The Cubs have activated right-handed reliever Tony Barnette from the 60-day injured list and optioned righty Rowan Wick to Triple-A Iowa, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score tweets. Barnette’s reinstatement gives the Cubs a full 40-man roster.
The 35-year-old Barnette is in line for his first major league action since last July 3, when he pitched for the Rangers. Barnette had been down with shoulder issues since then. But that didn’t deter the Cubs from signing Barnette to a low-risk contract in the offseason. He’s on a $750K salary this year and could return to the team in 2020 on a $3MM club option.
Barnette had an up-and-down tenure with the Rangers, pitching well in two seasons (2016 and ’18) but poorly in the other (’17). In all, he recorded a quality 3.50 ERA/3.56 FIP with 8.25 k/9, 2.69 BB/9 and a 45.1 percent groundball rate during his 144-inning Texas career. That’s the extent of Barnette’s major league experience, as the former 10th-round pick (Diamondbacks, 2006) spent several years pitching in the minors and in Japan.
Barnette will now work for a contender in Chicago, whose bullpen ranks sixth in the majors in ERA, 10th in FIP and 18th in K/BB ratio. The Cubs’ two innings leaders – Steve Cishek and Brandon Kintzler – have posted fine results, but aside from them and Kyle Ryan, they haven’t gotten impressive production from any of their regular relievers.
Brach to the IL, please.
Would be great, but somebody will randomly have to go on the IL for something likely Monty.
I’m guessing it’s a pretty safe assumption that Brach will be DFA Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday when Kimbrel is activated.
We can only hope. Plenty of fat to trim in that ‘pen, however.
I was wondering when this was going to happen.
You forgot Strop. He can pitch
Barnette. Can’t hold a candle to Wick!
I see what you did there…
Barnette better not get comfortable he’s going right back to Iowa for kimbrel by the end of this year.
Unless Barnette completely flounders in the next week, he’s probably going to give every opportunity to prove he’s the pitcher he was last year and this year. At this point, Kimbrel’s spot would probably go to a yet-to-be-DFAd Brach.
“Barnette will now work for a contender in Chicago…” – this assumes he never has. I believe the Rangers won the division by a healthy margin in 2016, yes?