Brett Anderson has made two starts for the Toronto Blue Jays and he hasn’t been placed on the disabled list yet, but he has taken the time to publicly dish out a subtle jab at the Chicago Cubs.
If you don’t remember Brett Anderson’s time with the Cubs this season, then good for you because if you do then you just threw up thinking about him pitching. The Cubs signed the lefty in the offseason to a heavily incentivized contract that could have netted Anderson $10 million. The low-risk, high-reward proposition by the Cubs didn’t work out, as Anderson only made six starts before going to the disabled list in early May. He was later acquired by the Blue Jays after the Cubs DFA’d him.
On Aug. 29, Anderson made his debut for Toronto, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing one earned run on six hits against the Boston Red Sox. He made his second appearance for the Blue Jays on Sunday and was effective over six innings of work, giving up three runs in six innings. After his second start, Anderson tweeted the following, obviously feeling good about himself, while seemingly taking a shot at the Cubs, his previous team.
It's crazy what happens when you aren't tinkered with and can just go out and pitch
— Brett Anderson (@BAnderson3737) September 4, 2017
I’m not going to say every pitcher is the same because that’s obviously false, however the Cubs have a pretty good track record of tinkering with pitchers and making them better, or getting a lot more out of them than expected. You know, like, Jake Arrieta. Again, not every pitcher is the same, but let’s not pretend that Brett Anderson was an elite starting pitcher that came to the Cubs and was then destroyed by the coaches.
Before 2017, Anderson had some pretty good seasons, his best coming in 2010, when he had a 2.80 ERA in 19 starts for the Oakland A’s. See, the problem is, has been and will always be that Brett Anderson can never stay healthy. Check out the following list of DL stints by Anderson prior to signing with the Cubs.
- April 27, 2010: 15-day DL with left elbow inflammation and forearm strain
- June 4, 2010: 15-day DL
- June 7, 2011: 15-day DL with left elbow soreness
- July 31, 2011: Transferred to 60-day DL
- March 13, 2013: 60-day DL
- May 1, 2013: 15-day DL with sprained right ankle
- June 14th, 2013: Transferred to 60-day DL
- April 13, 2014: 15-day DL with fractured left index finger
- April 25, 2014: Transferred to 60-day DL
- August 6, 2014: 15-day DL with lower back strain
- August 16, 2014: Transferred to 60-day DL
- April 3, 2016: 60-day DL after back surgery
- August 23, 2016: 15-day DL with left index finger blister
After six starts with the Cubs, Anderson went on the DL with a back issue and never pitched for them again. So, it’s great that Anderson got another opportunity with the Blue Jays and good for him for stringing together two good starts in a row, but be careful tweeting out blame, you might land on the disabled list again with a blister.
