Is Matt Garza becoming the new Mark Prior? After sitting out the last two months of the 2012 season, he’ll be taking a week off at spring training after an MRI revealed a lat strain. But there’s absolutely no reason to worry! None at all.
‘‘It’s safe to say it pushes back his first Cactus League start,’’ Hoyer said. ‘‘What it means for the regular season, it’s clearly much too early to say, but we felt like it was really good news. It’s a mild strain. We do think it’ll be about a week, and he’ll be pain-free based on the MRI.
‘‘We’re optimistic. It was certainly a positive read from our standpoint.’’
Manager Dale Sveum is preparing for Garza to miss at least one exhibition start.
‘‘But everything else from there, hopefully, is fine for the start of the season,’’ Sveum said.
Jeff Samardzija is not yet counting out Garza in the opening day starter competition.
‘‘I know how Garza is,’’ Samardzija said. ‘‘I know he’s a competitor. I know how big of a year he wants to have. To count Garza out wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do.’’
(snip)
‘‘I want the competition,’’ Samardzija said. ‘‘I want me and Garza and everyone to compete every [spring] start for that spot. It’s only going to make us all better.
‘‘Obviously, it was a given before anything else happened that I was going to go and give everything I had to try to earn that spot. And nothing’s changed.’’
Has the situation involving Carlos Marmol and an assault accusation affected his performance at all this spring?
“He hasn’t shown it because he’s throwing the ball way better than last spring training,” Sveum said. “I think he learned a lot last year about his fastball and how to use it. He’s throwing strikes with his fastball.”
He’s on his way to becoming the greatest closer of all time. Speaking of greats, Starlin Castro knows he has Javier Baez on his heels, but wants to be a great shortstop.
“That’s business,” Castro said Tuesday. “I’m here right now and I like this team. I’m going to be on this team all my career. I know he got pretty good talent. Let’s see what happens.”
Three years after Ryan Theriot reported to Fitch Park after losing an arbitration case and issuing his “come and get it” declaration, Castro has spoken with Baez and knows the 2011 first-round pick can play. But the 23-year-old All-Star shortstop is focusing on taking his game to the next level.
“I see myself like my whole career is going to be at shortstop,” Castro said. “And I’m going to be a good shortstop, not (just any) shortstop. A shortstop that can win the Gold Glove, hit, everything.”
For his part, Baez doesn’t care where he ends up.
“Yeah, I play shortstop, he plays shortstop,” Baez said. “But we know I can play third, I can play second and he can do it, too. It doesn’t really matter. … I can play anywhere.”
I hope this is an issue we’ll be discussing in earnest sooner than later.
So Marmol has 99 problems but a pitch ain’t one?
(drops mike)
Just. Made. My. Day.
*golf clap*
Theo & Jed have been pretty insistent that Baez is a shortstop.
Obviously they intend to dump Darwin Barney and move Castro to 2nd base.
I’d grab Cano next offseason before I’d move Castro to 2nd.
Not for the numbers he’s looking for (and likely to get). Even the Yankees are likely going to balk at his supposed 10 years $25 million+ per season asking price.
Cano is a difficult to find talent at 2nd base but for the Cubs to pay him that much for that long could very well result in a situation similar to the one they had when they signed another former Yankees 2nd baseman to an expensive long term deal.
I’d go 7 with Cano which is about as far as anyone will go at this point. When we have another bad year and have another protected draft pick, Cano for 6 years at 28-30/yr should be job #1 on the offseason WarBoard.
I’m also to the point where I think the Soriano deal has been one of the best deals we signed, if for no other reason than to give us some sort of offense in the post ARam/DLee era. If I had to do it again, I’d do it without the no trade clause but same years and numbers.
The Cubs are not going to go after Cano.
Cano will not sign for less than 8 years for a number of reasons:
1. Scott Boras is his agent
2. He’s the number one position player FA in 2014.
3. He is one of the top offensive 2nd baseman in history.
4. He has 4 Gold Gloves and 8 Silver Slugger awards.
Theo Epstein will not sign him unless he can get a 5 year deal at no more than $25 million per season…and that’s not going to happen. Boras will find a team that will give this kid exactly what Boras thinks he should get…and that is 8 to 10 years at $22 to $25 million per season…close to Albert Pujols money.
As far as the Soriano deal…no it was not the best deal they’ve signed. Most of what you are saying here is wrong one a number of accounts.
First, they could have had Soriano for 2 fewer years than they actually offered. Crane Kenney forced Jim Hendry to add two more years to the deal because he’s an idiot. No other team was offering more than 5 years to Soriano.
Second, half of his plus skills revolved around the one physical trait that fades faster than any other…speed…and instead of a 30/30 guy…the Cubs got a 30/5.
Third, one of the reasons that the Cubs only had Soriano as an offensive presence after Ramirez and Lee left was because they were saddled by that contract and basically were stuck with Soriano in left field with nowhere else to put him.
Fourth, because of the length of Soriano’s contract, he would have had no-trade protection regardless of what his contract said due to the 10-5 rule. Soriano invoked his no trade clause last year not because his contract gave him that power, but because collective bargaining rules gave him that power just like any player who has been in the league for 10 years and on the same team for 5. That’s one of the dangers of signing a free agent for longer than 5 years.
Actually, many states prohibit employment contracts of more than 7 years. Illinois is not one of them, which is why he used 8 years to snag Soriano. And look how well that worked out!
Yay Illinois.
I think whether they do or not will be decided on the outcome of this season.
Castro’s bat and arm will take him to Third.
There will eventually be a Soriano sized hole out in left. Castro seems like a great way to plug it while loosening the projected logjam on the infield.
Unless Castro starts hitting for more power…he really will need to continue to play up the middle (2nd, SS, or CF) for his value to remain where it is at. His value is getting on base, stealing bases and his range on defense. If you move him to a corner spot, one of his three pluses goes away, while he becomes a below average run producer in a traditional power position.
I agree that Castro doesn’t have the power yet to be a corner outfielder, but there will quickly come a point where he has to be hidden somewhere on the defensive side of the diamond or get shipped off somewhere else.
I see the Spring Training playing out as follows-
1.) Soriano gets traded. We have enough outfielders to survive the loss of Fonzie and anything we can get for him at this point is money that the Ricketts can put towards the stadium (necessary evil.)
2.) Search for a better 3rd Base or Catcher option. Valbuena is a bench rider. Stewart is Stewart. Navaro is a backup. Castillo/Clevenger is a stopgap. Breaking camp with any 3 of the 5 is raising the white flag. We have enough extra pitching pieces (Garza, TWood, Russell) that we can put something together for an upgrade at either 3rd or Catcher. Comma. But…
3.) Come to the conclusion that going for a protected draft pick in 2014 is more important than upgrading the 2013 team. Listen to offers from day one on anyone hitting free agency next year. Be prepared to go get one of the “declined qualifying offer” free agents and still get a top pick in the draft.
2014 is the year the Cubs look to buy our way into the Wild Card. 2015 is when they push for the NL Central and beyond. 2013 is the year we the Cubs fans wish the Mayans were right on their doomsday prediction.
Your analysis of Castro being a bad defender is wrong. He doesn’t need to be hidden. His range as a shortstop is way above average and most of his struggles have been mental throwing errors…something that he has actually improved upon in the last year.
I don’t see Castro moving.
1. I think the Cubs should have traded Soriano earlier this winter, but it appears that he doesn’t want to go at least until the trade deadline this year. With that, the Cubs are pretty much at his mercy right now.
2. I don’t see them doing anything at third. They want to see if Stewart will work out (though I think that ship has sailed). Catcher, I have to agree that they have a problem at catcher, but I don’t see them giving up any prospects to get another catcher in here at this point. Trading any of their pitching for an established catcher while their farm system is that poorly supplied with pitchers is inconsistent with how the Cubs have operated since Jed and Theo came in.
3. The fact that they haven’t traded Garza (and aren’t likely to at least until July if ever) and they signed Edwin Jackson tells me that they intend to at least be competitive in 2013. After two months into the season, they’ll have a good idea of what they have and (likely the case) will start shedding parts. Not before. There is plenty of time in the last two months of the season for this team to plummet to a protected draft pick. Just look at the Astros last year. After almost two months into the season, they were close to a .500 team and they ended up with 107 losses. No team starts dismantling on day one.
I think one thing will solve Castro’s defensive lapses: Ritalin.
And I’m not kidding even a little bit. You can tell how hard it is for him to focus on anything for very long just by looking at him.
I actually have to agree with you on that.
I do too, have said the same thing many times.
I think it’s interesting that Castro talks in terms of having his whole career with the Cubs, but Baez just states he can “play anywhere”. Sounds like one player had adjusted his thinking in terms of the chance of being traded down the road, and the other player hasn’t……
Castro has estabilished himself in the major leagues. Baez has not. It’s the proper thing for Baez to say at this point in his career. Same for Castro.
I think he was suggesting he could play other positions down the line when he said “play anywhere”. Not sure he meant playing on another team. But maybe he did.
When is the first televised ST game? I’m already bored with the bunting tourney and vapid quotes from Samardzija.
Are you playing in our roto league this year?
Nope. I’m only doing one league this year.
Party pooper
Also, my legs hurt.
Well then cut them off.