Fuld, Hart Optioned to Iowa; Patton to DL (p. 4)

[Schwarber Fan]

OK, so Ramirez, Johnson, and Guzman are all expected to be activated tomorrow so what will happen. Jake Fox better as hell stay here - he has earned his spot while at the same time playing great defense at third - he looks more natural there than Fontenot even.

 

So here are the guys that could be sent down:

 

Samardzija - hasn't looked impressive and his initial call-up was puzzling to begin with

 

Patton - Cubs rarely use the guy, not sure why he's still around

 

Hoffpauir - It would be a stupid move, but if Lou prefers Fox...

 

Fontenot - Is Fox more valuable at this point?

 

Blanco - Does his glove overpower his bat?

 

3 of the guys gotta go, who will it be?

[CUBZ99]

Is everyone assuming that Kevin Hart stays? My guess would be he is the most likely to get sent down.

 

So....

 

Hart, Fuld and either Hoffpauir or Shark get sent down.

 

I thought I heard Len saying that Blanco is out of options and that pretty much secured his place on the roster.

 

I think the Cubs would be foolish to send Fox down.

[SouthSideRyan]

Patton, Fuld, and Samardzija

[Little Slide Rooter]

I still believe that a last minute trade happens tomorrow. Nothing ground breaking, but something that Sends Hoff or Fox to a new home.

[Andy]

Hart's got to go, he's not useful right now.

 

I wish Patton would go too, but he probably won't.

 

My guess, for no good reason: Hart, Hoffpauir and Samardzija go down, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of other move made.

[chuckywang]

Patton, Fuld, and Samardzija

 

Patton is rule 5, do you think the Cubs will be willing to offer him back?

[Little Slide Rooter]

Hart's got to go, he's not useful right now.

 

I wish Patton would go too, but he probably won't.

 

My guess, for no good reason: Hart, Hoffpauir and Samardzija go down, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of other move made.

 

In doubt Hoff goes down over Fuld. I like Fuld, but hes one of those guys whose not of much use unless they're starting. Otherwise, hes a 5th outfielder, nothing else, whereas both Hoff and Fox can both play multiple positions.

[dew1679666265]

Patton, Fuld, and Samardzija

 

Patton is rule 5, do you think the Cubs will be willing to offer him back?

 

I don't think they'll want to and I don't think it's likely, but I could see them doing it.

[Tryptamine]

Fuld, Shark/Hart/Patton. With the ASB coming up and a rested Guzman, I wouldn't be surprised if they go with a short pen.

[Little Slide Rooter]

Patton, Fuld, and Samardzija

 

Patton is rule 5, do you think the Cubs will be willing to offer him back?

 

I don't think they'll want to and I don't think it's likely, but I could see them doing it.

 

If we really want to keep Patton that bad, but not in the bigs, cant we just make a deal with the Rockies? I doubt theyd ask for too much in return. Christ, we gave them their ace for Luis freaking Vizcaino.

[chuckywang]

Patton, Fuld, and Samardzija

 

Patton is rule 5, do you think the Cubs will be willing to offer him back?

 

I don't think they'll want to and I don't think it's likely, but I could see them doing it.

 

If we really want to keep Patton that bad, but not in the bigs, cant we just make a deal with the Rockies? I doubt theyd ask for too much in return. Christ, we gave them their ace for Luis freaking Vizcaino.

 

Marquis and ace makes my head explode.

[dew1679666265]

The outfield starters will be Soriano, Fukudome and Bradley. With Reed coming back, he and one other outfielder will back up that trio. Fox could be that player, but while he can also back up third, Hoff gives something Fox does not - a left handed power bat off the bench. Either player will be a bench player, but if Hoff is demoted there is no other lefty power bat on the bench.

 

OF: Fukudome, Soriano, Bradley, Reed, Hoff

 

On the infield, Aramis, Theriot, Fontenot and DLee will be the starters. Baker stays because he's a platoon partner with Fontenot and Blanco stays because he is the sole SS backup and Lou loves his glove.

 

IF: ARam, Theriot, Fontenot, Baker, Lee, Blanco

 

Rotation stays the same and the definites in the pen are Guzman, Marmol, Gregg, Marshall and Heilman. That leaves two spots (assuming 12 pitchers) between Patton, Hart and Shark.

 

If they go with 12 pitchers, my thinking is that Fuld, Fox and Shark go to Iowa. Fuld has no real place with both Fukudome and Reed available for center and Hoff backing up the corners. Fox would be valuable backing up Aramis and as a righty power bat off the bench, but the need is greater for a lefty power bat since there are none in the lineup. Shark was the most recent callup and, though I don't know why they promoted him, is the most likely to head back. Shark has more of a future with the team and I think they want him to work on starting still, Hart meanwhile can serve as the sixth reliever. Patton could go, but isn't likely as they appear to love his potential.

 

If they go with 11 pitchers, I think Fox stays and Hart is demoted. This strategy would last until the ASB and the primary goal would be to see what Fox does this week and, perhaps, build his trade value. If he continues to tear the cover off the ball, perhaps they go with it a bit longer and try to deal him before the deadline. If he cools off, then he's demoted after the break and Hart returns.

 

Fontenot almost certainly won't be demoted since his bat has heated up some, though a platoon of Blanco/Baker at second is a possibility. Fontenot has actually been better offensively the past week than Fox, though the obvious tiny sample size applies.

[dew1679666265]

Patton, Fuld, and Samardzija

 

Patton is rule 5, do you think the Cubs will be willing to offer him back?

 

I don't think they'll want to and I don't think it's likely, but I could see them doing it.

 

If we really want to keep Patton that bad, but not in the bigs, cant we just make a deal with the Rockies? I doubt theyd ask for too much in return. Christ, we gave them their ace for Luis freaking Vizcaino.

 

Marquis has pitched well, but he's not an ace. 117 ERA+, 1.308 WHIP, 51:36 K:BB ratio

 

He normally pitches better in the first half than the second anyway. In 2007 he put up a 3.67 ERA with a 1.263 WHIP and a 62:41 K:BB ratio in the first half. In the second half, he had a 5.73 ERA with a 1.541 WHIP and a 47:35 K:BB ratio.

[E.J.]

I agree that it's going to be Fuld, Patton, and Samardzija. Patton needs to go back to Colorado. We're not the Nationals. We're trying to win a division and we need pitchers who actually pitch more than once a month. Fuld is replaced by R Johnson, so that makes sense. It was odd for Samardzija to be called up and he hasn't done all that well since being called up, so I see him being sent back down and resuming his starting pitcher role.

 

It's the Cubs though, so I assume Fox will be sent down for some reason and Patton will still be on the team.

[Schwarber Fan]

I completely forgot Hart was with the team and somehow left out Fuld too.

 

Ideally I agree that it should be Hart, Fuld, and Shark

[biittner77]

Fuld and Hart/ Shark down for Johson and Guzman are obvious moves. Patton to the DL for Ramirez is possible. Harden to the DL is another possibility.

[JeffH]

Fuld, Hart, and Samardzija.

[rawaction]

Where does the DH factor in? I think the Cubs may have 11 pitchers for a few days, but with Harden being a big risk nowadays for a short start and a double-header 2 days later to end the first half, I think you might see another pitcher up on Sat/Sunday next week.

 

I think you might actually see Patton sent back tomorrow. Kevin Hart has value as a long-man for Friday if Harden goes less than 5 again. Fuld is obviously gone. And I think you see Shark sent back down. Then you have the option of calling up Ascanio or Stevens for the final weekend and sending Blanco/Fontenot down.

[squally1313]

According to wikipedia's Rule 5 article, a Rule 5 pick only has to be active for 90 days during the season. Patton's already hit that number since Opening Day, so I think we got to find someway to hide him on the DL for the next couple months, until the rosters expand. That's one spot.

 

Sending Fuld down really only leaves us with one guy who can play center, but Kosuke hasn't had any injury problems yet, so we can risk it. Sori played there last year for a little bit, and Bradley wouldn't be a complete disaster.

 

I never really understood bringing Shark up, but long term we need to see if he can contribute to the organization as a starter, so stretch him back out in AAA in case one of our starters goes down, which with Harden is always a decent possibility.

 

 

One move I would love to see happen is to DL Soriano. Regardless of lineup spot, the guys not giving us anything. Both hits today were bloop singles that barely dropped in, and he couldn't even hit a sac fly with a runner on third, and it was one of his most productive days of the last two months. Get him off his feet for a couple weeks, let him (hopefully) destroy AAA pitching on a 'rehab' stint to get his confidence up, and hopefully he's still got a couple hot streaks in him the rest of the season.

[dew1679666265]

Sending Fuld down really only leaves us with one guy who can play center, but Kosuke hasn't had any injury problems yet, so we can risk it. Sori played there last year for a little bit, and Bradley wouldn't be a complete disaster.

 

One of the three moves being made tomorrow is Reed coming off the DL. That gives us Fukudome and Reed to play CF if Fuld goes down.

[Keener98]

Where does the DH factor in? I think the Cubs may have 11 pitchers for a few days, but with Harden being a big risk nowadays for a short start and a double-header 2 days later to end the first half, I think you might see another pitcher up on Sat/Sunday next week.

 

I think you might actually see Patton sent back tomorrow. Kevin Hart has value as a long-man for Friday if Harden goes less than 5 again. Fuld is obviously gone. And I think you see Shark sent back down. Then you have the option of calling up Ascanio or Stevens for the final weekend and sending Blanco/Fontenot down.

 

 

Blanco is out of options. I think we will see Fuld, Hart, and Shark go down. If something happens where a starting pitcher has a short outing and our bullpen gets taxed, then they DL Patton, and call someone up.

[DSMCubsFan]

I agree.....Fuld, Hart, and Shark go down,and if a starter has a short outting, they will DL Patton or Harden, and call someone up.

[NCCubFan]

According to wikipedia's Rule 5 article, a Rule 5 pick only has to be active for 90 days during the season. Patton's already hit that number since Opening Day, so I think we got to find someway to hide him on the DL for the next couple months, until the rosters expand.

I've pointed out exactly this in other related threads. Once he passed the 90 day mark there's no reason to send him back. Put him on the DL with a phantom injury until rosters expand, then bring him back for garbage duty in September when he wouldn't be wasting a roster spot. Then they can send him down for more development next year.

[Guest]

I asked this in the game thread but nobody answered and it applies here so...

 

What exactly does Blanco not having any options mean in terms of whether or not he can be sent down?

 

EDIT: Nevermind. Saw the thread in Cubs Discussions that talked about options.

 

What are the chances that somebody actually claims Blanco on waivers if the Cubs tried to send him down?

[inari]

I'd say the chances are pretty good.