The Cubs have signed left-handed reliever Tim Collins to a one-year, major league deal and designated fellow southpaw reliever Brian Duensing for assignment, Jesse Rogers of ESPN tweets. Collins, an Octagon client, will report to Triple-A with his new team.
Collins hit the open market Friday when the Twins released him, ending a short stay with the team that signed him to a minors pact in early February. The 29-year-old, who broke in as a quality reliever with the Royals back in 2011, has barely seen action in recent seasons on account of significant injury troubles (including multiple Tommy John surgeries). But Collins did return to the majors last year for the first time since 2014 and accrue 22 2/3 innings as a member of the Nationals, with whom he logged unspectacular numbers (4.37 ERA/5.76 FIP with 8.34 K/9 and 4.76 BB/9). Collins was neither tough on lefties nor righties last year in the majors, though he did perform well at the Triple-A level, where he put up a 3.94 ERA/2.71 FIP with 9.56 K/9 against 4.22 BB/9.
Collins will give the Cubs some lefty relief depth behind Mike Montgomery and along with the injured Xavier Cedeno. Duensing had been filling that role, and it’s possible he’ll continue to if he stays in the organization. The 36-year-old would first have to get through waivers unclaimed, which is a distinct possibility given that he’s due a $3.5MM salary this season. Duensing’s set to close out a two-year, $7MM contract, which he earned entering 2018 on the heels of a standout season in Chicago. Unfortunately for the two parties, though, Duensing struggled to a disastrous 7.65 ERA/6.35 FIP with equally unappealing strikeout and walk rates (5.73 K/9, 6.93 BB/9) in 37 2/3 frames last year.
Hey Indians, ya missed another chance
This is going to be a bad opening day roster
oh please, classic Cubs fan despair. Outside of the bullpen the Cubs are perfectly fine.
You know they had the best bullpen in baseball for 75% of the season right? They have a very good bullpen outside of kinLzer and whenever morrow comes back. Tim Collins only makes them stronger.
“They have a very good bullpen outside of kinLzer and whenever morrow comes back.”
“Tim Collins only makes them stronger.”
I don’t see how these two thoughts could possibly go in the same sentence…
When you consider the source it becomes a bit more believable… If not exactly credible…
Kinzler is a cancer and morrow has a history of being hurt. Collins was at least decent in 2015 with the royals. He’s better than both kinzler and morrow.
And even the bullpen isn’t so much awful as it is devoid of a proper closer.
Ridiculous statement.
Downvote
They are trying to reach the basement of the NL Central. Love it
releasing Duensing does not help in that case.
Duensing wasn’t placed on release waivers when the Cubs DFA’d him. If he is not claimed or traded for he still might provide some left-handed relief depth at AAA.
As for Collins, I don’t get the Cubs fascination with yet another reliever who hasn’t shown much MLB ability, just a penchant for spending enormous amounts of time on the injured list. Signing him to a MLB deal and then sending him to AAA is a real head scratcher.
I mean, relievers who are healthy and good tend to be either expensive or unavailable, so if the choice is between good when healthy or just healthy and not good…
Collins AAA numbers are intriguing, so I think this is an interesting low risk move.
Duensing was a reclamation project by the Cubs in the first place. The Cubs were rewarded with 1 career year from the lefty before the wheels fell back off. I really doubt he’ll be claimed. Like I would be totally shocked if he was claimed. Duensing is just under a year of service time away from 10 years so he’ll probably try to latch on somewhere, but I just don’t see it.
I’m not all that intrigued about an injury riddled 5-7, 168 lb. southpaw who put up a 3.94 ERA/2.71 FIP with 9.56 K/9 against 4.22 BB/9 at AAA while also allowing 5 HR’s with a worse stat line in his brief 22.2 inning tenure with the Nationals in 2018.
What does him being 5’7″ and 168lbs have to do with anything?
When the evaluator is small minded, wverything apparently
By adding a minor league pitcher to Iowa?
Says the guy whose rotation features the always hurt Reyes, older than hell Wainwright, the least toughest pitcher in the NL Carlos Martinez (dude is soft and can’t pitch through any pain), and the vastly overpaid Mikolas. Throw in OPS monster Fowler, a way past his prime Molina, and a weak bench, and you guys aren’t scaring anyone.
Yep, nothing better than taking a halftime break from hoops, checking out MLBTR and finding out a Cardinals fan figures a factor in the Cubs contending or finishing last is Brian Duensing making the opening day roster.
I just want to correct some things here…Reyes is not in the Rotation..he will be working out of the bullpen…neither is Martinez at this point…I guess you can say Mikolas is overpaid but he is still a good pitcher so…anyway, the rotation will be Flaherty, Mikolas, Wacha, wainwright, and Hudson…you can say whatever you want about wainwright but even if he doesn’t work out the cardinals have Gant to replace him…and I always laugh when people say anything about Molina…I mean really at this point it’s just pure jealousy…he was an all star last year and way better than Contreras anyway…but it should be a fun summer in the NL central good luck
It’s going to fun watching the Cardinals beat the hell out of the cubs again this year just like last year with a team that doesn’t scare anyone.
Another Redturd fan living in the past.
What an atrocious and painfully biased opinion about the cardinals. You better pray to God the cubs can stay healthy and that the wheels don’t continue to fall off for Lester or you guys are gonna be screwed
You just extended Goldy, who aint getting younger. Touche clown.
Looking for a crap lefty and Cecil was already taken
Yeah, the Cubs are really going to suck despite the fact that they’re going to have essentially the same roster as the one that won 95 games last year.
Duensing getting the DFA is no surprise, but Collins joining the team is. I figured the they would stay in house for the last roster spot. With Zagunis making the squad as the last bench guy, the roster appears set. Play ball.
He got a “major league deal” but he will be in the minors. They only gave him the 40 man spot, not a 25 man spot
wrong
another spot to be had, Collins just replaces Duensing
my bad, didn’t realize Zagunis was making the team and Collins was going to minors.
Zagunis takes Happ’s spot, not Duensing’s. Guessing Ryan may be making the opening day roster?
I agree that Kyle Ryan should be replacing Duensing.
Dumpster divingTheo!
Not this time—-this time it’s dumpster filling Theo….
Dumpster Divin’ Theo!
Good depth signing.
Great addition to the young core
Another great low-risk, high-ceiling signing by Theo.
Are you having your stroke in installments?
Jason Heywards defense alone justifies his contract. His offensive production is the cherry on top.
Defense does not justify that kind of ignorant money. Just no!
I’ll take “dumb things Cubs fans say” for $400 Alex
How’s Machado look so far?
Gonna be a tense Thanksgiving at the Machado house.
He looks pretty bad so far. He’s slashing .225/.244/.400 in 40 at-bats this spring. I think he’ll probably be fine though.
Sox fans are so obsessed with everything Cubs. Lmao.
I’ll take “White Sox wins over or under 60” for 1000 Alex.
What is under. Sorry, I didn’t phrase it in the form of a question.
They won’t get to 81 wins for 3 more years. Theyll be close. This year the white Sox and brewers will finish with the same record. 75-87
Or
71-91
Why are Sox fans like that crazy girl from the movie “Single White Female”?
We don’t care about you, we want nothing to do with you, we forget your team is even in existence. Go away.
ChiSoxCity is by far the most obsessed with the Cubs.
where’s manny? where’s bryce?
When you have to be the one saying what you want to mock others for, it’s a really weak burn from the start
Ha ha
Collins – not good enough for the Twins on a minor league deal and is released, then a few days later signs a major league with the Cubs. Very strange.
Yeah, cause the Twins are SOOOOOO good at identifying and developing pitching talent, lol.
Are they any worse than the Cubs at identifying and developing pitching talent?
Fair point when I glance at the history of development for sure. The Cubs have a straight up awful track record of developing arms in house.
That said, I think Lester was a good deal. Hendricks has been great for the price. Darvish has a good shot at earning his contract and Hamels will be a win for the Cubs, too.
I don’t really think I can feel good about giving them credit for “identifying” or “developing” any of Lester, Darvish, or Hamels.
That being said, Hendricks was a very good pickup. If I remember correctly, one of the front office guys was told to take a shot on him by one of his previous coaches, and they weren’t really expecting him to turn into anything special, but clearly he has outperformed expectations. The whole Arrieta-era was real nice while it lasted too.
Somewhat amazing how a Brian Duensing story attracted so many White Sox and Cardinals fans. So glad that MLBTR can keep the unemployed working.
It’s Sunday?
Oh that’s right, the holier than thou cardinal fans don’t work on Sunday. They just whine.
Lol that has to be the most bitter response ever…I mean most people don’t work on sundays
You’re confusing “bitter” with accurate.
Keep to yourself. I wasn’t going to post, but I learned Tim Collins was 5’7, from “unemployment line” posts. Keep the comments coming, folks. Haters’ gon hate.
He’s 5’7 (!) Thanks for giving me someone to root for. (Despite me not being a Cubs, White Sox and Cards fan)
I actually think this is a decent signing. Better than the other crap floating around. Collins is not what he used to be but can be effective.
SIGN KIMBREL NOW