Cubs Sign Scott Baker to 1 Year Deal

[gocubs2118]

If they sign three, does that mean Garza is gone?

Shark, Wood, Baker, Garza, X, Y leaves an odd man out. Plus you've got Rusin and the other guy battling for spots.

No, it means Wood would be battling for the 5th spot with whoever else is here.

Garza
Shark
McCarthy/Marcum
Baker
Wood/Liriano

[Tryptamine]

so if you sign someone like greinke to a 6 year contract what is that, super long term? extra long term? long term xl? grande long term

Given that I'd never give any pitcher more than 6 years, I'd call 6 years extremely long term. Only elite pitchers warrant 5-6 year deals.

[Yagyu+]

villanueva is looking to sign with a team that can promise him 30 starts

Didn't realize that was a sticking point for Villanueva. He could fight Scott Baker?

[RedHeadsRule]

Considering Theo will probably bring in multiple SP and AA said recently he could guarantee Villanueva starts, I actually doubt he ends up coming here. I bet Baker is one of three starting pitchers brought in, and if he's ready to go by the start of the season, this could be a decent move.

[davell]

I kind of expect Feldman, one of McCarthy/Marcum/Liriano and a Casey Kelly type that conceivably comes up midseason after we've dealt away a couple of guys.

[CubsFanBudMan74]

No, it means Wood would be battling for the 5th spot with whoever else is here.

Garza
Shark
McCarthy/Marcum
Baker
Wood/Liriano

Kevin Correia

[CubsFanBudMan74]

Didn't realize that was a sticking point for Villanueva. He could fight Scott Baker?

dunno..we still have viscaino that can eat some innings to if they thiunk hes ready...gonna be interesting spring training for sure

[poodski]

Meh. 31 years old. Only pitched 175 innings once. Big flyball pitcher. Coming off TJS. Only one year and at 5.5 million? Bleh.

Would rather just get McCarthy or Marcum.

Unless this turns into a longer term deal or like people have said a team option then okay, but at one year and 5.5 million? The money could have been used better elsewhere.

[Yagyu+]

dunno..we still have viscaino that can eat some innings to if they thiunk hes ready...gonna be interesting spring training for sure

Epstein did say they view Vizcaino as a starter, and he'll get his chances, but it doesn't sound like there's going to be much of a rush to have him ready early in the season. At least he'll have a rehab throwing program partner in Baker. I'll warm up to this signing more once we've got a few more starting pitchers in the fold.

[1908_Cubs]

Boring but had to happen. We need some SP depth and Baker's not a bad option on a one year. Wish there was an option year attached, but even at this, he's tradable at the deadline if we so choose. We've seen other fly ball pitchers succeed in Wrigley (Ted Lilly), so it's not like we're putting a flyball pitcher into mid 1990's Coors, either.

Hope the effort here is more of a number 5 with upside instead of our number 3, although, based on the one year contract, you have to assume that he's destined for more of the back of the rotation instead of the middle or top.

[SenorGato]

I have to say that calling him a #3 starter is being charitable. Depends on what the standard is I guess...not a power arm, doesn't get groundballs, gives up the HR, and he's been doing that stuff in a park that is pretty friendly towards pitchers. He's the third best pitcher on this staff as it stands right now, mostly because he's more proven than Wood, but that is more of a knock on the staff than it is a compliment to him.

It's a decent signing, but hopefully The Plan calls for bigger and better. I don't even think he's all that appealing of a trade candidate. Seems more like he's a guy who will give innings, especially once they maybe do ship off some talent at the deadline.

[SenorGato]

Kevin Correia

Baker makes him or maybe even Villanueva redundant, but Correia is someone I could see doing alright if given a 5th spot.

[1908_Cubs]

As unsexy as his name may be, he's also a career 3.95 FIP and 4.07 xFIP pitcher and prior to injury, his last two xFIP's were 3.82 and 3.62. His SIERA, which do take into account ballpark and home runs, were at 3.74 and 3.44.

I wouldn't call him a true number 3 because he just doesn't seem to have the durability for a number 3, but the DIPS over the last two seasons certainly lend themselves to a number 3 type of a SP. I think of him more of a poorman's number 3 and more of a true number 4 SP. But hey, a number 4 SP at $5.5m isn't all that bad of a deal, really, which is why I'm not overly upset.

[ABE32]

If healthy...They Did not sign him as a free agent for 5 + million to battle it out for the 5th spot... you are pretty sure he will settle in before Wood in the Rotation and we go out and get another nice arm like (Liriano) is what it's looking like and we may still add another Arm on top of that.

BTW this was not the minor deal I was speaking of...however minor none the less.

[ABE32]

As unsexy as his name may be, he's also a career 3.95 FIP and 4.07 xFIP pitcher and prior to injury, his last two xFIP's were 3.82 and 3.62. His SIERA, which do take into account ballpark and home runs, were at 3.74 and 3.44.

I wouldn't call him a true number 3 because he just doesn't seem to have the durability for a number 3, but the DIPS over the last two seasons certainly lend themselves to a number 3 type of a SP. I think of him more of a poorman's number 3 and more of a true number 4 SP. But hey, a number 4 SP at $5.5m isn't all that bad of a deal, really, which is why I'm not overly upset.

That's exactly how I see it.