Cubs Sign Two Minor League Free-Agents
Baseball America reports that the Cubs have signed Rule 55 second-contract minor league free-agent RHSP Drew Rucinski(ex-LAA) and Rule 55 minor league 6YFA LHP Jeffry Antigua to 2016 minor league contracts.
Both will be eligible for selection in next month's Rule 5 Draft, although it's not likely that Rucinski would get picked because he was not claimed off waivers when he was outrighted in September, and the only way Antigua gets claimed is if the Cubs placed him on the AA Tennessee reserve list, which would make him eligible for selection in the AAA Phase of the draft ($12,000 draft price with no roster restrictions and no chance to be re-claimed).
The 6'2 190 27-year old Rucinski started two games for the Angels/Cubs co-op team in the AZ Advanced Instructional League last month, so Cubs Assistant Minor League Pitching Coordinator Mike Mason (who was Pitching Coach for the Angels/Cubs AZAIL co-op team) had a chance to see Rucinski up close & personal. I saw Rucinski pitch in both of the AZAIL games, and I would describe him as a polished pitcher who throws a 91-93 MPH fastball, a slider, and a change-up. Nothing special.
Rucinski pitched collegiately at Ohio State, and after finishing his college career and going undrafted, he signed with the independent Rockford Riverhawks (Frontier League) in 2011. His contract was purchased by the Cleveland Indians in mid-June of that year, and he pitched for three different Tribe affiliates (AZL, NYP, and MWL) in 2011, but was releaeed at the end of minor league camp in 2012.
After being released by the Indians, Rucinski returned to indy ball (Rockford) where he emerged as one of the top starting pitchers in the Frontier League (he led the FL in strikeouts). before having his contract purchased by the Los Angeles Angels in August 2013.
Rucinski started five games at Hi-A Inland Empire (Califormia League) after being acquired by the Angels, and then was moved up to AA Arkansas in 2014, where he was the ace of the Travelers staff. In fact he was so impressive at AA that he was called up to MLB by the Angels in July 2014. (Baseball America ranked Rucinski as the Angels #18 prospect post-2014). Rucinski was optioned to AAA Salt Lake City in 2015, riding the "SLC-LA shuttle" (he was the Angels version of Dallas Beeler).
Over the course of 1-1/2 seasons, Rucinski saw action in seven MLB games, and he was not effective (6.28 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, .322 OppBA, and 8/12 BB/K in 14.1 IP). He also struggled with walks and the gopher ball in the PCL (allowing 44 walks and 21 HR in just 112.1 IP), and was outrighted to AAA after the 2015 season. He was eligible to be a Rule 55 second-contract minor league free-agent post-2015 because he had been released previously in his career, making him available to sign with the Cubs even though he has not spent seven seasons in the minors.
Rucinski will likely get an NRI to Spring Training with the Cubs next Spring, and then be a SP at AAA Iowa.
The 25-year old 6'1 205 Antigua was originally signed by the Cubs as a 16-year old out of the Dominican Republic in 2006, and he has spent nine seasons in the Cubs organization. He was a Rule 55 minor league 6YFA after the 2013 season and after last season, too, and opted to re-sign with the Cubs post-2013, post-2014 and now again post-2015.
Antigua was a decent prospect at one time (he was rated the Cubs #19 prospect by BA six years ago), but he has subsequently morphed into sort of a minor league version of Travis Wood, in that he is a "swingman" who can start or relieve, pitch just about every day, and can be moved (without any hassle) to any level in the system where he might be needed. He also is a positive mentor for the younger Cubs pitchers, especially the young Latin pitchers.
So although he's kind of a player-coach, Antigua's stuff is good enough to get outs in the minors, and he is not negatively impacted by getting moved back & forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen or between affiliates. And since left-handers never really die (they just fade away). Antigua could be pitching in the minors for the next ten or 15 years, and maybe somewhere along the line he'll get a taste of The Show. You just never know.
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