Chicago Cubs Rumors: Former Cubs hurler Jeff Samardzija clears waivers

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 06: Jeff Samardzija #29 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the top of the first inning at AT&T Park on August 6, 2017 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 06: Jeff Samardzija #29 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the top of the first inning at AT&T Park on August 6, 2017 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 4
Next
CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 23: Starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija #29 of the Chicago Cubs flips the ball as he stands on the mound during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on June 23, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 23: Starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija #29 of the Chicago Cubs flips the ball as he stands on the mound during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on June 23, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Brian Kersey/Getty Images) /

Don’t dust off those old jerseys just yet

Yes, the Chicago Cubs need pitching that’s controllable past 2017.

No, Jeff Samardzija is not that answer.

Very little has changed for him since he left Chicago. In fact, a lot of the same problems linger on for the right-hander. He’s got the stuff, but not the results. He’s eating innings, but failing to prevent runs consistently. He strikes out batters and limits walks, yet is hit-or-miss more often than not.

Everything on that list represents exactly what the Chicago Cubs do not need. Inconsistency in the pitching staff has been a concern for this year’s team for a good while now. Adding another such arm to the mix makes no sense.

Given the price tag he comes with and the mixed bag of results, Jeff Samardzija will likely finish up his career in San Francisco. He’ll eat innings and he’ll notch strikeouts. But we have no reason to believe he’ll ever be the ace so many have hoped he’d turn into.

Next: Breaking down Cubs' best trades since 1980