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Cubs Sign Tim Collins, Designate Brian Duensing

By Connor Byrne | March 24, 2019 at 11:59am CDT

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.

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Chicago Cubs Transactions Brian Duensing Tim Collins

Giants Designate Jose Lopez
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NL Notes: Chen, Gyorko, d’Arnaud, Kendrick
View Comments (70)

Comments

  1. DarkSide830

    3 years ago

    Hey Indians, ya missed another chance

    Reply
  2. zachattack

    3 years ago

    This is going to be a bad opening day roster

    Reply
    • DarkSide830

      3 years ago

      oh please, classic Cubs fan despair. Outside of the bullpen the Cubs are perfectly fine.

      Reply
      • ThatBallwasBryzzoed

        3 years ago

        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.

        Reply
        • Priggs89

          3 years ago

          “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…

        • petrie000

          3 years ago

          When you consider the source it becomes a bit more believable… If not exactly credible…

        • ThatBallwasBryzzoed

          3 years ago

          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.

      • Frank Friedlander

        3 years ago

        And even the bullpen isn’t so much awful as it is devoid of a proper closer.

        Reply
    • ZacharyPaul

      3 years ago

      Ridiculous statement.

      Reply
    • getright11

      3 years ago

      Downvote

      Reply
  3. RedFeather

    3 years ago

    They are trying to reach the basement of the NL Central. Love it

    Reply
    • DarkSide830

      3 years ago

      releasing Duensing does not help in that case.

      Reply
      • AaronSapoznik

        3 years ago

        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.

        Reply
        • petrie000

          3 years ago

          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.

        • martras

          3 years ago

          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.

        • AaronSapoznik

          3 years ago

          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.

        • martras

          3 years ago

          What does him being 5’7″ and 168lbs have to do with anything?

        • getright11

          3 years ago

          When the evaluator is small minded, wverything apparently

    • anthonyd4412

      3 years ago

      By adding a minor league pitcher to Iowa?

      Reply
    • ZacharyPaul

      3 years ago

      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.

      Reply
      • mike127

        3 years ago

        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.

        Reply
      • cards81

        3 years ago

        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

        Reply
      • themed

        3 years ago

        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.

        Reply
        • Rondon

          3 years ago

          Another Redturd fan living in the past.

      • camdog23

        3 years ago

        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

        Reply
        • getright11

          3 years ago

          You just extended Goldy, who aint getting younger. Touche clown.

    • getright11

      3 years ago

      Looking for a crap lefty and Cecil was already taken

      Reply
    • Frank Friedlander

      3 years ago

      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.

      Reply
  4. ZacharyPaul

    3 years ago

    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.

    Reply
    • GareBear

      3 years ago

      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

      Reply
      • dray16

        3 years ago

        wrong

        Reply
    • dray16

      3 years ago

      another spot to be had, Collins just replaces Duensing

      Reply
      • dray16

        3 years ago

        my bad, didn’t realize Zagunis was making the team and Collins was going to minors.

        Reply
        • mike127

          3 years ago

          Zagunis takes Happ’s spot, not Duensing’s. Guessing Ryan may be making the opening day roster?

        • kyleschwarbersmom

          3 years ago

          I agree that Kyle Ryan should be replacing Duensing.

  5. ChiSoxCity

    3 years ago

    Dumpster divingTheo!

    Reply
    • mike127

      3 years ago

      Not this time—-this time it’s dumpster filling Theo….

      Reply
  6. chitown311

    3 years ago

    Dumpster Divin’ Theo!

    Reply
  7. chitown311

    3 years ago

    Good depth signing.

    Reply
  8. chitown311

    3 years ago

    Great addition to the young core

    Reply
  9. chitown311

    3 years ago

    Another great low-risk, high-ceiling signing by Theo.

    Reply
    • Rondon

      3 years ago

      Are you having your stroke in installments?

      Reply
  10. chitown311

    3 years ago

    Jason Heywards defense alone justifies his contract. His offensive production is the cherry on top.

    Reply
    • themed

      3 years ago

      Defense does not justify that kind of ignorant money. Just no!

      Reply
  11. chitown311

    3 years ago

    I’ll take “dumb things Cubs fans say” for $400 Alex

    Reply
    • ncaachampillini

      3 years ago

      How’s Machado look so far?

      Reply
      • Steven Chinwood

        3 years ago

        Gonna be a tense Thanksgiving at the Machado house.

        Reply
      • Priggs89

        3 years ago

        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.

        Reply
    • Steve Trachsel

      3 years ago

      Sox fans are so obsessed with everything Cubs. Lmao.

      Reply
    • Bocephus

      3 years ago

      I’ll take “White Sox wins over or under 60” for 1000 Alex.

      Reply
      • mike127

        3 years ago

        What is under. Sorry, I didn’t phrase it in the form of a question.

        Reply
      • ThatBallwasBryzzoed

        3 years ago

        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

        Reply
    • Djones246890

      3 years ago

      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.

      Reply
      • Steven Chinwood

        3 years ago

        ChiSoxCity is by far the most obsessed with the Cubs.

        Reply
    • pinstripes17

      3 years ago

      where’s manny? where’s bryce?

      Reply
    • petrie000

      3 years ago

      When you have to be the one saying what you want to mock others for, it’s a really weak burn from the start

      Reply
    • paindonthurt

      3 years ago

      Ha ha

      Reply
  12. scrapthenickname

    3 years ago

    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.

    Reply
    • martras

      3 years ago

      Yeah, cause the Twins are SOOOOOO good at identifying and developing pitching talent, lol.

      Reply
      • Priggs89

        3 years ago

        Are they any worse than the Cubs at identifying and developing pitching talent?

        Reply
        • martras

          3 years ago

          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.

        • Priggs89

          3 years ago

          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.

  13. mike127

    3 years ago

    Somewhat amazing how a Brian Duensing story attracted so many White Sox and Cardinals fans. So glad that MLBTR can keep the unemployed working.

    Reply
    • cards81

      3 years ago

      It’s Sunday?

      Reply
      • Rondon

        3 years ago

        Oh that’s right, the holier than thou cardinal fans don’t work on Sunday. They just whine.

        Reply
        • cards81

          3 years ago

          Lol that has to be the most bitter response ever…I mean most people don’t work on sundays

        • Rondon

          3 years ago

          You’re confusing “bitter” with accurate.

    • xabial

      3 years ago

      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)

      Reply
  14. Everest

    3 years ago

    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.

    Reply
  15. Mikel Grady

    3 years ago

    SIGN KIMBREL NOW

    Reply

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