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I had thought Darren Holmes must have an injury after he was held out of the Dodgers series. He’s on the DL now with shoulder “tendinitis”. (Tendinitis means “it hurts and we don’t know why.” I think Bill James said that first.)
Will Cunnane came to the majors for the first time with the Padres in 1997. He’s managed to pitch some in the majors every year since despite never being any good and only once even being average. But Cunnane had pitched 21 innings in Richmond with a 0.00 ERA, though he allowed two unearned runs. His control, which has been a problem in the past, was outstanding, as he walked only two while striking out 19. On the other hand, the Cubs out-and-out released him earlier this season. Cunnane isn’t on the 40-man, so the Braves will have to make a move to clear space. Paul Byrd is, I believe, still on the 15-day DL, and the Braves could move him to the 40-day to clear the spot.
Just to note, there was a space on the 40 man…Billy Sylvester was removed earlier this year moving it to 39…
Also, he wasn’t really released from the Iowa Cubs due to bad pitching but because he went crazy assualting a wall breaking his hand in the process.
See, I saw the 40-man thing on another weblog. But foolish me, I believed the AJC instead. Actually, that means the Braves have another 40-man spot they can use for someone from AAA or a trade pickup, whatever. But I’m guessing they’re holding onto that.
Always nice to have a crazy guy on the team. Maybe he’ll assault Hernandez or Gryboski.
Assaulting a wall! i like him already.
Mac, I love the anarchic clubhouse you are envisioning for the end of the season: pitchers fighting and King eating Blanco’s leg.
I heard Peter Pascarelli on ESPN radio today and he said the Braves could not have claimed Jeff Nelson or Armando Benitez during Wednesday’s Yankees-Mariners waiver trade because it was an AL-to-AL deal (not that they would have anyway). Is that correct?
I believe so. The usual waiver process is from the worst team in the league to the best, then the worst team in the other league to the best. (I’m not clear if that’s set by the team’s current record or by last year’s finish.) If the deal stays in the AL, the NL teams don’t have to pass on the players.
So the guy is a disappointment his whole career, gets run out of Chicago for being a head case, but then has 21 good AAA innings and he’s back in the show getting instruction from Leo Mazzone? I thought you had to be left handed to get breaks like this.
Would it have anything to do with Cunnane’s options? Maybe the Braves didn’t want to waste an option on one of their prospects?
It doesn’t work quite like that, I think. If they called up Wainwright or someone of his time of service, they would have to put him on the 40-man roster, which would start his various clocks ticking. (Read Neyer’s Transaction Primer for more.) The only guys in Richmond who are really prospects are Belisle and Pratt, and they’re already on the 40-man.
The Braves made this move because even in 21 innings, those numbers are hard to ignore. And since Joe Dawley pitched really poorly in his last stint and the Braves don’t take Buddy Hernandez seriously (maybe Marcus Giles should take up his cause) Cunnane was the obvious choice from the Richmond staff.
Cunnane’s been promising in the past, and didn’t the Cubs release Rod Beck earlier this year?