MLB Team Report – Chicago Cubs – INSIDE PITCH
If anyone wondered why Cubs president Theo Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer went after pitching so heavily in the offseason, the answer is becoming apparent now.
Cactus League play wasn’t a week along when the Cubs announced that No. 1 starting pitcher Matt Garza would not be ready to start the season and could miss all of April because of a left lat muscle strain. Garza already was facing an uncertain comeback from a stress reaction in his right elbow. That injury ended his 2012 season in July.
In addition, right-hander Scott Baker, one of the pitchers signed as a free agent during the offseason, won’t start the season on the active roster. He is coming back from Tommy John surgery performed last April, and the Cubs don’t want to rush him.
The upshot is that the Cubs have named right-hander Jeff Samardzija their Opening Day starter. He’ll be followed by Edwin Jackson, another pitcher signed this winter.
“I’ve just been keeping an eye on that date and making sure all my pitches and windup and stretch and all the little things are right where they need to be for that date,” Samardzija said of the April 1 opener at Pittsburgh. “It just changes things a little with the lead-up to it. You know what the intensity of that game will be. You just take it easy and not let your emotions build up over the next few weeks.”
The final three spots in the rotation, for now, belong to right-handers Scott Feldman and Carlos Villanueva (both also acquired this winter) and left-hander Travis Wood. The order of the pitchers behind Samardzija and Jackson has not been determined, but the Cubs indicated the No. 3 spot could go to Feldman, whom they signed as a free agent.
“It’s an opportunity to kind of sit back and look at things and what I need to work on and make a little bit of adjustment,” Feldman said. “From where I am right now, second start of spring, I’m just happy I feel good and my fastball is where it needs to be.”
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MLB Team Report – Chicago Cubs – NOTES, QUOTES
–SS Starlin Castro missed more time than the Cubs originally had thought because of the left hamstring injury he sustained Feb. 27 in a Cactus League game. The Cubs originally listed Castro as day-to-day, and he even took swings the day after suffering the injury running out an infield hit. However, with Castro being such an integral part of the team, the Cubs decided not to rush him. As the first full week of March ended, manager Dale Sveum said Castro could get back into the lineup by March 11 or 13, with March 12 being an off day in the schedule. “There’s no pain anymore,” Castro said. “When I’m hitting on the field, it’s 100 percent, I don’t feel anything.”
–3B Ian Stewart is finding it slow going in his recovery from a quad strain, and that could put his roster status in jeopardy. Stewart was hitting, jogging and taking grounders, but he had not seen any game action through March 7. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say there’s a big question,” manager Dale Sveum said. “There just aren’t that many at-bats. You have to be productive in those at-bats.” With the Cubs committed to sending prospect Josh Vitters to Class AAA Iowa to start the season, Luis Valbuena would be the starter if Stewart can’t go. The Cubs non-tendered Stewart over the winter but re-signed him to a non-guaranteed contract.
–OF Brian Bogusevic is in camp as a non-roster man, but he’s showing enough to get strong consideration to make the team along with another non-roster man, INF/OF Brent Lillibridge. Bogusevic, who has played 252 major league games for Houston, was 8-for-18 (.444) in the opening days of Cactus League play. He was getting some time at first base as a possible backup to Anthony Rizzo, who was off playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. Lillibridge was sidelined with a groin strain in the first week of play. As of March 7, he appeared to be several days away.
–RHP Scott Baker, who is coming back from Tommy John surgery last April, threw a simulated game March 7. After that, the Cubs will re-evaluate Baker and then have him make a minor league start before giving him a start for the big club in the Cactus League. Baker is not likely to start the season on the active roster, with the Cubs saying there is no reason to rush him back.
–LHP Hisanori Takahashi is another non-roster man with a shot to make the roster. Although Takahashi, 37, would like to start, there’s no spot for him in the rotation, but the Cubs could use a second lefty in the bullpen to go along with James Russell. “If he makes the team, he can be that (long guy),” manager Dale Sveum said. “He’s very durable, and obviously if the game dictates, he can pitch to one (hitter) and get the left-hander out, or be the guy that goes two to three innings.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 162 — Games Starlin Castro appeared in at shortstop last year. He became the first Cubs player in history to appear in 162 at short.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “If it was Opening Day, he’d be playing.” — Manager Dale Sveum, on SS Starlin Castro getting extra time to let a tight left hamstring heal in spring training.
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MLB Team Report – Chicago Cubs – ROSTER REPORT
PROJECTED ROTATION:
1. RHP Matt Garza
2. RHP Jeff Samardzija
3. RHP Edwin Jackson
4. RHP Scott Feldman
5. RHP Scott Baker or LHP Travis Wood
The Cubs believe this is a strength of the team. A lot will depend on health. Garza and Baker are coming off elbow problems. Samardzija seems fine even though the Cubs shut him down early last September because of his innings workload.
Jackson, signed as a free agent, is a proven innings eater. Having pitched for the White Sox, he knows what Chicago is all about. Wood could be the odd man out, but if any of the other starters falter or can’t go because of health issues, he would step in. If not, he could be a second lefty out of the bullpen.
PROJECTED BULLPEN:
RHP Carlos Marmol (closer)
RHP Kyuji Fujikawa
RHP Shawn Camp
LHP James Russell
RHP Carlos Villanueva
LHP Travis Wood
RHP Hector Rondon
The Cubs still would like to trade Marmol, and if they can, Japanese veteran Fujikawa would step into the closer’s role. Marmol is nearly unhittable when he’s on, but inconsistency and a lack of control have been two big issues. He started using his fastball more last year instead of relying solely on the slider, and that helped.
Camp and Russell were a solid right-lefty setup combo. They were both overworked, but if Marmol stays, Fujikawa’s presence should lighten the load. Villanueva could be a swing man, and Rondon was a Rule 5 draft pick. The Cubs do have some power arms among their young relievers, such as RHP Rafael Dolis and Alberto Cabrera. Both saw time last year, and they should again this season.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
1. CF David DeJesus
2. 2B Darwin Barney
3. 1B Anthony Rizzo
4. LF Alfonso Soriano
5. SS Starlin Castro
6. RF Nate Schierholtz/Scott Hairston
7. 3B Ian Stewart
8. C Welington Castillo
The Cubs will need to improve their on-base ability if they’re going to take the pressure off their pitchers. They were last in OBP as a team last year and near the bottom in runs scored. DeJesus is a good on-base guy, but the Cubs will need improvement in that area from Barney and Castro.
Rizzo and Soriano provide plenty of pop, Rizzo from the left side and Soriano from the right. The Cubs will need a bounce-back year from Stewart. Schierholtz and Hairston provide an interesting platoon situation in right.
TOP ROOKIES: Although no longer rookies, CF Brett Jackson and 3B Josh Vitters will fight for spots in spring training but likely will end up at Class AAA Iowa because of their disappointing showings at the plate late last season. INF Logan Watkins was the organization’s minor league player of the year after posting a line of .281/.422/.383 at Class AA Tennessee last season. He could push for a utility job and eventually take the place of Darwin Barney at second base, if the Cubs decide to trade Barney. RHP Nick Struck, 23, isn’t on the 40-man roster, but he piled up the decisions last year at Tennessee, going 14-10 with a 3.18 ERA while walking 44 and striking out 123 in 155 2/3 innings. He was the organization’s pitcher of the year, and if he makes a good spring impression, he could get the call if the Cubs need a starter midseason, and certainly by September.
MEDICAL WATCH:
–RHP Matt Garza (left lat muscle strain) will open the season on the disabled list. He might miss all of April.
–3B Ian Stewart (strained left quad) had yet to make his Cactus League debut as of March 7.
–SS Starlin Castro (tight left hamstring) left a Feb. 27 game after he pulled up lame running out an infield hit. He hadn’t returned to action through March 7.
–RHP Scott Baker (Tommy John surgery in April 2012) threw a simulated game March 7. He’ll likely start the season on the disabled list, though he might not miss a significant amount of action.
–INF/OF Brent Lillibridge (groin strain) was sidelined in early March, but the injury didn’t appear to be serious.
