The news that Jeff Samardzija will be shut down after his next start is surprising. If the Cubs are really concerned about his career number of innings pitched, 165.1, the most since 145 in 2008, then WHY not shut him down now to avoid injury, instead of adding another 6 IP to his season total. The season is over. The logic is so irrational it grinds the back molars to dust.
So the Cubs picked up another piece of discarded raw pitching meat to fill this rotation slot for the last three weeks of the season. The Cubs claimed pitcher Jason Berken off waivers from Baltimore. It is the second Oriole cast off pitcher the Cubs have claimed in less than a month. Miguel Socolovich was the other one. It just seems odd that Epstein is collecting discarded Baltimore pitchers to add to his collection of woeful bullpen arms. Then you have to realize who is in charge in Baltimore, Dan Duquette, the general manager who built the roster for the Red Sox championships but who was forced out of Boston in a power struggle with the front office. Is Epstein trying to live off the scraps of his old boss? Trying to find some gold dust in a landfill?
Berken fits the recent Cub "profile." He is 28 years old. He pitched one game for the Orioles this season. His ERA is 18.00. Last year in relief for the O's, he appeared in 40 games. His record was 1-2, 5.36 ERA and 1.787 WHIP. Holy crap that is bad, but not Lendy Castillo bad.
So the Cubs picked up a failed 2009 major league starter and a bad 2010-11 major league reliever to ride out the season. Berken gets a three or four start "showcase" to see if he can get a spring training invitation.
In order to pick up Berken, the Cubs placed Blake Parker on the 60 day DL.
