Carlos Villanueva’s deal with Cubs worth $10 million over two years

By Dec 20, 2012, 9:40 AM EST
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Carlos Villanueva agreeing to sign with the Cubs was first reported last night and now Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com has the details: $10 million for two years.

Chicago is also said to be on the verge of signing Edwin Jackson to a four-year, $52 million deal, which means the Cubs will have added Jackson, Villanueva, Scott Feldman, and Scott Baker to a rotation that includes holdovers Matt Garza, Jeff Samardzija, and Travis Wood. That’s seven starters for five spots, but Baker may not be ready for Opening Day following Tommy John elbow surgery.

Villanueva had a lot of success as a starter in the minors, but has spent most of his big-league career as a long reliever and has been mediocre when called on to make spot starts. He started 16 times for Toronto in 2012, struggling to keep the ball in the ballpark while posting a 4.50 ERA, but also had an 86/25 K/BB in 92 innings. If given a chance to build up his arm strength as a full-time starter at age 29 he could provide nice value.

Dodgers place pitcher Noah Syndergaard on injured list with no timetable for return

Associated PressJun 8, 2023, 9:19 PM EDT
dodgers syndergaard
Katie Stratman/USA TODAY Sports
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CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”