Re: 2009 MLB Thread, Part II: Claimed Off The Waiver Wire
I don't think I'd pitch Silva on days the wind is blowing out at Wrigley.
Actually, I don't think I'd pitch Silva unless the Cubs were out of range of winning anyways regardless of wind speed and direction.
Bradley is a nutcase and a moron. He's a locker room cancer and he's not afraid to use the media to make himself look mentally ill. THAT BEING SAID, Bradley is BY FAR the better player.
BY EFFING FAR.
The only thing that was said about Silva's departure from Minnesota was all the neighborhood buffets posting signs say "NOW OFFERING FOOD" apart from the economic depression KFC and other fried chicken joints felt when Matthew LeCroy left town.
Silva's good seasons with Minnesota (I admit I didn't know him from anything before he came to Minnesota from... PIT I believe) were a FLUKE! An absolute FLUKE and everyone but Seattle (and now Chicago) knew it. I think the real reason why Silva was good was: RICK ANDERSON and Ron Gardenhire. PERIOD.
So, I know most of you have stopped reading by now but here's my take overall. Chicago was going to lose regardless of who took the bait. It really didn't matter. Financially, Chicago gets $6 million or so to pursue a CF (too bad Cameron is off the market). So, it's not bad financially really... for both teams.
On the field, I agree with Buster Olney (I think it was)... Bradley is prime for DH duty but he's getting paid to do what I think the M's would want in that case: Someone to spill Junior every now and then. Is Bradley going to be a really expensive bit player for the M's? Where does he fit on the field?
I predict Silva will start the year as the 5th Starter beating out Pinella's whipping boy Sean Marshall and whoever the heck else now that Harden is gone and the Cubs were never really in the running for any big name starters anyhow. He'll quickly be demoted to Marshall's role and someone like Caridad or perhaps Marshall or Samardzinja (sp) moving into the rotation. He'll sport a nice ERA of somewhere between 9 and 9.80 as a starter and finish the year on a roll, getting his ERA down to between 6.00-8.00 range. He will lead the team's relievers in the number of Holds blown. Smart coaching will put him in no more than 2 innings, 3 if absolutely necessary and his leash will be extremely short...
it doesn't matter what Hendry really did. He should have been fired years ago anyways.
On a separate note: Mike Gonzalez signed with Baltimore. If this is the same one that pitched with Atlanta last year, that's too bad. I was hoping the Cubs would make a serious run at him.
