Carlos Silva reported to camp in a competition for a Chicago Cubs rotation slot. While Silva was adamant that he already had a spot locked up, he went on to have arguably the worst Spring Training of any pitcher in baseball and recently learned he would not be a part of the starting five. The Cubs asked Silva whether he would accept a trip to the minors, but Silva refused. The Cubs then said that they'd work hard to trade him, but Silva took that opportunity to rip the organization for misleading him, so on Sunday the Cubs have released Silva outright.
Carlos Silva Released By Cubs After Pitcher Rips Team
Silva claimed that the team - and specifically pitching coach Mark Riggins - lied to him about his status before informing him that he didn’t make the roster. Said general manager Jim Hendry in response:
``Obviously, we’re dealing with a man that at this particular point in his career is not willing to face the facts,’’ general manager Jim Hendry said, ``that what he’s done the last few years, except for a two-month period is well below major league standards and who seems to have the continual problem of blaming everybody but himself.’’
So, Silva’s a free agent now, with the Cubs having eaten more than $6 million in salary to make him go away. He’s sure to find a job somewhere else, but it’s unlikely to be a job in a Major League rotation, at least at first.
After coming over to Chicago in the Milton Bradley trade, Silva got off to an excellent start, posting a 2.96 ERA over the first three months. However, he was terrible in his final five starts, he missed time to have a cardiac ablation, and after reporting to 2011 camp out of shape, he allowed 27 runs in 17.1 innings while also getting involved in a dugout altercation. Silva's words about the organization were the last straw, and now he's got all the time in the world to think about what he did.
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