WEDNESDAY, 2:31pm: MLB.com's Carrie Muskat tweets that the Cubs are not expected to sign Looper.
TUESDAY, 8:36pm: FOXSports' Ken Rosenthal tweets that free agent Braden Looper threw for the Cubs today, and will be flexible on his role if the Cubs want him.
Looper is coming off of a disastrous 2009 season for the Brewers. He pitched to a 5.22 ERA, along with 64 walks and 100 strikeouts in 194 2/3 innings. Worst of all was a league-high 39 home runs allowed.
However, with the Cubs' bullpen pitching to a 6.00 ERA entering tonight's game (and struggling again), Looper may be an upgrade over some of the pitchers out there right now.
pretty sad if a guy with a 4+ career ERA can help your bullpen.
I don’t think this is the answer to the Cubs bullpen woes
Looper is an example of just how meaningless pitcher win/loss records are. He had 14 “wins” last year and is still unemployed.
PLEASE PLEASE sign him so my reds can smash homeruns off him everytime he pitches and im sure everyother nl central team is begging for the cubs to sign him
I agree. Would love nothing more than for the Brewers to smack this guy around.
Just in case any of you out there were questioning the intelligence of Tommy-Boy Hendry…
Wow, really Jim? You think the guy with the 1.373 career WHIP is the answer to our bullpens inability to keep guys off the basepaths? Of course, what am I thinking – that is sadly lightyears better then most of the bums you have stuck us with, and at least he doesn’t issue a walk an inning…
Damn you Hendry for assembling a pen that is so horrific that Braden Looper is somehow an upgrade!
its not hendrys fault 1/3 of the bullpen is on the DL
Well thats grasping for an excuse to cover the incompetence.
We lost two guys. Now, loosing Caridad is hardly hurting us, especially since he likely would have been sent to the minors anyway if he continued at his pace. And while the loss of Guzman was devastating, it was not only something he should have allotted for (Angel is made of glass), but we knew about it a month prior to the season starting. Plenty of time to find someone, anyone, worth a darn. Not Hendry though…
Well I suppose 5.22 is better than 6.00.
Sign him. Almost all the teams out there are using young pitchers who should be in the minor leagues in the hopes of hitting big like Lincecum or King Felix. This guy is old, but he gets the job done.
Damn Damn Damn. i was really looking forward to him geting smashed every game he pitched it would have helped my reds out alot