Among the players signing minor league deals with the Cubs was righty Brandon Gomes, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America (Twitter links). He’ll join the pen competition with another recently-added righty, Jean Machi.
Gomes, 31, threw 59 frames for the Rays last year, posting a 4.27 ERA with 6.7 K/9 against 2.3 BB/9. He has thrown 167 total innings over the last five years in Tampa Bay, finding some success at times. But Gomes has been limited by a tendency to serve up the long ball.
Among the other arms heading to the Chicago organization this spring are righty Stephen Fife and southpaws Scott Barnes and Luis Cruz. Fife missed all of 2015 with Tommy John surgery but recently had a nice, 13-start showing in Venezuela. Barnes pitched in the Blue Jays organization last year and hasn’t cracked the majors since 2013. And Cruz, 25, lost his 40-man spot with the Astros this fall after throwing 116 innings of 4.27 ERA ball at Triple-A last year, with 7.2 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9.
Finally, the Cubs inked outfielders Juan Perez and Kelly Dugan. Perez has seen action as a reserve with the Giants over the past three years, compiling a .224/.267/.316 slash in 246 total plate appearances. The 25-year-old Dugan had previously spent his entire career in the Phillies organization. He struggled in his first taste of Triple-A last year.
Boom goes the dynamite.
Suck it Cardinal fans!
Suck it Cardinals fans??? Really? This is an underwhelming acquisition… St. Louis still has one of the best bullpens in the game.
…this HAS to be sarcasm from ray
One of the best bullpens in the game? They have Rosey, sure. Beyond that is average at best.
Was there running water when the Cubs last won?
Iowa Cubs ought to have a decent bullpen. I remember when David Patton stuck with the parent club, because they had nobody better to replace him.
@tim815, I believe that was done because Patton was a rule 5 pick and they couldn’t send him down, they would have had to sell him back to his original club.
Patton was horrible, but he stuck with the big league club because he was a Rule 5 pick and they have to stay on the big league club for the full season (unless injured) or be returned to the club they were selected from.
Hector Rondon was the same situation 2 years ago and he was awful at the time. Good thing we stuck with him.
Parton was awful, but he was a Rule 5 pick, so he had to remain on the big league roster for the full season or be returned. Same situation with Hector Rondon a few years ago.
I tried to reply with the same thing, looks like you had difficulty posting it, as did I and that’s why it posted twice?
Had to approve you since you were a first-time commenter. Should be good to go now.
Patton was a Rule 5 pick, so he had to remain on the roster for a full season or be returned. Not that it would have mattered, but I guess someone thought he was worth it. Same situation with Rondon a few years ago, only he paid off.
Thank you Cubs…
Meaningless signings none of them will make it out of spring training. Most if not all will be released.