The Cubs are interested in signing 38-year-old right-hander Ramon Ortiz to a minor league deal, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports. Praver/Shapiro represents Ortiz, who split the 2011 season between the Cubs and their Triple-A affiliate.
Ortiz appeared in 22 games for the Cubs last year, posting a 4.86 ERA with 6.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 33 1/3 innings. The 11-year MLB veteran also made 16 starts at Triple-A, completing 99 1/3 innings with the Iowa Cubs. No other teams have been publicly linked to Ortiz this offseason.
please no
please, please, please no.
Talk about a blast from the past.
Anyone who could lead the league in HRs allowed during his prime is certain to be successful pitching in Wrigley when he isn’t
Horrible news.
Why does anyone care about him being signed to a minor league deal? Unless he can beat out Garza, Dempster, Maholm, Randy Wells, or Chris Volstad plus Travis Wood and our bullpen (which I HIGHLY doubt) he won’t play till the end of the season. In which, the Cubs will be 77-85.
You’re generous.
The more arms in Spring Training the better.
true, but what does Ramon Ortiz have to do with arms?
And everybody was pointing their fingers at Jim Hendry, and here the new guys are bringing in the same old guys.
what other old guys besides Lopez did they bring back? Try again.
my thoughts exactly
Except as our 10th pitcher instead of our 6th…
In fairness, at first glance I read that as Ramon Martinez, so by comparison Ramon Ortiz is a great move.
When I saw it on my phone I saw David Ortiz, I know Theo liked him but I didn’t know he wanted him to play 1B in the NL
i dont think theo even knew he wanted ortiz to play in the nl
Ugh. Apparently, I need to post this here as well. From a comment of mine on Bleacher Nation, first used on the Sonnanstine signing, then Lopez, now this:
“And even if he doesn’t end up playing in the majors for us, he provides AAA Sp depth, something Jim Hendry never understood the value of.You need consistant starters in AAA/AA for several reasons.
One, it keeps your team from getting blown out, regardless of the strength of your farm system. Playing in close games, when you’re actually in contention to win, is very valuable to the development of prospects.
Two, it prevents you from having to move guys up from AA to AAA before they’re ready, for sake of depth. It also helps you from leaning on guys too hard before they’re ready, out of necessity. Having guys of little future value, who can be consistent at AAA, allow you to have players to lean on without risking prized arms instead.When you’re trying to build a farm system, you need players like this in the system to aid in development.”
Could not have said it better myself. I’m seeing way to many idiots react to deals like this with, “Ramon Ortiz!? He’s not a top notch MLB talent! This is a horrible move!!”
This isn’t necessarily about making the team better now, this about fostering an environment in which you can properly develop your young guys. All in an attempt to avoid rushing kids into a role for which they’re not ready, an area where Hendry’s Cubs were notorious for failing miserably and often.
The Chicago Tribune is reporting the Cubs have signed Cuban OF Jorge Solar.
Hes not that bad, actually like him
Pitching depth?
please, the next guy that uses the phrase “pitching depth” to aply to a move like this needs to be seriously whacked upside the head. This is not depth any more than throwing the bat boy out on the mound is depth. Pitching depth for batting practice, maybe. At the end of the season, when the cubs are limping into 77-85 (Chris you optimist, you) I’d like to see the shiny new future out there in uniform, not the discarded old past.
Sign me up! This is the 1st spring I’m not preparing for baseball! (my own baseball, not MLB)
Seriously? What possible reason could you have for not signing a guy for peanuts when there is even the slightest thread of a chance that he could help the ballclub? It’s not like the Cubs are signing him to be their ace or anything.
You need guys like Ortiz when you’re trying to foster a youth movement. Adopting a “sink or swim” attitude with your prospects is not a valid strategy for developing talent. Guys like Ortiz are perfect to eat innings until the kids are ready for the spotlight, because nobody is going to complain when they’re thrown out like yesterday’s trash.
That being said, it’s not likely Ortiz is going to have a significant role. He’ll probably be the long-relief guy you throw out to eat innings when your starter gets chased out early, if he sees any big league time at all. And even then, he’ll likely only be a seatwarmer for Carpenter or Dolis so they can get some extra seasoning at AAA.
More arms can never be a bad thing.