Lilly has shoulder scoped (UPDATED)
We’ll have more later today, but the Cubs announced that lefty Ted Lilly underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder yesterday in L.A. The procedure was performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum. In a release, the Cubs said Yocum “found no major damage to Lilly’s shoulder and the procedure consisted of a washout and cleanup of the shoulder” and that the surgery took about one hour.
The Cubs say Ted will begin a rehab program and will be evaluated after Jan. 1 to see when he can begin a throwing program. They say they're hopeful he can be in the rotation within the month of April.
We’re scheduled to talk with Ted and with Jim Hendry this afternoon. If you remember, Ted had some shoulder issues this year, along with knee surgery.
UPDATE: Ted said he hoped to begin throwing again in four months, which would mean the first part of March, just when Cactus League games are under way.
"The idea is maybe to start throwing in four months or so," he said. "A lot of that is going to be dictated on just how the rehab goes. That can change one way or another. My intention is to get back as soon as I can without setting myself back."
Hendry joined us soon after Ted was done. One question that came up was whether this would have an effect on whether the Cubs would try to keep Rich Harden. Jim didn't want a whole lot to do with that question. About all he said was that he has talked with the agents for Harden and reliever John Grabow, whom he'd like to re-sign.
"We haven't made any decisions yet on who's coming back or not from the club we ended the season with," Jim said. "This wouldn't alter our plans about adding another starter because Lew Yocum is one of the best in the world. If he felt that...if the rehab went according to plan, the way Ted goes about his business, that there's a good possibility Ted will be pitching in April. We certainly don't want to take that spot away from Ted if he's ready."
Lilly will be entering the final year of a four-year, $40 million contract.
The folks from Mesa, Arizona, also are having a news conference to talk about their efforts to keep the Cubs for spring training. I’ll listen in.
Be back with more later.
back up plan.........Lew Yocum can be the best in the world, but you still should have a back up plan.
Bruce, you write above: "About all he said was that he has talked with the agents for Harden and reliever John Grabow, whom he'd like to re-sign."
Just to clarify, Hendry has expressed a desire to resign John Grabow but he hasn't gone on record as wanting to re-sign Rich Harden, correct?
Thanks for keeping us up to date on Ted's situation. I don't think there's any reason to hit the panic button just yet.
He'd like to re-sign Grabow. They have had no intention of re-signing Harden, but that may have to change now.
If he's not ready by Opening Day they'll probably go with a four man rotation until, I think, April 20th (my math is fuzzy this early in the morning). Either way, they have depth to fill the back end of the rotation early in the season. It may, as Hoopscubs pointed out, keep them from adding some guys in trades but other than that it should be business as usual.
I like Harden, but didn't he also need minor surgery, if so perhaps he will break down
sometime in 2010.
I like to dream sometimes, it would be nice to get Roy Holliday, but I know it is not
possible.
you never know. stranger things have happened. long shot, but never say never.
And at this point, does Roy Halladay turn this team into a World Series contender?
No, so no point in wasting resources to get him for one year.
While adding an "ace" like Halladay probably isn't a necessity for the Cubs to make the playoffs next year, the Phillies learned the value of having enough true quality SP to win in the post season. Too bad for them that Cliff Lee couldn't pitch three or four times in the WS. I don't see Toronto trading Halladay before the season begins but look for him to be dealt before the trading deadline. That would be one heck of an addition to a team like the Cubs with 3-4 middle of the rotation types but no true ace.
I guess this works out well for Lou, since now he doesn't have to worry about telling Zambrano that Teddy Ballgame gets the Opening Day nod.
you're a good dude. again it's just my opinon.
It's obvious the Cubs don't like Harden. Perhaps they consider him to be a bit of a wuss.
What the Lilly injury might mean is that the Cubs will probably think long and hard before trading Marshall or Gorzelanny.
I'm not saying the Cubs had plans to trade either player anyway, but if they were thinking of using that depth to add some sort of incentive for a team to take on Milton Bradley, that avenue could be closed for now.
Of course, there may be some pitching bargains out there in free agency come January or February, so my point may be moot.
The Cubs still need to execute on dealing Bradley soon! Maybe Hendry lays the groundwork at the Winter Meetings.
Hoops
Shoulders are the worst for pitchers. Its one more question mark now.
Not only should the addition of pitching depth be of more importance, has the question been asked as to why it took over a month following the Cubs official end of the season for Lilly to have his surgery? If this would put him hopefully in the rotation in the month of April, wouldn't shooting for March have been preferable?
No one wants to undergo surgery if they can avoid it. It's very easy to say someone else should go under the knife. Lilly thought, along with two doctors and the trainer, that rest would alleviate whatever discomfort he had. It did not. Surgery is a last resort. And, of course, the question was asked.
Avoiding the knife is always going to be the preferred option. It's easy to become a bit cynical as a long time Cub fan and more difficult to maintain the glass is half full perspective. To read that the Cubs are focused on signing Grabow for two years and up to $7.5M doesn't help alleviate my concerns. If they offer him arbitration, other teams would figure to be reluctant to offer him a contract knowing they would have to give up a first or second round pick. And of course, the Cubs would also get a sandwich pick because I think Grabow is a type A if what I read was true. And Grabow isn't going to get that much money thru arbitration. Bruce, are they truly going to shell that out to get Grabow inked to a deal for fear of losing him?
It seems so. Hendry has a history of prioritizing bullpen guys and doing so at high costs. I believe Harden should become a priority now. I'll blog more on this tomorrow, but looking at the Bill James projections for 2010, Harden projects to a 3.33 ERA, best on the staff ahead of Zambrano (3.60), Lilly (3.76), Dempster (3.83) and Wells (4.16).
Thanks for sharing the projections Bruce. If those are close to what those guys will actually do, it confirms that Harden would be the "ace" , at least for those who consider ERA to be more important than innings pitched or W-L record. That's quite a drop off for Wells though, more than a full run. Hopefully he doesn't suffer from the dreaded sophomore slump syndrome.
As far as the bullpen goes, I guess you have to determine your needs and then fill them in as opportunities present themselves. So it would figure to be a challenge to cross off your wish list in order as you go. Trade partners will wait for the best offers and one trade causes another player to become available, and FA's have their agents holding out until the last minute. But it does seem like Hendry does it backwards, overspending on mediocre RP and then using whatever money is left over to fill in the other holes with more mediocre players.
you're up on everything. i like that.