Free agent Carlos Silva has several offers and will likely accept one of them soon, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Cubs, who released Silva late last month, will owe him most of his $11.5MM salary and $2MM buyout for 2012 while the new club will cover the pro-rated MLB minimum for '11.
Ironically, the Cubs have had to place starters Andrew Cashner and Randy Wells on the disabled list since releasing Silva, who posted a 4.22 ERA in 21 starts last year. The Orioles are eyeing rotation depth and are one of the potential destinations for the 31-year-old right-hander.
Buyer beware with Carlos. His dustup with a player early in spring training and his shots at the pitching coach on his way out of town in Chicago makes one wonder if he will be a good teammate or advocate for that particular organization no matter where he signs.
I agree with what you say (believe me!) but this is the MLB we’re talking about. If a team thinks they can find a use for Carlos – or any player with attitude & behavior issues – they’ll ‘overlook’ all that as a mere inconvenience, hoping they can help their team…until it eventually comes back to bite them.
Elijah Dukes, Scott Olsen, Milton Bradley and others come to mind here. No matter how often these guys screw up some team somewhere always gives them another chance (although it’s for reasons of self-interest, not altruism). Maybe some of these hotheads eventually get it together…but I don’t see much evidence of that.
MacPhail loves ex-cubs
I’m curious as to which teams are interested in Silva, given the baggage associated with him. I guess we can safely assume that two of those teams aren’t the Mariners or the Cubs.
The Phillies are signing him to be the 5th ace on the staff.
Why on earth any American League team would take a chance on this bum is beyond me?? If you thought his NL ERA was a joke, just wait till he’s facing another hitter.
Aren’t the Mariners on the hook for the buyout, and not the Cubs?
ESPN reports say yes, everybody else seems to say no.
my understanding is the Mariners are covering $3 million of his salary and the Cubs have to eat the rest. I could be wrong, but thats what I thought I heard on ESPNChicago when the cut happened.
I thought there was little to no $ exchanged, given that the Mariners traded one bad contract headcase for another (Milton Bradley)
The Mariners actually sent the Cubs $9MM in the trade, including $5.5MM this year.
I believe I saw on Cot’s one time that they are both on the hook for about half?
Silva qualifies as rotation depth? MacPhail would be an idiot to bring that cancerous tub of butter into the AL East where Silva wouldn’t even be competent for mop-up duty let alone a starter.
His only chance of success is to go to a NL pitcher friendly park(San Diego?). That way if his pitching is struggling, then maybe he can find some offensive value behind that huge body of his.
Carlos Silva actually pitched very well last year. He did not pitch well after injury last year and in spring training. He is worth trying out but maybe there is a serious persistent arm issue.
The notion that he is a head case is overstated (as usual with people who are “different”). “Chemistry” is usually mostly an excuse for losers (winners who have people who have worse “attitudes” never seem to have those problems). Actually, his comments about the pitching coach ring true but he probably complained too much about fielding (which was really bad for the Cubs when he was upset).
Define ‘well’
Much better than the major league average (the facts stand and are there for anyone to see).
Even the blind squirrel finds an acorn from time to time. Or perhaps in this case, I should say the fat squirrel. Picking 12 games in the last 4 years isn’t representative of his putrid body of work. As a Seattle fan, I got to see him in his obese glory for 2 years and I’ll be forever scarred. Outside of putting up a WHIP barely under 2, he yelled at other players about not working hard enough when he himself can barely walk in from the bullpen without asking for oxygen.
the cubs owe 5.5 mil , the mariners owe 6 mil and I guess the buyout 2 mil is on the cubs
I heard he has about 18 suitors to be a batting practice pitcher.
By the way, the Cubs are responsible for the 2 mil buyout by having him on their roster, the Mariners paid for his salary last year, not this year, which is why if you look up their yearly salary for the year 2011, there is no mention of them being on the hook for 2 mil.
I don’t know who is on the hook for the buyout, I assume the Cubs. But no, the Mariners are sending money to the Cubs this year — more money than they sent last year, in fact, to the tune of $5.5MM.
Yeah that was part of the deal, they paid a portion last year and a portion this year, it doesn’t include the 2 mil buyout.
I hear the Yanks are signing him in package with Carlos Reyes…they’re calling them the nasty fat boys. That way they’ll insure they have basically the same pitcher from both the right and left side 🙂
boston ?