Oh, I’m sorry. The Cubs have signed CARLOS Villanueva. Not nearly as interesting:
The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a contract with Carlos Villanueva, who they apparently believe will have staying power, if not as much as another 29-year-old right-hander, Edwin Jackson.
According to CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman, the deal with Villanueva is for two years and $10 million, and it appears they are closing in on a bigger deal with Jackson.
I’m okay with this signing. It’s low-risk, not much money, blah blah blah. Alas, like everything else the Cubs have done since lo these past 12 months, it’s just not very interesting.
More interesting, but not in the good way, is this:
ESPN’s Buster Olney reports the Cubs are making “strong progress’’ on a four-year, $52-million deal with Jackson, with Cleveland the other team in the bidding.
This one, I’m less-than-thrilled about, and I actually LIKE Edwin Jackson. But 4 years is awfully long for someone who has been as inconsistent as he has been.
REACT.
Thats a Hecktor of a deal.
“Villa nueva” roughly translates into “new villa”. Is that what the Cubs are buying him?
Looks like we just signed a Pitcher named Cory Wade also http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/5521/cory-wade
Excellent! Cory Wade has had MLB-quality numbers, despite minor league stuff (88 mph FB and a crazy, looping curve). I would not be surprised to see him make the team out of ST and be the 2013 version of Shawn Camp.
I may be wrong and I may be crazy but I have this sneaky suspicion and this little gut feeling were not close to done yet. Its not wishful thinking either but if we sign Jackson too, our rotation is done. I think Bourne AND/OR Swisher is next. I also think were gonna sign a Inge for 3B or make a trade.
I miss Hector.
I’m still waiting for someone to tell me who this guy is.
Well, he’s got a pulse, and a glove, which is the first 2 things the Cubs consider…
But has he had elbow or shoulder surgery?
A quick report on Carlos Villanueva:
Spent much of his early career as a Brewers reliever, but served as a swing man for the Blue Jays in the 2011, 2012 seasons. He finished 2012 in the rotation where he put together 10 quality starts in 16 outings.
He’ll be 29 in 2012, and he throws a high-80s fastball, but mixes a heavy dosage of off-speed pitches — a slider, curve, and changeup. His slider and change rank as his best two pitches; they have almost the exact same velocity be two totally different movements.
Like Edwin Jackson, Villanueva has better peripherals than his ERA suggests. His skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) suggests he would have earned — in a luck-neutral world — a 3.72 ERA in 2012.
His strikeout rate (23.4% K/PA) was impressive and his walk rate (8.8% BB/PA) was not damning. He is a fly ball pitcher, much like Ted Lilly, but he gave up an unusual amount of homers — even for his own career — in 2012, so if that improves, his total numbers could drop under a 4.00 ERA quite easily.
All told, he could make for a strong No. 5 starter if he shows well in Spring Training.
Have I told you guys how nice the weather is today in CA? It’s 56 degrees, with flashlight sun, puffy white clouds, and the winds have died down. I would like the humidity to be over 10%,but other than that,it is terrific today. My office is 80 degrees, but that is normal for the place. Is it snowing yet in LOHOland?
It is snowing and the hawk is SOARING here in St. Louis.
It was 85 and humid here yesterday. Texas is the worst.
Its official we have signed Edwin Jackson 4/52. Not real happy nor real sad. Saw this comment on a messy board:
Over the last three years he’s 27th in the league in WAR (Right around the same area as Lincecum, Cueto, and Floyd), he’s 30th in innings pitched, 43rd in FIP, and 27th in Ks. Put all of that together, and you have a guy that’s probably right around the 30th best pitcher in all of baseball. That’s a #2 pitcher on most teams, and at least a #3 on all but maybe three teams.
Ladies and Gents we now have our selves a very very legitimate pitching staff from top to bottom.
This is the year!
I might actually be excited to watch baseball in 2013.