Samardzija Called Up

[SouthSideRyan]

Comcast just basically confirmed it's Samardzija.

[Jon]

Comcast just basically confirmed it's Samardzija.

I just assumed they were making an obscure reference to Wuertz dressing up as a leprechaun one time for Halloween.

 

I don't like it.

[UMFan83]

They confirmed it again a few seconds ago.

[hawkeyecub]

Confirmed on the postgame, it will be Samardzjia called up tomorrow.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

It would make sense for him to do double duty and play WR for the Bears too.

[Rob]

Hopefully Samardzija pitches well enough to take Marquis' rotation spot.

[inari]

Hopefully Samardzija pitches well enough to take Marquis' rotation spot.

 

Not any chance that he would pitch better than Marquis this year.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Hopefully Samardzija pitches well enough to take Marquis' rotation spot.

 

Not any chance that he would pitch better than Marquis this year.

and this is based on?

[Jon]

Samardzija should probably be viewed more like a high school draftee instead of a college draftee. He needs to learn how to pitch.

[cubs121]

Hopefully Samardzija pitches well enough to take Marquis' rotation spot.

 

Not any chance that he would pitch better than Marquis this year.

What? how would you know?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Not my first choice, but not terrible as long as they use him. With the current state of the bullpen, that shouldn't be a problem.

[CubColtPacer]

Congrats to Samardzija. He's taken a lot of heat over the last year and a half (and I don't blame most of the people who did-high expectations were placed on him, and most of the information coming out didn't seem to be good). It's obvious though that he's put in a ton of work to continue to develop his secondary pitches, and that has paid off in this promotion. While I don't expect a lot from him right now, this will hopefully be just a nice little taste of the big leagues that he can use to further refine his stuff and become a good starter up here in a year or year and a half. I'm definitely excited to see his debut.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

I think Ascanio might have been a better choice.

[TysonCBulls423]

Hopefully Samardzija pitches well enough to take Marquis' rotation spot.

 

Not any chance that he would pitch better than Marquis this year.

What? how would you know?

 

I disagree with the word "any" but chances aren't great. Marquis has been a solid 5th starter but everyone seems to expect #2 or #3 starter numbers out of him.

[Andy]

Can't wait to see him pitch, almost certainly tomorrow given the state of the pen.

 

Congratulations Jeff.

[bcl412]

I hated you at Notre Dame, but now that you're a Cubs. Go Samardzija.

[Rob]

Hopefully Samardzija pitches well enough to take Marquis' rotation spot.

 

Not any chance that he would pitch better than Marquis this year.

 

I should take you to Vegas.

[TysonCBulls423]

If Gordon Wittenmeyer is right with his Samardzija might start Saturday prediction, I would be devastated. Harden needs to pitch against the Brewers and moving him back to Sunday eliminates that leaving either Samardzija or Marquis to start that 4th game.

[imb]

as long as they actually let him on the mound, I'm all for it. The dude keeps failing upwards and this is as high as he can go.

[CuseCubFan69]

Not my first choice, but not terrible as long as they use him. With the current state of the bullpen, that shouldn't be a problem.

 

It'll give him time to catch up on his summer reading.

 

I still don't understand the use of having so many pitchers on the team. I suppose having guys that play the whole game and a flexible bench make it ok to do so.

[Jehrico]

Wuertz has been walking a lot of guys this year, and he just gave up 3 more in his last outing. I can see why they'd hesitate to bring him up. Between Samardzija and Ceda, I'd probably prefer Ceda. However, that requires adding Ceda to the 40-man, and likely means burning an option when they send him down in a few weeks.

 

This could be a setback to Samardzija's development, however, to equate it to the stupidity of signing Neifi Perez is just plain wrong. He's over the 110 IP mark right now and he threw 140 last year. Even if he comes up and stays in the major league bullpen through the end of the year, it wouldn't be hard for him to match that 140 level, giving him back to back solid totals for a guy still learning to pitch. He's been in the bullpen off and on a couple times the past two years, show there shouldn't be much of an adjustment. I think the Cubs still view him as a front end starter longterm, so I doubt there's a lot of risk they will keep him locked into the bullpen - unless he pulls a Marmol, in which case I can't say I'd be disappointed. If he comes up and struggles, then you send him back down in early August and he still gets enough minor league starts to have 140-150 IP for the year. And at that point you have Lieber coming back, hopefully Wuertz figuring it out, and maybe Howry finally improving.

 

I don't see a lot of downside to calling him up.

 

 

Neither do I see the downside, in fact the guy gets better at each level. This could be a real plus in his development, as I think we need to keep in mind Jeff is cut out differently then most. Used to the stage from his football background, longing for the challenge. He also has experience in the pen.

 

It may also help to motivate Wuertz to get his act together. Right now he is walking AAA batters. 3 his last performance alone.

I don't think you can realistically expect a guy who wasn't lights out at high A and struggled at AA but has had some success in a small sample size at AAA to get better with the jump to MLB, especially when moving from the rotation to the pen without any time to readjust to the role first.

[erik316wttn]

If Gordon Wittenmeyer is right with his Samardzija might start Saturday prediction, I would be devastated. Harden needs to pitch against the Brewers and moving him back to Sunday eliminates that leaving either Samardzija or Marquis to start that 4th game.

 

I'm going to that 4th game. I want to see Harden in person, dangit!

[Old Style]

I hated you at Notre Dame, but now that you're a Cubs. Go Samardzija.

Wait, he's so big that he's more than just a Cub? He's a Cubs?

[JeffH]

I'm glad Samardzija's coming up.

 

Since Chad Fox got hurt again and Michael Wuertz was demoted, the big league squad has been woefully short of ugly dudes.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't think you can realistically expect a guy who wasn't lights out at high A and struggled at AA but has had some success in a small sample size at AAA to get better with the jump to MLB, especially when moving from the rotation to the pen without any time to readjust to the role first.

 

He's moved to and from the bullpen on multiple occasions over the past two years. And it's probably for no more than a week - when Wood returns. It's much better to call up a guy already on the 40-man roster, than to put a guy on the 40 and then burn an option for what may amount to no more than 1 or 2 appearances.