The Cubs will designate catcher Tim Federowicz for assignment in order to clear a spot on the roster for top catching prospect Willson Contreras, who will be promoted from Triple-A prior to tomorrow’s game. Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune first reported (via Twitter) that Federowicz would be involved in the corresponding move for Contreras, and the Sun-Times’ Gordon Wittenmyer tweeted that he’d be designated for assignment.
[Related: Updated Cubs depth chart]
Federowicz, 28, has appeared in 13 games for the Cubs this season and batted .192/.222/.269 in a small sample of 27 plate appearances. He joined the Cubs on a minor league contract this offseason and has spent the past month-plus in a fairly limited role, starting just six games since being recalled from Triple-A on April 28. The longtime Dodgers farmhand and former Padre is a career .194/.245/.297 hitter in 298 big league plate appearances, though he’s had considerably more success in the minors, authoring a career .308/.382/.527 slash line in parts of six Triple-A seasons (1128 PAs).
Not a surprise..
rays could use him
I really want TFed to bring more than surrender value. Any mildly intriguing low-low minors guys you’d be willing to part with? #Beats20K
I’ll admit it.
I liked the “Tim Federowicz on the Cubs” era quite a bit.
The Wilson contrearas era will likely get even better (in the near term at least)
This crushes the I-Cubs chance at a playoff spot. (Sarcasm font.)
Tim might clear waver and go to I Cubs but Victor CARTIINO moved up he very good next year might be Cubs 3rd catcher out of spring 2017
He was the logic choice but hope he get a new deal not bad maybe better than Miggy now at his age
Federowicz will probably be claimed off waivers by some team. He is good on defense, but the Cubs already have Montero and Ross who are also good on defense. It makes more sense to have Contreras instead of Federowicz at the major leagues.
Likely correct. I think the Cubs will push the limit (as with Ramirez) to get a live body for him. Like they did with Tony Campana, who fetched two players.
I’m not sure if it’s just an odd coincidence that they kept fed on the roster and Contreras in AAA until just about the super 2
Ross is good on defense
Mets should grab him for AAA. d’Arnaud is a walking injury waiting to happen (even while on rehab!), Plawecki forgot how to hit and throw, and Rivera never knew how to hit.
I’d be good with sending him to you guys if you provide more value than the $20,000 surrender fee. In talent or cash. And better than the other 28.
First ballot HOF
Totally worth losing Ramirez over….
I feel your pain, but don’t think Neil would have been any better than Grimm or Warren the past few weeks. At least, he’s in the AL on a crap team where he won’t come back to haunt them anytime soon.
Despite TFed, Cubs won anyway.
I was with you and thought Richard should have been given the boot in the a** out the door….. or just not keep 3 catchers on a MLB team because it’s pathetic…… especially when all 3 are incredibly weak at the plate. But if you notice I said “was” with you. After they let him go I went to fangraphs and I see his fastball velocity is WAAAAY down from what it was in 2014 when he was quite possibly the best setup man in the NL if not the game (Had like a 1.44 ERA in 2014). Clearly the injury last year is still messing him up. He went to Milwaukee and pitched only 2 games with them and sucked pretty bad and was released. How bad do you have to be to be kicked out of Milwaukee…. yikes. Now he’s in Minnesota. If he gets booted off that team retirement should definitely be on his mind. If he can’t stay on with a 20-46 team all is lost, haha.
Braves should claim him because aj and flowers both suck and are terrible defensively.
Likely, they’ll get the chance. Unless /i get my wish, and he gets traded.
Red Sox could be interested. Injuries have taken their toll behind the plate.
Ok so I am curious what folks think: Cubs have Soler & LaStella on the DL (and I’m assuming LaStella is closer to returning than Soler). So, who loses their roster spot?
Cubs “in danger” of being dropped:
OF-Albert Almora Jr-Yeah, he’s going back. Just a roster crunch. First to go.
C-Tim Federowicz (or he was until he got dropped) and I’m going to assume C-Willson Contreras is going to stay up.
INF/OF-Chris Coghlan-yes he was just acquired, but this is baseball. Sad business.
LHP-Clayton Richard-currently the weakest link the bullpen.
Outside Change of being dropped:
C-Willson Contreras or Miguel Montero. Got a chance to listen to the Nats broadcasters this week. They seem to think Montero is a huge defensively liability so if Contreras hits… (or if he doesn’t). Not sure if there would be any takers for Miggy, but you never know.
OF-Matt Szczur-Seems to have gotten lost in the recent shuffles.
My take: Almora gets sent out first, then Coghlan gets DFA’ed. What about you guys?
When LaStella is ready to come back, Miggy can go on the DL if he’s not 100% (or someone else could be hurt by then) or Contreras may be optioned. If Almora is playing well, there’s no reason to send him down. Soler can be optioned after a minor league rehab especially if he’s not showing any improvement in his hitting. I think they’ll try to hold on to Coghlan. It’ll depend on who’s not playing well or who’s not healthy.
I have a feeling they are going to try and package Soler in a deal with a prospect to land either Andrew Miller from the Yankees or Sean Doolittle from the A’s…… whoever is cheaper. That leaves La Stella only needing a spot. The guy they trade for clearly takes Richard’s spot so Richard is in the unemployment line and isn’t an option to make room for La Stella. So that would leave either Almora or Contreras as the odd man out. Baseball logic would tell you that would be Contreras solely for the reason carrying 3 catchers is easily one of the dumbest things a manager can do because it is essentially making the 25 man roster a 24 man roster. But with Maddon and how much everyone praises his a$$ his ego is sky high and he don’t care, so I don’t know – he might think carrying 3 catchers is genius….. just like how last year he thought batting the pitcher 8th was genius (pssst. La Russa did that all the time and the statistics showed it makes no difference….. I think Maddon realized that which is why he isn’t doing it this year). Federowicz since Montero came back has pretty much done absolutely nothing the last month. I think the other day when he came in very late that was the first time he played the field since montero came off the DL. Otherwise he’s had like 5-6 ABs in the last 4-5 weeks or so. Again…. 24 man roster.
So, I think Soler gets packaged in a deal with a prospect for a reliever…. ESPECIALLY if Almora keeps doing well. So that leaves Contreras as odd man out when La Stella is back. OR they pull a Dodgers move (with Crawford) and DFA Miguel Montero. That would then make the team look like this:
LF Fowler
SS Russell
3B Bryant
1B Rizzo
2B Zobrist
RF Heyward
C Contreras
CF Almora
P
(IMO this is about what the lineup should have been looking like for the last month+. Just swap Almora with Soler and Montero/Ross with Contreras, and then flip flop their positions in the order)
IF Baez
IF La Stella
OF Szczur
OF Coghlan
C Ross
SP Arrieta
SP Lester
SP Lackey
SP Hendricks
SP Hammel
CL Rondon
SU Strop
RP Miller/Doolittle
RP Grimm
RP Wood
RP Warren
RP Cahill
I feel pretty d*** comfortable with this hypothetical team. Almora can’t do much worse than Soler, who granted was doing MUCH better the last 2 weeks at the plate before he went down – which is unfortunate, and Contreras…… look what his competition is offensively. I think most of the Cubs pitchers are hitting better than Ross and Montero. So as long as Contreras can catch a solid game he can pretty much do anything at the plate and would be an improvement over Montero and Ross. Oh yeah…… then adding Miller or Doolittle to take Richard’s spot in the pen…… That’s about as close to a 100% improvement at a position as I think you can get. One of the most useless and worst LH relievers and swapping him out for one of the two better LH relievers in the game? Yes please. 7th – 8th – 9th should pretty much be on lockdown with Miller/Doolittle – Strop – Rondon. Only better 3 headed combination in the game would be right now with the Yankees, but if the Cubs get Miller that 3 headed monster gets a head decapitated and sewn on the Cubs 2 headed mini-monster……. hopefully it doesn’t topple over. Man the metaphors are flowing through my fingertips today, hahahaha.
Yankees want schwarber for Miller, which won’t happen. I see a package with Soler to the Yankees for chapman
Wait are you saying after that book I couldn’t get through that the Cubs will trade Soler and one prospect for Miller or Doolittle????
First off Doolittle is not in same class as Miller!
Secondly the Yanks will get allot more from another team them Soler and one prospect unless that prospect is Baez?
Lastly cub fans seem to think bullpen arms are readily available and not worthy of big prospects? If you want Doolouttle them go trade Soler and avg prospect because in reality he’s not even worth that. If you want Miller you better be starting with Happ, Soler, and your top pitching prospect. Otherwise there is no reason for Yanks to trade Miller who has a great contract and they can get more from your rival!
I think a number of guys will be floated on and off the DL, to keep an effective 32 Man roster until September first, when rosters expand.