Cubs DFA Steven Souza Jr. After He Started in LF During First Game of Doubleheader
I’m honestly not sure what in the blue hell the Cubs are doing at this point and I’m not really able to properly chew over and digest my thoughts. After starting in left and going 0-for-2 with two strikeouts to drop his average to .148 with a 60 wRC+, the Cubs designated Steven Souza Jr. for assignment in order to make room on the roster for righty Tyson Miller.
Miller will be available for Saturday’s late game, which means he was already with the team in Chicago. It also means the Cubs knew they’d have to make a personnel move, which we can assume was going to be Souza the whole time. Why, then, would they allow David Ross to start him in a fairly critical game? It was odd enough that he was in there against a righty, but now I’m really flummoxed.
My hope is that this will eventually open up more room for them to add Ian Miller back to the roster after he cleared waivers and was assigned back to South Bend. I know it’s my schtick by now, but I guarantee you he can hit better than .148 and he’ll be able to steal a base or two as well.
In other Saturday moves, the Cubs claimed infielder Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Twins. In order to make room in the player pool, they released righty Jharel Cotton, who I’d honestly forgotten was still in the organization.