Chicago Cubs Baseball

Just 13 games into the 2009 season, the Chicago Cubs baseball brass is wasting no time in reshaping the club’s erratic bullpen.

Jeff Samardzija will join the team on Thursday, replacing Luis Viscaino as part of the Chicago bullpen.   Mark Karman, talking to ESPN affiliate KOZN in Omaha, reported the move late Wednesday afternoon and it was later confirmed on the Cubs official site that evening.

For the right-hander it will be a quick return to the majors.  Samardzija spent the second half of the 2008 season with the parent Cubs, appearing in 26 games with a 2.28 ERA.

He was one of four remaining pitchers vying for the final bullpen slot during spring training, but as the only player among the four with options became odd man out and started this season with Triple A Iowa.

In his last outing on Saturday with the minor league Cubs, Samardzija threw six innings of one-hit ball.  It was his second straight strong start in the young season and with Cubs general manager Jim Hendry in attendance likely influenced Thursday’s move.

Chicago’s bullpen had given up 25 walks entering Tuesday’s game, tying Washington for most bases on balls allowed in the National League.

“He’s built his arm up,” Chicago manager Piniella said of Samardzija. “I probably will use [David] Patton and use [Angel] Guzman a little longer. Jeff will be one of my short people — I’m not talking about height. We’ll use him an inning-plus. We’ll use him about how we use (Aaron) Heilman.”

Rumors circulated prior to the announcement that struggling left-hander Neal Cotts would be the player let go.  Cotts has faced 19 batters this season, giving up five hits and walking another five.

“He had a couple bad days,” Hendry said of Cotts. “We’ll keep giving him more chances and I think he’ll be tough enough to figure it out.”

Viscaino, meanwhile, will be looking for a pitching job elsewhere.  The right-hander came over in the Jason Marquis off-season trade with Colorado.  In addition to Marquis, the Cubs also paid the Rockies $875,000 for Viscaino.

Moving Viscaino may have been somewhat of a surprise - but not to Karman. “I know Lou’s not in love with him,” Karman said.