In light of the trade that sent Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to the Oakland Athletics, the obvious question of who will fill those two pitchers’ spots in the Chicago Cubs’ rotation comes to mind. Samardzija would have started Saturday against the Washington Nationals, but the trade occurred before game time. Carlos Villanueva came out of the bullpen to spot start, and that did not go well at all: four runs in two innings. He has fared much better in his career as a reliever. Hammel had already pitched Friday, so the Cubs have a few days to find his replacement.
Will the Cubs trade for Major League pitchers? That would make no sense as they are playing more for the future than they are the present — hence the trades for prospects only in recent years. The answer comes from Triple-A. Carrie Muskat and Daniel Propper of MLB.com report that the Cubs will call up two pitchers who have enjoyed success in Triple-A this season. Tsuyoshi Wada and Dallas Beeler will make their ways to the Cubs very soon.
Muskat and Propper say that Wada, a lefty, will start Game 2 of the Cubs’ Tuesday double-header in Cincinnati. However, they did not clarify if Wada will remain with the team or just come up as the 26th man for the double-header. The Cubs have only one left-handed starter, Travis Wood (who will start Game 1), so they could use another. Wada’s performance may lead to that decision. So far in Iowa, Wada is 9-5 with a 2.66 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 16 starts and one relief appearance. He will make his Major League Debut Tuesday night.
Beeler will come up at a yet unspecified date. He made his Major League debut on June 28, losing to the Nationals even though he allowed only one unearned run in six innings. The Cubs lost that game 3-0. Beeler is 5-3 with a 3.93 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 11 starts for Triple-A Iowa.
Muskat and Propper quoted Cubs manager Rick Renteria discussing the plan to promote pitchers from within. Said Renteria,
“There’s nothing that says they can’t come in here and perform and help us win ballgames. We’re really hopeful that the guys that we have within the system will be able to come in and hopefully find a sense of comfort within that clubhouse and when they go out to the hill. Obviously, there’s some nervousness that comes with the new area, the new arena. But usually those guys are able to adjust and perform.“
At this point, the Cubs could start auditioning their prospects. They will undoubtedly finish in last place, so now is the time to see what they have in the pitching department. Let them take their lumps now while they learn how to pitch to Major League hitters. The experience will build them up for the future. Recall that in 1989 and 1990, young guns named John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Steve Avery went through that process in Atlanta. Once the Braves started winning, they added a pitcher named Greg Maddux to that rotation in 1993 and continued winning division title after division title.
Obviously, Wada and Beeler are not Smoltz and Glavine, but they are part of the Cubs’ near future. Getting them their innings now can only help. Then, when the offensive prospects join them later, the rebuilding plan should start to pan out.
PHOTO CREDIT: www.hdwpapers.com
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