Rangers pitcher Luke Farrell suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right jaw Saturday, the team announced. The injury occurred when a line drive off the bat of the Giants’ Jalen Miller struck Farrell in the face, forcing the right-hander out of the game and to a Scottsdale, Ariz., hospital for examination. Farrell has since been released from the hospital, but he’ll undergo further examination Monday, according to the Rangers. The son of former big league manager John Farrell, Luke Farrell is in his first spring with the Rangers, who claimed him off waivers from the Angels in January. The 27-year-old spent 2018 as a member of the Cubs, with whom he registered a 5.17 ERA/5.20 FIP and 11.2 K/9 against 4.6 BB/9 in 31 1/3 innings.
- Just 15 months removed from signing a three-year, $38MM contract with the Cubs, righty Tyler Chatwood isn’t a lock to make their roster this season, Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune observes. Chatwood said Saturday he views himself as a starter, but he’s not a candidate for Chicago’s season-opening rotation if the quintet remains healthy, leaving him to fight for a long relief role. If he doesn’t win the job, the Cubs could try to trade Chatwood, but they’d have to eat a large chunk of the $25.5MM left on his contract in order to make that a realistic possibility, Gonzales notes. Chatwood was in the Cubs’ rotation for the majority of last season, as he made 20 starts in 24 appearances, but he managed a hideous 5.30 ERA/5.50 FIP and issued an eye-popping 95 walks in 103 2/3 innings. So far this spring, Chatwood has walked just one batter over five frames in his bid for a roster spot.
- Brewers righty Jimmy Nelson had to pause his throwing program earlier this week because of arm fatigue, but he’s now on track to throw his first live batting practice of the spring Monday, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. It’s a long time coming for Nelson, who hasn’t pitched to live hitters since he underwent shoulder surgery in September 2017, thus knocking a promising career off the rails.
- Yankees righty Luis Cessa is the front-runner for a season-opening long relief role, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com suggests. While Cessa would need to beat out fellow righties Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga for the spot, it should help the former’s cause that he’s the only one who has no minor league options left, Hoch points out. And Cessa has pitched well this spring, leading manager Aaron Boone to say Saturday he has “a really good opportunity” to make the team. The soon-to-be 27-year-old would be the least heralded member of the Yankees’ stacked bullpen, having pitched to a 4.71 ERA/5.03 FIP with 6.85 K/9 and 2.62 BB/9 in 151 innings with the club since 2016.
Chatwood, would, and, has too, and will, and does….walk a lot of dudes.
I see what you did there.
Yeah, watched him pitch two years ago, and then watched him pitch last year against the Braves…It honestly reminded me of watching Rick Ankiel pitch. The dude was just an absolute disaster, and couldn’t throw a strike to save his life. I honestly felt bad for the guy, because at that point it has to be some kind of mental hurdle he can’t get passed..
I really hope he’s able to turn it around, because when he’s on, he is a very talented pitcher..
Tyler Chatwalk
On the Chatwalk, yeah, on the Chatwalk…
He earns his 13 million and does his little dance as you call him chatwalk. So wealthy it hurts .
As long as Harper helps bring a championship to DC im down.
@Reverie Days
Ty? Is that you?
I’d like to feel better about Chatwood’s ok start to the Spring, but then I remember that he had an ERA in the 1’s during last year’s Spring Training.
I’d like the Yanks to keep viewing German and Loaisiga as starters long-term. I wouldn’t Cessa being used in that role. I think he clearly is a better reliever than starter.
Perhaps like Chad Green pre-breakout? However, I think Cessa and Green should have a chance to start for a team.
Green is too valuable in his current role. Keep him there
Green is the 5th best reliever by fWAR over the last 2 seasons, his days of starting are long gone.
Loaisiga is the best of the group and has a chance to be great, i just don’t think he has the build to hold up long term as a starter.
Cessa could be a decent back of the rotation arm but i don’t see him ever being that good. Maybe he can bw better as a reliever.
German is a complete guess, he looks awesome and then looks like he shouldn’t be in the league.
Chatwood is now the same as Jeff Samardzija. Emergency backup spot starter. He shouldnt be on the 40 man roster let alone the opening day 25 man roster.
What are you talking about? Those 2 do not compare whatsoever, Samardzija was riddled with injuries last year but otherwise was a solid starter for much of his career. Thrown 200 plus innings 5 years straight prior to last. Walk rate is non existent compared to Chatwood who’s never pitched more than 160 innings.
Samardzija was a 3 for few years and is still very capable of being a contributor as a 4/5 in a clubs rotation when healthy. He was way more than an emergency back up spot starter if you know anything about baseball. Meanwhile chatwood has basically been a spot starter long relief guy most of his career.
What kind of drugs are you taking?
Probably he’s just blathering about two guys who have hurt his fantasy teams. No knowledge of what the dudes are actually like.
To the Farrells…father like son. Luke now wonders if he can get paid like bobby b
Cessa has a good arm but he stinks. He’s gotten many chances to stick with the team
I’m usually pretty patient with the Yankees young guys (I still believe in Greg Bird), but I’ve never seen what they see in Cessa. I’d much rather see a rotation of the AAA guys in the last BP spot or a vet SP signing to be the long guy/6th SP, maybe Gio if he’d take it.
Can’t believe Yankee’s have held onto Cessa,he has had more chances to pitch than Carter has pills. He has to date never been consistent either as a starter or reliever.He will get bombed a couple of times early this season and either get released or traded
How much of the $25.5m would the Cubs be willing to pay? $20m?
Theo isn’t very good at signing free agents. He’s no AJ Preller..
Hammel Lester Ross 2015
Heyward lackey Fowler Cahill and RichArd 2016. All helped Cubs end curse
Cubs Starters are not top shelf anymore. Jose Q lost it, Darvish is a wild card, Lester and Hamels are old and Hendricks is no Ace. Cubs really blew it with Darvish. Just like Eovoldi multiple injury guys should not be a major piece of a contending club. Do the cubs have $ coming off roster to give Bryant his $300 mil deal you know he will want and keep their young guys whike replscing soon… their no hit, all D outfielder. He is so bad hitting I can’t remember his name even with his high Salary.
Resigning Hamels or picking up option they had to when they traded for him due to $ hecwaa owed if it was not picked up just stunned me. They are going in wrong direction age wise. Do they have any young pitchers coming up or all were traded?
Hendricks is much better than you give him credit for. At the start of the 2018 season, Hendricks had the 2nd lowest ERA among active starters with 100+ starts, trailing only Kershaw. And while Lester is older, he’s also been a perfect model of consistent health. He’s currently the MLB active leader in consecutive seasons with 30+ starts. They do need to get younger in their rotation, but it’s not as trash as you’re describing.
Young pitching – who knows? The farm system is pretty empty. More to the point, the Epstein-Hoyer approach to building the system was by drafting position players and picking around free agency and trades for starting pitchers. Lester, Lackey, Arrieta, Jason Hammell and Hendricks made all but a handful of starts in 2016 and they were all acquired by trade or through free agency, They stayed with that pattern trading for Quintana and signing Darvish and Chatwood. Been a good while since the Cubs have developed a quality starting pitcher in house.
The outfielder you are trying to think of who is overpaid and can’t hit is Jacoby Ellsbury.
Aldolays should be good, Lange , little , Steele. De la Cruz on rise. They could trade for pitching or free agency. Baumgardner, sale, verlander available next year .
The difference between the Red Sox Theo and the Cub’s Theo is that in Boston, Theo was able to maintain a strong farm. The Cubs are pretty barren right now; the future looks rather ugly. And he’s discovering the ownership in Chicago isn’t John (“just WIN, baby”) Henry. Didn’t Cubs ownership say this winter they don’t have any money? Wasn’t that the joke of the year?
When one’s investments are doing well, they don’t want to interrupt them. When one’s investments are doing poorly, they don’t want to take a loss if there’s any chance it’ll rebound.
That’s why there’s never enough cash available.
Current ownership has spent a bunch on money on ballpark improvements and gradually buying up the surrounding neighborhood – while carrying a still high payroll. Given the recent contracts handed out by Epstein-Hoyer, I can understand why ownership locked away the checkbook for new acquisitions given where a big chunk of the payroll money is going now.
So you’re cool with Ricketts not having money for players because he bought a bunch of three-flats across the street from the ballpark?
Doesn’t matter whether I’m cool with it or not – Mr. Ricketts didn’t call for my advice on the matter of where and how to spend his money. I only care about the baseball team; he cares about his total investment, presumably. So he’s interested in spiffing up the venue and having concerts during the season and otherwise buying up the neighborhood for the creation of complementary sources of revenue. I would rather have seen some moves to work on the broken offense Epstein mentioned last fall, a closer and one more starting pitcher.
Very similar to what the Giants are doing, bought up realty around At&…Oracle Park and are developing Mission Rock for added revenue. They’re majority owners of their network and put tons of funds into the product on the field. Fans may not like every decision that they make, but both teams are finding ways to make money and spend on their clubs.
The Giants make a lot of money on concerts and events at their park and the Cubs are trying to cash in on Wrigley Field’s historic appeal. The new Cubs sports channel will also be a huge money maker for the club. Many teams are going in this direction like their rivals the Cardinals.
I might be wrong, but I think this, realty investments, doesn’t get shared with low revenue teams (Maybe the more savy commenters like petrie000, southbeachbully, JDGoat, or the ilk know more.) and they can handle luxury tax hits better later down the road. I think the Cubbies have a pretty good rotation, even if Hamels and Lester are on the older side, Hendricks can be lights out and Quintana just needs to put it together and he’ll be fine. As for Darvish, I hope he’s healthy and if Chatwood struggles then they’ll have to get creative, but he’s more in lined as depth/long relief I would think anyways.
When the Cubs come to that fork in the road, in regards to their position players needing to be resigned, I think they’ll open the check book because if not and money is rolling in from these ventures…..Wrigley might not be the “friendly confines” for the Ricketts!
No, park revenues are not counted as league revenue and therefore not shared. It’s technically not team revenue either, which is why the actual profits of a lot of teams are hard to pin down.
80 million comes off books next year . Zobrist, Hamels, kintzler, duensing ,cisheck ,strop ,morrow . Money to spend next year. Can’t be biggest spenders every year.
Yeah, when MLB changes the rules to make it really bloody difficult to acquire amateur talent with just money, it’s no real surprise nobody’s been able to recreate what Theo did in Boston
I’m also not sure why the Cubs future is that dire when they’ve got 3 more seasons before they even have to worry about their last crop of top prospects even has the option to leave.
I wonder if Cessa has considered a career change… or even Tommy John surgery to think things through. Too soon?
Chatwood looks filthy so far this spring
Steve Trachsel always looked filthy….and made the game last an hour longer than needed.
Maybe he can get a shower before they release him.