Kuzul

How would Jeff Samardzija have panned out in the National Football League, you ask?

Former Notre Dame teammate and current Chicago Bears safety Tom Zbikowski gave Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune an answer to that question last week.

“He would have been awesome,” Zbikowski said, adding that his old teammate would have been a cross between Plaxico Burress and Keyshawn Johnson. High praise, that.

But Samardzija isn’t playing in the NFL. He surely could have, but he chose to pursue a Major League Baseball career with the Chicago Cubs instead. They drafted him back in 2006 when he was still widely known as the star wide receiver of Charlie Weis’ Fighting Irish.

Here we are seven years later, and we can make the following conclusion: Good choice, Jeff.

It didn’t look like that was going to be the case for a while there. Samardzija‘s path from gridiron greatness to diamond greatness wasn’t an easy one.

2006-2007: A Big Choice to Make

When the 2006 MLB draft rolled around, the average sports fan didn’t know Samardzija as a star pitcher. His pitching exploits weren’t what put him on SportsCenter, after all.

Fans knew Samardzija as a damn good wide receiver, and for a damn good reason. He had reeled in 77 receptions for 1,249 yards in the 2005 season, tacking on 15 touchdowns for good measure.

And since Samardzija was 6’5″ with good speed, good hands and an obvious ability to make plays, he looked like the kind of player who was going to be catching passes for a looooong time.

By comparison, his pitching didn’t seem to be all that special. Samardzija did go 8-2 in 2006 for the Irish, but he also had a merely decent 4.33 ERA and a .272 opponents’ batting average. Next to his receiving numbers, those numbers didn’t look like much.

But the MLB draft is not unlike the NFL draft or any other draft, really. Numbers don’t matter. Talent matters, and Samardzija had just as much of that on the mound as he did on the gridiron.

The Cubs nabbed Samardzija in the fifth round of the 2006 draft with the 149th overall pick, but he was no ordinary fifth-rounder. Baseball America was of the mind that he could have gone in the first round of the draft had it not been for his ties to Notre Dame football.

Here’s an excerpt from BA‘s scouting report on Samardzija:

Samardzija usually pitches at 91-94 mph with his fastball, but he has touched 99 and Chicago thinks he’ll operate in the mid-90s if he focuses on baseball and cleans up his mechanics. His low-80s slider is inconsistent, but it presently grades as average and has plus potential. He’s a phenomenal athlete who proved coachable and able to make quick adjustments in his first summer of pro ball. 

And then the closing thought: “[The Cubs] think he’ll move quickly if they hang onto him, with one club official comparing him to John Smoltz.”

Yeah, that John Smoltz. Quite the comp to live up to.

Samardzija made seven starts in the low minors in 2006, going 1-2 with a 2.70 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. But when the fall came around, it was time for him to trade his baseball cap for a helmet again. He was still a Notre Dame football player and that’s not the kind of commitment one easily tosses aside.

Samardzija‘s 2006 season was another success. He caught 78 passes for 1,017 yards and 12 touchdowns, helping to lead the Irish to the Sugar Bowl against the JaMarcus Russell-led LSU Tigers.

Once that game—in which the Irish got crushed 41-14—and the 2006-2007 season were in the books, Samardzija had a decision to make: Continue on with baseball, or prepare for the NFL draft?

The NFL draft was a very real possibility. It’s not like Samardzija was some scrub who was going to be lucky if he was a seventh-round pick. The Vaughn article referenced above noted that he was considered by one scout to late-first or early-second round talent.

You’ll recall that this was back before the NFL had a strict rookie wage scale, meaning there was potentially good money to be made if Samardzija decided to go into the NFL draft.

Instead, he chose to take the good money the Cubs were offering.

2007-2008: Breaking Into Baseball

Samardzija officially committed to a baseball career in January of 2007 when he signed a five-year deal with the Cubs worth $10 million.

According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Samardzija‘s deal required that he would have to return his $2 million signing bonus and much of the remaining $10 million if he eventually chose to return to football. If he wanted to get paid, he had to stick around.

Samardzija knew what he was getting into, but he told The New York Times in February of 2007 that he was confident he had made the right decision:

I don’t know, it was just kind of an overall feeling. There’s nothing that’s ever going to match a Saturday or Sunday in football. But I didn’t make the decision based on hype or attention or anything like that. I loved football. But I just felt as a whole, baseball was just a better fit for me.

Samardzija‘s first full pro season didn’t go as smoothly as his string of cameos in 2006. In 30 appearances (26 starts) between High-A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee, he posted a 4.57 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. Despite impressive stuff, he only struck out 4.1 batters per nine innings.

Nonetheless, Baseball America was still high on him. The publication rated him as the Cubs’ sixth-best prospect after 2007, and its scouting report included this passage:

It’s easy to dream on Samardzija, who has size, athleticism, makeup and a nasty fastball. His heater has a rare combination of velocity (low to mid-90s, touching 98 mph) and sink. His slider could also be a plus-plus pitch, though it’s inconsistent. He stayed healthy, maintained his velocity and threw strikes in 2007 despite pitching far more than ever before. 

But then, the word of warning: “Samardizja is an enigma, still capable of becoming a frontline starter, a closer or a bust.”

In other words, he was a pitching prospect. They’re all enigmas right up until they’re not.

Samardzija didn’t impress in Double-A in 2008, posting a 4.86 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP in 16 appearances, 15 of which were starts. He did, however, make some strides at Triple-A with a solid 3.13 ERA in six starts. One of those was a complete game.

Evidently, the Cubs liked what they saw. When the opportunity arose thanks to an injury to Kerry Wood, a former pitching prodigy himself, the Cubs gave Samardzija the call in late July of 2008.

“He’s stretched out,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said, via USA Today. “We can use him about any way we want, but I think the best way is to get him in the middle of the ballgame and if he’s pitching well, we can get him a little longer.”

And Samardzija‘s thoughts?

“Middle of the summer in Chicago, you can’t really ask for anything else.”

Samardzija‘s debut came on July 25 against the Florida Marlins. He blew a save and the Cubs lost 3-2, but he pitched pretty well in his two innings, allowing only one earned run and striking out two.

“I felt really good coming out for that second inning. My mechanics came together a little more,” Samardzija said, via ESPN. “My whole goal here was to go out and throw well and give confidence to the coaches that they can throw me out there in any situation.”

The Cubs kept him around for the stretch run, and he ultimately compiled a solid 2.28 ERA over 26 appearances. It was pretty clear that he still had developing to do, though, as he struggled with his control to the tune of a 4.9 BB/9 that inflated his WHIP to 1.41.

Samardzija also allowed two hits and a run in his one and only postseason appearance against the Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Cubs in three games in the NLDS.

Baseball America‘s two cents? That was that Samardzija was still a “work in progress,” and the publication noted that not everyone agreed about his potential:

The Cubs would like to continue developing Samardzija as a starter and will do so in Triple-A if they have enough other bullpen arms this spring. They think he can become a frontline starter, though outside observers believe it’s more likely that he’ll be a top set-up man or closer.

Or maybe not even either one of those.

2009-2011: Samardzija Finds His Way

Despite his decent showing in the majors in 2008, it looked in 2009 and 2010 like Samardzija was going to have a hard time sticking in the majors.

He was ferried back and forth between the minors and the majors both seasons, and his performances in big leagues left much to be desired. In 27 total appearances, he posted a 7.83 ERA and a 1.89 WHIP. Worst of all, he had a 5.9 BB/9.

Five of those 27 appearances were starts. Two came in 2009, in which Samardzija allowed 10 earned runs in 8.1 innings. The other three came in 2010, in which he surrendered 11 earned runs and 14 walks in 16 innings. It was apparent after the last of those, an eight-run stinker against the St. Louis Cardinals, that he wasn’t cut out to start.

Did Samardzija even have any right being in the majors at all in those two seasons? That’s something he was brutally honest about in an interview with The New York Times this April.

“If we’re being honest, my contract pushed me through the minors,” Samardzija said. “After that first season, it was like I looked around, realized where I was, and it was like, whoa.”

While Samardzija was trying to find his way in the minors in 2010, Gregg Rosenthal of Pro Football Talk even went so far as to wonder whether the former Notre Dame star would reverse course and give the NFL a try:

Samardzija signed a five-year, $10 million contract in January 2007, the terms of which require him to return a $2.5 million signing bonus if at any time he leaves baseball for another sport.  But the contract runs through 2011, with a team-held option for two more seasons.

Though Samardzija said at the time he won’t be returning to football, the possibility that the Cubs may choose not to extend the deal means that, after next season, he’ll be free and clear.

So once 2012 rolls around, Samardzija will need to ask himself whether he can make more money continuing to try to get back to the major leagues or taking a crack at football. Though he’ll be 27 at that point, he will have gone five years without the wear and tear on his body. 

Samardzija went into the 2011 season out of options. For his baseball career to finally turn into something worthwhile, the season was going to have to be a turning point.

“I know at the end of the year, it’ll be a different story than what it is now,” said Samardzija in January of 2011, via MLB.com. “A lot is to be written, but I’m excited. I feel great, I really do.”

He broke camp as a member of the Cubs’ bullpen, and then struggled right out of the gate by allowing five earned runs and nine walks in his first six innings. Matthew Pouliot of Hardball Talk was wondering at the time just what the heck he was doing in the Cubs’ bullpen at all.

Lo and behold, Samardzija figured things out and turned into a solid reliever. At the end of July, he had a 3.79 ERA in 48 appearances.

The rest of the way, Samardzija was a dominant reliever. In his final 27 appearances, he posted a 1.26 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .532 OPS. In 28.2 innings, he struck out 27 and walked only 11.

The following offseason, the Cubs hired Theo Epstein away from the Boston Red Sox. The story, according to the great Joe Posnanski, goes that Samardzija went to Epstein and new Cubs manager Dale Sveum with a request and a promise.

Epstein recalled the conversation:

Welcome guys. I just want you to know one thing about me. I will do whatever it takes to help this team. And I think the best way to help this team is by being a starting pitcher. I’m eliminating everything in my life that gets in the way. I’m dumping my girlfriend. I’m moving to Arizona. I just want the chance to show you that I’m a starting pitcher.

Did he actually dump his girlfriend? He told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that the answer to that question wasn’t technically “yes,” but Epstein got the gist of the conversation right.

“I just really wanted him to know and the staff know that I was all in with this team,” said Samardzija. “I wasn’t going to have any distraction on the outside, and I was committed to being the guy they needed me to be for this team.”

He became just that. And then some.

2012-Now: An Ace in the Making

Samardzija entered spring training in 2012 as a competitor for a spot in the Cubs’ starting rotation. He eventually earned a spot, in part thanks to the fact that he had walked only one batter in 20 innings.

In his first start of the season on April 8, Samardzija showed that his strong spring was no fluke. He fell one out shy of throwing a complete game against the eventual NL East champion Washington Nationals, allowing only one earned run while striking out eight and walking exactly nobody.

“He had three good pitches and he was out there grinding,” Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond said, via Yahoo! Sports. ”He was anywhere from 98 to 90 with his fastball and had his split, the occasional cut. He was out there, he was pumping strikes.”

Said the man himself: ”I’ve talked a good game about wanting to start and made it public. I didn’t want to look like an idiot.”

Samardzija managed to avoid looking like an idiot as the season moved along, too. He stuck in the Cubs’ rotation, and turned out to be a bright spot in what was otherwise a dismal season.

The Cubs decided late in the season that they were going to shut Samardzija down early due to all the innings he had compiled. His final start of the season came on September 8 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he went out with style by throwing the team’s first complete game of the season.

”That was a heck of a way to go out, no doubt about it,” said Sveum, via Yahoo! Sports.

Sveum also referred to Samardzija as the team’s “No. 1 guy.”

Samardzija was certainly that in 2012. According to FanGraphs, he had the highest WAR of any pitcher on the Cubs, and he also ranked fourth among all qualified starters with a 9.3 K/9. Better yet, he only walked 2.9 batters per nine innings.

Good control helped Samardzija survive his first full season as a starter, but so did nasty stuff. His average fastball velocity was 95.0 miles per hour, which was second only to American League Cy Young winner David Price among qualified starters.

Samardzija‘s split-fingered fastball, meanwhile, was one of the best pitches in baseball. He threw it 18.6 percent of the time, and by August he had Ben Duronio of FanGraphs writing: “To say it has been the most effective split-fingered fastball in baseball is not a stretch.”

After the season was over, Gordon Wittenmeyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reported in November that the Cubs were eager to sign Samardzija to a long-term deal. General manager Jed Hoyer even admitted that he wanted to keep Samardzija in a Cubs uniform for a long time.

Not a bad turnaround for a guy who was practically begging for a rotation spot just a year earlier.

Samardzija didn’t sign anything over the winter, and right about now he should be thankful that he didn’t. If he was in line for big bucks before, he’s in line for even bigger bucks now.

When Matt Garza went down with an injury in spring training, Sveum jumped the gun and named Samardzija his Opening Day starter about a month before Opening Day was even set to arrive.

Samardzija rewarded his confidence by allowing only two hits and a walk over eight scoreless innings against the Pirates. He struck out nine, and looked darn good doing it.

That’s still the only start Samardzija has won on the young season, but his pitching isn’t to blame for his 1-4 record. He owns a solid 3.03 ERA through five starts, with a 10.7 K/9 and a 2.8 BB/9. He’s holding opposing hitters to a .625 OPS.

Point being: Dude’s an ace. And in this day and age, aces are getting paid.

Samardzija will get his eventually. He’s only going to be in his early 30s when he hits free agency after 2015, but the Cubs could lock him up to a massive extension before then. If he keeps pitching like a No. 1 starter as the season moves along, it’s really not hard to imagine him getting a $100 million contract.

If you’re an NFL wide receiver, you’re only making that kind of money if you’re a Calvin Johnson or a Larry Fitzgerald. Even then, it’s not all guaranteed.

Success in the major leagues wasn’t guaranteed when Samardzija decided to commit himself to baseball in 2007. For a period of several years, it eluded him. Just as it often does with many top prospects.

But Samardzija stuck with it and stuck with it, and now he’s no longer that guy who could have been a professional football player. He’s a guy who was clearly meant to be a baseball player all along.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter. 

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The National League Central is filled with talent, and Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija leads the list of players who are going to have breakout seasons.

With the Houston Astros no longer in the division, teams in the NL Central will face each other 19 times this season. 

Last season featured Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates as the breakout star of the division. There probably won’t be a performance like that from any of the players on this list, but these players will certainly make a name for themselves this season.

This division is filled with young players and it will be a division to watch out for in the future. 

Who joins Samardzija on the list of 2013 breakout performers?

*All stats are from MLB.com

Begin Slideshow

They say “hindsight is 20/20.”  But what about foresight?  Does that score somewhere around 20/1200 on the Snellen chart?

The evidence—an article of mine published last September—would suggest to the affirmative.  Granted, some of my predictions are correct, or will turn out to be correct, and deserved of a self-congratulatory pat on the back.

But, boy, some are outright swings and misses.

The September version of the predicted 25-man roster was riddled with terrible selections:  Bryan LaHair, Joe Mather, Ryan Dempster, Chris Rusin, and Josh Vitters along with then-predicted free agent acquisitions Humberto Quintero and Geoff Blum, to name a few.

And while foresight is of questionable clarity, now that we’re mere days away from the official start of spring training, the upcoming predicted roster is bestowed with the assistance of a proverbial pair of eyeglasses.

First, we must begin by eliminating the obvious inclusions to the 25-man roster.  The infielders are Anthony Rizzo, Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro, Ian Stewart, and Luis Valbuena; with Welington Castillo as the starting catcher.

Returning from the 2012 squad are David DeJesus and Alfonso Soriano, and they will be joined by free-agents Scott Hairston and Nate Schierholtz, to make up four-fifths of the outfield component,

Jeff Samardzija, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson, Travis Wood, and Scott Feldman will comprise the starting rotation—although hopeful, Scott Baker will not be ready by Opening Day due to Tommy John surgery last year. 

Bullpen sure-ins include Kyuji Fujikawa, James Russell, Carlos Marmol, Shawn Camp, and Carlos Villanueva.

That leaves five holes in the Opening Day roster.

Filling the first of these five spots is fairly easy.  There needs to be a backup catcher.

Given the options available are Dioner Navarro and Steve Clevenger, all signs point to Dioner Navarro being named to the 25-man roster over the abysmal Steve Clevenger.

Using the same roster structure the Cubs used last spring that leaves four spots available for two infielders, an outfielder, and one additional reliever.

The Cubs could kill two birds with one stone if Brent Lillibridge makes the roster.  He can play some outfield and short, but most importantly he could serve as Anthony Rizzo’s primary backup at first base in the event Rizzo needs a day off.

The Cubs do have an option, if the unforeseen happens and Rizzo is out for a lengthy period of time, in minor-leaguer Brad Nelson.

Nelson’s career has been similar to Bryan LaHair, and looks to begin the season in Triple-A.  However, if for some reason Anthony Rizzo were to be out of action for a few weeks, Nelson would serve as the first baseman in the interim.

But for him to break camp on the 25-man roster does not seem likely.

As for the other backup infielder, the Cubs have only two legitimate options going into camp:  Alberto Gonzalez and Edwin Maysonet.  But let’s put it this way:  If they were books, you wouldn’t consider them page turners.

It is for that reason the Cubs will break camp with six infielders in 2013, as opposed to the seven they did in 2012.  That extra spot will go to the bullpen; the area in which the Cubs need to see the greatest improvement.

The Cubs, with Lillibridge included, will then have three infielders who can play multiple positions in emergency situations which can allow them to add an extra arm to the much maligned bullpen and, hopefully, avoid the kind of start to the season the 2012 version experienced.

The team could use the extra spot, so both prospects, Dave Sappelt and Brett Jackson, could break camp with the big league club.  However, the outfield is already crowded as it is by having four veterans expecting to be on the roster. 

That will leave just one spot for Dave Sappelt or Brett Jackson to claim.

Offensively, in 2012, Brett Jackson was…well…offensive.  He did showcase his outstanding fielding instincts while in the MLB, but if he wants to begin the 2013 season on the 25-man roster, he will need to prove that his overhauled swing can translate from the batting cage to the diamond.

Brett Jackson is a strikeout machine, which would be good if he was a pitcher, but horrible since he’s a position player.  He will need to seriously limit his strikeouts in the Cactus League if he wants to break camp as a member of the 25-man roster.

Even so, it is more likely Dave Sappelt will begin the season in Chicago, while Brett Jackson continues to improve his plate discipline and work on his new swing in Triple-A.

That leaves two remaining spots for the bullpen:  The greatest concern that needed addressing this offseason.

The Cubs’ bullpen in 2012 was one of the worst in the league.  Last season, the club’s bullpen ranked in the bottom of the MLB in just about every team category, leaving much room for improvement.

Rule 5 draftee, Hector Rondon looks to be an obvious choice once you read the rules of the Rule 5 draft.

A team that selects a player in the Rule 5 Draft pays $50,000 to the team from which he was selected. The receiving team must then keep the player on the Major League 25-man roster for the entirety of the next season, and the selected player must remain active (not on the disabled list) for a minimum of 90 days. If the player does not remain on the Major League roster, he is offered back to the team from which he was selected for $25,000. If his original team declines, the receiving team may waive the player.

Once a player is selected, he is automatically assigned to his new organization’s 40-man roster. 

Now, with only one spot remaining on the 25-man roster, the competition among camp relievers is sure to be intense.

One of the bright spots from last year’s bullpen was Michael Bowden.

In 32 appearances he pitched 36.2 innings for the club earning a bullpen best 2.95 ERA and held opponents to a .225 average.  He was also ranked second in the bullpen in WHIP (1.25) and fourth in strikeouts (29).

Bowden pitched very well for the Cubs last season and, unless he flames out completely in Mesa or another candidate lights up the Cactus League, Michael Bowden will break camp as part of the Cubs’ Opening Day 25-man roster.

Infielders\Catchers:  Anthony Rizzo, Darwin Barney, Starlin Castro, Ian Stewart, Luis Valbuena, Brent Lillibridge, Welington Castillo, Dioner Navarro

Outfielders:  Alfonso Soriano, David De Jesus, Nate Schierholtz, Scott Hairston, Dave Sappelt

Starting Pitchers:  Jeff Samardzija, Matt Garza, Edwin Jackson, Travis Wood, Scott Feldman

Relievers:  Kyuji Fujikawa, James Russell, Shawn Camp, Carlos Marmol, Carlos Villanueva, Hector Rondon, Michael Bowden

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Just one day after finalizing the terms of their trade with the Miami Marlins that sent Carlos Zambrano and cash for Chris Volstad, the Cubs pulled off another major trade.

They sent young right-hander Andrew Cashner and minor-league outfielder Kyung-Min Na to the San Diego Padres for top first-base prospect Anthony Rizzo and minor-league starter Zach Cates.

On the surface, the trade seems fairly balanced. In Rizzo, the Cubs get the top-ranked first-base prospect in baseball. In Cashner, the Padres get a major-league-ready starter who can slot either into their rotation or as a late-inning reliever.

Add in players who had moderate success at the same level, and are within a year of each other, and it seems to be a rather balanced trade: each side getting a position player, and a pitcher.

However, there’s much more than this to these trades.

Cashner is already 25 and has only logged two MLB seasons after being drafted in the first round in 2008. The former TCU closer struggled as a reliever in 2010, but was named the fifth starter in 2011, a role which he filled once.

While his lone start was strong, he went down with an injury to his throwing shoulder, was out for five months and came back as a reliever.

During that extended DL trip, the Cubs saw two things happen.

First, the rotation seemingly fell apart, as guys like Doug Davis and Rodrigo Lopez were asked to fill the void.

Second, Jeff Samardzija, who was out of options and seemingly on his last legs in Chicago, finally put everything together and had a great campaign.

Initially a long/middle reliever, Samardzija finished the season throwing in high-leverage, late-inning spots—and succeeding. Samardzija finished the 2011 season at 8-4 with a 2.97 ERA in 75 games, logging 88 innings.

Samardzija has never hidden his desire to start, though his numbers as a starter were awful when he was given his handful of chances in 2009 and 2010. However, his ERA those seasons was 7.53 and 8.38, respectively, so he was pretty bad whenever he stepped on the mound.

The former top-flight Notre Dame wide receiver seemingly put everything together last season.

Whether it was a combination of maturity, seasoning (he didn’t start pitching until college, and even then it was more an offseason hobby while football was out) or now-former pitching coach Mark Riggins, Samardzija finally established himself as a true MLB pitcher.

The ability to make Cashner expendable is mirrored on San Diego’s side, as Rizzo became a trade chip when the Reds got Yonder Alonso and others for Mat Latos.

While the Reds did try Alonso at third base and the outfield, it was obvious he was a major-league-ready first baseman, and would be entrenched there for years to come.

Zach Cates, the 22-year-old starter acquired by the Cubs, went 4-10 with a 4.73 ERA, logging 118 innings over 25 starts in 2011 at A-ball. Cates, a third-round draft pick of the Padres in 2010, signed well over slot for $765,00, while the MLB recommended slot bonus for the third round was $380,700 that year.

His stock did take a dip with his poor showing in 2011, but the potential is all still there. The pitcher-turned-catcher-turned-pitcher still has a quality fastball and will look to hone in his control—53 walks over 118 innings doesn’t bode well.

Going to the Padres is South Korean outfielder Kyung-Min Na. The 20-year-old Na has played all three outfield positions in the Cubs minor-league system.

Despite having issues hitting for average, his career on-base percentage sits nearly 100 points higher than his batting average (.244 batting average, .335 on-base percentage), which bodes well. Both Na and Cates may or may not ever see their new organization’s 40-man roster.

GM Jed Hoyer has now acquired Rizzo twice, and President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein has now done deals involving Rizzo twice.

The team likes his combination of skills: hitting for contact, hitting for power, getting on base and solid defense. There’s an obvious familiarity. Hoyer said to MLB.com’s Carrie Muskat that Rizzo will “most likely” start the year as the everyday first baseman for the AAA Iowa Cubs, and that Bryan LaHair will still be the Cubs’ starting first baseman.

Furthermore, this once and for all will kill the rumors of Prince Fielder to the Cubs. The front office is happy with LaHair at first until Rizzo can step up. There would be no point in signing Fielder now.

While this deal likely would have been thought about long and hard had Samardzija not had his breakout 2011 campaign, his success surely made it easier to deal Cashner.

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With the athleticism that made him an All-American wide receiver, a frame suitable for a future workhorse, and an arm that’s both live and fresh, he fits the physical standards for your prototypical major league pitcher.

With a focused demeanor on the mound that could become a formidable presence in the coming years and the kind of work ethic that can only come from within, he has the intangibles you wish for too.

The only thing that Jeff Samardzija has always needed more of is experience. Of course, that’s just how it is when you grow up playing multiple sports.

He lettered in baseball, football, and basketball in high school, never missing a start in over 160 games between the three sports. He even played some hockey in his youth, helping to exclude him from summer and fall baseball and basically leaving him with one-third the practice and playing time of his peers right from the outset.

Continuing as a two-sport athlete on a football scholarship to Notre Dame didn’t exactly help him find time for baseball, but even then he played in every football game for four years and never missed his turn on the mound.

It was only in 2007, at the age of 22, that he finally got to concentrate solely on the one sport he loved the most.

He’s had his share of struggles since then—both in the majors and the minors, in the rotation and the bullpen, in this season and the last. But he’s also shown glimpses of what he could one day become, such as his debut in the big leagues back in 2008, when he allowed only seven earned runs in 27.2 innings.

When Carlos Silva was scratched from his start against the Cardinals Monday night due to tendinitis, the 25-year-old was called upon to take his place. With all of his minor league options used, it was an important test for an undeniably gifted athlete.

Although by no means perfect, the hard-throwing righty got the job done and helped the Cubs defeat Jaime Garcia, a potential National League Rookie of the Year candidate, by a score of 5-1.

Using a minimalistic windup, Samardzija featured a fastball that was consistently between 93 and 96 miles per hour. He also used his slider and splitter a good deal, both sitting in the low to mid 80s and both being thrown with much more confidence than they had been earlier this season.

His command was a little shaky, leading to four walks and a hit batter, but he was effective enough in 5.2 innings to not allow a single run to score and to allow one fewer hit than his counterpart.

Once he gets a little more comfortable with his secondary pitches, it wouldn’t surprise me if he went back to a more conventional windup to the benefit of both his velocity and movement. He just needs to get better command of all of his pitches first.

There’s still plenty of room left for improvement, but Monday night was at least an encouraging sign for the future. He even hit an RBI single in the top of the second inning to give himself a two-run advantage.

When he makes his next start, most likely against the Marlins in Miami on Sunday, the Cubs’ brass will be paying close attention to help inform their decision on what to do for next year. Maybe you should keep an eye out too.

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