The Cubs have placed infielder Matt Duffy on the 10-day injured list due to a lower back strain and selected the contract of infielder Patrick Wisdom in his place, the team announced to reporters (Twitter link via Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times). In order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Wisdom, Chicago has designated right-handed reliever Jason Adam for assignment.
The veteran Duffy, 30, has proven to be one of the best minor league signings any team made this winter. He’s stepped in frequently at third base for the Cubs — Kris Bryant has spent more time in the outfield as a result — and delivered a very solid .278/.378/.356 slash through his first 106 plate appearances.
While he clearly hasn’t hit for much power, Duffy has been a tough strikeout (17 percent), drawn 11 walks (10.4 percent) and gone 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts while playing strong defense. Suffice it to say, he’s been an important piece so far for a Cubs team that, at 24-22, sits one and a half games back in the NL Central.
Adam’s DFA is the culmination of a highly unfortunate sequence. The right-hander was a bright spot in the Chicago bullpen last season and got out to a nice start in 2021. However, he was placed on the Covid-19 list after Chicago’s bullpen coach tested positive, and Adam was shelled for five runs without recording an out in his return. Adam was optioned out to Triple-A Iowa, where he suffered a dislocated ankle while shagging fly-balls prior to a recent minor league game. The injury required surgery that could put an end to his season.
Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers, so there’s a good chance that Adam’s DFA will ultimately result in the Cubs requesting unconditional release waivers on him. It’s common, but not a given, for players in this situation to quickly re-sign a minor league deal with the organization (as we saw with the Tigers and righty Franklin Perez a couple weeks back).
It’ll be interesting to see whether another club tries to find a way to bring Adam into the fold despite the fact that he may not pitch again in 2021. From 2019-20, he pitched a combined 35 1/3 innings of 3.06 ERA ball between the Blue Jays and Cubs, striking out 26.2 percent of opponents. His 2021 season in Chicago was particularly intriguing, as he punched out a whopping 36.1 percent of his opponents. Adam is something of a Statcast darling, thanks largely to a 99th-percentile spin rate on a four-seamer that has averaged just shy of 95 mph over the past three seasons.
Wisdom, 29, is an experienced Triple-A slugger whose start with the Cubs in 2021 has been a mixed bag. He’s just 4-for-25 in a tiny sample of 34 plate appearances but has slugged three home runs, hit a double, drawn six walks and been plunked by a pair of pitches. The resulting .160/.353/.560 slash is rather unusual, but he’s a career .250/.329/.479 hitter in parts of five Triple-A seasons. He’s homered four times in 88 MLB plate appearances but has an overall .219/.299/.397 batting line with a massive 38.6 percent strikeout rate.
Jason Adam: Never trust a man with two first names.
or breaks an ankle shagging fly balls…..
Never trust a man who plays guitar.
Never trust a man who doesn’t drink.
Or three first names – Alfredrick
There’s a lot of players with two first names. It would be great one day to see a player with the name Richard Roberts but he went by Ricky Bobby.
Jason Adam might could turn himself into a pretty decent reliever if he could ever get those walks under control.
Damn Duffy was doing pretty dammn well as a bench/coming in for a player that is injured/needing rest Hopefully he’ll be back in no time
Duffman! RIP Skeeter. I hear he has a dog now.
Blue Jay by Friday
Wow. Rather than put Adam on the 60 day IL to accrue accrue service time and a major league salary, they DFA him. That is cold blooded but doesn’t surprise coming from that org
“probably”—other than the fact that he’s been in the minors for close to two weeks and has a guaranteed major league contract and salary for this year—you’re pretty spot on……
Well… It’s a business and you don’t know why they did that… His injury was so bad that chances are he won’t get picked up by anybody and he probably won’t return this season either… So why not?
He has an ERA over 8 and the Cubs might have thought about DFA’ing him before the injury but didn’t do it because they might have lost him for sure… Now they likely get to keep him and under control, he can head to ST and battle for a spot next season.
Don’t see a major problem with the move… The fact that you ended your comment saying “it doesn’t surprise me coming from that org” tells me that you’re just a biased troll since the Cubs are known to take care of their players, just how they traded Maybin in exchange for 1 dollar just so he can get another shot in the majors.
Now go back to troll Island.
You don’t have to believe me but I’m much closer to the organization than you. I know first hand how they take care of their people behind the scenes. They had to be happy for getting even a dollar for Maybin given how he has looked this year. Adam’s ERA this year is inflated from one appearance after a long layoff. He was not in danger of being DFA’d due to his performance
Kinda cold hearted to designate someone when they might miss the season instead of 60 IL-ing them.
Cubs still have the pay his remaining salary and his medical expenses. He will be taking care of.
The Cubs don’t see him as a fit even if he comes off the 60 day IL so why keep him? he has really fallen of the depth chart before the injury. and the Cubs have so many bullpen arms in the system right now too which means Adams is getting DFA no matter what
They actually have more relief arms than they can use. The BP has been lights out recently with a surplus of solid RP in the minors as well. They’re gonna have more trade chips than Bryant/ Baez at the deadline.
All of a sudden Kimbrel is one of the top trade chips… I think he has an option for next season, which makes him almost as valuable as KB.
And the cubs are only a half game back of first. Their bullpen has been outstanding. Justin Steele just went on the IL but he and Keegan Thompson are will be part of the rotation sooner rather than later. Plus add Alzolay and Marquez and Hendricks. That’s a solid rotation.
If you are that much closer to the organization what are you doing spending time here? You’re probably a sore guy that sells 50/50 tickets in the back of the 200 level and that qualifies you as “behind the scenes.”
These type moves happen every day with every team making them….not just the Cubs.
I will look for you and hope you sell me a winner this Saturday.
You sound like you need a hug, buttercup.
38.6% K rate for Pat Wisdom. Ross will have to avoid batting him just before or after Baez who Ks at about the same clip.