that’s reasonable. I think it’s probably a little high. Among players 25 and under he’s easily the most likely to reach the HOF.
@ mb21:
I assume you’d place him over Strasburg because pitchers carry a much higher risk of career-derailing injuries?
@ Mercurial Outfielder:
Yes. There probably aren’t many active pitchers that I’d say have a higher likelihood of making the HOF than Castro has. Obviously you have Rivera who is in 5 years after he retires. CC Sabathia is getting pretty close and has to next on the list of pitchers unless I’m forgetting someone. Maybe Justin Verlander. I don’t know.
Went to gym when it was 10-1. Glad to see I didn’t miss an epic comeback.
@ Mobile Rice:
This offense couldn’t score 18 runs if you spotted them 18 runs.
Post-game recap up: http://www.obstructedview.net/chicago-cubs/cubs-post-game-recap-by-krusty-the-klown.html