Cashner to Iowa / Vitters to Tenn / Flaherty to Daytona

[NCCubFan]

A further comment on the roster move question. Although the Cubs' official release said Tracy was optioned to Iowa, MLB Network was reporting instead that he was designated for assignment. There's no need to deroster him to make room on the 40-man roster, because even with Castro's addition the roster is exactly at 40, and they can always clear a spot if needed by transferring Guzman to the 60-day DL. So I wonder if Tracy has the right to refuse a minor league assignment and become a free agent, and the DFA is to try to trade him before releasing him.

[CubColtPacer]

A further comment on the roster move question. Although the Cubs' official release said Tracy was optioned to Iowa, MLB Network was reporting instead that he was designated for assignment. There's no need to deroster him to make room on the 40-man roster, because even with Castro's addition the roster is exactly at 40, and they can always clear a spot if needed by transferring Guzman to the 60-day DL. So I wonder if Tracy has the right to refuse a minor league assignment and become a free agent, and the DFA is to try to trade him before releasing him.

 

Tracy was willing to go to Iowa if need be at the end of ST. I assume it's probably the same now and that he didn't refuse. I think a DFA would be due to his high service time already accrued (6 years) and that I believe he was out of options anyway. So the only way to get him to the minors is to remove him from the 40 man roster and then outright him to the minors after passing through waivers. Based on the way the news was reported, it sounds like the Cubs want to try to get him through waivers and send him to Iowa.

[NCCubFan]

Cubs.com and espn.com are both still reporting that he was optioned to Iowa. The only place where I read that he was DFA'd instead was the scrolling news at the bottom of the screen on MLB Network last night. So my guess is that it's MLB Network that was reporting it wrong, and that the reason Iowa hasn't announced a roster move is that Tracy hasn't reported yet (he has 72 hours). He only played in the minors during 4 seasons before he was called up, so he's probably not out of options.

[NCCubFan]

Iowa will likely need to make another roster move soon, besides making space for Tracy. Last I heard the Cubs are expected to activate Caridad from the DL on Monday. So unless another Cub goes on the DL with a real or phantom injury somebody will need to be sent down (Gray seems most likely to me).

[Keener98]

Iowa will likely need to make another roster move soon, besides making space for Tracy. Last I heard the Cubs are expected to activate Caridad from the DL on Monday. So unless another Cub goes on the DL with a real or phantom injury somebody will need to be sent down (Gray seems most likely to me).

 

Caridad is going to be activated today or tomorrow.

[Little Slide Rooter]

There may not be a single positon player in Iowa worth getting excited over, but you gotta love that rotation of Jackson/Cashner/Coleman/Diamond and Blake Parker closing em out.

[biittner77]

There may not be a single positon player in Iowa worth getting excited over, but you gotta love that rotation of Jackson/Cashner/Coleman/Diamond and Blake Parker closing em out.

 

I'd be more excited about Blake Parker if he didn't give up so many walks.

[Outshined_One]

Uggggggggggggggggggggggh...

 

From BP:

 

The Cubs are also close to promoting right-hander Andrew Cashner from Triple-A Iowa, perhaps to help in the bullpen, though he has been starting in the Pacific Coast League.

 

Don't do it, Jim.

[RedFlash]

Uggggggggggggggggggggggh...

 

From BP:

 

The Cubs are also close to promoting right-hander Andrew Cashner from Triple-A Iowa, perhaps to help in the bullpen, though he has been starting in the Pacific Coast League.

 

Don't do it, Jim.

 

This is what I am afraid of. A desparate move by a man desparate to save his job.

[98navigator]

I'm not so sure it's for the bullpen (it may be but there has been talk of possibly trading a starter, such as Gorzelanny, for bullpen help. That would open a spot for Cashner in the rotation. Or another starter like Wells could be moved to the pen. I've heard both rumors).

 

Suntimes

Whether a sooner-than-later return to the rotation has crossed Zambrano's mind with some of the team's recent rough starts, he's not saying. He declined an interview request Sunday.

 

If anything, Piniella alluded to former first-round draft pick Andrew Cashner being on the team's radar for a big-league look that would seem to be in the rotation.

 

''We've moved [Cashner] up to AAA,'' Piniella said. ''He's got a really nice arm. We're going to be looking at that situation also.''

[CUBZ99]

I'm not so sure it's for the bullpen (it may be but there has been talk of possibly trading a starter, such as Gorzelanny, for bullpen help. That would open a spot for Cashner in the rotation. Or another starter like Wells could be moved to the pen. I've heard both rumors).

 

Suntimes

Whether a sooner-than-later return to the rotation has crossed Zambrano's mind with some of the team's recent rough starts, he's not saying. He declined an interview request Sunday.

 

If anything, Piniella alluded to former first-round draft pick Andrew Cashner being on the team's radar for a big-league look that would seem to be in the rotation.

 

''We've moved [Cashner] up to AAA,'' Piniella said. ''He's got a really nice arm. We're going to be looking at that situation also.''

 

 

Wells to the bullpen? That would be a joke.

[davell]

I'm waiting for Lou to decide to use a pitcher for every inning at this point.