05-08-2009, 09:33 AM
<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec--><!--sizeo:5--><!--/sizeo-->Ticket to minors looms for Cubs' Joey Gathright<!--sizec--><!--/sizec-->
May 8, 2009
BY GORDON WITTENMYER gwittenmyer@suntimes.com
HOUSTON -- It took a month of on-again, off-again baseball, with their depth stretched to the limit much of that time, for the Cubs to give up the luxury of a speed specialist for a better-balanced bench.
To make room on the roster for pitcher Randy Wells to start tonight, the Cubs plan to send speedy outfielder Joey Gathright to the minors this afternoon -- if he accepts the assignment -- when the waiver period on him expires, sources confirmed Thursday.
Gathright, who's hitting .214 in 14 at-bats, has enough service time to refuse the assignment and become a free agent, but he would give up the remainder of his $800,000 salary. The Cubs have discussed the move with Gathright's representatives the last two days after putting him on waivers.
The immediate beneficiary appears to be infielder Bobby Scales, the career minor-leaguer who made his major-league debut Tuesday at 31. When Scales joined the club Monday, he gave the Cubs more than one backup infielder left of first base for the first time this season.
Wells makes his major-league starting debut tonight in place of injured Carlos Zambrano (hamstring).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
May 8, 2009
BY GORDON WITTENMYER gwittenmyer@suntimes.com
HOUSTON -- It took a month of on-again, off-again baseball, with their depth stretched to the limit much of that time, for the Cubs to give up the luxury of a speed specialist for a better-balanced bench.
To make room on the roster for pitcher Randy Wells to start tonight, the Cubs plan to send speedy outfielder Joey Gathright to the minors this afternoon -- if he accepts the assignment -- when the waiver period on him expires, sources confirmed Thursday.
Gathright, who's hitting .214 in 14 at-bats, has enough service time to refuse the assignment and become a free agent, but he would give up the remainder of his $800,000 salary. The Cubs have discussed the move with Gathright's representatives the last two days after putting him on waivers.
The immediate beneficiary appears to be infielder Bobby Scales, the career minor-leaguer who made his major-league debut Tuesday at 31. When Scales joined the club Monday, he gave the Cubs more than one backup infielder left of first base for the first time this season.
Wells makes his major-league starting debut tonight in place of injured Carlos Zambrano (hamstring).<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->