Juan Cruz Is Out of Options (Update: Actually He Isn’t)
In yesterday’s Chicago Tribune, Paul Sullivan wrote, “In one 24-hour stretch, Juan Cruz went from potential fifth starter to potential middle reliever to potential minor-leaguer now that Greg Maddux is on board. Cruz bounced between the Cubs and Triple-A Iowa last year and could have a repeat this season.” One problem: Cruz, having been on the 40-man roster for three seasons, is out of options. (See Rob Neyer’s transactions primer.) Cruz is either getting traded, or he’s the long reliever.
Sullivan also has this curious quote from Dusty Baker: “I’ve talked to Juan. But I planned on talking to him. Juan wasn’t a lock for that fifth spot anyway. There are very few locks on this team. Juan is fighting for a position.”
Huh? There are very few locks? Unless the Cubs decide to eat Jose Macias’s contract or someone gets injured, the entire roster is set.
UPDATE (2/23/2004 9:25am): As noted in the comments section, I was completely wrong about Cruz being out of options. Because he was never sent down in 2002, he has another option year remaining.