Cubs Sign BJ Ryan (P. 3); Cubs Release Ryan (P. 6)

[Little Slide Rooter]

Cubs Sign B.J. Ryan

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [July 16 at 4:16pm CST]

The Cubs signed B.J. Ryan to a one-year deal, according to ESPN Chicago.

 

Yay low risk potentially high pay off maneuver. It worked with Jim Edmonds.

 

Question is, by 1 year deal, does that mean the rest of this year or through next year?

[PrimeTime]

Roto

 

The Cubs have signed B.J. Ryan to a one-year deal, according to ESPN Chicago.

 

Ryan will likely be just a situation lefty with Chicago, posing no threat to either Kevin Gregg or Carlos Marmol. Ryan was released by the Blue Jays on July 8. In 20 2/3 innings with Toronto this season, the former closer had a 6.53 ERA and a 13/17 K/BB ratio.

 

 

Yikes...I heard his fastball is at about 85-87 MPH?

[Clem Fandango]

Yeah he doesn't have the same velocity but as someone pointed out he's been pretty good over the last month, albeit it's only like 10 innings or so, but still, it's something to be intrigued by. I like this move. And I too am curious by the "1 year deal" aspect of it. Is it the rest of the season or through the end of next year? And does it mean we pay him league minimum this year since Toronto released him asnd eats all of his contract?

[Prizefight]

Love this move. His stats have been improving each month as his body has adjusted to being off the PED's. Allows us to stretch Marshall out for when Harden's arm falls off. :D

 

 

 

edited: for slaughtering the English language

Edited July 16, 2009 by Prizefight

[Guest]

Love this move. His stats have been approving each month as his body has adjusted to being off the PED's. Allows us to stretch Marshall out for when Harden's arm falls off. :D

approving? I normally don't make comments on people's grammar, but this one shook me.

[Prizefight]

Love this move. His stats have been approving each month as his body has adjusted to being off the PED's. Allows us to stretch Marshall out for when Harden's arm falls off. :D

approving? I normally don't make comments on people's grammar, but this one shook me.

 

Wow, I deserve that. I was typing quickly because my boss was walking down the aisle. Sorry!

[dew1679666265]

This is a good move, in my opinion. Even if Ryan has nothing left, the Cubs aren't out anything.

 

And if he can pitch well, it allows Lou to be comfortable moving Marshall back to the rotation at some point.

[Guest]

This is a good move, in my opinion. Even if Ryan has nothing left, the Cubs aren't out anything.

 

And if he can pitch well, it allows Lou to be comfortable moving Marshall back to the rotation at some point.

I don't know if Lou will ever be that comfortable.

[dew1679666265]

This is a good move, in my opinion. Even if Ryan has nothing left, the Cubs aren't out anything.

 

And if he can pitch well, it allows Lou to be comfortable moving Marshall back to the rotation at some point.

I don't know if Lou will ever be that comfortable.

 

He was at the start of the season when we had Cotts.

 

Lou wants a loogy in the pen. Cotts was that, now it's Marshall. But if Ryan can fill that role this season, Lou will have his loogy and Marshall will likely take back the role he held while Cotts was playing.

[Outshined_One]

Can't say I'm all that excited if his velocity is down, but I can't complain about it, either.

 

I'm curious what happens with Marshall. He's not stretched out, so having him fill in for Dempster would be an issue. However, he's no longer a LOOGY if Ryan becomes the situational lefty. Maybe Marshall takes over Marmol's fireman role?

[Little Slide Rooter]

The Cubs signed B.J. Ryan to a one-year deal, according to ESPN Chicago. He will work out in Arizona before reporting to Triple A Iowa, according to the Chicago Tribune, which first reported the team's interest last week.

 

The Blue Jays released Ryan after a disappointing three and a half year stint that began well, but ends with the Blue Jays paying $15MM between now and the end of next season as he plays in another uniform. The change of scenery could help Ryan, who wasn't bad against lefties this year. However, he allowed a near-1.200 OPS against righties and saw the velocity of his fastball drop for a fourth straight season, according to FanGraphs.

 

Looks like it will be a little while before we see him, as I would have expected.

Edited July 16, 2009 by Little Slide Rooter

[cubsfan26]

Very good move IMO. If Ryan has nothing left then the Cubs don't ever even have to call him up. But with the numbers he put up last year and still only being 33, I really believe he still has something left. When the Cubs signed Edmonds in a simliar move last year I was one of the few people who thought Edmonds had something left and I feel the same way about Ryan. I think by mid August he will be in the bullpen and be pitching well.

[apete6]

How come Jim Hendry makes good signings on guys like this yet just completely sucks when signing free agents in the offseason? Unless this is just common sense and these guys really want to play for the Cubs, which could be entirely possible, especially with Dempster and Edmonds and Reed J. I don't know anything about Ryan to say if that's the case or not.

[Banedon]

Yeah he doesn't have the same velocity but as someone pointed out he's been pretty good over the last month, albeit it's only like 10 innings or so, but still, it's something to be intrigued by. I like this move. And I too am curious by the "1 year deal" aspect of it. Is it the rest of the season or through the end of next year? And does it mean we pay him league minimum this year since Toronto released him asnd eats all of his contract?

 

Yeah, I think we're only paying like $400k for him. Good gamble.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Prediction, he pitches something like 6 innings, 2 ER, 3 K, 5 BB, 6 H in AAA, gets called up, gets shelled a few times and costs the team a game or two.

[Derwood]

hooray for buying low

[OleMissCub]

I like this alot

[17 Seconds]

i's not a bad move since there's no risk...... but bj ryan sucks, you guys.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

i's not a bad move since there's no risk...... but bj ryan sucks, you guys.

 

There's always an opportunity cost.

 

I very much doubt they'll be waiting for a statistically valid sample of results before they start giving him major-league innings.

[17 Seconds]

Yeah he doesn't have the same velocity but as someone pointed out he's been pretty good over the last month

 

1.68 WHIP, 8 BB 3 K over his last month

 

3.00 WHIP, 8 BB, 1 K over his last 7 games

 

I don't really get where the "he's been pretty good over the past month or so" stuff is coming from. He's been terrible

[17 Seconds]

i's not a bad move since there's no risk...... but bj ryan sucks, you guys.

 

There's always an opportunity cost.

 

I very much doubt they'll be waiting for a statistically valid sample of results before they start giving him major-league innings.

 

you arent impressed by the 3.00 WHIP he had over his last 7 games?

[ISUCubsFan]

I know there's a good chance he'll suck, but the cost to get him is basically zero and he isn't going to take a roster spot from anyone useful. As unimpressive as the Cubs pen has been this year it's worth a free shot.

[erik316wttn]

hooray for buying low

 

Now if we could only grasp that "Selling high" thing, we'd be in business.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I know there's a good chance he'll suck, but the cost to get him is basically zero and he isn't going to take a roster spot from anyone useful. As unimpressive as the Cubs pen has been this year it's worth a free shot.

 

It's not free. At some point, you have to give him major-league innings to find out anything useful. Those aren't free.

[Hawk4Hall]

I'm all for giving this a shot. Ryan was pretty lights out for a period of time. If he can get some of that magic back he will help this club a great deal.