The Chicago Cubs have announced that once again, Edward Cabrera is going to the 15-day IL. It's a place he knows super well, considering he's spent seemingly the majority of the season there due to having a blister on his finger. The bulk of Cubs fans are not happy with this guy, especially considering the circumstances that led to him throwing in the windy city.
The Cubs sent three separate prospects to the Marlins to bring Cabrera to Chicago, and he hasn't made a great go of it since. On the season, he's thrown a 5.68 ERA, and a 5-5 decision record. In 78 innings pitched, he's allowed 48 earned runs and 78 hits. He's not exactly been the starting caliber pitcher the Cubs thought they were getting. Now a bullpen role is on the table for him, but I think Chicago would be much happier if he just stayed on the IL for the rest of the season.
One pitcher who hasn't been having such issues, is Javier Assad.
The Cubs are out of time to treat Javier Assad like a placeholder
During the first half of the season, it seemed like the Cubs were injuring a pitcher per game. The rotation took heavy damage, and guys like Ben Brown, Colin Rea, and Javier Assad stepped up and did their part in keeping the Cubs afloat. After Brown also made his way to the injured list, Rea and Assad stood as monuments of good pitching in an environment that were desperate for it. That's why it's too late for the Cubs to be throwing Assad around.
Assad has thrown 80.1 innings to Cabrera's 76.0, so the comparison is reasonably even. In Assad's innings, he's thrown a 3.59 ERA, allowed only 32 earned runs, and struck out 53. I understand that Cabrera was traded for and he should be given the chance, but Assad has more than proven himself capable. It's August 18th, the Cubs don't have time to take chances anymore. The Brewers aren't slowing down, and the Cubs can't afford to, either.
Cabrera went onto the 15-day IL, so for the time being, Assad has been returned to the major league roster where he belongs. Now, members of the media and Craig Counsell are speaking about Cabrera potentially returning in a relief pitching capacity due to his tendency to develop blisters on his throwing figures.
If the Cubs wish to explore options to avoid a dead investment, fine. Try what you want, but it shouldn't be done at the expense of Javier Assad. He's proven himself more reliable across the entirety of the season, and additionally, he's proven he deserves a roster spot more than Cabrera does.
| More Cubs on DaWindyCity |
Add us as a preferred source on Google