When the lockout ended and Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer started filling out the roster with veterans on one-year offers, the working concept was he would attempt to flip most of them for a prospect or two on the commerce deadline.
That sign-and-flip technique labored effectively for Theo Epstein in the course of the authentic rebuild with gamers equivalent to Paul Maholm, Scott Feldman, Jason Hammel and others bringing again youthful expertise in trades together with Jake Arrieta, Pedro Strop and Addison Russell.
Hoyer signed Andrelton Simmons, Mychal Givens, Daniel Norris, David Robertson, Robert Gsellman, Jonathan Villar, Clint Frazier, Drew Smyly and others within the spring, preserving the payroll low and hoping for the perfect.
But within the rebuild that’s not a rebuild, the sign-and-flip has up to now turn out to be the sign-and-flop.
Only Robertson has put up ok numbers to deliver again some high quality in return, and three of the veterans have already got been designated for task.
Gsellman and Frazier have been DFA’d earlier this month, ultimately cleared waivers and have been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa. On Friday it was Villar who was DFA’d shortly after seeing his identify within the Cubs beginning lineup for the opener of a three-game sequence towards the St. Louis Cardinals.
Villar, 31, signed a one-year, $6 million take care of a mutual choice for $4.5 million for 2023. He’ll be paid an estimated $3.4 million of his remaining ‘22 salary if the Cubs don’t discover a taker. Villar hit .222 in 46 video games with two dwelling runs and 15 RBIs and solely .175 in June after being on the injured listing with a mouth damage from a freak coaching accident.
Villar’s roster spot was made weak due to the return of infielder David Bote, who had left shoulder surgical procedure after the 2021 season and just lately was sidelined throughout a rehab stint at Iowa with what was described a dizziness.
Manager David Ross mentioned Bote would get an opportunity to play commonly — he began at second base Friday, batting seventh. Second baseman Nick Madrigal is on the IL with a groin damage.
“He’ll play second base a lot, and I think he’ll give Patrick (Wisdom) a breather at third every once in a while,” Ross mentioned of Bote. “We haven’t really had a lot of bodies to fill that role, and ‘Wis’ has been dealing with … well, everybody is dealing with a little stuff when you play every day.”
Christopher Morel seems to be solidifying a spot in middle area after being moved round when he got here up from Double-A Tennessee, although Ross mentioned the rookie continues to be an choice at third. Morel just lately mentioned he feels most snug at third base however is prepared to play anyplace.
Bote declined to elaborate on his dizzy spells at Iowa however mentioned he misplaced 20 kilos or so from final season and couldn’t hold his weight up.
“We’re still trying to figure out what the exact cause of the thing is,” he mentioned. “It was just one of those things where I was losing a bunch of weight fast. I couldn’t keep any weight on. I was nauseous and dizzy and just wanted to make sure nothing was seriously going wrong, especially for as long as it had been going on. … There was like 48 hours straight where I just laid in bed. I couldn’t do anything.”
Bote, 29, who signed a five-year, $15 million extension in 2019 with two team-option years, mentioned he felt “goose bumps” returning to the sphere Friday after a lot time away. He hit .200 in 2020 and .199 final season however mentioned he made some tweaks to his strategy and feels extra snug on the plate.
What form of tweaks?
“It’s all baseball,” Bote mentioned, declining to supply specifics.
While Bote was trying to find solutions to the reason for his dizzy spells, so too was Cubs bullpen coach Chris Young, who was hospitalized Thursday in Pittsburgh after feeling lightheaded within the pen. Young mentioned Friday that he was nice till the second of his well being problem early within the recreation.
“I was dapping up all the relievers and felt great and sat down and (said) ‘I don’t feel great,’ ” he mentioned. “Then 60 seconds later, (I knew) I needed a little bit of help.”
Young mentioned he was well-hydrated and wasn’t affected by warmth exhaustion. On Friday he nonetheless had no thought what had occurred.
“I just got really hot and had some hives and some things that were tough,” he mentioned. “I’ve talked to our doctor and he’s incredible. We don’t really have a working theory. … Thank goodness it happened (at the park) and (trainers PJ Mainville and Nick Frangella) were there to take care of it.”
Ross mentioned Young got here as much as him within the dugout late in Thursday’s recreation after getting back from the hospital.
“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” Young informed Ross.
But Ross added it was a “scary feeling” Thursday not figuring out “what’s going on in that moment.”
Fortunately Young was OK and again dapping once more Friday within the Cubs bullpen.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com