Cubs Outright Casey Weathers to Iowa

The Cubs have sent RHP Casey Weathers outright to AAA Iowa.

The Cubs MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) now stands at 39 (one slot is open), and the 2012 Spring Training roster has been cut to 57.

Injured players who accrued no MLB Service Time the previous season and who were not Rule 5 Draft picks can be sent to the minors anytime up to 15 days prior to MLB Opening Day, so this move may have been made to preclude having to put Weathers on the MLB DL (where he would be making $480K) in the event that he suddenly turns up with a sore arm. (The Cubs can now pay him at the minor league split rate even if he ends up on the DL at Iowa).

Of course, it wasn't necessary to outright Weathers to the minors (he could have just been optioned), but the Cubs might be looking ahead to having to add some players to the 40-man roster by Opening Day (perhaps RHP Rodrigo Lopez and LHP Trever Miller, plus possibly OF Jorge Soler, too), and this will give them the roster flexibility they will need to do that.

A 1st round pick of the Rockies out of Vanderbilt in 2007 and the closer for Team USA in the 2008 Olympics, Weathers has not been able to come back from 2009 TJS. He battled control issues post-TJS in the minors in 2010 and 2011, he struggled in the AFL last fall, and he has pitched poorly so far this spring.

The 26-year old Weathers was acquired with 3B Ian Stewart from the Colorado Rockies for OF Tyler Colvin and INF D. J. LeMahieu this past off-season.

Weathers is not eligible to be a Rule 55 minor league free-agent (6YFA) until post-2013.

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Dolorous Jon Lester 04/24/2024 - 04:07 pm (view)

I don’t buy that. They had been doing that for years.
They did it with Matt Holliday. They did it with John Lackey. They did it with Mark Mulder. They did it with Jason Heyward, who had a great year for them. I’m sure there’s more but those come to mind immediately.
I attribute it more to a breakdown in what they’re doing in terms of development than a culture thing.
TarzanJoeWallis 04/24/2024 - 04:30 pm (view)

They won those trades and sacrificed their culture. That’s exactly their problem.
Dolorous Jon Lester 04/24/2024 - 04:38 pm (view)

The other part that’s kind of crazy is they made two very high profile trades, one for Goldschmidt and one for Arenado, and they very clearly won those trades. They just haven’t been able to develop players the last handful of years the way they usually do.
I guess the moral there is it’s hard to stay on top of your game and be good at what you do in perpetuity.
TarzanJoeWallis 04/24/2024 - 04:25 pm (view)

Marmol was extended at the beginning of the year. Two years I believe.
crunch 04/24/2024 - 04:54 pm (view)

Jesse Rogers @JesseRogersESPN
Craig Counsell doesn’t have a timetable for Cody Bellinger who technically has two cracked ribs on his right side. CT scan showed it today.
Dolorous Jon Lester 04/24/2024 - 04:13 pm (view)

Thought it might have been David Peralta given the open 40 man spot and how PCA has played so far.
Dolorous Jon Lester 04/24/2024 - 04:13 pm (view)

I hope they keep Mozeliak a few more years. Marmol too!
crunch 04/24/2024 - 04:44 pm (view)

wow, counsell coming with the early lineup. rarity.

canario/tauchman/happ RF/CF/LF
crunch 04/24/2024 - 04:08 pm (view)

PCA called up.
crunch 04/24/2024 - 04:54 pm (view)

welp...

bellinger...fractured rib.

a not-very-ready PCA will probably be called up when it would be much better for him to be in AAA getting regular ABs.

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