Since Jeff Samardzija was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB Draft, his career has been, up-and-down, to say the least.
He has been a starter in the minors, a starter in the majors, a reliever in the minors, and a reliever in the majors. With all of the turbulence of his position, it's no wonder why he's struggled.
After joining the major league club in 2008 as strictly a reliever, Samardzija posted a 2.58 ERA. After he was sent to the minors to start the 2009 campaign, he wavered between the majors and minors, starting and relieving.
After Samardzija joined the Cubs as part of the 2010 Opening Day Major League roster, he posted an 0-1 record while sporting a 18.90 ERA. He was sent down to the minors after Ted Lilly was activated off of the disabled list and has remained on the AAA-Iowa squad since.
Some of Samardzija’s problems came from lack of control and a still-developing repertoire to go along with his above average fastball. Some of his issues, though, have to have come from the lack of stability as to what his position really is. Cubs manager Lou Pinella admittedly hasn’t put “The Shark” in the best position to succeed. He told ESPN Chicago’s Bruce Levine:
“He’s been in pro ball for three or four years,” Piniella said. “That’s not very long and to his detriment, we’ve moved him where we’ve needed him, back and forth. That’s not the easiest thing to do.”
He started out this season’s minor league stint as a starter, though as it grew clearer that the Cubs’ major league roster was starter-heavy, Samardzija transitioned—again—to the bullpen.
As the season has played along though, Samardzija has pitched increasingly well, dropping his ERA to 1.59, while going 5-0 in the minors. He has struck out 29 this season while only walking 19—a stark difference from his time in the majors where he had walked 6 while only striking out two.
It seems the certainty of his position has helped Samardzija gain some consistency. Here's to hoping his solid AAA run will have him being promoted to the majors soon. At 31-38, the Cubs need all the help they can get.