Matt Harrington Signs With Cubs

[tspain]

Baseball America says the Cubs signed Matt Harrington to a no-bonus minor league contract. What do you think?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

I just saw that. :shock:

 

After six years, five draft selections and three independent league teams, Matt Harrington is finally headed to affiliated baseball.

 

Harrington, the seventh overall pick in the 2000 draft, signed a minor league contract with the Cubs, after having spent the past four seasons pitching for the independent Fort Worth Cats. As with almost all independent league signings, the contract involved no signing bonus, and Harrington will head to spring training in Arizona knowing that he will have to impress to break camp on a minor league roster.

 

...

 

The expectations are not nearly as large as they once were. Where Harrington once was offered a big league contract that envisioned him making the majors in just a couple of years, he now will head to spring training likely aiming to make the high Class A Daytona Cubs roster.

 

He was in the upper 80s earlier in the year, up to the low 90s and his curve is coming back. Interesting. I don't think much will come of it, but it looks like he finally got a clue.

[NorthsideAvenger]

Baseball America says the Cubs signed Matt Harrington to a no-bonus minor league contract. What do you think?

 

high risk/high reward type move for the Cubs. I think Harrington will have a chance to be somoeday a solid middle reliever. Interesting move.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

There's no harm in signing him. Maybe the velocity will return.

[Bruno7481]

Baseball America says the Cubs signed Matt Harrington to a no-bonus minor league contract. What do you think?

 

high risk/high reward type move for the Cubs. I think Harrington will have a chance to be somoeday a solid middle reliever. Interesting move.

 

Wouldn't it be a low risk/high reward move?

[NorthsideAvenger]

Baseball America says the Cubs signed Matt Harrington to a no-bonus minor league contract. What do you think?

 

high risk/high reward type move for the Cubs. I think Harrington will have a chance to be somoeday a solid middle reliever. Interesting move.

 

Wouldn't it be a low risk/high reward move?

 

 

Thank you for catching that. My bad.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

Read this:

 

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/baseball/15208425.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[Neuby]

Let's hope that heater comes back.

[Vinestal]

Read this:

 

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/baseball/15208425.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

 

Hey thanks for posting that link it was an interesting read. Matt sounds like a pretty kool guy, hopefully he can get his fastball back into the 90's again. I wonder where he projects to start the year, is he playing in the fall league or winterball at all? Im assuming he's right handed?

[cubweiser03]

I can see old guys losing velocity but when young guys less than 25 lose velocity and in matts case serious velocity its a real head scratcher. Going from mid-90's to 81-83....thats peculiar.

[questionmarkgrace]

seems like the minor leagues are littered with guys like this. Another one time top prospect trying to regain the form that made him a prospect in the first place. Good for him though to keep trying. I 'd also like to see Tampabay's Josh Hamilton get to the majors one day, he's another interesting story.

[illiniguy]

seems like the minor leagues are littered with guys like this. Another one time top prospect trying to regain the form that made him a prospect in the first place. Good for him though to keep trying. I 'd also like to see Tampabay's Josh Hamilton get to the majors one day, he's another interesting story.

Anyone know what is going on with Jeffrey Allison? Did he od?

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Nancy (Chicago): Should the cubs expect anything from Matt Harrington? And it appears he wasn't injured, but how do you explain loss in velocity at such a young age?

 

SportsNation Jim Callis: (2:18 PM ET ) No, they shouldn't expect anything. Anything they get is gravy, but why not give him a shot, especially when it costs nothing. I think Harrington's long layoff while negotiating with the Rockies cost him his stuff.

[Vinestal]

I think Harrington's long layoff while negotiating with the Rockies cost him his stuff.

 

This seems kinda odd to me. If he just lost some arm strength from the time off you would think he could get that back by simply pitching again for a while. If its a mechanicle issue maybe he's been working with the wrong people. I sure hope he can get it back, but Ive never heard of someone losing thier stuff simply from not pitching for a while. Even sitting out a year, Tommy John surgery patients do this all the time and usually regain thier velocity.

[CubinNY]

Read this:

 

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/baseball/15208425.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

 

That was a great article.

[snoodmonger]

totally weird. i was just randomly thinking about matt harrington today, and then I checked the minors forum for the first time in a while and boom. Matt Harrington.

[nilodnayr]

I think Harrington's long layoff while negotiating with the Rockies cost him his stuff.

 

This seems kinda odd to me. If he just lost some arm strength from the time off you would think he could get that back by simply pitching again for a while. If its a mechanicle issue maybe he's been working with the wrong people. I sure hope he can get it back, but Ive never heard of someone losing thier stuff simply from not pitching for a while. Even sitting out a year, Tommy John surgery patients do this all the time and usually regain thier velocity.

 

Then its not a good thing he signed with a team that recently had in its stable probably the largest and best pool of minor league pitching talent the league will see and is currently looking for 3 starters to fill out their ML rotation.

[BeerHere]

I think Harrington's long layoff while negotiating with the Rockies cost him his stuff.

 

This seems kinda odd to me. If he just lost some arm strength from the time off you would think he could get that back by simply pitching again for a while. If its a mechanicle issue maybe he's been working with the wrong people. I sure hope he can get it back, but Ive never heard of someone losing thier stuff simply from not pitching for a while. Even sitting out a year, Tommy John surgery patients do this all the time and usually regain thier velocity.

 

Then its not a good thing he signed with a team that recently had in its stable probably the largest and best pool of minor league pitching talent the league will see and is currently looking for 3 starters to fill out their ML rotation.

 

Is Marshall not a lock for the 2007 rotation?

[goonys evil twin]

Is Marshall not a lock for the 2007 rotation?

 

I sure hope not.

[BeerHere]

Is Marshall not a lock for the 2007 rotation?

 

I sure hope not.

 

6-9

era 5.59

whip 1.52

ip 125

h 132

bb 59

k 77

 

He was a rookie who had had 4 bad outings before he was injured in July that accounted for 25 of the runs he gave up. After the injury he really struggled but I've wondered if he wasn't rushed back due to the state of the rest of the staff and the struggles of Guzman and Mateo.

 

Zambrano

FA

FA

Hill

Marshall

 

I'd give Marshall 1/2 of the season to prove the flashes he showed in early 2006 weren't a fluke. If he struggles, Miller/Prior/other get the call.

[BeerHere]

My apologies for taking this thread so far off topic.

[goonys evil twin]

6-9

era 5.59

whip 1.52

ip 125

h 132

bb 59

k 77

 

He was a rookie who had had 4 bad outings before he was injured in July that accounted for 25 of the runs he gave up. After the injury he really struggled but I've wondered if he wasn't rushed back due to the state of the rest of the staff and the struggles of Guzman and Mateo.

 

Zambrano

FA

FA

Hill

Marshall

 

I'd give Marshall 1/2 of the season to prove the flashes he showed in early 2006 weren't a fluke. If he struggles, Miller/Prior/other get the call.

 

Marshall was bad, and the team should do whatever it can so that he doesn't have to be in the rotation next year.

 

The numbers you listed don't get anywhere close to making a guy a lock. Marshall is like the anti-Hill. He started out 2-0 (despite poor outings his first two starts) and didn't go below .500 until June. But he had several absolutely horrible outings (as well as a few good ones). He had a 4.98 ERA before going down with injury. He finished the season with a ERA+ of 83. He gave up more than a hit per inning, and then added a bunch of walks to make his WHIP horrible.

 

You cannot go into next season with him a "lock" for a rotation spot. Maybe if you go Zambrano, Schmidt, Zito, Hill as your first 4, you can think about giving him the job. But he's got to be a fallback option at best.

[craig]

I like Marshall as a pitching prospect. I think he's got a shot to be pretty good. But, he's got lots of options left. And he's been injured for each of the last three seasons. He was bad, very bad, post-DL. Maybe he was rushed back before he was physically ready. Or, maybe not. He was also quite poor for a while prior to his DL.

 

I think it's possible that he'll be 100% healthy. And that being a year older and wiser, that he'll be better then he was, and will be a very sturdy starter.

 

But, it's also possible that he won't be healthy. Or that his problems pre-injury and post-injury were not flukes caused by health problems, but were just where an unimproved Marshall is at.

 

We don't know. So, IMO, we shouldn't assume anything. If he's healthier and better and worthy, great. If he isn't healthy or isn't any better even if he is healthy, not so great.

 

I think the default should be that he needs to prove himself again, rather than assuming that everything will be fine. If it works out that he has to prove himself at Iowa for a while, that's fine.

 

One other factor for him: Goony mentioned a "horrible WHIP". But one of the other problems he had was giving up so many HR''s, which I don't think is going to work for him. I think he'll kind of need to profile as an anti-HR guy if he's going to have a big career.

 

I think it's well possible that if healthy, and given time, that he'll be able to be more consistent as a groundball, anti-HR guy. And with health and experience that his curverball will get somewhat more consistent, and his control/walks will improve. He might be a good one. But it's not for sure, it may not be the case next spring even if it might be eventually, and it's not likely to happen if he isn't pretty healthy.

[goonys evil twin]

I like Marshall as a pitching prospect. I think he's got a shot to be pretty good. But, he's got lots of options left. And he's been injured for each of the last three seasons.

...........

I think it's well possible that if healthy, and given time, that he'll be able to be more consistent as a groundball, anti-HR guy. And with health and experience that his curverball will get somewhat more consistent, and his control/walks will improve. He might be a good one. But it's not for sure, it may not be the case next spring even if it might be eventually, and it's not likely to happen if he isn't pretty healthy.

 

Let me be clear that I think he is a very good pitching prospect as well. My objection is for the claim that he might be considered a lock for the rotation. If he has another spring like last, and there's an open spot, then maybe I think about giving him a shot. But this guy had less than 300 professional innings this year. Now he's got about 400. He's not a guy that needs to be in the big leagues right now or you're wasting him. He's got plenty of room for improvement. I think that with a few months of work next year in AAA, he might be a solid option to step in if the team needs a late addition to the rotation. And by 2008 he should be a good candidate to start full-time. But he was pressed into duty this year out of default more than anything else. He's got a major health issue and needs to rack up innings.

 

Get through 2007 without injury, strikeout 9/9, give up less than 3 walks per 9 and hold down the homers, and then we'll talk. But right now the Cubs need to plan the 2007 rotation without Marshall in mind.

[don_kessinger_was_good]

I think it's a bit too hasty to be giving up on Sean Marshall already. He never pitched above AA before 2006. Greg Maddux wasn't very good when he came up, either.

 

I do agree that auto penciling Marshall into the 07 rotation is a bit of a stretch, though. I'd prefer the Cubs put him in Iowa at the start of the season and fine-tune his stuff. Or use him as trade bait this winter, I'm OK with that. But the guy doesn't "stink", he looked awfully good on several occasions this year.