Sean Gallagher to Cubs / Guzman to DL / Novoa to 60-day DL

[seanimal]

one potential huge hidden problem I have with this move is what it signals regarding the relationship of the GM and manager. I get the feeling this move was made because Lou decided he won't have Cherry or Cotts or any of the other pitchers on the 40 man that he saw in spring on his team. once again we seem to have a manager that has too much influence over the roster.

 

While this one move may point to that, the lack of obvious moves not being made leads me to believe otherwise. However, even if Lou did have more control over the roster, I don't see how that's worse than Hendry deciding who comes and goes.

[10man]

And why shouldn't the Manager have influence over the roster? He's the one who has to put these guys together into a cohesive team. It's only logical that he has a lot of input as to who is available for him.

[soccer10k]

Have we heard how the Cubs are freeing up a spot on the 40 man to make room for Gallagher?

[seanimal]

Have we heard how the Cubs are freeing up a spot on the 40 man to make room for Gallagher?

 

Supposedly Guzman to the DL.

[jyoung55]

Have we heard how the Cubs are freeing up a spot on the 40 man to make room for Gallagher?

 

Supposedly Guzman to the DL.

 

The 60 day? They'd need to move someone off the 40 man by either putting them on the 60 day or optioning them off/DFA someone or make a trade.

[Soul]

Have we heard how the Cubs are freeing up a spot on the 40 man to make room for Gallagher?

 

Supposedly Guzman to the DL.

 

Guzman couldn't stay healthy as a BP arm. I like the kid, but no way was he going to last as our permanent 5th starter.

 

Unfortunately, I'm bracing for Marshall's return to earth which would seem to be inevitable.

[Guest]

Have we heard how the Cubs are freeing up a spot on the 40 man to make room for Gallagher?

 

Supposedly Guzman to the DL.

 

Guzman couldn't stay healthy as a BP arm. I like the kid, but no way was he going to last as our permanent 5th starter.

 

Unfortunately, I'm bracing for Marshall's return to earth which would seem to be inevitable.

 

For some players, pitching multiple times in a week is harder than once ever 5 days. I don't see why Guzman getting hurt as a reliever means he can't start.

[Rob]

While I am excited to see Gallagher pitch again, I am quite pissed it comes at the expense of Gooz. At least jerking a fragile pitcher between the bullpen and the rotation was a smart idea at the time. :roll:

[NCCubFan]

Have we heard how the Cubs are freeing up a spot on the 40 man to make room for Gallagher?

 

Supposedly Guzman to the DL.

 

The 60 day? They'd need to move someone off the 40 man by either putting them on the 60 day or optioning them off/DFA someone or make a trade.

I think Miller to the 60-day would be the obvious move. Blanco to the 60-day might also be a possibility depending on the severity of his injury.

[jersey cubs fan]

This move doesn't bother me like it seems to bother many others. I'm guessing he's just going to be up for a couple of weeks, so it's not going to really stunt his development. It will give him a taste of life in the major leagues so that when he comes back up again later (whether it's a September call-up this year or sometime next year) he will have already gone through the jitters players frequently go through the first time up. As far as concerns about arbitration or free agency clocks starting, I think that's a moot point. He certainly will not be up enough for this season to count toward free agency (even if he were to stay up the rest of the year, which I don't expect), and unless he does stay up the rest of the year there's no way he'd qualify as a super-two that would speed up his arbitration eligibility (I'm not sure he'd qualify even if he were up for the rest of the year). The only thing that will start ticking is the option clock, since sending him back down would use his first option. I think it's good he's getting some major league exposure.

 

That's exactly how I feel about the situation as well.

 

I as well. Gallagher isn't some raw wild thing are desperately in need of the innings he'd get right now as a starter. But he's still probably going to get a good amount by seasons end. There is no reliever on the 40-man that is an obvious candidate to get the job. It'll be 2010 before the Cubs run the risk of having this option issue come back to haunt them. By then we'll have a pretty good idea if he's going to be a guy worth sticking with. He's probably not going to rack up enough service time to really have this affect his arbitration or free agent numbers.

[USSoccer]

So how much more damage can Jim Hendry manage to do to what's left of our farm system before he's fired by the new ownership?

 

Seriously. There's no reason to take Gallagher and stick him in middle relief, just like there was no reason to pull Guzman from the rotation and then pitch him 8 innings in 12 days.

 

Piniella can't manage his bullpen, and Hendry cannot manage the roster. What's going to happen in a couple years when Gallagher isn't ready yet but he's Rule V eligible? Why start his clock now and put him on the 40 man at least 1 year before he was ready for it?

 

Cotts or Cherry or Pignatiello or Rapada all could have come up for a couple weeks if we needed a spare arm.

[jersey cubs fan]

Have we heard how the Cubs are freeing up a spot on the 40 man to make room for Gallagher?

 

Supposedly Guzman to the DL.

 

The 60 day? They'd need to move someone off the 40 man by either putting them on the 60 day or optioning them off/DFA someone or make a trade.

I think Miller to the 60-day would be the obvious move. Blanco to the 60-day might also be a possibility depending on the severity of his injury.

 

They also still have time to make a trade that affects the 40 man, although Miller DFA/60 and releasing Dopirak are probably the most likely. I'd be surprised if Blanco goes 60 day.

[jersey cubs fan]

What's going to happen in a couple years when Gallagher isn't ready yet but he's Rule V eligible? Why start his clock now and put him on the 40 man at least 1 year before he was ready for it?

 

Well, his option clock doesn't start until they send him back down, so if he sticks, this isn't an issue. But even if they do use up his first option in a few weeks, they will have 2008, and 2009 to use options. If Gallagher can't stick with the big club by 2010, at least in the bullpen, then how much hope is there for his future anyway? He should have a good 700-800 professional innings under his belt by then, including plenty of time at both AA and AAA. Even if you conservatively assume he goes back to AA in a month, he will have 2008 and 2009 to master AAA. I'd think he will be, at the minimum, a solid candidate for bullpen duty by 2010, making the minimum and hopefully throwing strikes. Even if he suffers setbacks along the road, they can make room.

 

 

This is definitely a move by a GM who isn't all that concerned about tomorrow. But the fact remains, the new GM should be able to work around the option issue with Gallagher, when the time comes. If Hendry trades Gallagher for some bullpen help, then it's time to get pissed.

[USSoccer]

What's going to happen in a couple years when Gallagher isn't ready yet but he's Rule V eligible? Why start his clock now and put him on the 40 man at least 1 year before he was ready for it?

 

Well, his option clock doesn't start until they send him back down, so if he sticks, this isn't an issue. But even if they do use up his first option in a few weeks, they will have 2008, and 2009 to use options. If Gallagher can't stick with the big club by 2010, at least in the bullpen, then how much hope is there for his future anyway? He should have a good 700-800 professional innings under his belt by then, including plenty of time at both AA and AAA. Even if you conservatively assume he goes back to AA in a month, he will have 2008 and 2009 to master AAA. I'd think he will be, at the minimum, a solid candidate for bullpen duty by 2010, making the minimum and hopefully throwing strikes. Even if he suffers setbacks along the road, they can make room.

 

With all respect to Sean's family here, I'm not convinced that taking a guy who's a solid but not spectacular prospect and dumping him in middle relief is the best way to go. He could have used the rest of this year and part of next in the minors. If he comes up and gets beaten around in middle relief, what affect does that have on him? Not to mention you're taking a starter and putting his arm in a situation for which it's not conditioned.

 

Our system sucks, and I don't like taking one of the better players in it and exposing him too early in his development.

[jersey cubs fan]

With all respect to Sean's family here, I'm not convinced that taking a guy who's a solid but not spectacular prospect and dumping him in middle relief is the best way to go. He could have used the rest of this year and part of next in the minors. If he comes up and gets beaten around in middle relief, what affect does that have on him? Not to mention you're taking a starter and putting his arm in a situation for which it's not conditioned.

 

Our system sucks, and I don't like taking one of the better players in it and exposing him too early in his development.

 

Well, they aren't exposing a guy who is all that raw. Gallagher isn't some projectible kid desperate for innings to harness his stuff.

 

Is this the best way to go? Probably not. But it doesn't have to be damaging either. If they spend the next 4 months taking him in and out of the rotation and bullpen, letting him sit for 10 days and then pitching him 3 times in 4 days, then there will be an issue. But I don't think Lou is the same as Dusty as far as treating the young relievers like that.

 

And as for him potentially getting rocked, I say who cares. If he gets lit up his next couple times, then send him back to AA to get back on track and take it as a learning opportunity. If he gets mentally damaged from that, well, he wasn't going to make it in the majors, because just about everybody gets hit hard from time to time, especially early in their career.

[Guest]

Piniella can't manage his bullpen, and Hendry cannot manage the roster. What's going to happen in a couple years when Gallagher isn't ready yet but he's Rule V eligible? Why start his clock now and put him on the 40 man at least 1 year before he was ready for it?

 

This doesn't make sense. If, in three years, Sean (who has had about 3/4 of a season at AA) isn't ready to stick on the big league roster, then I don't think it's a big concern.

[Guest]

Another option for clearing a roster spot on the 40-man is to call up Novoa and then 60-day DL him.

[E.J.]

Another option for clearing a roster spot on the 40-man is to call up Novoa and then 60-day DL him.

 

I've completely forgotten about Novoa. What's wrong with him again?

[JeffH]

I've completely forgotten about Novoa. What's wrong with him again?

 

Now, there's a straight line for somebody.

[inari]

Have we heard how the Cubs are freeing up a spot on the 40 man to make room for Gallagher?

 

Supposedly Guzman to the DL.

 

Guzman couldn't stay healthy as a BP arm. I like the kid, but no way was he going to last as our permanent 5th starter.

 

Unfortunately, I'm bracing for Marshall's return to earth which would seem to be inevitable.

 

There's no reason Marshall can't be a middle of the rotation starter.

 

Anyways, I think Angel's injury has a lot more to do with the fact that he was yanked between the rotation and the pen than anything else.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

is Gooz actually injured?

[CubColtPacer]

is Gooz actually injured?

 

Nobody is quite sure-he is feeling tenderness in his arm and doesn't really want to pitch right now, so they have put him on the DL.

 

The move has been made now btw-Guzman to DL, retroactive to June 2nd, Gallagher up, and Novoa placed on the 60 day DL with a right humeral head fracture.

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070606&content_id=2008847&vkey=pr_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

[Laura]

Gallagher!

 

Congrats to him & his family!

 

I'm usually not a huge fan of having young starting pitchers brought up and slotted for long relief, given the sporadic usage they'll get. I do think this can be a good move for Sean. He's responded well to being advanced and challenged regularly. Having met him, I can say he isn't the type to have his confidence shattered by a bad outing. I'm glad to see the confidence the organization has in him, and I'll be rooting for him. Exciting times!

 

I hate to hear about Guzman's injury/soreness, though, and can't help but wonder if his being shuffled around so much lately contributed to it.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I agree with Laura. Sean isn't going to get his confidence shattered by what comes his way. He'll either excel in the bullpen, or he'll take his lumps and use it as motivation to work his way back up there.

 

I'm eager to see him get some major league hitters out.

[Banedon]

is Gooz actually injured?

 

Nobody is quite sure-he is feeling tenderness in his arm and doesn't really want to pitch right now, so they have put him on the DL.

 

The move has been made now btw-Guzman to DL, retroactive to June 2nd, Gallagher up, and Novoa placed on the 60 day DL with a right humeral head fracture.

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070606&content_id=2008847&vkey=pr_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

 

Raisin is on a roll. We'll never hear the end of it...